Really great mystery: "A Place of Execution" by Val McDermid.

[Lex]

Couldn't put this one down. It's not new (2001 I think) so your library will probably have a copy. Mine did.

A Greek tragedy in modern England, A Place of Execution is a taut psychological suspense thriller that explores, exposes and explodes the border between reality and illusion in a multilayered narrative that turns expectations on their head and reminds us that what we know is what we do not know. A monstrous tale of deception, the technique of the telling is the greatest deception of all.

The Wall Street Journal - 'A marvel from start to finish.'

Link


Her book "A Darker Domain" is supposed to be good too. I think I will read it next. :hi:

[pnorman]

1. Not too keen on mystery novels per se,

but I pay special attention to opinions & recommendations from my DU family. I see that it's available at Audible.com as a spoken word book, so I'll put it on my Wish List. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

On edit: Audible.com lists 9 books by that author including "A Darker Domain". Most of the books there are superbly narrated, while the rest are largely well done. If you engage in a lot of activities when "a book in hand" is impractical, give Audible.com a look-see.

[Lex]

4. Thanks for the info

on audible.com, pnorman.

I'll check it out.

[pnorman]

8. You can listen to a sample of that book here:

http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/enSearch/searchResults.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&N=0&Ntx=mode%2Bmatchallpartial&D=%22a+place+of+execution%22&Dx=mode%2Bmatchallpartial&Ntk=S_Title&Ntt=%22a+place+of+execution%22&x=9&y=7

I have a very few Audible books where the listening experience was less than satisfactory. One was "The Godfather", where the narrator captured PERFECTLY the indistinct muttering of Don Corleone. But the result was that with only the greatest of difficulty, I was able to know what the fuck he was saying! Since the novel wasn't otherwise very noteworthy, I left it almost completely unfinished. I also have a few books by Barbara Tuchman, where the narrator spoke in a somewhat cultured "upper class" voice. That sorta offended my "plebian" sensibilities, but I gradually became accustomed to it. Those two books were well worth any effort.

So listen to the sample, and see if it "works" for you. Also, many of those books are quite pricey, but are at a flat rate (~$13 each) when you sign up for a Plan. Consider that, if you can see a number of such books in your future. You can listen to them from off your computer, and also from "almost" any PDA/cell-phone or pocket Media Player.

[SheilaT]

2. Slightly more plot

summary would be more likely to induce me to look it at.

Often what I hate about the paperback edition of a book is that there's no information on what it's actually about, just a bunch of blurbs about how great it is. Give me a clue as to what I'm getting into, or I won't spend the money.

[Lex]

3. Click on the link provided

for more information on the plot, if you are interested.

[MaineDem]

5. She wrote Wire in the Blood, a great BBC series

Loved it. Thanks for the rec on this book.

[NEOhiodemocrat]

6. Thanks for the recommendation

I just added it to my request list at the library.

[abluelady]

7. I Just Discovered Val McDermid

Haven't read the one you recommended, yet. The protagonist in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” was reading her, so I decided to check her out. She's written many books. Since I've liked two of them already, I suspect I’ll get to all of them.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

9. I agree with the recommendation, and be aware that

it is better than the BBC adaptation that was shown on Masterpiece Theater last year.

The TV adaptation added an unnecessary framing story about the woman reporter with the bratty daughter. In the book, it's the retired policeman who does all the investigating and makes the final discovery.

Also, I didn't truly understand the part about the village being hidden away until I visited a friend in England who actually lives part time in such a village. Due to the hedgerows and winding, hilly roads, you could be within a few hundred yards of such a village and not know it was there.

By the way, Val McDermid sometimes plays cameo roles in TV adaptations of her works. Watch for a short, plump woman with curly white hair.