The Grave Tattoo by
Val McDermid
hbk out February 06
Published by HarperCollins
at £17.99
As well as her three series featuring Lindsay Gordon, Kate Brannigan and Tony Hill,
Val McDermid also writes stand-alone crime novels and this, her fourth, ranks with
her best. Although the story is very definitely British in setting – the action sweeps
from London to the Lake District - it contains many of the ingredients that Hollywood
film-makers love and among the Hitchcockian touches is a classic MacGuffin – a
'lost' work by William Wordsworth concerning Fletcher Christian, of 'Mutiny on The
Bounty' fame. Jane Gresham, a lovelorn academic with an obsessive belief in the
existence of this mysterious and priceless manuscript leads the hunt, but there are
others in hot pursuit whose motives are much less honourable. The rollicking tone is
captured by one key character who warns a prospective murder victim: 'I really don't
want to frighten you, but four people have already died so someone could get their
hands on this…' A really enjoyable read.
(
Martin Edwards
- author of the highly acclaimed Harry Devlin Mysteries)
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The Grave Tattoo by
Val McDermid
