Can we just say *** PLACEHOLDER *** to all her books now? Um. Quick recollection: apt, echoing title on many levels. Multi-layered plot set in Europe, mostly Berlin. A serial killer whose own suffering might just have been a bit worse than the one he later inflicted. A modern high-flyer criminal who is actually worse, and yet had been done wrong by those supposed to uphold justice. A fate worse than death for one protagonist, and an annoyingly stupid carelessness by T+C that I could only forgive More...

A compulsively readable mystery which provided a vivid sense of place as Carol Jordan goes undercover in Germany to catch a corrupt smuggler. I was, however, annoyed by some illogical and reckless behavior that brought Carol and the profiler she admires so much, Tony Hill, into danger. It did not seem plausible that they would act so carelessly when they are usually highly intelligent (and don't they know they always nearly get killed?!) and when they knew they were likely under surveillance.

Short version: just as good as I'd hoped it would be.

Long version:

I was disappointed in McDermid's last standalone book and so I was really worried that this one was going to miss the mark for me as well. This is the third story to feature Carol Jordan and Tony Hill (the previous two books were The Mermaid's Singing and The Wire in the Blood). I read both of the earlier books a while ago now and loved them both. There were plenty of elements in this book that could have made it a dreadful expe

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At her best, McDermid can enthral me with her crime fiction, but I find her work very uneven and, while diverting enough, this novel was not amongst the best of hers I've read.

Realism is never one of McDermid's core strengths, but when reading this novel, I didn't so much have to willingly suspend my disbelief as hang draw and quarter it. There's the usual problem that Tony's "incredible psychological insights" seem to amount to a couple of superficial deductions that a five-year-old could have More...

Could be convoluted with the various characters and their bits, but a great flow.... compelling observations as we the reader walk through this plot........another book that kept me involved and attentive........after too many i didnt even finish...


Coming to terms over her breakup with criminal profiler Dr. Tony Hill, Chief Inspector Carol Jordan plunges into a risky undercover sting: track down a European drug trafficker and gain his confidence. But she's being tracked as well-by a serial kille More...

Okay read if you are slugabed with illness, bored with TV, and need something mildly stimulating. The story takes place in northern Europe. If you are a bit of an armchair traveler, this takes you on an abbreviated tour of some of northern Europe's waterways; it tempts the reader to dig out the Atlas and do some independent reading on the places mentioned.
It is two major plotlines that easily could be / should be two separate novels, doing better justice to both. Carol Jordan goes undercover to More...

This is a game-changer for the series. Eager to boost her career, Carol takes an undercover assignment in Germany to bust a major drugs, guns, and human trafficker. At the same time, Tony leaves his retirement from profiling to work on a case in Germany as well, where a serial killer seeks revenge on experimental psychologists, who he believes are responsible for his abuse at the hands of his grandfather.

As Carol and Tony begin to navigate their relationship into more intimate waters, Carol's s More...

Not much in the mood to write a review, but I found this one actually quite dull, boring and tedious. The supporting characters were annoying. This is vague, but the book was a huge letdown after the first one I read. I also despised the implication of animal rights activists as potential murderers of scientists (psychologists) - it was the thing that popped into the police's heads even though a well-researched policewoman would know that no AR activist has ever killed anyone, and of course the More...

Carol Jordan is now working undercover in Europe trying to catch a mastermind drug trafficker. She is still reeling over her breakup with criminal profiler, Dr. Tony Hill. Carol is working at getting into the confidence of the drug trafficker.

A serial killer is on the loose in Europe, always striking near waterways. The serial killer is psychotic because of Nazi atrocities. Carol ends up being on the serial killers death list.

Carol needs help in order to get 'into' the mind of the drug trafficke More...

I liked this book very much because seem to me , a perfect equilibrium between all items. Truly, reading the first few pages, I would wanted strangle Tony , but then all is changed. Finally one story where Carol is the principal protagonist. By she and her past we know little but she is one strong and smart woman, caring and brave and in this story we can appreciate fully the complex and beauty of her character. Then,finally Tony stops psychoanalyze himself and begins to live, and admit that wit More...

Sometimes when my synapses are raw and sore I need to relax into a soothing bath of Val McDermid or Rankin. Just the job this one, as usual the pages turning themselves while I relax....
...but then, in the last third my brain started working again. McDermid's instinct was surely right not to turn the two stories in this novel into two separate books. She was wrong trying to squeeze them into one. While I look forward to exoskeletal plots in this genre, it becomes a bit much when the characters d More...

Well, the plot kept me engaged, but one has to suspend a bit of disbelief at times. One of the villains was quite interesting, while one other, the Serb lieutenant, was just a stereotypical East European goon straight out of central casting. But my main problem with this story, along with nearly all modern crime fiction, is that authors seem to strive to outdo eachother in the number of murders and the sadism involved in their execution. At least in this case McDermid tried to examine the mind a More...

These books are definitely located within the crime suspense thriller genre, but they stand out because of McDermid's ability to do two key things: create and manage a complicated plot with multiple characters handling several investigations *and* develop strong characters who aren't simply good or bad guys. In many ways she hits her stride with the two main characters. The end felt a little rushed, but I expect to see more discussed and resolved in the next book.

This book gives me many reasons More...

