This is another interesting read in the Karen Pirie series. I love the author's work but it was all wrapped up a bit too quickly which left me just slightly frustrated. Too much of Scottish politics and conflict with Karen's boss. Not the best from this accomplished author. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

This is book five in the Karen Pirie series by Val McDermid. As a disclaimer, I have never read any of the other books in this series but have read all the books in Val’s Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series and I have absolutely loved those books!

In Broken Ground, when a pair of vintage motorbikes buried in a Highland peat bog are being dug up, a body with bullet holes is also found. It is quickly evident that the body is not centuries old due to the Nike runners also found. DCI Karen Pirie with Police Scotland is called in to work on the case.

A lot is covered in this book as there is also a 1980’s rape case that Karen is working on along with this murder. I like that there was a lot about Karen’s personality in this book and while I have not read the other books in the series, I got a good feel as to who Karen is. As with Val’s other books, I found it well written and an interesting mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book drew me in and held me delightfully-captive from beginning to end. The palpable tension held me in thrall. The characters were realistic, likable and identifiable. And, every setting was described in such a way as to make me feel like I was an actual bystander in that scene. Once I started reading this story, I knew this was a book I wasn’t going to be able to put down!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

Val McDermid's latest novel, Broken Ground, is a gripping mystery that is sure to captivate fans of the genre. Set in the Scottish Highlands, the novel features a strong sense of place and vivid descriptions that transport readers to the rugged landscape of the region.

The story follows Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie as she investigates the discovery of a body in a peat bog. As she delves deeper into the case, she uncovers a web of secrets and lies that threaten to destroy the lives of those involved. McDermid's writing is skillful and the plot is well-constructed, with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers guessing until the very end.

One of the strengths of Broken Ground is its complex characters, each with their own motivations and flaws. While some of the characters may be familiar to readers of McDermid's previous novels, the author does a good job of providing enough backstory for new readers to follow along.

Overall, Broken Ground is a compelling mystery novel with a strong sense of place and well-drawn characters. While the pacing can be slow at times, the payoff is worth it in the end. Fans of Val McDermid and the mystery genre in general will not be disappointed.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book for free through netgalley for an honest review. I was nervous to read this since it’s the fifth in a series and I hadn’t read the previous books. This was not a problem at all though! I love that there were multiple cases being discussed throughout the book, but it wasn’t too much to make me confused. The short chapters were great too. I couldn’t put this book down. I’m definitely going to be reading more from this author and this series in general. The way finding evidence and the main detectives personal life were interwoven made me continuously wanting more.

The pacing was off, and the writing fell flat for me. Unfortunately, I had to DNF because I just couldn't get into it, even on a surface level.

Thanks to NetGalley & Grove Atlantic for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I came to the Karen Pirie books late, but I'm so happy I did. Val McDermid is a master at making you care about her characters, and Karen is no exception. Now heading up the HCU (Historic Cases Unit, or "cold cases") with her constable Jason "The Mint" Murray (Karen is fond of nicknames), this case sees her dealing with a body preserved in a peat bog along with two WWII-era Indian motorcycles, buried by a woman's grandfather during that war and excavated by her and her partner on a local farm owned by a coffee shop franchise owner-cum farmer, Hamish. The weird thing is that the body dates from the mid-90s!

McDermid effortlessly weaves between the details of the past surrounding the events of the Indian motorcycles and the more recent history surrounding the body in the bog, while also handling Pirie's personal life, including her continued grieving over slain cop life partner Phil and burgeoning romance with Hamish.

Pirie is very real; my only complaint is that while apt to become feisty and aggrieved at work frustrations, in her personal sphere she is damn near perfect: a swirling mix of empathy, righteousness, and good works for the deserving.

Still, she's a great heroine and you pull for her the whole time. Well done, again, Val McDermid.

My first time reading anything by Val McDermid and did not know this was a part of a series. I wasn't overly impressed- I felt fairly bored while reading this and ended up scanning pages to get through. Maybe I can try another book of ths author's!

I always wanted to read this series and when I started with audiobook format I fell in love with the accents that were so excellently done by narrator Cathleen McCarron I knew that I could only read this series with her narrating it!

In this story Karen has a new boss, who seems to hate her even more than her old boss. Either way she is tied up with multiple stories and she eventually brings them to a satisfying conclusion.

