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| A Place of Execution | 
 enlarge | Author: Val Mcdermid
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Category: Book
List Price: £6.99
Buy Used: £2.84
You Save: £4.15 (59%)
New (27) from £2.85
Avg. Customer Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 6578
Media: Paperback
Edition: New edition
Pages: 624
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 6.8 x 4.4 x 1.4
ISBN: 0007217145
EAN: 9780007217144
ASIN: 0007217145
Publication Date: February 6, 2006
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
One of my favourite books May 9, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is one of the very best books I have ever read. Unlike some of her other books this one is not gruesome, so will appeal to the more squeamish reader like myself. It is absolutely brilliant and the twist to the story is totally unexpected. Fascinating and unputdownable!
Possibly McDermid's best novel March 7, 2008
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
Val McDermid has written some outstanding novels (The Torment of Others, Wire in the Blood and Mermaids Singing come to mind) but somehow, somehow this one probably tops the lot. It is utterly immaculate in its (forgive the pun) execution, in its structure, in its characterisation and in its capacity to surprise and even deceive the reader. I need not go over the summary of the story here as so many others have already done that, but can I just repeat the words of the Daily Telegraph's Gerald Kaufman, who stated that 'It may be that McDermid will write better novels than this in the future, but I do not see how.' I concur with that view absolutely.
For those of you who remember seeing Hitchcock's 'Vertigo' the first time, you will probably recall wanting to see the film all over again immediately, realising at the end that most of what had gone before was not as you had assumed. So it follows that in A Place of Execution, despite admirably detailed accounts of the investigations into the case of a missing teenage girl back in 1963, which in effect come to a seemingly satisfying conclusion three-quarters of the way through the book, the final quarter which unravels itself 35 years later in 1998 manages to completely dismantle our earlier belief that justice had been done and made me want to read the 1960s part of this book again to see if I could have guessed what was coming. Of course, I already knew that there was going to be a twist to this tale and I took much pleasure in taking guesses as to what it would be; a miscarriage of justice was the most obvious, but that cannot be said to be true because for all human reasons other than legal, justice was clearly served even if there were some unexpectedly high prices to be paid, it later emerged, on the part of more than one victim.
This is storytelling at its best. The characters are so real that I feel that I want to contact them and talk about their experiences. I led myself to understand that A Place of Execution is based on a true story, in which case it only serves to underline that truth is invariably stranger and more convincing than fiction. There are some stories that just cannot be made up, and I reckon that this is one of them. Knowing the story was based on real-life events had left this novel on my library shelves at home for more than a year - what a mistake that was, and I discovered this within a handful of pages. It has few flaws, it has been written by a masterful and confident writer at the top of her game and I recommend it without reservation.
If you haven't read it yet, then do not hesitate : order your copy today. And while you're at it, buy at least a half-dozen more Val McDermid novels, because in the world of suspense, mystery and crime writing she really has very few peers.
Top drawer crime fiction. December 4, 2007
I am a connoisseur of crime fiction, and I don't give 5 stars lightly! This book is simply one of the best books I've ever read! Gripping, believable and unpredictable. It was a clever idea to set the story around the times of the moors murders, as this helps to keep the story unpredictable. Val Mcdermid has written some other good books most notably 'Wire In The Blood'(though I'm not a fan of the Kate Brannagan books), but this book is far and away her best in my opinion.
a stand alone thriller November 15, 2007
This is a stand alone thriller which i would recommend to any reader.
It is the Winter of 1963, the time when Hindley and Brady have already started murdering when a child goes missing.
Inspector Bennett is in charge of the case and doesn't realise at the time that it will haunt him even in retirement when he recounts the case for a book being written.
The characters in this book are as real as you can get and they pull you into the story keeping you transfixed throughout.
 Tense and thrilling June 26, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
A very serious, tense and thrilling book. I felt worn out by the end. It is an emotional roller coaster for all who read, and I would strongly recommend that this is not for those looking for "light" reading.
The plot is exceptionally well crafted, and the characters believably eccentric without lapsing into absurdity. I am really glad I read it as it leaves you with much to think about, but I may reserve the right to say that I didn't enjoy it much!
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