A young policeman becomes responsible for a murder investigation involving a girl who disappeared in the 1960s. Without giving away too much I can tell you that the novel is divided into two parts and these in turn are divided into different parts, which work very well in this novel (in other cases this really bugs me).

Newspaper Articles, Letters and Illustrations

Another fun detail about A Place of Execution is that miscellaneous newspaper articles, letters and illustrations spice up the text and gives it a unique touch.

My Opinion

This is an independent crime novel by Val McDermid, and it is fantastic just like The Distant Echo, even though I personally do not think A Place of Execution is as good. However, I think the difference is a matter of taste and not a matter of quality.

This was my first meeting with Detective Inspector Christy Kennedy, and it was a pretty pleasant one I must say.

Better in the Right Order

As always I don’t like start reading a novel in the middle of a series, since there are quite a few loose ends that I probably would have kept better track of if I had read the novels in the right order to begin with (especially things regarding her personal life), but other than that it is a good English crime novel. It is also fun that Charles has slipped in music references here and there!

I cannot make up my mind about the author Val McDermid. I did not like the novels I have read about the psychologist Tony Hill at all, unlikely coincidences, cliché characters, etc. (There is also a TV series based on Tony Gill – Wire in the Blood.) The Distant Echo on the other hand is fantastic – how is that possible?

Cold Case Review

The novel begins in the late 1970s when a couple of students find a murdered woman, a murder that does not get solved until twenty-five years later when the investigation is re-opened.

Fantastic British Crime Novel

Val McDermid has written many novels, and even though I have not read them all I would recommend her independent novels before her series, because it does not get much better than this when it comes to British crime novels.

Annoying Ending? Not At All!

Bolton has succeeded in creating a very original crime novel (which takes place on the Shetland Islands) completely packed with action, suspense and interesting characters. When I had about ten pages left I told a friend: “I don’t understand how she’ll be able to finish this, or do you think it’s one of those annoying novels where everything just ends without a real explanation?” But Bolton succeeded and she deserves a lot of credit!

Despite the fact that the storyline may be too imaginative at times, Sacrifice is overall very exciting and I really recommend it!

Most of Trenter’s novels take place in Stockholm and so does Tragic Telegram, but we also find ourselves on a trip to Italy where photographer Harry Friberg and police man Vesper Johnson (Trenter’s reoccurring heroes) are looking for the murder of a Swedish-Italian woman in Stockholm.

The tempo in the book is much slower than in most crime novels of today, but nevertheless – I like it!

The book is the first in a series of three about Inger Johanne Vik, a lawyer with a degree in psychology as well. Several children disappear and Norway is in a panic. Inger Johanne Vik and Yngvar Stubø, a police man, are trying to solve the case before any more children get abducted but are fighting against the clock.

This is in my opinion a really, really good crime novel! I usually think crime stories that involve children are too scary and therefore I don’t like to read them. However, Holt isn’t gorging in gory details about the children, but is instead concentrating and focusing the story on Vik and Stubø. I loved the characters and I loved the book – I can’t wait to read my next Holt novel!