Friday 12 September 2008

Val McDermid

Until a couple of months ago, I had never thought to read a book by Val McDermid, then I got "The Mermaids Singing" as the book for my book club. I really enjoyed this, discovered I had the third in this series in my extensive collection of books I've bought but never opened, and got the second, fourth and fifth books absurdly cheap in WH Smith. So I'm on a bit of a run with it.

I've never watched Wire in the Blood, so I am unfamiliar with the stories and characters although having said this, I am aware that Robson Greene and Hermione Norris play the main roles. I don't picture Robson Greene when reading about Tony Hill, but I completely see Hermione Norris as Carol Jordan. Interestingly, I am now on the fourth book (The Torment of Others) and I am guessing that this was written after Robson Greene became Tony Hill, because in this one he is Robson Greene all over and I can only assume that the author is picturing him as she writes.

I do find these books gripping and fast paced, I have read the first three relatively quickly, but there's rather too many similarities for them to be read consecutively like this. She has a formula whereby Tony Hill puts himself in a situation where he is certain to die at the hands of the killer, only to be saved by some brilliance on his part or on the part of his colleagues. Also, the personal life of the author has little bearing on the content of the book and as such, I find the number of characters that are lesbians to be entirely unnecessary (NB there is no action, just feelings), and not representative. To be fair, the sexuality of the characters is often a vital plot device, but I'm starting to wish she'd use another plot.

I do like the way that she takes a different approach for each novel, sometimes we know who the killer is, sometimes we simply see their thoughts and it turns out to be another character, sometimes we know exactly who it is but just don't have a name. I also like the developing relationship (or not) between Carol and Tony, this is well written and does feel realistic.

Once I've finished this fourth book in the series, I'm going to take a break. I've got "Things I Want my Daughters to Know" by Elizabeth Noble to read, which I think qualifies as chick-lit, but I like her previous books very much. Then I've got to read "Saturday" by Ian McEwan (someone else I've not read anything by, and probably should have), then I'll return to the fifth and latest installment in the Tony Hill series.

Unless, of course, I get diverted, which is extremely likely. I may stick to Poppy Cat.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Im currently reading the big sleep by raymond chandler. he really is one of the best prose writers that ever lived, his descriptions are superb. story-wise though, hes all over the place, but the writing is perfect, just the first page is a masterclass.

I havent read val, but shes a kirkcaldy girl, so okay by me

MD said...

Yeah, I've also got her "The Distant Echo" which is set in Fife to read. One day...

Is the Big Sleep not a massively rated film?

Anonymous said...

yes, great film too. the big lebowski is sort of a great spoof of it. jeffs best film, great movie.

you get some of chandlers great dialogue in the films, but his character descriptions and the way he sets a scene up perfectly in just a few lines is breath-taking. because he wrote thrillers, and confusing ones at that, hes been a bit dismissed. but purely for the quality of the writing, hes one of the very best. very much a writers writer, i think. lots of serious literary writers rate him very very highly.

my favourite contemporary authors (currently)are michael chabon and anne tyler. anne tyler writes about the human condition better than just about anyone. after reading one of her books, I feel like ive lived a lifetime. and they usually make me cry. sap.

*testicles shrivel up inside body*

MD said...

bless you :-)

I thought for a moment you meant Anne Rice, which surprised me. Then I actually read what you'd written and I have a vague recollection of getting one of Anne Tyler's books recently for the book club.

--short diversion to Amazon--

no, it wasn't her.

I haven't read most of the things I should have. I'm better with books than films, but only just.