Broken Ground is the fifth book in this series. The main storyline was good but not having read the previous four books I didn’t understand the relationship between the main characters that had been developed earlier. Combine that with the unfamiliar use of language and constant back-stabbing of the characters and it turned out to be a disappointing read.

The main storyline centers around a pair of motorcycles buried in Scotland at the end of WWII by a couple of yanks who were going home to the US and planned to return for the motorcycles at some time in the future. Unbeknownst to them, another yank hid a stash of stolen goodies in the saddlebags of one of the motorcycles thinking the bikes were going to be shipped back to the states. Many years later a couple, guided by their grandfather’s map, finance a search for the Motorcycles with the intent to ship them back to the states. If they are in good condition they are worth many thousands of dollars to collectors. The dig produces one pristine motorcycle and one dead body. Thus begins the twisted tale that follows.

If you have read and enjoyed the previous four books in the series I would recommend you continue your ongoing story with Broken Ground. It doesn’t work well as a stand-alone book because you won’t understand the interaction of the characters and because many things are left unresolved at the end to be continued in the next book of the series.

Thank you, NetGalley, for offering me a free advance copy of this novel for my honest review.

Val McDermid crept up on me. I’d never heard of her even though she’s written something like 32 novels and won carloads of rewards. And she’s a Scottish writer, something to brag about. “Broken Ground” is one of the best crime novels I’ve read. It’s full of character, originality, and technique. I’m still bubbling about it.

Karen Pirie of Police Scotland’s Historic Cases Unit, that’s cold case solvers to those ignorant in Scottish police terminology, attempts to untangle a mystery. An inheritance, consisting of a couple of mint World War II vintage motorcycles, 1945 Indian 741s, is buried in a Highland peat bog. A body is discovered in the process of digging them out. A convoluted investigation is initiated that eventually begets other murders, violence, deception, and double-dealings.

Pirie has a lot facing her including a snitch in her unit and a supervisor who’s as deplorable as any you’ll likely meet. She’s busy, confused, and grieving a dead husband, but has a mind like a steel trap. Fortunately for her, she also has an assistant at her disposal that is dependable and very capable, if a bit of a toady. She also has many willing contacts in high places that can add expertise and highly efficient technical assistance, which makes her success rate very high. A good record equals good press, something her hateful boss forgets.

The author has her stuff together. She writes with clarity and her characterizations are captivating. The dialogue is appropriate and catchy. The detective work is spot on and correctly applied. The unique Scottish environment is beautifully described. I can guarantee this book to be a great read and I’ll be sure to look at some more of her work.

Good mystery, a tad bit to flavored locally for me but the story is a great mix of past and present. 4 from and for me. Enjoy

I love Val McDermid’s books. She always delivers a great story. Her characters come to life and you care what happens to them.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.
This book is another addition to the authors long career and he is at the top of his game here. He weaves together the main and two subplots with ease.
With this book McDermid is at the top of his game

Broken Ground is a story of war crimes, stolen diamonds, cold cases and the Scotland police.
Val McDermid takes you into the wild bogs of Scotland where the Historical Cold Case police department solves murder cases as old as 75 years.

This latest edition to the DCI Karen Pirie series is set in Wester Ross in 1944 and current day Edinburgh. Whilst very different places, Val McDermid uses them almost as characters alongside the detectives and civilians who populate the novel. It is very easy to picture the stark beauty of the north west as well as imagine the determination necessary to make a living out of this unforgiving countryside. Similarly, Edinburgh is portrayed as a city with many different moods. Benign and sophisticated from the tourist’s point of view yet retaining an edgy, unpredictable quality.
Karen heads up the Historic Cases Unit in the Gayfield Square police station; her side kick is the increasingly capable and utterly loyal DC Jason Murray. She has an excellent record and is respected and admired by many within the force. However, for personal reasons, this novel sees her head to head again and again with the grim Assistant Chief Constable Ann Markie. McDermid’s talent for dialogue ensures that there are several memorable exchanges, the reader rooting for Karen as ever!
In ‘Broken Ground’ Karen is involved in two very different cases: the murder of a young man back in the 90s and two murders resulting from an ongoing vicious domestic scenario. McDermid’s focus on powerful women in this novel is very interesting as she explores their motivations and choices. Whilst a successful ‘whodunnit’ will always have an enthralling plot, false clues and a number of suspects, it is not just these features which make ‘Broken Ground’ such a good read. Karen Pirie is a really appealing, credible, strong central character who has her more than her fair share of ups and downs, and it will be intriguing to see what happens to her next!
My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

Wrong book.
Is there a way to delete this? I haven't finished reading it yet. Will review when I finish it, but not before.

Thank you to NetGalley and Val McDermid for an ARC of this book.

I really liked the first four Karen Pirie books, so I was very excited to read this one. Great characters, and a well written story. I can't wait to read the next installment.

Broken Ground by Val McDermid will not disappoint those who will decide to spend several hours with this book. The author, who has written over thirty novels, uses the recipe which always works with lovers of the genre: a mystery going back WW2 blended together with the descriptions of stunning landscapes of Scotland and characters who show both their strengths and weaknesses. Karen Pirie, in charge of Historic Cases Unit, tries to solve the case of a body found accidentally in a peat bog.
I have read several novels by McDermid and her latest one is another good read for her fans.
I got the book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

For me, a new Val McDermid novel is a glorious thing, and the new one is another homerun. I loved it. The fully drawn characters, and past and present crime is entertaining and terrific. Happy as always to talk it up, and get it in readers hands.

