Val Mcdermid Popular Books
Val Mcdermid Biography & Facts
Valarie McDermid, (born 4 June 1955) is a Scottish crime writer, best known for a series of novels featuring clinical psychologist Dr. Tony Hill, in a grim sub-genre known as Tartan Noir. Biography McDermid comes from a working-class family in Fife. She studied English at St Hilda's College, Oxford, where she was the first student to be admitted from a Scottish state school.After graduation, she became a journalist and began her literary career as a dramatist. Her first success as a novelist, Report for Murder: The First Lindsay Gordon Mystery occurred in 1987.McDermid was inducted into the prestigious Detection Club in 2000, and won the CWA Diamond Dagger for her lifetime contribution to crime writing in the English language in 2010. She was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Sunderland in 2011. She is co-founder of the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival and the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, part of the Harrogate International Festivals. In 2016 she captained a team of St Hilda's alumnæ to win the Christmas University Challenge. In 2017, McDermid was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, as well as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Work McDermid's works fall into five series: Lindsay Gordon, Kate Brannigan, Tony Hill and Carol Jordan, Inspector Karen Pirie, and Allie Burns. Her characters include a journalist, Lindsay Gordon; a private investigator, Kate Brannigan; a clinical psychologist, Tony Hill; DCI Karen Pirie working out of Fife, Scotland; and Allie Burns, an investigative reporter whose stories start in 1979 with a planned set of sequels a decade apart. The Mermaids Singing, the first book in the Hill/Jordan series, won the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger for Best Crime Novel of the Year. The Hill/Jordan series has been adapted for television under the name Wire in the Blood, starring Robson Green. McDermid has stated that Jacko Vance, a TV celebrity with a secret lust for torture, murder and under-age girls, who was featured in the Wire in the Blood and two later books, is based on her direct personal experience of interviewing Jimmy Savile. In 2010, McDermid received the Cartier Diamond Dagger from the Crime Writers' Association for "outstanding achievement in the field of crime writing".McDermid considers her work to be part of the "Tartan Noir" Scottish crime fiction genre. In addition to writing novels, McDermid contributes to several British newspapers and often broadcasts on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio Scotland. Her novels, in particular the Tony Hill series, are known for their graphic depictions of violence and torture. In August 2022 McDermid reported that the estate of Agatha Christie had threatened her publishers with legal action if they referred to McDermid as "the Queen of Crime", stating that the term was copyrighted by the Christie estate. Raith Rovers McDermid was a lifelong fan of Raith Rovers football club, her father having worked as a scout for the club. In 2010, she sponsored the McDermid Stand at Stark's Park, the club's ground in Kirkcaldy, in honour of her father.A year after sponsoring the stand, she became a board member of the club, and starting in 2014 her website became Raith's shirt sponsor.In February 2022, McDermid said she would be withdrawing her support and sponsorship from Raith Rovers after the club signed striker David Goodwillie, who had been ruled to have raped a woman and made to pay damages in a civil case in 2017. Following the signing of Goodwillie, Raith Rovers women's team severed ties with the main club and renamed themselves McDermid Ladies, after the writer. McDermid moved her sponsorship to the new ladies' team. Ink attack On 6 December 2012 a woman poured ink over McDermid during an event at the University of Sunderland. McDermid was signing books, and a woman asked her to autograph a Top of the Pops annual which contained a picture of the disgraced late TV presenter Jimmy Savile. After McDermid reluctantly agreed the woman threw ink at her and ran out of the room. McDermid said the incident would not stop her from doing signings.Northumbria Police arrested Sandra Botham, a 64-year-old woman from the Hendon area of Sunderland, on suspicion of assault. Botham was convicted of common assault on 10 July 2013, received a 12-month community order with supervision and was made to pay £50 compensation and a £60 victim surcharge. She was also given a restraining order forbidding her from contacting McDermid for an undefined period of time. The Northern Echo reported that Botham's actions were motivated by McDermid's 1994 non-fiction book A Suitable Job for a Woman, as Botham said the book contained a passage that besmirched her and her family. Personal life McDermid formerly lived in both Stockport and near Alnmouth in Northumberland with three cats and a border terrier dog. Since early 2014 she has lived in Stockport and Edinburgh.In 2016, McDermid captained a team of crime writer challengers on the TV quiz Eggheads, beating the Eggheads and winning £14,000. In 2010, she