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Kate Brannigan #4
Clean Break
Manchester-based, kick-boxing PI Kate Brannigan takes on the hard men of European organised crime as she battles to recover a Monet in a case that stretches love and loyalty to the limits.
Kate is not amused when thieves have the audacity to steal a Monet from a stately home where she’s arranged security. She’s even less thrilled when the hunt for the thieves drags her on a treacherous foray across Europe as she goes head to head with organized crime.
And as if that isn’t enough, a routine industrial case starts leaving a trail of bodies across the Northwest. Unfortunately, cleaning up this mess will mean confronting some truths about her own life…
Kate is not amused when thieves have the audacity to steal a Monet from a stately home where she’s arranged security. She’s even less thrilled when the hunt for the thieves drags her on a treacherous foray across Europe as she goes head to head with organized crime.
And as if that isn’t enough, a routine industrial case starts leaving a trail of bodies across the Northwest. Unfortunately, cleaning up this mess will mean confronting some truths about her own life…
344 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
264 people are currently reading
1172 people want to read
About the author
Val McDermid
342 books5,323 followersVal McDermid is a No. 1 bestseller whose novels have been translated into more than thirty languages, and have sold over eleven million copies.
She has won many awards internationally, including the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year and the LA Times Book of the Year Award. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009 and was the recipient of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for 2010. In 2011 she received the Lambda Literary Foundation Pioneer Award.
She writes full time and divides her time between Cheshire and Edinburgh.
She has won many awards internationally, including the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year and the LA Times Book of the Year Award. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009 and was the recipient of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for 2010. In 2011 she received the Lambda Literary Foundation Pioneer Award.
She writes full time and divides her time between Cheshire and Edinburgh.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
February 21, 2018
Well I quite enjoyed this, a 3.5 star book I think, just not round-up-able to 4.
This book was one I purchased at an English book fair when I lived in France. They were held twice a year and were great fun. It was always held in the same place, a village hall around 60km away, quite a drive but well worth it. The books were around 90% English and were all donated by ex pats living in the locale and were all 1 Euro. Now this may not sound exciting but somehow every time there were around 10,000 (yes ten thousand) books)
So along with every other person who attended you took your carrier bag and filled it up with every book you wanted and paid at the exit. So every time I went I spent around 50 Euros and now I don't have room for them all.
Well thats enough of where it came from, and back to the book. It was enjoyable, and I quite liked the main characters as well as the story, it just didn't really grab me a great deal. Would I read another , maybe, but I have so many other books to read, we shall see.
This book was one I purchased at an English book fair when I lived in France. They were held twice a year and were great fun. It was always held in the same place, a village hall around 60km away, quite a drive but well worth it. The books were around 90% English and were all donated by ex pats living in the locale and were all 1 Euro. Now this may not sound exciting but somehow every time there were around 10,000 (yes ten thousand) books)
So along with every other person who attended you took your carrier bag and filled it up with every book you wanted and paid at the exit. So every time I went I spent around 50 Euros and now I don't have room for them all.
Well thats enough of where it came from, and back to the book. It was enjoyable, and I quite liked the main characters as well as the story, it just didn't really grab me a great deal. Would I read another , maybe, but I have so many other books to read, we shall see.
July 3, 2018
White collar crime
First Sentence: I don't know much about art, but I know what i don't like.
I like the quick pace of this one, the tense, nail-biting parts that makes you turn the pages.
This was one of the books that got me hooked on McDermid. I remember loving it; but now that I know how much better she can be I have to settle with a three star rating.
First Sentence: I don't know much about art, but I know what i don't like.
I like the quick pace of this one, the tense, nail-biting parts that makes you turn the pages.
This was one of the books that got me hooked on McDermid. I remember loving it; but now that I know how much better she can be I have to settle with a three star rating.
February 23, 2018
From BBC Radio 4 Extra:
Fast-talking private eye Kate Brannigan is not amused when thieves steal a Monet painting from a stately home where she has arranged the security.
Kate sets off on a chase that takes her across Europe bringing her head-to-head with organised crime.
Val McDermid's Manchester-based thriller stars Charlotte Coleman as Kate Brannigan, John Lloyd Fillingham as Richard Barclay, Noreen Kershaw as Alexis Lee, Joseph Jones as Michal Haroun, Geoff Hinsliff as Dennis O'Brien, Rob Pickavance as Henry Naismith, Martin Reeve as Lord James Ballantrae and Kathryn Hunt as Della Prentiss.
Producer: Melanie Harris
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1998.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0089bqv
Fast-talking private eye Kate Brannigan is not amused when thieves steal a Monet painting from a stately home where she has arranged the security.
