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Broken Ground (Karen Pirie Novels Book 5) Kindle Edition

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 8,279 ratings

A woman digs up a buried treasure—and a buried body—in the Scottish Highlands: “There are few other crime writers in the same league.”—Maureen Corrigan, The Washington Post
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 Karen Pirie is dealing not only with this cold case but with a domestic violence case, and as 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.
An engrossing, twisty thriller, 
Broken Ground is an outstanding entry in this Diamond Dagger-winning author’s “superior series” (The New York Times Book Review).
 
“As always, McDermid’s story lines are as richly layered as her protagonist.”—
Publishers Weekly
 
“One of the best things about this series is the details of Karen's working life, the obstacles as well as the satisfactions, and the small pleasures of her off hours.”—
Kirkus Reviews

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From the Publisher

1989 1979 STILL LIFE RESISTANCE HOW THE DEAD SPEAK
Customer Reviews
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4.0 out of 5 stars
9,111
4.5 out of 5 stars
13,163
3.0 out of 5 stars
109
4.4 out of 5 stars
7,417
Price $14.33 $11.24 $13.76 $9.02 $17.00
Allie Burns has become an editor with the Cold War and AIDS crisis delivering nonstop news. When murder is added to this potent mix, Allie is forced to question all her old certainties. Investigative journalist Allie Burns looks into the murder of a friend and fellow journalist during the upheaval of 1979 A propulsive Karen Pirie thriller that delves into a historic missing persons case, fake identities, and art forgery A propulsive Karen Pirie thriller that delves into a historic missing persons case, fake identities, and art forgery How The Dead Speak reunites Tony Hill and Carol Jordan after a mysterious skeleton turns up on the grounds of an old orphanage

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Broken Ground

“Pirie is a satisfyingly wry and hard-edged character, and McDermid’s dry tone heightens the growing suspense.”Guardian (UK)

“Val McDermid’s DCI Karen Pirie is a realistic figure, rooted in research and acting in accordance with the law. She is one of McDermid’s most appealing sleuths . . . McDermid writes with warmth and authority, building Karen’s cases with conviction and making the reader root for her in every possible way. You know you’re in safe hands from the first page.”BookOxygen

“This is Val McDermid, so it will be both gripping and unputdownable.”The Bookseller (UK)

“Val McDermid seamlessly weaves multiple mysteries, modern forensics, and old grudges into one story that practically trembles from the narrative tension. Broken Ground is another smart procedural from an expert of the form.”―Kristen Lepionka, author of the Roxane Weary mystery series

“There’s a reason readers around the world look forward to a new book by the ‘queen of crime’ and Val McDermid’s legions of fans will not be disappointed with this one… McDermid never puts a foot wrong. Her prose is so clear and engaging, this is a book that will keep you turning pages. Like Pirie, you will be hungry for just that one more bit of evidence.”Crime Fiction Lover

“McDermid’s novels about cold cases have solid plots and fascinating forensic detail.”Sunday Times (UK)

Praise for Out of Bounds:

“A thriller as steely and superlative as its heroine” ―O, The Oprah Magazine

“Tightly plotted . . . McDermid applies her formidable intelligence and muscular style to the kind of urban crime novel that gives Scotland its tough rep and vigorous lingo . . . It’s the brawny characters and their beefy dialect that really keep us coming back to this superior series.”― New York Times Book Review

“No one writes sturdier mysteries than Val McDermid.”― Chicago Tribune

“There are few other crime writers in the same league as Val McDermid. Her stories are ingeniously plotted, moody . . . Absorbing . . . It’s Karen’s character that’s the enduring draw of this series . . . Out of Bounds is another terrific and intricate suspense novel by a writer who has given us 30 of them.”― Washington Post

“[McDermid] balances the intense character studies in Out of Bounds with an inside view of the Scottish legal system and again shows her acuity in producing intelligent thrillers.” ―Associated Press

“McDermid gives us the female heroine that doesn’t fit the mould, and in the best way.”― National Post (Canada)

“None is more deserving of the queen-of-crime mantle than Val McDermid . . . I would like to see a great deal more of DCI Pirie.”― Irish Times

About the Author

Val McDermid’s best-selling novels have won the Los Angeles Times Book of the Year Award, and the Crime Writers’ Association’s Gold Dagger and Cartier Diamond Dagger Award for outstanding achievement. She is also a multiple finalist for the Edgar Award and author of the Edgar Nominee for Fact Crime Forensics.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07KNDC2SQ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atlantic Monthly Press (December 4, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 4, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4845 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 464 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 8,279 ratings