I really enjoyed this book, has a great plot with plenty twists to keep you on your toes. Whilst the central characters may not be as well defined as Rankin's Rebus, the tormented serial killer is brought to life with breath taking insights and historical background to make you think McDermid is more at home amongst them than our 'heroes'.
It is the best of the Hill/Jordan series I have read, though I have not yet read any of McDermids novels outside this series so I cannot compare in any real au More...

Ein Psychologieprofessor aus Leiden wird misshandelt und ertränkt. Weitere, ähnliche Morde geschehen daraufhin in Deutschland und eher zufällig als Serienmorde entlarvt, weil die lesbische Leidener Ermittlungsbeamtin mit einer lesbischen Berliner Kollegin, die sie in einem Chatroom für gleichgeschlechtlich orientierte Polizisten kennen und lieben gelernt hat, darüber reden. Tony Hill übernimmt den Fall und reist nach Berlin, weil Carol Jordan dort einen neuen Auftrag hat. Sie soll als Undercover More...

“Temptation” is the third mystery/thriller to feature psychologist and criminal profiler Dr. Tony Hill and policewoman extraordinaire DCI Carol Jordan. (We read the first but not the second, but wish we had read them in order given the many references to apparently what happened in the prior book…) McDermid shows a lot of plotting skill in running really two different and suspenseful stories concurrently – only connected really by the police principals. In one tale, German and Dutch police offic More...

In what is probably the best book in the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan series, Carol is recruited for a very difficult undercover operation in Germany, in an effort to get close to a dangerous, yet charming, drug kingpin and his human smuggling operation, because, apparently, she closely resembles his late lover. At the same time, a killer is preying on research psychologists in Germany and the Netherlands, and the case is being worked by one of Carol's police contacts in Germany and her lover in Holla More...

The next in the series of police procedurals with profiling thrown in. This one goes further abroad and the profiling is a side plot that feeds some of the personal relationship that is still/again building.

The characters are still interesting and new ones have been introduced. The main characters are still fairly realistic in that they move forward into their relationship and then backward from it as things happen. None of this happily ever after just a lot of trying to make it work.

Love the characters in this series. I now need to watch the BBC show based on some of McDermid's novels. In this book, Carol and Tony seem to be re-establishing their friendship. Carol goes off undercover in Europe to try and entrap a vicious but handsome criminl. Tony tries to help German & Dutch detectives track down a serial killer who is targeting Psychologists. The book was a bit longer than earlier books in the series....and I didn't really like it quite as much, but still it's an exce More...

Not very fast paced but still brilliant with plenty of suspense to keep you turning pages. I really enjoyed this book, though I did think Carol and Tony made a huge rookie mistake when involved in such a dangerous and delicate undercover operation. On the other hand it had been pointed out that working undercover can lead to the officer losing a sense of self, and Tony being there was Carols way of trying to keep herself grounded. Nevertheless I still loved this book and recommend it

Although around 10 years old, I can't help but think Val McDermid's books stand the test of time. Featuring Dr Tony Hill and DC Carol Jordan from TV's Wire in the Blood, this book is a gripping story where the phsycologist-profiler and police detective team up once again.

The plot covers two stories - one of an serial killer crossing country borders and the other of a sting operation on a big league gangster. With twists and turns, the plot is gripping and exciting.

It's very good genre writing and the characters are so interesting, especially the protagonist, Carol Jordan, detective. However, MacDermid gets the sexual tension and behavior of the lesbians right, but is way off the mark with the heteros. Well what can you expect when the lovers are a psychologically impotent man and a recently raped woman. I did get tired of the very obvious switching subplots to build suspense. Still, a solid and thrilling European police procedural.

Well written, as far as it goes, but too predictable. Any whodunnit or thriller should have a sting in the tail, but you know exactly what is going to happen. In addition, the two plot lines come together clumsily. A pity, since the idea - that of a serial killer seeking out psychologists - is a good one, and the bits dealing with the killer and his mindset are good.

I hadn't read any McDermid before, but since I'm attending Bouchercon this year and she's one of the featured authors, I went to the library and picked out this book. The main characters have appeared in other books. That's not been a problem for me in the past - I've started other series midway through and then have gone back to read the other books. This one started a bit slow, though once I got deeper into the book it was involving. I'll try another of hers before the convention.

This was not my favorite. One or two reasons... Although including the real story of the outrageous and inhuman Nazi tortures performed on innocent human beings fired up the story and made me want to root for the serial killer... The two storylines were very busy and more time was spent on them and less time on Tony who is my reason for reading this series. I love reading how his mind works. After being given more insight into Tony's own tortured past...I am very hopeful to see him healed!

This is the 5th Val McDermid book I have read that features Tony Hill from Wire in the Blood TV series as the main character. This one is set in Berlin and explores murder, violence, undercover working and Nazi atrocities. Not my favourite Tony Hill book as it was slow to reveal the threads of the story and too quick to tie them together. Still a good read, however.

Tony Hill and Carol Jordan are my new favorite detecting pair. This was a compelling story, and would have been near perfect except for one crucial plot device. You cannot create two intelligent, careful, methodical characters and expect readers to believe they are capable of making the mistake that blew Carol's cover. McDermid and her editor really needed to think more creatively in that regard. On to book 4!

Wow! I really disliked this book...what a shock since I liked the first two so much. The entire premise of the story was so forced and the undercover scenario was ridiculous. It was like the author had an idea in her head and although everyone tried to talk her out of it, because it was utterly DUMB, she went ahead and wrote it anyway. What a piece of crap.