Another unusual mystery. the characters are well developed with complex problems and personalities. The story has a lot of twists and turns making it difficult to identify the good guys and bad guys. A great read.

Broken Ground, the fifth book in Val McDermid's Pirie series is a decent addition to the series. Decent is about as far as I can go. The mystery (actually three mysteries) are all very interesting and McDermid does a great job of showing the hard work that dedicated detectives do to solve cases. Karen Pirie is a great character and her growing group of supporting characters are also more dimensional than most. However, this book ends very abruptly, the resolutions suffering from being told to the reader rather than experienced. And on a more problematic level for me is the book suffers from what has become the most over-used cliche in many current police procedurals - the nasty in-fighting among police officers. So many of modern crime writers, many of whom I admire and read regularly, have fallen prey to this - from Val McDermid to Michael Connelly to Jo Nesbo. It seems that these writers do not feel the mysteries themselves are enough to hold our interest and feel the need to create worlds that are inherently stacked against our heroes. I am sure there are bad policemen but I refuse to believe that it's only the lead characters and their friends who are concerned about crime and bring miscreants to justice.

Thank you to Net Gallery for allowing me to read and review this book.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2502074328

Val McDermid is a solid writer working in the mystery/crime genre. As with all mysteries this book is full of mystery conventions, mcguffins, and events that are so unbelievable, that I could not suspend my belief. The story is about how when 2 WWII Indian motorcycles are uncovered in a bog, a body is also uncovered.The mystery is who is the body and who killed them.

I really liked this book, it had suspense, surprise and sadness. I cared about the characters and I cared about what would happen to them.Val McDermid's writing keeps you engrossed the entire book. I haven's read any of her books for a few years and I will definitely be reading more.

As always, Val McDermid delivers bigtime in this multilayered, character-rich tale of murder and corruption. I did find the ending a bit disappointing as it seemed to be more of a clerical cleaning up loose ends than a true emotional climax, but there was so much to enjoy in the rest of the book that this weakness can be forgiven.

Thank you for the chance to pre-read this title - I am probably the last person on the planet never to have read any Val McDermid and sped through much of this book. I decided half way through that I needed more background on the author and was delighted to discover a deep shelf of titles that are yet to be explored. Broken Ground started well but then slowed to an agonizing pace. The writing was of such a high quality and the descriptions so precise, I delayed finishing this title until I've explored earlier works. More when I've delved deeper into the VMcD library.

Great story, great plot and a fabulous author. What more could I ask for! Another winner by Val McDermid.

McDermid's novels are truly in a class of their own, managing to meld elements of psychological thrillers, police procedurals, and historical fiction into engrossing works of art. This novel is no exception--we get to explore WWII, Highland Games, domestic violence, and political intrigue through the eyes of an indomitable yet relatable heroine. There are many subplots we get to untangle with Detective Pirie, and I was disappointed that the abrupt ending did not let us see the showdown of wits and will between Pirie and her final suspect. All the same, a fantastic page-turning read.

What a superb novel! Although the Tony Hill series is arguably the jewel in Val McDermid's crown, the books about DCI Karen Pirie run it a close second. Karen is justifiably proud of her work on Scotland's cold cases with the HCU and she is tested to the full when a corpse from the 1990s is found in Wester Ross. It is a fascinating story with links to World War 2, and Pirie and her sidekick Jason Murray need to use all of their ingenuity and resilience as they are thwarted on all sides. A great read!

#BrokenGround#NetGalley#
This series featuring DCI Karen Pirie of The Historic Cases Unit, sends DC I Pirie on the baffling murder case of a Highland celebrity of the Highland Games circuit who disappeared over twenty years earlier. Not only is the murder cold case, but the theft of two Indian motorcycles after World War II play a significant part in the murder.

Smuggling items of value from the Nazis after the war sets the stage for this well plotted police procedural. DCI Pirie battles predjuice within the police department, which hinders quickly solving this murder with tentacles spanning from 1944 to the present time.

The story is brought to a satisfying end with all loose ends neatly tied up.

Broken Ground is yet another home run for Val McDermid. Not only are the characters engaging, the circumstances they find themselves in are equally interesting. I'm just sorry she doesn't write more quickly.

Val does it again! This is another in a series involving her character, Karen Pirie. In this story she weaves a spellbinding tale involving secrets from the past that carry into the present. This is on the dark side but in a good way. I highly recommend this. If you are a fan of Val McDermid you will not be disappointed and if you aren’t a fan yet you will be after you read this.

Well, this was my first Val McDermid book and it certainly won't be my last!

I was a mite concerned coming in at book five of the Karen Pirie series, but I shouldn't have worried. While there are a few nods to events of the previous books, it didn't affect my enjoyment of this one.

Broken Ground is a fast paced, immaculately written, beautifully structured crime novel that kept me hooked right until the end.

It tells the story of the murder of Joey Sutherland and DCI Karen Pirie's investigation to bring his murderer to justice. Karen investigates cold cases for the HCU, and when a colleague calls her about a body in a peat bog in Wester Ross, she's on the case.

Set between 1944 and the present day, the flashbacks slowly reveal the reason for the murder of Joey Sutherland, and Karen follows its trail to the present, culminating in a finale involving the First Minister!.

Alongside this, Karen finds herself embroiled in a current murder and attempted murder case, and has to deal with the interference of the "Dog Biscuit", the new ACC of her unit, who for some reason, wants her out.

