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Val McDermid

I really liked McDermid's bizarre and grisly new novel, "How the Dead Speak." A story is nothing without great characters, and McDermid gives us:

*Sadistic nuns, possibly murdering young girls and burying them in unmarked graves.
*A woman at war with PTSD, discovering she has a strong, creepy urge "to bully."
*A convicted murderer, hoping to introduce mindfulness training to his (wary) fellow inmates.

McDermid is an inspiration because she has been so creative for so long. The new novel has bits of a fictional "memoir" from the invented character, Tony Hill; it has a climax that hinges on cutting-edge technology that is capable of finding "invisible ghosts" of bloodstains on certain fabrics; it has the compelling sadist, "Vanessa," in a wacky revenge subplot. I thought the ending was hasty. But: no matter. I'll keep returning to this author, who is like a smarter and more-graceful version of Stephen King.

Your thoughts?

P.S. I especially liked when Tony Hill decided to introduce literacy training to his fellow inmates, and couched his (potentially-condescending) instruction in a "let's-just-practice-so-you-can-read-with-your-kids" monologue. This chapter was suspenseful and weirdly moving. (Of course you would want to protect the dignity of your fellow prisoners while also gently acknowledging that they can't really read.) I didn't see where McDermid was headed--at least, not at first....
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