was living between Northumberland and Manchester with publisher Kelly Smith, with whom she had entered into a civil partnership in 2006.On 23 October 2016 McDermid married her partner of two years, Jo Sharp, a professor of geography at the University of Glasgow.McDermid is a radical feminist and socialist. She has incorporated feminism into some of her novels. Works Lindsay Gordon series Report for Murder (1987) Common Murder (1989) Final Edition (1991) US Titles: Open and Shut, Deadline for Murder Union Jack (1993), US Title: Conferences Are Murder Booked for Murder (1996) Hostage to Murder (2003)Kate Brannigan series Dead Beat (1992) Kick Back (1993) Crack Down (1994) Clean Break (1995) Blue Genes (1996) Star Struck (1998) (awarded Grand Prix des Romans d’Aventure in 1998)Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series The Mermaids Singing (1995) (Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger for Best Crime Novel of the Year in 1995) The Wire in the Blood (1997) The Last Temptation (2002) The Torment of Others (2004) Beneath the Bleeding (2007) Fever of the Bone (2009) The Retribution (2011) Cross and Burn (2013) Splinter the Silence (2015) Insidious Intent (2017) How the Dead Speak (2019)Inspector Karen Pirie series The Distant Echo (2003) A Darker Domain (2008) The Skeleton Road (2014) Out of Bounds (2016) Broken Ground (2018) Still Life (2020) Past Lying (2023)Allie Burns series 1979 (2021) 1989 (2022) 1999 (TBC) 2009 (TBC) 2019 (TBC)The Austen Project Northanger Abbey (2014)Other books The Writing on the Wall (1997); short stories, limited edition of 200 copies A Place of Execution (1999) Killing the Shadows (2000) Stranded (2005); short stories Cleanskin (2006) The Grave Tattoo (2006) Trick of the Dark (2010) dedicated to Mary Bennett (1913-2003) & Kathy Vaughan Wilkes (1946-2003) The Vanishing Point (2012) Resistance: A Graphic Novel (2021), illustrated by Kathryn Briggs (Profil.... Discover the Val Mcdermid popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Val Mcdermid books.
Best Seller Val Mcdermid Books of 2024
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Blowback
Peter MayTHE 12 MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE LEWIS TRILOGY AND THE CHINA THRILLERSAWARD WINNING AUTHOR OF THE CWA DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY 2021'Enzo MacLeod is one of the most unusua...
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Echo of the Dead
Alex GrayTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES Don't miss the latest from Alex Gray. Book 20 in the Lorimer series, QUESTIONS FOR A DEAD MAN, is out now and Book 21, OUT OF DARKNESS, is avai...
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Freeze Frame
Peter MayTHE 12 MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE LEWIS TRILOGY AND THE CHINA THRILLERSAWARD WINNING AUTHOR OF THE CWA DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY 2021'Enzo MacLeod is one of the most unusua...
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The Mechanical Devil
Kate EllisSecrets never stay buried for long . . . When archaeologist Neil Watson unearths a longburied mechanical figure in a Dartmoor field, he is determined to discover the truth behind t...
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The Promise
Alison Bruce'Bruce is doing for Cambridge what Colin Dexter did for Oxford with Inspector Morse' Daily MailThe promise seemed simple. The scars would last a lifetime.In a single night, Kyle Ph...
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The Night Gate
Peter MayTHE 12 MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE LEWIS TRILOGY AND THE CHINA THRILLERSAWARD WINNING AUTHOR OF THE CWA DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY 2021'Enzo MacLeod is one of the most unusua...
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Boy in the Well
Douglas LindsayDI WESTPHALL.No ordinary detective.No ordinary investigations.A twisting new crime series set in the Scottish Highlands. For fans of Stephen King, Christopher Brookmyre and John Co...
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The Blackhouse
Peter May & Peter ForbesTHE 12 MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE ENZO FILES AND THE CHINA THRILLERSAWARD WINNING AUTHOR OF THE CWA DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY 2021'One of the best regarded crime series of ...
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The Daughter of Time
Josephine Tey"One of the best mysteries of all time" (The New York Times)Josephine Tey recreates one of history’s most famousand viciouscrimes in her classic bestselling novel, a must read for ...
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The Face of Trespass
Ruth RendellTwo years ago he had been a promising young novelist. Now he survived you could hardly call it living in a near derelict cottage with only an unhooked telephone and his own obses...
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Extraordinary People
Peter MayIn the first book of the Enzo Files, ex forensic scientist Enzo Macleod makes a daring wager and attempts to solve the tenyearold case of a vanished man.An old mystery.As midnight ...
