thanks to netgalley & grove atlantic for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Still Life is the sixth installment of the Karen Pirie series, but you definitely don't need to have read all of the preceding books to follow along here. Val McDermid deftly juggles three different mysteries here including two that come together in unexpected ways. While there were points at which the book slowed a bit for me, overall it's incredibly rewarding and there's this real sense of McDermid being on the top of her game. One of my favorite things here is how she showcases Pirie and crew investigating a range of leads. It's easy to feel like mystery authors are just propelling the reader along to the next reveal, the next beat along the path to the solution, but that can be off-putting in general but especially when it comes to police led series.

Easy to recommend, easy to love. This is what I want from a mystery series.

There are additionally some nods towards the end to Covid-19 since the book takes place in late February 2020, but I appreciated that they were not heavy-handed or doing more than is appropriate. But that is definitely worth knowing ahead of time depending on how you as a reader relate to that reference.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

For anyone who saw the adaption of the first KP Nuts on television, keep pursuing these McDermid books

An amazing thriller that had me gripped from the first page. A compelling read I couldn't put down. Love McDermid's writing and can't wait for the next one! A total sleep stealer I'll be recommending to everyone.

This is the first book i have read by this author and I really enjoyed it. The author definitely knows how to write a gripping plot that keeps you engaged and I found myself unable to put this down. I will definitely be reading more from her

When a fisherman drags a body out of the water, DCI Karen Pirie is called into investigate. At the same time she is also dealing with a decomposed skeleton of a woman found in an old camper van. Who is the dead man? Who is the dead woman?
The cases are not connected, but both are easy to follow and are equally interesting.
As the separate investigations unfold, we see the police team traveling from Scotland to England, Ireland & France delving into the world of art fraud, secret identities, politics and deception. The storyline is complex but not ridiculous – it is easy for the reader to follow. There are twists and hiccups as the story unfolds but nothing is too far-fetched and everything feels “real”. The two cases are equally interesting and the way she is dealing with two cases at once feels realistic for our overworked police! There has been some excellent research into how European warrants are handled and by the end of the book we have satisfying resolutions.

I liked the characters – DCI Karen Pirie is not perfect but she’s determined & good at her job. She could so easily be annoying but instead Val McDermid has managed to make her interesting and likeable in a down to earth real way. Her colleagues Daisy & Jason are also interesting and written so well that you can really imagine them. I can picture Daisy munching down on her sausage roll scattering crumbs everywhere and when Jason had to stay with his overbearing mother for a while following an incident towards the end of the book, I really felt sorry for him & couldn’t wait for him to get back to work!
I particularly liked the unashamed use of Scottish sayings like braw day which made everything seem so much more real & personal.

I have read other ValMcDermid books but not from this series. The book standsalone but I will definitely look for more!

EXCERPT: 'Good morning, DCI Pirie. This is Sergeant Pollock from Barrack Street in Perth. We've got a walk-in this morning that I think is more up your street than mine. Any chance you could come up and help us reach a decision?

Karen felt a familiar prickle of interest and turned away from Hamish. 'Could you give me a wee bit more to go on?'

'Well, it's like this.' He spoke slowly, keen to make sure he got his point across. 'A member of the public came in and made a report at the bar. Her sister died in a RTA a few weeks ago and she's just getting round to sorting out the deceased's house. There was a camper van in the garage that the woman says definitely didn't belong to her sister. She took a look inside and there's skeletonised human remains in the back of the van. Now, the fact that they're skeletonised says cold case to me and my boss. So we thought we'd cut to the chase and get you involved from the start.'

ABOUT 'STILL LIFE': When a lobster fisherman discovers a dead body in Scotland’s Firth of Forth, Karen is called into investigate. She quickly discovers that the case will require untangling a complicated web—including a historic disappearance, art forgery, and secret identities—that seems to orbit around a painting copyist who can mimic anyone from Holbein to Hockney. Meanwhile, a traffic crash leads to the discovery of a skeleton in a suburban garage. Needless to say, Karen has her plate full. Meanwhile, the man responsible for the death of the love of her life is being released from prison, reopening old wounds just as she was getting back on her feet.