About the author

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Val McDermid
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Val McDermid is a number one bestseller whose novels have been translated into more than forty languages, and have sold over eighteen million copies. She has won many awards internationally, including the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year and the LA Times Book of the Year Award. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009, was the recipient of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger in 2010 and received the Lambda Literary Foundation Pioneer Award in 2011. In 2016, Val received the Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction Award at the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival and in 2017 received the DIVA Literary Prize for Crime, and was elected a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Literature and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Val has served as a judge for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Man Booker Prize, and was Chair of the Wellcome Book Prize in 2017. She is the recipient of six honorary doctorates and is an Honorary Fellow of St Hilda’s College, Oxford. She writes full-time and divides her time between Edinburgh and East Neuk of Fife.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
8,279 global ratings
Val McDermid at her best!
4 Stars
Val McDermid at her best!
I love the Karen Pirie series.This book has a defective page, 183/184, that is shorter than the rest of the pages in the book. It sticks out at the top.
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2024
Got hooked almost immediately the description of the people place and how cold cases are resolved was fascinating,great story,keep them coming love Karen
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2023
I quite enjoyed the layout and the story of this novel. I deducted 1 star because of the repeated misuse of “then”. If you know the rules of grammar, this misuse slows you down, which is annoying.
3 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2024
Kept my interest from start to finish. Well developed characters and dealing with several plots, each separated enough to follow, was great fun.. look forward to next read!
Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2021
I liked that the book wasn't gruesome. Complicated enough to hold your interest and not be able to figure out the outcome till close to the end. Romantic interest was a nice touch and maybe more with the next episode???
3 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2023
Val McDermid hits the heights again in this entry to the Karen Pirie series. Fascinating story and interesting characters. Pirie is very realistic as a person. I love these novels.
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2024
A great book with a terrible ending--really no ending
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2019
Another great book from Val McDermid in the Karen Pirie series. Glad to see that Karen is moving on through her grief and Jason is progressing as her investigative partner. They investigate 3 different, complex crimes and take a trip through history, told from various viewpoints. Love the short chapters and dating of them, made the book fast-paced, but easy to follow. Can't wait to learn more about Hamish. Love the Scottish-ness of the book, as I am American, but it seems so true. McDermid does a great job of making you feel Karen's emotions, so you hate who she hates and get anxious when she does. Karen's boss is a real piece of work, but definitely reflects the world we live in. Can't wait to read the next Pirie story. Highly recommend this series as well as the Tony Hill series by Val McDermid.
5 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2022
Such a rootable character, Pirie knows how to fight. Just like a dog with a bone.

My first Pirie, won't be the last.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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gp7392
5.0 out of 5 stars Another excellent Karen Pirie Book!
Reviewed in Canada on March 10, 2023
I have loved all the books in this series but I feel that they have been getting better as the series went on, so I'm very disappointed that this is the last one in the series. I'm sure I will read other books by Val McDermid but I would definitely like more of this particular series. My only critique of this particular book is that it seemed as if the ending was rushed. Sometimes books in this genre (by any author) can overdo the finale and aftermath which can be irritating; however, this book felt to me as if the author ran out of time at the very end. That might just be my disappointment at the book (and series) coming to an end, and overall I loved this book.
Edit: I just realized that there is a sixth book! Not sure why I got the impression there were only 5. Hopefully the sixth isn't the last!
Joesphine
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent. plot in this series
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 15, 2024
Great storey line by Val Mcdermot great atmospheric storey Really everything you want out of a book, fab exciting book page turner,if you like thrillers its a must!!!!!
Amazons Customers
5.0 out of 5 stars "Broken Ground" by Val McDermid
Reviewed in Germany on November 7, 2023
Every bit as good as any of her earlier novels. Gripping from start to finish!
Malcolm Palmer
5.0 out of 5 stars Broken Ground
Reviewed in Spain on March 20, 2022
Ms McDermid never fails - very good plot, with the usual wealth of detail and human interest
F. VALDES Perezgasga
5.0 out of 5 stars Gran novela, gran novelista
Reviewed in Mexico on October 25, 2018
He leído varías novelas de Val Mac Dermid y absolutamente todas han sido un deleite. Esta fue la primera novela de Karen Pirie que leo, leeré más en el futuro cercano.
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