So this is not only my first read in this series, its my first read by Val McDermid! Having finished it Im annoyed with myself that its taken me this long to discover her work.

The spiel: When a body is pulled from the sea by some fishermen it is quickly discovered that the dead man was the prime suspect in a murder 10 years ago. DCI Karen Pirie was the last to review the legacy case(her specialty)a couple of years ago. She is given the cases from her superior but she has a lot on her plate as it is, as she is already investigating a skeleton being discovered in a camper van in the garage of a house.
As she investigates both, she is drawn into a murky world of secrets, deception and lies.

I really enjoyed this one and I`m only sorry I havent read any others in the series. I really liked Karen as a character and indeed enjoyed all the characters here. It worked fine as a stand alone read but there is a lot of reference to back stories which I obviously wasnt familiar with and I really want to read the rest of the series now to investigate further.

The story is quite a complicated one but somehow the author manages to make it easy to follow. There is quite a large cast of characters, loads of story threads and yet I never once found myself going back a few pages to check who was who or what exactly was happening. The book just flowed beautifully.

Id highly recommend this one and I`m now off to seek out the rest of the series.

One last thing! I found myself heading to the fridge for snacks regularly reading this book. The characters spend a lot of time eating and meeting in restaurants and I have to admit, I found myself salivating more than once as I was reading about the food. That Indian food sounded devine!

Many thanks to Netgalley, Grove Atlantic and Val McDermid for an ARC in excahnge for an honest review.

This is one of my favorite series by Val Mcdermid. Karen Pirie is a really great character and a great detective. She’s tough and really good at figuring out what’s really going on. This was a story with lots of twists and turns from a new dead body and an old cold case, plus another cold case with a skeleton found in a camper that gets her sidekick, Jason in lots of trouble. The mysteries and action never stop in this very well written thriller. Highly recommended

I have a history with Val McDermid, and her wonderful protagonist Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie of Police Scotland. Back in 2016, I read and reviewed Out of Bounds by Val McDermid, #4 in the series with this feisty female protagonist. At that time, I said, “I’m not sure why I haven’t read Val McDermid before, or why I wanted to read this one, but I am so glad it happened…McDermid fans may already be familiar with Chief Inspector Karen Pirie of Police Scotland, as Out of Bounds is #4 in the series. I plan to read the first three in the series (The Distant Echo, A Darker Domain, and The Skeleton Road), but this story doesn’t require any prior knowledge, and functions as a standalone novel.” Then, in 2018, I read and reviewed Broken Ground, #5 in the series, and admitted I never got to the first three, but I definitely would since I had really enjoyed #5.

Now it is 2020 and now DCI Karen Pirie and the Historic Cases Unit of Police Scotland are back, investigating the discovery of a female skeleton in a campervan parked in the garage of a woman who died following a traffic accident. Around the same time, fishermen find a body as they’re pulling in their catch. The body is identified as being that of James Auld and Karen and DC Jason ‘The Mint’ Murray are brought in to investigate, as James is the brother of another cold case, involving the disappearance of an “important man.” They are joined by DS Daisy Mortimer, who would be a great spinoff character with her own series…

It’s a challenge to write anything about books in this series without giving something away, and I don’t do spoilers, so I’ll just say the plotting is terrific, and as usual with Ms McDermid’s books, I learned a few things. Karen’s personal life comes in, but doesn’t take over the story. The characters are incredibly real. I’m so happy I discovered this author! Fans will love it, and there will be many new fans. Five stars.

I’d like to thank Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Still Life’ by Val McDermid in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

DCI Karen Pirie is in charge of Police Scotland’s Historic Cases Unit and is investigating the discovery of a female skeleton in a campervan parked in the garage of a woman who dies following a road traffic accident. Early one morning a body is found by fishermen tangled in the winch of their boat in the Firth of Forth as they’re pulling in their catch. The body is identified as being that of James Auld and as he’s the brother of Iain Auld, a previous unresolved cold case, Karen and DC Jason ‘The Mint’ Murray are brought in to investigate together with DS Daisy Mortimer who’s been seconded to the Historic Cases Unit.

‘Still Life’ is a gripping and involving thriller that uncovers secrets, lies, art forgery and deceit and has Karen and Daisy travelling to France and Dublin. The powerful plot has been well-written with intrigue and imagination that Ms McDermid excels in, and although running two separate cases may be difficult for some investigators Karen takes it in her stride and follows the clues before finally tracking down the perpetrators. The topical subject of the referendum for Scottish independence is worked nicely into the story as is the Covid-19 pandemic with the characters organising their work and living arrangements in readiness for the lockdown. Now that the new character of DS Daisy Mortimer is introduced, is the series going to run longer than six books? I do hope so as the series is going from strength to strength and it would be a big disappointment if I was no longer able to read of the HCU.

