Val McDermid

Killing the Shadows

Christina says:

This review is based upon the German translation by Doris Styron.

Terror hits close to home for well-known profiler Fiona Cameron when she has apply to her abilities to find a serial killer specializing in killing thriller authors using their own novels as a model. Her partner Kit Martin also writes award-winning books about serial killers and the previous victims were his friends. To prevent him from suffering the same fate, she has to end her quarrel with the London police.

Val McDermid convincingly writes about a fascinating subject. As she does in her series about profiler Tony Hill, she fits authentic looking documents into her plot, as well as excerpts of the novels of the victims and the perp’s diary which has been decoded by the police. It is really uncanny to see her getting into the head of a psychopath.

But that's about all that's fascinating about this book. No matter how well written the professional part may be, the "human" part is all the more disappointing. Killing the Shadows is full of clichés, from the lonely policeman without a life to the superwoman who wants to save her very own Mr. Right.

Fiona Cameron is a professional investigator behaving like an amateur detective. She moves among cardboard characters spouting stiff dialogues. Somehow the book reminds me of an action movie with perfect stunts and special effects where the budget wasn't big enough for everything else that makes a movie into an exciting adventure – the story, the characters, the atmosphere – that will make you forget you are sitting in a chair in a dark room.

Val McDermid has shown in previous books that she can do much better.

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Christina

Last changes: 12-10-03

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