Still Life

Val McDermid

Having read it

★★★★☆

A rather decent mystery (and one set in early 2020 for a bit of a nod to real world events!) that slowly reveals quite a wrapped up legacy and is assisted by some thoroughly good police characters like DCI Karen, Daisy, Jason and a few others!

A good passage

There was, Daisy thought, some kind of fundamental affinity between cops and curry houses.

A second good passage

‘It’s a cold case that has a very warm element to it. A murder this week that ties into a suspicious disappearance ten years ago.’
‘Ooh, that sounds like an episode in that series where Trevor Eve gets all shouty.’
Karen chuckled. ‘If you have to get that shouty, you’re not doing it right.’

A third good passage

They talked about the implications for the island of Ireland of a post-Brexit world. ‘We’ll see a unified Ireland inside five years,’ Karen said. ‘And that’ll be the start of the break up of the UK.’
‘Only if Scotland doesn’t get there first.’
Karen sighed. ‘Let’s hope so, eh?’
‘So what’s the plan in Dublin?’
‘We’ll be having a wee conversation with Francis Flaxner Geary. What happens next depends on how cooperative he is.’ Karen’s smile would have made hard men run for cover.