Still Life is another in the DCI Karen Pirie series. Drowned man and abandoned skeleton have been found in an old van. So how is it possible that skeletal remains points to someone active on social media and the other is someone with changed name and officially doesn't exist in Scotland?

Suspense till the end of the book. Val McDermid never dissapoints.

‘Their first catch of the day was a drowned man.’

One freezing winter’s morning, fishermen pull a body from the Firth of Forth. The body belongs to a man who was the prime suspect in a case, ten years earlier, when a prominent civil servant went missing. DCI Karen Pirie, of Police Scotland’s Historic Cases Unit, was the last detective to review that case, and is asked to investigate. There is another case DCI Pirie is working on: a skeleton had been found in a campervan, by a woman clearing her sister’s home after the sister died – who does it belong to, and how did they die? And, at the same time, the person responsible for the death of the man Karen loved has just been released from prison. How will Karen react? How will she navigate the personal issues to manage the professional ones?

Both cases are intriguing. There is a political angle associated with the body retrieved from the sea: the missing civil servant has never been found, and the man whose body has been found has an interesting past. It soon becomes clear that he was murdered. But by whom, and why?

The answers in both cases lead Karen and her team (DC Jason Murray and DS Daisy Mortimer, who is co-opted) through a complicated web of secret identities, missing people, and art forgeries. The more the team digs, the more complex the cases seem to become. But Karen sees something, which, while it takes her a while to realise its significance, enables her to find answers.

A tightly plotted, gripping read. While I have read and enjoyed many of Ms McDermid’s novels, this is my first novel in the DCI Karen Pirie series. As this is the sixth novel in the series, I have at least five other great reads to look forward to.

Highly recommended.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

This is another in the DCI Karen Pirie series. This time around she find herself investigating the shadowy world of forgery, where things are never what they seem. Tightly plotted and so well developed as only Val McDermid can do. This is one of the best in this series and kept me enthralled all the way through. This story does not disappoint. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Any time a new book by Val McDermid appears, there is reason to rejoice, but this time she delivers an astounding feat: welcome to the first thriller written during Covid-19 Lockdown incorporating current events seamlessly into the plotline. She is a magician in her tight plotting, extraordinary set up, clear prose and spot on characterization as DCI Karen Pirie of Edinburgh's Historic Cases Unit (cold case) works to solve two greatly dissimilar, original jobs.

McDermid slyly introduces the first whiff of pandemic danger in an almost throw-away fashion, but her incorporation of distinct dates makes the reader breathe a bit more shallowly as the date of lockdown approaches. International borders have been crossed, allowing McDermid to instruct on procedures that are shifting thanks to the thankless backlash of Brexit, and the differences between Dutch, French and Irish protocols as they pertain to extradition to Scotland. I read her books because there is so much to chew on besides the crackling good stories she weaves, but always because I go away having learned something.

Still Life is the perfect amalgamation of suspense, complex yet strong and likeable characters and two mysteries to keep one hooked on to the story.

We have the case of skeletal remains found in a camping van and a dead body floating in the Firth of Forth. The remains point to a certain somebody who's active on social media while the one floating in the waters is someone who disappeared years ago.

We see Karen struggling to come to terms with her lover's death and facing his killer(the man is released from prison). She's also learning to adjust with Hamish - her new beau.

Both the mysteries were interesting and kept me hooked on. Karen and Daisy - both are likeable. The writing is marvellous.

Highly recommend to all mystery lovers.

DCI Karen Pirie it is so good to have you back solving not one but two cases !

Karen and her team work diligently, smartly as they put all their efforts into solving the cases that seem like they might be related.

Karen divides her time between the two cases with the assistance of a great team .

A skeleton is discovered in a garage and a dead body is found by fishermen.

What else could a reader ask for ?

I love police procedural and no one does it better than Val McDermid.

Can't wait to get my hard copy to place on my Val McDermid shelf!!

Thanks to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic, Atlantic Monthly press for allowing me to follow Karen on another great case.

Another solid mystery from Val M cDermid - a true master of the genre. Karen Pirie is back with a new case - or maybe cases - which connect art forgery, history, secret identities... and murder, of course.
Not the most pleasant book, but gripping and interesting throughout.

Still Life was written during the Covid lock down (because what else is a writer going to do when quarantined?). Val McDermid remains high on my list of authors I never want to miss, and aside from her settings (I love Scotland), her engrossing characters and plots keep me coming back. The Tony Hill/Carol Jordan and the Karen Pirie series are favorites, but she also has plenty of standalones, and a couple of nonfiction books, including Forensics: The Anatomy of Crime that I intend to read some day.

Still Life has cold case DCI Karen Pirie involved in two cases. A traffic accident ends up revealing a skeleton in a van in a garage that has been there for at least ten years. As Karen and Jason investigate, they believe the body belongs to one of two women. However, in the midst of this investigation, Karen is then sent to the Firth of Forth where a body has been discovered--connected to another cold case.

