Broken Ground

Val McDermid (The Mermaids Singing; Insidious Intent) captures the dour vibe of Scotland perfectly in Broken Ground, an engrossing entry in her Detective Karen Pirie series. DCI Pirie, head of the cold case team, is called in when treasure hunters find more than they were bargaining for in a bog. Alice Somerville's grandfather always said he buried two valuable motorcycles at the end of World War II, as Allied forces were being shipped back home. But Alice and her husband end up finding a dead body with the motorcycles.

Driving back and forth to the remote Scottish highlands and trying to determine exactly when the body was placed with the motorcycles is keeping Pirie busy enough. But then she's pulled into another case, after overhearing a sinister conversation in a coffee shop. Twisty and shocking, the effects of the conversation immerse Pirie in the world of modern crime for a change, and set her on a collision course with higher-ups within the Scotland police force.

Fans of Ian Rankin or Elizabeth George will love Broken Ground. It's atmospheric, tense and believably weaves together two disparate cases. Pirie herself, struggling with insomnia in the wake of a personal tragedy, is smart, stubborn and an eminently likable character as she endeavors to solve the crimes and save her own skin within the police force. --Jessica Howard, bookseller at Bookmans, Tucson, Ariz.

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