MY THOUGHTS: Val McDermid certainly knows how to grab my attention and hold it. She knows how to strike that fine balance between the characters personal and professional lives, providing just the right amount of each. She gives technical information where it's warranted, but never overwhelms. And . . . she keeps us updated on the office gossip.

McDermid knows how to tell a story, how to take all the different threads and weave them into one glorious picture that never could be imagined from the outset.

I enjoyed the introduction of a new character, DS Daisy Mortimer, seconded to Pirie's team. She is bright and clever, a great foil for 'The Mint', DC Jason Murray who, while not the brightest bulb in the pack, is starting to gain confidence and come into his own.

This investigation takes place in the last weeks of February 2020, just as the Covid-19 pandemic kicks off, and ends on the eve of lockdown. It's mentioned, but doesn't play a large part in the story.

Still Life is classic McDermid with several threads to the plot which is well paced and keeps throwing up surprises. The central characters continue to develop individually and as a team, the only exception being 'the dog biscuit', the thorn in Pirie's side and her boss.

I hope that this is not going to be the end of the DC Pirie series. I have developed a strong admiration for Karen's character, though she still has a few life lessons to learn, and hope that the introduction of Daisy bodes well for more to come in this series.

A cracking great read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#StillLife #NetGalley

I: @valmcdermid @groveatlantic

T: @valmcdermid @GroveAtlantic

#contemporaryfiction #crime #detectivefiction #familydrama #murdermystery #mystery #policeprocedural #scottishnoir #thriller

THE AUTHOR: Val McDermid is a popular Scottish author who was born on June 04, 1955 in Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom. She is particularly famous for writing all her novels in the Mystery, crime and Thriller genres.

McDermid has been writing as a full time author since the success of her initial novels and she spends equal amounts of time in her homes in Edinburgh and Cheshire. She hails from the Kirkcaldy town of Fife in Scotland and completed her college studies from the St. Hilda’s College in Oxford.

McDermid lives along with three cats in Northumberland and Stockport and supports the Raith Rovers team. She also has a border terrier dog and considers the Northumberland coast as one of the relaxing places in the world.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Grove Atlantic via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Still Life by Val McDermid for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

I liked it ive not read any of her books before but i certainly will again 5 stars good story great characters. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read it.

I love Val McDermid. She writes beautifully. In this sixth outing with DCI Kirie of the Historic Cases Unit, Pirie is faced with two crimes and the possible release of her lover's killer. Lots of threads to keep hold of. As always atmospheric and great reading.

Great thriller which kept me turning the pages well into the night. Great characters and plot. Highly recommend to others!!

This was a brilliant read, page turner
As Amanda struggles to fight the killer of Zoe parents twists and turns appear and story’s from past . Great character, nice easy flow kept you hanging

Ive read all of Val McDermid's books and loved them all. This was no exception. Everything about it makes it a great read. The pace, the characters, the descriptions, even the political dialogue make it a must read. If you enjoy crime fiction then this is for you, written by a true story teller and enough twists to keep you guessing.

Police procedural/crime/ murder mystery is my favourite genre, and I love books set in Scotland. Bearing that in mind, I really don’t know why it has taken me so long to read any of Val McDermid’s books.
Still Life was my opening gambit with Val, which is the sixth and most recent book in the DCI Karen Pirie series. Having not read the first five, did not affect my enjoyment of the book, or leave me feeling that I’ve missed out; but it does make me want to go back to the start with The Distant Echo.
I found the book very well written, and very easy to follow. There are two investigations ongoing, with quite a few characters to keep track of, but there were, thankfully, no implausible plot twists. The plot and chapters flowed well.
I really enjoyed the well developed characters, who were believable, and realistic. Karen has clearly endured trauma during her life and career, but it is so refreshing that she doesn’t seem to carry a huge chip on her shoulder, like some central characters in police procedural series. This is a real plus point for me, as it becomes predictable and samey. The Mint is such a good character, and I really look forward to seeing how his character and career develop. I also look forward to finding out what the polis nickname for Daisy will be, Mrs Murray is a real gem too.
Around half way through the book, I did solve one of the crimes, so I’m now considering putting in an application to join the HCU myself. Still Life was my first read of Val’s books, but it won’t be my last. If you’re looking for a solid, absorbing and plausible book, this 4.5* star read and the rest of the series will suit you well.