The plot was great, the structure was brilliant, the prose was elegant, and it reads as unashamedly Scottish which is a big plus for me! Loved the nods to our current First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon!

5 Stars!

Thank to NetGalley and the publishers for the e-arc of this.

#BrokenGround #NetGalley

Let me begin with a "thank you" to Grove Atlantic (publisher), as well as netgalley.com for a free preview of this novel for an honest review.

I have, in the past, read previous "stand-alone" books by Val McDermid. Usually interesting and well-written mysteries, I was excited to get a chance to read this newest novel, Broken Ground, which is the 5th book in a series of Karen Pirie novels. I have not, as of yet, read another of the previous novels in this series. Mrs. Pirie is a detective in the historic incidents unit with the Scotland department. She essentially looks into cold-cases of murders that have yet to be solved.

The novel did get me hooked initially - a couple who are looking to dig up a long-lost inheritance of Indian motorbikes make it to the Highlands area to see if they can find the motorbikes. Not only do they find the motorbikes, but they also unearth a dead body. The novel then continues with this plot line for a good bit - with our detective, Karen Pirie, and her side-kick - unraveling the case. The story also goes back and forth with how the motorbikes initially got into the ground (post- World War II) to how Karen is putting the case together in current time.

As the novel went on, I was not as impressed with the story. One issue I had was that the novel had a few subplots to this initial muder - Karen's romantic interests with a local Highlander (that she couldn't trust 100%); another, current murder in which Karen is eavesdropping to a conversation between two women (and one ultimately kills the other); and another cold case of a prostitute raped and murdered by a bed mattress employee. None of these sub-plots were really, in my opinion, ever developed. They just seemed to be a nuisance in the novel and make the main plot murky, and difficult to follow.

My other complaint is how the novel ends. It just....ends. So much development to get to the finality, when the end of the novel goes out, not in a bang, but in a bit of a whimper. I would love to have gotten a better conclusion to the main plot, but it didn't happen.

I'm not going to give up on Val McDermid - I still enjoy her writing. And, I'm not going to give up on the Karen Pirie series - I plan to read the first book in the series and give it another chance. That said, this was a bit of a disappointing read.

This is a really good book. It is a very interesting story, spanning decades from World War 2 to present day. The book features Karen Pirie, who is a cold case investigator in Scotland. This is my first of the series, but I felt that the author did enough introductions and background that it wasn’t necessary to read previous books in the series. The cases are wrapped up at the end, but since this is a series, we will hopefully be seeing more from these characters. I have to say that Ms. McDermid writes the best crafted beginning sentences in paragraphs. This book has also changed the way I will look at cold cases. Highly recommended for an absorbing read.

She had me ten pages in as the whiff of hidden treasure emerged. When Edinburgh itself became something of a character rather than just a setting, DCI Karen Pirie's adventures became my next "new" series to read.

I haven't read Val McDermid previously and was delighted to find that I could step into the series a few books in and feel intrigued rather than lost. This book layers stories in time, moving between the present where DCI Pirie is emerging from grief in small but deliberate ways to WWII where the Highlands played a critical role in training spies and soldiers. I loved seeing the culture of the highlands pop into the story in noticeable but practical ways. Yes, there are references to Caber tossing and kilts but they are happily balanced by the cosmopolitan flair of current Scotland and the themes of displacement and community in unfamiliar places.

This is a very good read.

Thank you NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the eARC.
Another 5 star read from one of the best crime authors around, this DCI Karen Pirie story is set in the 1940's and today.
Edinburgh is again portrayed lovingly and having been there, I absolutely love the descriptions of the city. If I could afford to live there, I'd move like a shot!
Karen is finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel after the death of her life partner and becomes involved in several interesting cases, keeping her busy and her mind engaged as she tries to untangle the various threads. The unearthing of two motorcycles, plus a well preserved body, from a bog is one mystery. Then there's the killing and near killing of the best friend and husband of a stone cold, possibly psychopathic, suspect. Karen's insomnia is still plaguing her, taking her on her usual nighttime walks where she can think and ruminate.
With the help of her best friend Dr. River Wilde and her trusted sergeant, Jason, Karen finds her way through the cases, despite the attempts of her despicable boss to sideline her and possibly get rid of her.
I love Karen and the Edinburgh setting so much, and with the always riveting stories and impeccable writing by Val McDermid it's sad to finish her books and realize I will have to wait at least another year for the next one. Highly recommended!

This is the first book I have read by this author. But it certainly will not be the last. The story has so many story lines that the book is fantastic. Going back and forth in time helps keep each ongoing story in perspective. And the ending is a good one. I enjoyed the book.

Loved this book and characters. Set in Scotland, the story ,delivers a glorious sense of place. Excited to read more in this series.

This is my first Val McDermid book, and I’m sure I’ll be going back to read the previous thirty-one offerings. I think she is a terrific writer. I loved the characters. DCI Kare Pirie I would follow anywhere. The “Mint” is the essence of willingness to grow. And Hamish MacKenzie, the new interest in Karen’s life, seems like a genuine keeper. There were three cases to be solved in Broken Ground, and I waited anxiously for the solution to each one. I also had great fun looking up some of the Scottish colloquialisms. I can only think McDemid must be practically revered in her country. This volume was witty, insightful and practically addictive. I’ll be back for more!