Alice Somerville travels to a Highland peat bog to claim the vintage motorbikes her grandfather buried there at the end of the Second World War. But a body entombed with one of the motorbike crates short circuits her plan to claim the bikes and return home. Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie, working the Historic Cases Unit and still grieving the loss of her lover, begins an investigation.

But this isn’t the only case landing on Karen’s desk. There’s new evidence in a cold case involving several violent rapes. And an overheard conversation in a coffee shop gives her cause for concern. Can she solve the cases and bring justice to the victims as she deals with a difficult boss and an underhanded investigator newly-assigned to her unit?

With a strong sense of place, well-defined, believable characters, and a twisting plot, tension mounts as the narrative unfolds, slowly revealing the backstory as it follows the present-day investigations. Seamlessly woven into the narrative, the storyline for all three of the crimes maintains both interest and suspense; the accurately-detailed process of investigating a crime adds depth and realism to the story.

Although the story is well-told and readers are likely to remain involved in the telling of the tale, the often-recurring, offensive expletives are likely to be particularly off-putting for many readers.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Grove Atlantic and NetGalley
#BrokenGround #NetGalley

DCI Karen Pirie, head of Scotland’s Historic Cases Unit, is grieving the loss of her boyfriend, but she has cases to solve, plus a new boss whom she hopes will be supportive of her team’s efforts.

The plot revolves around three different cases. The first situation involves new evidence arising from a series of violent rapes from the 1980"s. The second issue is that of a man, wearing 1995 Nike tennis shoes, found buried in the site where a motorcycle was thought to be buried in 1945. The last event is a result of a conversation Pirie overhears one morning while drinking coffee at her favorite cafe.

These stories are seamlessly woven together along with scenes from 1945. All of the characters, even the supporting ones, are fully created individuals. The sense of place, from the streets of Edinburgh, that Pirie walks when insomnia gets a fierce grip on her, to the fields and hills of Wester Ross, is so vivid I felt like I was actually there watching the action.

“Broken Ground” is such a marvelous crime novel that I savored every scene.

A couple have a treasure map from a deceased relative, but when they go to dig up the goods, they find a little bit more than what they bargained for--a body. Meanwhile, when a forensic investigator comes in to check it out she sees that it's within the time remit of an old friend in cold cases--Karen Pirie.

Number five in the Karen Pirie series, we get to see as a few cases unfold, and Karen is still mixed up in some internal politics. She's still dealing with the fallout of the death of her partner, but when one of the witnesses turns out to be a sweet, gorgeous Scot, that part of her life might be healing, too.

McDermid knows how to unravel a good crime tale bit by bit, giving us enough time to savor every bit. She's an excellent writer, and I've loved Karen Pirie almost as much as the messed up Tony Hill. I look forward to more in this series.

4 and 1 / 2 stars

Detective Inspector Karen Pirie is currently investigating a series of rapes that took place several years earlier. They have identified a red Rover as the suspect car. She and her teammate DC Jason “Mint” Murray have been going through the list of registered red Rover 214 owners for that time period.

Also foisted upon her by her very unlikeable boss, is one DS Gerry McCartney.

Meanwhile, her good friend River Wilde who is a forensic anthropologist is investigating the case of a body found in a peat bog. All cases under seventy years old are referred to DCI Karen Pirie’s Historic Cases Unit. As soon as River sees the body, she knows it is more contemporary than the 1944 date thought to be the burial date. The victim, a large man, is wearing Nike Air tennis shoes. She phones Karen and tells her it is now her case as well.

A successful match for their photo-fit ID provides a name and occupation for the deceased man. He is Joey Sutherland. He competed in strong-man type competitions and was very good at it. He traveled all over Europe and North America competing. An interview with one of his friends reveals a sister and Joey’s parents are still living.

Meanwhile, Karen hears something that confirms for her that DS McCartney is a plant by her contentious boss. The problem is what to do about it.

Mint and Karen follow the clues in Joey Sutherland’s case and it leads them to a surprising and very well-known suspect. Their leads in the other cases also bring them to a head.

This is a fine book. It is well written and plotted as are all of Val McDermid’s novels. I like the character Karen Pirie in spite of her tendency to go off script. And with her new boss, Ann Markie, she has a lot of reason to do so. Kaaren’s passion for justice for her victims, though long dead, is amazing. I applaud her. I like Mint too and don’t think that he is quite the numpty that Karen thinks he is. They work well together.

I like McDermid’s descriptions of Edinburgh, Scotland and the surrounding mountains and countryside around Edinburgh They sound lovely and I would very much like to travel there. But alas… I can hardly wait for the next book in this series.

I want to thank NetGalley and Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press for forwarding to me a copy of this great book to read, enjoy and review.

Another cracking, page turner from Val McDermid. The author expertly weaves the main story and two sub plots together. It is great to have another series besides Tony Hill/Carol Jordan to look forward to and fill the void between books. Great characters and look forward to the next instalment.

I’m a huge fan of McDermid and was really excited to read this story, that features one of the authors lesser known protagonists, DCI Karen Pirie. She gets involved with the case of Alice Somerville and the body she’s found in a peat big. The beauty and mystery of Scotland plays a huge role in this exceptional mystery