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To Love and Be Wise
Josephine TeyA witty and sophisticated mystery featuring bestselling author Josephine Tey’s popular Inspector Alan Grant, a beloved character created by a woman considered to be one of the grea...
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Deceive Me
Karen ColeYOUR DAUGHTER IS MISSING. HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO FIND HER?'The ending was nothing short of brilliant!' Amazon reviewer'An ending that left me gasping' Amazon reviewer'An explosive...
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Shock Wave
Clive CusslerA SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Cussler is hard to beat' Daily MailThe thirteenth adrenalinefilled Dirk Pitt classic from multimillioncopy king of the adventure novel, Clive Cussler.A hu...
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The Last Temptation
Val McDermidMapping the minds of murderers is what Dr. Tony Hill does better than anyone. So when a twisted killer starts targeting psychologists across Northern Europe, Hill is the obvious ch...
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All That Remains
Sue BlackBook of the Year, 2018 Saltire Literary AwardsA CrimeReads Best True Crime Book of the MonthFor fans of Caitlin Doughty, Mary Roach, Kathy Reichs, and CSI shows, a renowned forensi...
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Flood Tide
Clive CusslerA SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Cussler is hard to beat' Daily MailThe fourteenth incredible Dirk Pitt classic from multimillioncopy king of the adventure novel, Clive Cussler.Tracking a...
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The Lewis Man
Peter MayTHE 12 MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE ENZO FILES AND THE CHINA THRILLERSAWARD WINNING AUTHOR OF THE CWA DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY 2021'One of the best regarded crime series of ...
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The Buried
Sharon BoltonAN OLD ENEMY IS LAID TO REST . . . AND A NEW CRIME IS DISCOVEREDFlorence Lovelady, the most senior serving policewoman in Britain, visits convicted serial killer Larry Glassbrook i...
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Out For Blood
Deborah MassonDI Eve Hunter is back in the edgeofyourseat new detective thriller from Deborah Masson, winning author of the Bloody Scotland Crime Debut of the Year 2020.A young man, the son of a...
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Cast Iron
Peter MayTHE 12 MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE LEWIS TRILOGY AND THE CHINA THRILLERSAWARD WINNING AUTHOR OF THE CWA DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY 2021'Enzo MacLeod is one of the most unusua...
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Cambridge Black
Alison Bruce'Bruce is doing for Cambridge what Colin Dexter did for Oxford with Inspector Morse' Daily MailA cold case waits to be solved . . . and a killer waits in the wings.Amy was seven ye...
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Thunder Bay
Douglas SkeltonStoirm Island’s secrets are worth killing for in this immersive, unrelenting thriller for readers of All the Missing Girls and Neon Prey"this crime novel has it all" (Pub...
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Perception
Terri FlemingOne wealthy bachelor. Two Bennet sisters lacking prospects. Can either defy expectations? 'A charmingly written evocation of what might have happened to the remaining Bennet siste...
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The Kill
Jane CaseyDetective Maeve Kerrigan is away for a colleague's wedding, and she's enjoying an excuse to spend a beautiful fall weekend relaxing in the English countryside. It's a muchneeded br...
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A Place of Execution
Val McDermidWinter 1963: two children have disappeared off the streets of Manchester; the murderous careers of Myra Hindley and Ian Brady have begun. On a freezing day in December, another chi...
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Hold Your Tongue
Deborah MassonWINNER OF THE BLOODY SCOTLAND SCOTTISH CRIME DEBUT OF THE YEAR 2020'Gritty and close to the bone, Hold Your Tongue is a compelling, addictive read that I devoured in one sitting.' ...
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Footloose
Val McDermid & Peter JamesHe was a clinical psychologist who specialized in unraveling the motivations of the twisted killers who wanted to express themselves again and again. She was the kind of detective ...
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The Guilty Wife
Elle CroftTHE TOP 10 EBOOK BESTSELLER 'A gripping tale of betrayal, deceit, and duplicity. Fabulous.' Jenny Blackhurst, author of How I Lost You 'Relentless and intense...I loved the final ...
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The Other Couple
Sarah J. NaughtonTHE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER'I am sleep deprived having stayed awake desperate to find out what happened!' reader reviewFor fans of Clare Mackintosh's LET ME LIE, Cara Hunter's CLOSE...
