23Jun/10
A Darker Domain Reviews
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A Darker Domain
Past and present intertwine in this rare stand-alone novel of taut psychological drama—a brilliant exploration of loyalty and greed from the bestselling mistress of suspense. Fife, Scotland, 1985. Heiress Catriona Maclennan Grant and her baby son are kidnapped. The ransom payoff goes horribly wrong and Grant is killed. Her son disappears without a trace—until 2008, when a tourist in Tuscany stumbles upon dramatic new evidence that reopens the investigation.Fife, 1984. At the height of the po
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June 23rd, 2010 - 17:30
When the Past Cries Out For Justice,
Two families torn apart by violence; one that received major headlines and another that only became apparent many years later. They cannot be linked in any way….right?
Author Val McDermid utilizes a dual narrative with a backdrop of the British miner’s strike in the 1980s for this psychological thriller that opens old and new wounds in the halls of influence and the rooms of those struggling each day just to make ends meet. Detective Inspector Karen Pirie is the central figure in the search for answers in a missing person’s case that only came to many years after the “disappearance” nearly a quarter-century old and the mystery surrounding a kidnapping and murder that could easily carry the moniker of “the crime of the century.”
The first involves mineworker Mick Prentice and his decision to travel to Nottingham in search of work; essentially betraying his friends and neighbors in a Scottish town as a “scab” laborer. It is winter – about six months into the strike – and there is little food on most tables and even less fuel for the homes. Prentice does “send” money to his family that stayed behind, but never encloses a note. Fast forward to the present to Prentice’s daughter, Michelle Gibson, who desperately needs money – and other vital assistance – for the medical care of her severely ill son. Her quest to find her father yields no trace of him ever arriving in Nottingham.
Journalist Bel Richmond is on the trail of the high-profile case of the heinous kidnapping of the daughter and grandson of multi-millionaire Sir Broderick Grant, which ends in a ransom payment going terribly wrong and culminates in the murder of the woman and the disappearance of the young child. Richmond has taped together loose ends and found miniscule pieces on the fringes of the “official” story to have solid leads on the kidnappers and the answers to many questions that remained over the years. But the justice that cannot be served in the media could come from Pirie taking up this controversial quest to definitively find the “smoking gun.”
Through the use of solid character development, flashbacks and social history, McDermid delves into crime and punishment that is caused by jealousies and hatred, while showing that old grudges will remain when the match is ignited by the high-octane fuel of betrayal. McDermid meticulously moves the plot down parallel trails and then brings things together for a dynamic conclusion.
The ambitious work shows there are times when the shadows of the past can yield a harsh reality and there are new victims from old stories that are being told with different endings.
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|June 23rd, 2010 - 17:45
Good, but not McDermid’s best work,
I started reading Val McDermid’s novels featuring Dr. Tony Hill after watching the British T.V. drama “Wire in the Blood,” which was initially based on that series of books. Even though those novels supplied more cruelty and gore than I would’ve normally liked, I enjoyed them overall because McDermid 1) presented interesting characters under unusual pressures and 2) kept the plot moving.
I like her latest, “A Darker Domain,” but am not crazy about it, mainly due to the lack of her normal strengths — interesting characters and narrative drive — as the book progressed onward to a not-terribly-surprising ending.
This is not a Tony Hill novel but a D.I. Karen Pirie one. The present-day story revolves around two cold cases from the 1980s. The first: the disappearance of a striking (and strike-breaking?) miner; the second: a double kidnapping involving the family of a semi-titan of industry. It becomes evident as the novel progresses that the two cases are in fact tied together, and D.I. Pirie, with the help of reporter Bel Richmond, ultimately solves the puzzle.
I have read that McDermid grew up in a mining family and thus has some insight to share regarding the sufferings of the mining community in 1980s Britain. But it seems she might be too close to the topic as it sometimes gets her off course plot-wise and pulls her occasionally into political (and polemical) areas that don’t suit the book.
Overall, I’d say if you like the author’s previous works, you’ll like this one. If you haven’t yet read McDermid, I’d recommend starting with either the first Tony Hill novel, “The Mermaids Singing,” or the non-Tony-Hill novel “A Place of Execution,” which might just be her best so far.
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|June 23rd, 2010 - 18:18
Good Read with a Dissappointing Ending,
With A Darker Domain, Scottish author Val McDermid boldly steps away from her famous Tony Hill series to deliver a brand new stand alone psychological thriller/mystery filled with mystery, betrayal and darkness.
When Michelle Gibson reports that her father, Mick Prentice, is missing, it captures the attention of cold case P.I. Karen Pirie -especially when Michelle (aska Misha) explains that he father disappeared 22 years ago during the now-infamous 1984 miners’ strike. Even though the rest of the police force isn’t too interested in a 22-year-old cold case with no new evidence, Karen decides to investigate Prentice’s disappearance without the department’s approval.
Meanwhile, as part of an official investigation Karen meets with the wealthy and influential Sir Broderick Maclennan Grant, whose daughter, Catriona, and baby grandson, Adam, were abducted in 1985 by an anarchist group. A botched ransom hand-off left Catriona dead and Adam nowhere to be found. However, new evidence has surfaced in the case and Karen, the cold case guru, is asked to find yet another missing person.
McDermid’s writing skills shine through in every sentence -every word of this beautifully written novel. Readers will feel like they are experiencing the turmoil and confusing of these two stories firsthand. Written against a fascinating backdrop and spanning over two decades, McDermid paints a perfect, realistic picture of the characters’ lives and makes the miners’ strike accessible to readers who are both familiar and unfamiliar with the event.
As the mystery unfolds, a link is forged between the two stories. However, this link feels forced and just a little too perfect. While the story is full of complex sleuthing and intelligent storytelling, the end came together just a little too well and, seemingly, in a way that was far too easy. After reading such a thoroughly thought out story, the ending hits the reader with an unexpected thud -just after they hit their stride.
Readers should also be aware that A Darker Domain is set up differently than the traditional novel. Instead of being separated into chapters, McDermid separates the novel by dates and locations -constantly jumping between current events, past events, the UK and Italy. This method can be a little confusing at first, but it definitely keeps readers on their toes. This just proves that to get the most of this book, you absolutely must pay attention.
I’ve never had the opportunity to read any of McDermid’s other novels before, and I wouldn’t say that this one has gotten me hooked. It was an enjoyable, wonderfully written read that started out with so much promise -but failed to adequately deliver on that promise at the end.
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