Val McDermid immerses us in another Chief Inspector Karen Pirie case in Still Life. Murder, stolen identity, crime in several countries, cold cases come to life. What could go wrong? Karen Pirie and her colleagues work through a couple of intertwined cold cases. Complex characters, multiple jurisdictions, a great police procedural. Highly recommended.

Started reading and found it did not interest me. so I did not finish this book. Have enjoyed previous Val McDermid books, so I was disappointed by this one.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.
Still Life is Val McDermid's 6th novel featuring DCI Karen Pirie and it does not disappoint.
DCI Pirie is struggling with a difficult personal life when she is asked to investigate not one but two cold cases. One case involves a skeleton in a van parked in the garage of a woman who died in a car accident and the second case is that of a recent murder victim pulled from the water. This victim has been missing for 10 years and is a prime suspect in the alleged murder and disappearance of his brother. Val McDermid keeps the two cases separate with great skill and her ability to make you turn the page is enviable. DC Jason " the Mint" Murray (who has featured in previous DCI Pirie's cases) is Karen's leg man in the skeletal remains case and DS Daisy Morgan is her right hand woman in the murder case. Leads take them to France & Ireland and Jason runs into a small bit of bother South of the border.
There is humour and sadness but the dead are always treated with respect by Karen and her colleagues
This is a fast-paced police procedural which is hard to put down and I think it is well worth a read.

A fun and entertaining mystery. I hadn’t read others by McDermid but will now. Enjoyed the sett8ns and the characters.

Thank you for loaning me a copy of another smashing book by Val McDermid and the Cold Case Team led by DCI Karen Pirie.
A dead body is pulled from the sea and the person was a suspect in his brother’s disappearance a decade before. Karen is under intense pressure from her superior to sort it out in a hurry as it could
involve the Conservative Government. Truth be damned!

This was my first Karen Pirie novel, though I'm a long time fan of Val McDermid and her Tony Hill series. Even though this is the sixth book in the series I had no trouble jumping in here, although I definitely want to pick up the rest of the series now - I'm hooked.

As with all her books, the characterization and setting is on point. These don't feel like characters in some fake place. They are real, believable people, and the plot is intense, suspenseful, and well tied up at the end. Definitely recommended -- you can always depend on Val McDermid to deliver.

Thanks to Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of Still Life in return for my honest opinion.

This is the sixth book in the DCI Karen Pirie police series by Val McDermid, but my first. I had no trouble following this as a stand alone, although references to the past have made me want to start at the beginning of this series. I have read other books by McDermid and she is a polished writer of the police procedural. You feel you are in good hands and there is a solid air of realism in all her stories.

DCI Pirie is in charge of cold cases and when a body, long dead, is found in the garage of a woman who just died, the search is on. She is aided by her trainee Jason Murray, well intentioned but still has a lot to learn. Then Pirie is assigned to another case, a man who had fled to France years ago is found dead in the Firth of Forth. Daisy Mortimer from the crime squad, a very sharp young detective, aids Pirie in this case.

What I love about McDermid's books is the sense of "being there". All her characters and situations feel very true to what a Scottish policeman would encounter. I also love the setting, although she doesn't spend a lot of time talking about it. I actually met Ms. McDermid once at an author's event in Bali, and she was surprisingly hilarious for one who writes about the dark side of life. There is just enough drama going on in the characters' lives to keep you involved, but the emphasis is always on the story. Her crime stories are always interestingly plotted with lots of turns and twists, and neatly tied up in the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Still Life" and thank NetGalley, the publisher Grove Atlantic, and the author, Val McDermid, for the opportunity to read this book. I rate it 4.5 stars.