ARC Book Review: Broken Ground (Karen Pirie Book 5) by Val McDermid

Release Date: December 5, 2018
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
Format: ebook
Pages: 432 pages
Genre:  Mystery/ Thriller
Buy: Hardcover | Paperback | Audio

Synopsis: 

Six feet under in a Highland peat bog lies Alice Somerville’s inheritance, buried by her grandfather at the end of World War II. But when Alice finally uncovers it, she finds an unwanted surprise—a body with a bullet hole between the eyes. Meanwhile, DCI Pirie is called in to unravel a case where nothing is quite as it seems. And as she gets closer to the truth, it becomes clear that not everyone shares her desire for justice. Or even the idea of what justice is.

Review:

DCI Karen Pirie heads up the historical case unit in Scotland. Karen is still suffering from the loss of her significant other and seems to be having a hard time trusting anyone around her.

Karen is out chasing leads on a series of historical rapes when she is asked to divert to Wester Ross where a body has been discovered, buried with some Long sought treasure. The body is well preserved by the peat and has more modern shoes leading the forensic specialist to call Karen.

I haven't read any of the other books in this series so it works well as a stand alone. McDermid's narration is flowing and really moves the story along. She describes the landscapes so well you can almost smell the peat and feel the wind on your face. This is a really good police procedural that has many components to keep you reading.

Karen seems to have caught the attention of her boss but not in a good way. Knowing that the woman wants to take hurt her position Karen doesn't trust the new arrival to her unit. With her faithful other detective in tow they dive into the mystery of the man buried in the peat, whose mystery reaches back to WWII.

I really enjoyed this novel and I'm putting these on my radar to keep up with any new ones!

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

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