Tue 5 Mar 2013
A Review by Walter Albert: VAL McDERMID – The Grave Tattoo.
Posted by Steve under Reviews[3] Comments
VAL McDERMID – The Grave Tattoo. St. Martin’s/Minotaur Books, hardcover, February 2007; reprint paperback, April 2008.
I was fond of McDermid’s early work, but after I became disenchanted with the Tony Hill serial killer series, I’ve not been a Faithful Reader of her books. The Grave Tattoo is a stand-alone novel in which Jane Gresham, a Wordsworth scholar, finds clues to a lost manuscript by the Romantic poet that appears to be a poetic version of Fletcher Christian’s story, recounted by him to the poet.
While Jane’s interest is that of the researcher who senses she’s on the trail of a career-making subject, the interest of others is distinctly mercenary, and they quickly show themselves to have few (if any scruples) in how they get the manuscript. A series of murders begins to narrow the possible sources for the recovery of the document, with Jane a prime suspect.
This is a competent literary mystery that I found initially difficult to get into but that eventually picked up enough momentum to keep me reading. I thought the pages from Fletcher Christian’s diary were engaging and had more narrative drive than the rather ponderous main plot line. This is a book that requires a patient reader.
Note: For Geoff Bradley’s recent comments on Val McDermid’s A Place of Execution (both book and TV adaptation), go here.
March 6th, 2013 at 3:01 am
I really liked and enjoyed this book. True, a bit hard to get into at first. I was telling someone it had everything (I exaggerated), it had history, it had literature, it had genealogy and it had mystery. What’s not to like?
March 7th, 2013 at 12:13 am
I wish I could say that I’ve read this one. As you say, Barbara, it’s a book that seems to have everything.
I can’t even say that I’ve read anything by Val McDermid, but this review along with the recent one I posted here by Geoff Bradley makes me think I might have missed something.
March 7th, 2013 at 7:48 am
What’s not to like? Annoying, tedious characters in the modern sections that had me skimming and ultimately returning the book unread.
Read A PLACE OF EXECUTION, one of the great mysteries of the last 25 years.