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Val McDermid

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Cross and Burn Kindle Edition

by Val McDermid (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.4 5,996 ratings

Book 8 of 11: Tony Hill/Carol Jordan

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Psychologist Tony Hill and ex-DCI Carol Jordan—the UK crime fighting partners from the TV series Wire in the Blood—face down a serial killer.

International bestselling crime writer Val McDermid’s work speaks for itself: her books have sold millions of copies worldwide, won numerous accolades, and attracted a devoted following of readers around the globe.

Cross and Burn picks up where The Retribution left off: following the best crime-fighting team in the UK—clinical psychologist Tony Hill and police detective Carol Jordan—who when we last saw them were barely speaking, and whose relationship will now be challenged even further. But just because they’re not talking doesn’t mean the killing stops.

Women are being murdered—ones who bear an unsettling resemblance to Carol Jordan. And when the evidence begins to point in a disturbing direction, thinking the unthinkable seems the only possible answer. Cornered by events, Tony and Carol are forced to fight for themselves and each other as never before.

“McDermid is as smooth a practitioner of crime fiction as anyone out there . . . She’s the best we’ve got.” —The New York Times Book Review

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. McDermid's fiendishly clever eighth novel featuring forensic psychologist Tony Hill and detective Carol Jordan (after The Retribution) finds the two partners on the outs. Jordan has resigned from the Bradfield, England, police force and taken up a labor-intensive DIY job. Hill is still struggling with the events that have driven Jordan from his life. Meanwhile, Det. Sgt. Paula McIntyre, who formerly served with Jordan, catches two cases—one involving a missing person, the other a vicious murder—that together engulf her both personally and professionally. A psychopath is intent on kidnapping and training the perfect wife—and beating to death and disfiguring his mistakes. When McIntyre's decision to seek help from Hill takes a drastic, unexpected turn, she's forced to turn to the reclusive Jordan instead. The villain may be a mere foil, but the ingenious way in which he tests the mettle of Hill and Jordan is not to be missed by fans of the unusual sleuthing duo. Agent: Jane Gregory, Gregory & Company. (Oct.)

From Booklist

*Starred Review* In McDermid’s eighth entry to feature Detective Chief Inspector Carol Jordan and psychologist Tony Hill, the once-crackerjack crime-fighting team has gone their separate ways. DCI Jordan has hung up her badge. (She blames Hill’s professional neglect for the murder of her brother and his wife; Hill, for his part, is unable to forgive himself.) But when a woman is found murdered in an abandoned London flat, the two wind up back within each other’s orbit again. Hill is a suspect, though anyone who knows him knows he is incapable of such brutality. Jordan comes out of retirement to aid beleaguered DC Paula McIntyre, and the two work to exonerate Hill. (Jordan does so begrudgingly at first; she has vowed never to allow Hill back into her life). Soon, more women go missing, and a disturbing trend emerges: they all eerily resemble blonde-haired, blue-eyed Jordan. Is she next on the killer’s list? Jordan may have lost her partner, but she’s adopted a spirited new companion: a dog named Flash, who quickly earns the title of Woman’s Best Friend. Connoisseurs of the crime novel will happily devour veteran thriller-writer McDermid’s masterful blend of crisp prose, complex characters, and relentless suspense. --Allison Block

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00CIWZ7OC
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atlantic Monthly Press; First Trade Paper edition (October 22, 2013)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 22, 2013
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3781 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 466 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #141,306 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,691 in Psychological Fiction (Books)
- #2,320 in Serial Killer Thrillers
- #2,590 in Psychological Thrillers (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4.4 5,996 ratings

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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.

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4.4 out of 5

5,996 global ratings

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FredReadIt

This book has a great Twist that will keep you flipping pages till the end

Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2013

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I found Val McDermid through the BBC series Wire in the Blood, which is based on this series of books that highlight the exploits of psychologist Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan. I've enjoyed every book in this series, especially the last one Retribution, which played out like Wire in The Blood Part 2. I was having some trouble getting into this book, until it took "The Turn", and then I started reading at a fevered pace. At the outset all the players are still reeling from the devastation of the last book. They're separated, scattered, and lost in their own problems, but events unfold that force them back together, and when that "Turn" happens it's like a bright light goes off and you remember why Val McDermid is one of the best Thriller writers out there.

I need to note that this is a series and to properly enjoy the nuances in character relationships you really need to have read the books that come before, but if you have this is a great addition to the series and a stellar follow up to the devastatingly good Retribution. Wire In The Blood is one of my all time favorite TV series, some of that is great acting on the part of Robson Green and the fact that BBC makes great TV, but most of it is the fact that Val McDermid is writing awesome books.