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Random
Craig Robertson'Robertson is doing for Glasgow what Rankin did for Edinburgh' Mirror Glasgow is being terrorised by a serial killer the media have nicknamed The Cutter. The murders have left the ...
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The Wire in the Blood
Val McDermidVal McDermid's The Wire in the Blood is "a superb psychological thriller" (Cosmopolitan), the basis for ITV's series of the same name.Across the country, dozens of teenage girls ha...
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The Critic
Peter MayGAILLAC, SOUTHWEST FRANCE.An unsolved case.Gil Petty, America's most celebrated wine critic, is found strung up in a vineyard, dressed in the ceremonial robes of the Order of the D...
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Miss Pym Disposes
Josephine TeyMiss Lucy Pym, a popular English psychologist, is guest lecturer at a physical training college. The year's term is nearly over, and Miss Pym inquisitive and observant detects a ...
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All Fall Down
M. J. ArlidgeFROM THE MIND OF THE MILLIONCOPY BESTSELLER M.J. ARLIDGE COMES THE BRAND NEW SERIAL KILLER THRILLER STARRING DETECTIVE INSPECTOR HELEN GRACE... "You have one hour to live."Those...
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The Burial Circle
Kate EllisA skeleton discovered. A murder to be solved . . . On a stormy night in December, a tree is blown down on an isolated Devon farm. When the fallen tree is dragged away, a rucksack i...
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Innocent
Erin KinsleyA MURDER TEARS A TOWN APART. BUT WHO IS THE KILLER?'Brilliant, compelling, heartwrenching writing.' PETER JAMES'Full of twists and turns...this is a gripping and compelling read yo...
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Like Mother, Like Daughter
Elle Croft'Utterly absorbing and thoughtprovoking' Caz Frear'What a premise, and packed with suspense' Victoria Selman'A dark, delicious triumph' Niki MackayIf what they said was true, then ...
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A Rattle of Bones
Douglas SkeltonOld sins cast a long shadow in this unrelenting thriller by the author of Thunder Bay.When banners proclaiming the innocence of James Stewart spring up at the gravesite of his famo...
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The Torment of Others
Val McDermidDr. Tony Hill and Detective Chief Inspector Carol Jordan return in the awardwinning series that is the basis for the BBC television show.In a small grim room, the body of a woman i...
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Black Summer
M W Craven'A brutal and thrilling pageturner' The Sun'Compelling' Heat 'The best pure mystery plot of the year' Morning Star'Gleefully gory and witty, with a terrific sense of place' Sunday ...
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Brat Farrar
Josephine TeyWhat begins as a ploy to claim an inheritance ends with the impostor’s life hanging in the balance.In this tale of mystery and suspense, a stranger enters the inner sanctum of the ...
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Written in Bone
Sue BlackWinner of the Crime Writers’ Association ALCS Gold Dagger for Nonfiction A tour through the human skeleton and the secrets our bones reveal, from the author of All That R...
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The Wintringham Mystery
Anthony BerkeleyRepublished for the first time in nearly 95 years, a classic winter country house mystery by the founder of the Detection Club, with a twist that even Agatha Christie couldn’t solv...
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The Franchise Affair
Josephine TeyRobert Blair was about to knock off from a slow day at his law firm when the phone rang. It was Marion Sharpe on the line, a local woman of quiet disposition who lived with her mot...
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The Chessmen
Peter MayTHE 12 MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE ENZO FILES AND THE CHINA THRILLERSAWARD WINNING AUTHOR OF THE CWA DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY 2021'One of the best regarded crime series of ...
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Blacklight Blue
Peter MayTHE 12 MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE LEWIS TRILOGY AND THE CHINA THRILLERSAWARD WINNING AUTHOR OF THE CWA DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY 2021'Enzo MacLeod is one of the most unusua...
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The Blood Is Still
Douglas SkeltonA riveting, immersive thriller from the author of Thunder Bay"If you don't know Skelton, now's the time" (Ian Rankin). When a man in eighteenthcentury Highland dress is f...
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The Unwanted Dead
Chris Lloyd'A gripping murder mystery and a vivid recreation of Paris under German Occupation.' ANDREW TAYLORWINNER OF THE HWA GOLD CROWN AWARD FOR BEST HISTORICAL FICTIONSHORTLISTED FOR THE ...
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Dead Find
T.F. MuirSt. Andrews, Scotland: Renovation works on the famous Old Course golf course uncovers the remains of a body in a shallow grave two bullet holes in the skull. DNA confirms the vict...