Past Lying is the 7th Karen Pirie mystery by Val McDermid. Released 14th Nov 2023 by Grove Atlantic on their Atlantic Monthly Press imprint, it's 464 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out in 3rd quarter 2024 from the same publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
McDermid is a prodigiously talented and surgically precise writer. The characters are so finely rendered and so detailed that they feel real. This is an ensemble cast and Inspector Pirie makes good use of her team. The plotting is well controlled and the narrative arc (despite the hefty page count) never drags or loses engagement. Something is happening all the time and it really works very well.
The language is rough, but not egregious (it's a modern procedural thriller), and there's on-page violent content, but again not superfluous to the action.
It works fine as a standalone, new readers needn't be intimidated by the thought of having to read the previous books. This is an enjoyable thriller from a master at the top of their game. The disparate plot threads both those from current events and from the past, intertwine and resolve into a very satisfying and believable denouement. I like it very much that the author doesn't feel the need to tie every single plot thread together into one overarching solution - the solutions to the mysteries are resolved, but they're not all tied together.
Five stars. Highly recommended for fans of procedurals.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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