This is a wonderful series with characters that stay with my long after I have finished reading.

This is book 5 of the Karen Pirie Series. Alice Sommerville finds the inheritance that her Grandfather buried, but with the inheritance is a body. Now Karen must solve the cold case and work on a domestic violence case. Can she solves the cases and stay alive?

This is book 5 of the DCI Karen Pirie series. This one read easy enough as a stand-alone but, it leaves you hanging and leads you into book 6. DCI Pirie is head of Scotland’s cold case unit. The story leads you through a few cold cases they are working and one current case she accidentally or not so accidentally got involved with.

The story is well written and keeps you guessing.

I would recommend the series.

I really liked the Scottish Highland setting and the cold case that comes about when both a treasure and a body are dug up. There are many obstacles, but in general a good paced procedural.

I liked the premise but found this book to have a million flashbacks. Almost like two, maybe more, timelines should have been worked back and forth, but instead, we go back. Again, and again, and again. Granted I haven't read the series and that Karen is a go-getter, but I missed having depth. What motived the killer? All the type of backstory or into the mind of what was going on is majorly missing. Just not there. Now, that said, the in-depth forensics fascinates me. I love that part. It wasn't a bad read at all, but it wasn't what I hoped it would be. That might be my fault, but as a stand-alone, I feel like it's a solid three stars.

Thanks to Net Galley for my copy of this book. This review is my own, left freely.

A search for buried treasure leads to a cold case murder in this slow burning mystery. DCI Karen Pirie is brought in from the Historic Cases Unit to investigate. She soon discovers nothing is as it seems. This is a gripping atmospheric thriller that fans of the pervious books in the series will enjoy.

Unfortunately I didn’t love this one as much as I was hoping to. I liked the idea behind it and the storyline, but it fell flat for me. I can see why some people love this one, but it just wasn’t for me.

I have to say that this is my first exposure to Val McDermid’s writing. I do love a good mystery so I thought this would be right up my ally. That is to say that I did hate this book but I did not love it either, I fall somewhere in the middle. The good thing about this series is that even if you do not read the first 4 books previously you still have no trouble following along with the characters. In my honest opinion I thought the story started off slow and did not really pick up steam for me. The characters were okay but not really special at all. Overall, an enjoyable read for a strong heroine lead character, the plot was nicely done and the side plot add something to the overall enjoyment. But just not enough for me to give this book more then 3 stars. Thank you NetGalley and Little Brown Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in advance and give my unbiased opinion.

I'd never read a book by Val McDermid before I had the opportunity to read an ARC of this one, but I knew her by reputation so wanted to give it a try. But it's the 5th book in the Karen Pirie series, and I'm a bit compulsive about reading a series in order. So I read the first 4 books in the series before I got to this one, and while it made me late on getting it reviewed, I'm actually glad I did read the first 4. Karen is almost a secondary character in the first book, we meet her late in the book but it really sets the tone for her and the series, and we see how she becomes the head of the tiny cold case unit for her police division. And over the first four books she goes through some serious life changes.
This one has all the elements of the first four - a good mystery, wonderful atmospheric writing, flipping back and forth between the past and the present. I really enjoy the character Karen Pirie - tough and sure in her work life, not so much so in her personal life. There are a couple of mysteries going on in this one, the one she and her historic cases unit are working on, and one that has her wandering out of her lane a bit and getting her in hot water with her new boss. No doubt there will be repercussions coming in book #6, which I very much look forward to reading. Recommended - and yes, I recommend that this series be read in order.
My thanks to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

Another good read from Val McDermid. Her portrayal of Scotland is spellbinding, and her characters are well drawn and multi-layered.

To be honest, I didn't get this book read before it was published and I ended up listening to the audio version. The narrator was a bit lackluster and I must have missed something in the beginning. Which normally isn't a big deal for me as I can usually figure out what's going on quickly. I felt there was too much jumping back and forth in time and never knew when we were. I'll probably try another McDermid book, but this time I'll read it.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review the book.

Val McDermid is rightfully hailed a master of mystery and BROKEN GROUND is a strong addition to her powerful oeuvre. Perhaps not the most electrifying of her novels, this read still delivers building suspense, rich characterizations and a wonderful sense of place.