Someone's been torturing and killing men in the northern town of Bradfield, England. The police are reluctant to label it the work of one man, but Inspector Carol Jordan and psychologist profiler Tony Hill are convinced the deaths are the work of one disturbed individual. When the fourth victim turns out to be a police officer, the individual investigations are finally brought together into a task force, and Tony's asked to help the police track down the killer before he strikes again.
Tony has his own problems - half the reason he's so good at what he does is because of his own torment. A troubled childhood, a feeling of disconnection, and significant impotence means he has trouble relating to other people, for all that he's brilliant at uncovering the workings of twisted minds.
Carol's path isn't easy either - attractive and smart, rising through the ranks has been neither easy nor well received, and finding a man who thinks she's worth the effort hasn't been fruitful, either. She's attracted to Tony, but he shies away at the slightest hint of flirtation. He says he's single, but when Carol hears a seductive woman's voice leaving an intimate message on his answering machine she's convinced he's been lying to her.
This is the first book in the well known Wire in the Blood series, which has been turned into a great BBC series staring the gorgeous Robson Green. McDermid's writing is tight, her plotting fast paced but still allowing for reflection, and her key characters are deep and complex. I've read The Mermaid's Singing before, and seen the episode, so I knew who the twist, but that in no way diminished my enjoyment of rereading the novel.
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