Customer Reviews
Worth reading even if you've seen the TV series - By: Snapdragon, 20 Nov 2008 
Whilst Carol Jordan is still trying to recover from her experiences when an undercover operation went badly wrong for her, a young woman is found murdered.
The killing is almost identicalin MO to those committed by Derek Tyler, who is incarceratedin a mental institution & has become an elective mute. The discovery of this body & then a further victim appears to cast doubt over Tyler's conviction & the original enquiry & profiler Tony Hill is asked to consult on the case.
The new investigation leads the team to take the risky decision of setting up another undercover operation, but there are doubts that Carol will be able to cope after her recent traumatic experience.
This novel really shows Val McDermid at her finest. I was very disappointed with `Beneath the Bleeding' (the most recent novel) but this has really reminded me why she is heldin such high regard. I have always watched the TV series `Wire In The Blood', but even so I would recommend that you read the novels: the subtleties of the relationship between Carol & Tony are far better read than watched. This book really was fantastically well written & very fast paced. Recommended.
Good but let down on a couple of points - By: George O'reilly, 18 Jul 2008 
It was a really good read & kept me interested but you felt the ending was too quickly wrapped up. The serial killer who thought of everything didn't have a paasword on the home computer that contained incriminating evidence.
Also the fact that the hookers seem to know who the creeper was but wouldn't say anything. That part of the story didn't ring through very well. Other than that it was well worth a read & I will track down her other novels.
Different type of crime thriller - By: Janie U, 13 Dec 2007 
Her characters are very harsh but you know that underneath their brave fronts they are usually vulnerable & that seems to draw them more sympathy from the reader.
What makes the Tony Hill books different from other crime thrillers is that having a psychologist involvedin the story but not working directly as a cop gives the author the freedom to theorise about the murders, so providing a good contrast between this & the usual police procedural progress.
I was a bit disapppointed that there were two cases which were given prominence but turned out not to be linked & I felt that the child killer case was given a fairly swift windup at the end of the book.
Other than that a very good book. I've read several Val McDermid books & will read more.
A high tensioned thriller - By: F. Luchetti, 19 Oct 2007 This is the fourth bookin the series featuring Dr Tony Hill & DCI Carol Jordan.
Two crimes to solve..... a past case involving two missing children & a murderer who is brutally killing womenin a fashion which is identical to previous murders but with the killer already convicted & locked up.
This is one of the best booksin the series, a high tensioned thriller with twists & turns along the way.
Very Good - By: J.Flood, 17 Sep 2007 A murderer is killing prostitutes,in a very gruesome manner. The method of the murders, is identical to a series of murders committed a few years earlier. However, that killer, Derek Tyler, has been put away, & could not have been involved, with the new cases.
I found this book a rivetting read. I felt the characters, DCI Carol Jordan & Tony Hill, along with the rest of the crime investigating team, seemed quite believable, & that the dialogue between them was realistic, as well.
The storyline never got dull, & there are a few twistsin it, too. It kept me interested throughout.