Juggling two cases, Karen must also deal with the release from prison of the man who killed her lover.

As usual, McDermid writes an absorbing tale with characters who have decided personalities of their own. Jason Murray, Karen's DC, is gaining confidence and is a loyal subordinate, and a new and interesting character is Daisy, who shows promise for future books.

In the last chapter, after both cases have been wrapped up, comes the change that has affected us all: the virus "that had been a whisper on the wind" as Karen, Jason, and Daisy investigated "had taken firm root in Scotland." All three "were warned of the lockdown that was to begin in the morning. They'd be working from home, whatever that meant in practice." What a conclusion. The case wrapped up, but their lives on hold.

I'm hoping McDermid will write a book dealing with Karen's team and crime during lockdown.

Read in June; blog review scheduled for Sept. 6.

NetGalley/GroveAtlantic
Police Procedural/Cold Case. Oct. 6, 2020. Print length: 448 pages.

I am a huge fan of Val McDermid and so I really look forward to a new release from her. I was certainly not disappointed with this, the sixth in the Karen Pirie series.

DCI Karen Pirie is juggling two cases- the discovery of a body by a fisherman in the Firth of Forth and the discovery of a skeleton in an abandoned camper van. These cases involve missing persons, fake identities and art forgery.

As usual McDermid writes a very tight plotted , compelling novel with excellent characterisation and sense of place. I love the character of Karen Pirie and the cast of regulars including River and Jason 'the Mint' Murray.
As this is the sixth book in the series I would recommend starting at the beginning although this book can easily work as a stand alone.

Highly recommended. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC.

I can’t believe how lucky I was to get access to this book through Netgalley. The setting was beautiful and the characters easy to invest in emotionally. All of this made for great context for a really exciting plot. It is hard to fault Val McDermid, whose experience shows through in every word.

Val Mcdermid is one of my favourite writers and Karen Pirrie is one of my favourite characters. Still Life did not disappoint me in any way. It had all the elements that we, the readers have come to expect and love from Val.

Just excellent in every way

I would like to thank Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for an advance copy of Still Life, the sixth novel to feature DCI Karen Pirie of Police Scotland’s Historic Cases Unit.

Karen is grappling with the case of a skeleton found in a camper van in a garage in suburban Perth when she is asked to get involved in a recent murder after a body is pulled from the sea. The victim was the prime suspect in the disappearance and presumed murder of his brother ten years previously and he’s not just any brother, he was a high flying civil servant in the Scottish Office and Karen was the last person to review his case thus the best person to investigate, given the potential political angle.

I thoroughly enjoyed Still Life, which is a great read that held my attention throughout to the extent that I read it in one sitting. It is told entirely from the investigative point of view, mostly Karen but occasionally her assistant DC Jason Murray or co-opted DS Daisy Mortimer when they’re allowed to step out on their own. This is good as it gets the reader immersed in the investigations and gives them no hint of the surprises in store. The camper van case is slightly more straightforward than the murdered man one but it still holds some twists and turns. The murdered man case is just amazing in the way Ms McDermid takes a relatively simple scenario, a dead man pulled from the sea, and builds it into a huge international case with so many attached crimes. I’m in awe of her skill and was hanging on to every word. I’d love to expand on these rather vague descriptions of the cases and dissect the detail but anything more specific would involve spoilers and it’s too good to spoil anyone’s read.

Karen Pirie is one of my favourite detectives, perhaps because she’s so identifiably Scottish. Yes, she uses some Scottish words but not enough to make her meaning unclear so I think it’s more a case of attitude. She stands no nonsense from either her colleagues or perpetrators but has a real soft spot for her bagman, Jason. She has a keen sense of justice and a mind devious enough to enforce it when the going gets tough.

Still Life is a great read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Val McDermid is Britain’s Queen of Crime, and Still Life certainly adds to her formidable reputation.

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. 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.

Tightly plotted and intensely gripping, Still Life is Val McDermid at her best, and new and longtime readers alike will delight in the latest addition to this superior series. Highly recommended!!

The latest novel in the Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie series was another typical great read by Val McDermid. What can I say? It was an enthralling mystery in the Historic Cases Unit, headed by DCI Pirie. I enjoyed the introduction of Detective Sergeant Daisy Mortimer and I am keen to read the next book and see how Daisy is further developed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

As always Val McDermid serves up a unusual plot with interesting characters. Chief Inspector Karen Pirie still grieving for a boyfriend shot in lone of duty runs the Historic Case Unit (Cold Case for U.S. A. readers). A body is found in a garage in an old van. Who is it, was there a crime. With the help of DC Murray and detective Sergeant daisy Mortimer Karen leads an investigation into murder, disappearance and forged art. Yes they all connect. great read.thanks Val for another book that goes on the shelve.

Another great Val McDermid book. I really enjoyed this face paced police procedural. She never disappoints. And I had to give it five sold stars.