I need to also say that these are not books for the light hearted. Val McDermid writes about some incredibly demented individuals who commit some of the most atrocious crimes you'll ever read about. So if you don't want to read about things like that, don't read these books. But if you can handle the horrible details, these are some of the best books I've ever read.

10 people found this helpful

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Ronan

Realistic Policing

Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2018

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My first Val McDermid mystery thriller, and I was not disappointed. Coming in at at book #8 was not the easiest especially this one as the story was a continuation of the previous book. We join our leads in the aftermath of their last investigation, which was disastrous, to say the least. Carol Jordan has quit and taken off on her own and the others are rudderless. Most of the story is through the eyes of Paula McIntyre, who has joined a new team.
The dead body of a woman is found, one of Paula's friends goes missing, and everything spirals out of control. From the beginning you also get chapters from the murderer's point of view, which feeds us just enough information to keep the pace up, and reel you in. The problem for me is that I do not particularly like that form of narrative, where we see things through the eyes of the killer and get his worldview. I prefer not knowing, until the big reveal at the end. Also, the evidence against Tony Hill is not very convincingly explained away so I can understand why the lead investigator set her sights on him. And it remains that way at the end... Why didn't Nadia dry clean her jacket for an entire year? Or if she did, how did the blood stain remain so long???
On the positive side - I loved the fact that almost all the leads were strong, female characters, with their flaws, obviously. And the males supported that without being dimwits or macho. I also loved the commentary on modern policing vs TV cop shows, where the writer hits you with the reality of budgets and spending policies! Also, the reality of the dangers women face in the world, even while taking a stroll in your own neighbourhood, was driven home hard and true. This story is not for those who want the kidnapped ones saved at the end, and all the strings ties up with a pretty bow.
But at the end, for me, Kathy Reichs will always be my favourite modern crime writer! I own ALL her books in paperback, but I think I will make a trip to the Public Library to borrow more of this series.

9 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Riveting

Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2023

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Just like all of Val's "Tony and Carol" series, this book kept me reading without wanting to stop. Love them!!!!!

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Judith R. Devine

Val Mc Dermid Does it Again

Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2014

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I have been a fan of the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan books since the beginning. They have generally been excellent, though one or two have been just a jot below the others. 'Cross and Burn' is right up there with the best.

McDermid is so careful with her characters' inner lives. She knows them inside out and takes care to build the changes they go through as believable responses to the events that overtake them. In some ways that slows the progression of the series, but it is more involving for the reader because one sees their evolution in much the same way one does with people in real life. In addition, even though she has created characters with quirks and ticks that set them outside the mainstream, they remain believably human.

The plotting is good, but is clearly in the service of character development. I tend to read with a focus on character, so that is no bad thing in my opinion. In addition, while McDermid is known for her vividly brutal descriptions of the crimes in her books, these descriptions are never gratuitous, and she has the sensitivity to pull back before the reader is overwhelmed by the gore.

For anyone who has never read the Hill/Jordan books, this is not the one to start with. Because so much hangs on the evolution of the individual characters and their relationships, I recommend starting at the beginning and following the arc through the series.

2 people found this helpful

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Marge D.

Very good.

Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2019

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Well developed characters and intertwining of them. Good writing. Some British word references I didn't get, but no big deal. Story resolution a bit of a stretch but not unimagineable. Overall, a good read. I recommend.

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Kindle Customer

Brilliant could not stop reading

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 27, 2024

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I loved the fore shadowing I could see something coming but wasn't sure I was imagining it right. Wonderful to see characters like fish's out of water. And it's a case of who saved who. Can't wait for the next book from the queen of crime

Mac User

Excellent read as always.

Reviewed in Canada on February 3, 2020

Verified Purchase

I read this book when it was first published and remember I felt disappointed, cant remember why though, but this time round I thoroughly enjoyed it. Val McDermid at her best. Very entertaining.

abhinaya

Complete satisfaction

Reviewed in India on November 16, 2019

Verified Purchase

As usual, my favorite author rocks.

M tQ

Muy bueno, pero demasiado corto. Se resolvió todo un poco demasiado rapido

Reviewed in Spain on August 21, 2019

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Pero, me gusta como dearolla la relación entre Carol y Tony. También que llegamos a saber un poco más sobre la vida de Paula y lo resto del equipo.

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Kindle Customer

How to come back from the bottom

Reviewed in Australia on November 26, 2023

Verified Purchase

Another rollicking read from a brilliant writer. Can't believe I'm heading for the last in the series now. Seems like only yesterday I was reading the first.

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