Kate sets off on a chase that takes her across Europe bringing her head-to-head with organised crime.
Val McDermid's Manchester-based thriller stars Charlotte Coleman as Kate Brannigan, John Lloyd Fillingham as Richard Barclay, Noreen Kershaw as Alexis Lee, Joseph Jones as Michal Haroun, Geoff Hinsliff as Dennis O'Brien, Rob Pickavance as Henry Naismith, Martin Reeve as Lord James Ballantrae and Kathryn Hunt as Della Prentiss.
Producer: Melanie Harris
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1998.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0089bqv
August 9, 2025
Another readable Kate Brannigan. Two stories with an art theft and a chemical cleaning company where people die from cyanide poisoning. Kate goes on a long drive from England to Italy with her quest for answers to the art theft’s.
June 15, 2022
I dunno, I guess there must be two kinds of Val McDermid fans: the kind that like Kate Brannigan, and the kind that like all her other books. I am in the small, select first club. I find that Val McDermid's voice in the KB books is far more relaxed and enjoyable than in her other series. There is a lot of apparently unforced humor, and the plotting is sophisticated without being overly contrived. It's a shame she lost interest in this series sometime in the late 90's, because I would have been there for the ride for some time.
This series teases us with the possible end of KB's and her boyrfriend Richard's relationship, but that does not come to pass. Instead, we get some chemical industrial sabotage, and an unrelated art heist plotline. Each gets resolved to my satisfaction, with plenty of twists and action. The personal plotlines get developed along the way, too, with poor Richard landing an especially pathetic (and touching) role of the hapless boyfriend of an overly competent and emotionally independent woman. I wish there were two more decades of this to enjoy, but alas, I know that there are only two more books' worth. Oh well.
This series teases us with the possible end of KB's and her boyrfriend Richard's relationship, but that does not come to pass. Instead, we get some chemical industrial sabotage, and an unrelated art heist plotline. Each gets resolved to my satisfaction, with plenty of twists and action. The personal plotlines get developed along the way, too, with poor Richard landing an especially pathetic (and touching) role of the hapless boyfriend of an overly competent and emotionally independent woman. I wish there were two more decades of this to enjoy, but alas, I know that there are only two more books' worth. Oh well.
May 13, 2009
Showing its age (1990s) with its feisty heroine, talk of hiring mobile phones(!), early days of computing, straightforward plot lines. But the first person narrative is light and full of quips. Kate doesn't hanker after her friends' country retreat - miles from pub, restaurant and corner shop. 'Me, I'd rather live in a luggage locker at Piccadilly Station.' A cosy formula, neatly crafted.
March 6, 2014
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2022
Nice variation from the previous book breaking up the formula a little, gaining it a star.
Unlike many other folks, I can reminisce in the 90s setting rather than find it jarring.
Unlike many other folks, I can reminisce in the 90s setting rather than find it jarring.
February 8, 2018
It was surprising how different this book was from the Tony Hill series of books. They were written at roughly the same time. I could not even find library books for the first three of this series. This one was published in 1996.
McDermid is very wordy in a way she never was writing about Tony and Carol. There's a ton of description. Also, I thought I was pretty good at learning British words and phrases via context, but there are so many I didn't know in this book I was lucky to have the internet handy. Sometimes this attention to describing details was boring to me. Like real surveillance, whether you be cop or PI, tailing someone and waiting endless hours for their next move can be just plain monotonous for the reader, too.
Kate Brannigan has two cases running side-by-side in this book: the smash-and-grab burglaries of stately homes and the product tampering at a chemical company which appears to have led to actual deaths. Besides all the usual spy equipment, the internet is beginning to be an important tool in investigation, and Kate has a hacker on call for jobs she can't handle. She also has contacts in the criminal and journalistic worlds, but she does most of the grunt work, legal and not so legal, herself. She lives next door to her on/off again boyfriend, who has a bad habit of trying to help her in some of her most dangerous investigations.
Once I got past the rather long job of following a suspect out of the country, I began to enjoy this book again. McDermid gave us satisfying endings to both investigations and a personal quandary of our heroine. I liked this one enough to read others in the series, at least those few I can get my hands on.
McDermid is very wordy in a way she never was writing about Tony and Carol. There's a ton of description. Also, I thought I was pretty good at learning British words and phrases via context, but there are so many I didn't know in this book I was lucky to have the internet handy. Sometimes this attention to describing details was boring to me. Like real surveillance, whether you be cop or PI, tailing someone and waiting endless hours for their next move can be just plain monotonous for the reader, too.
Kate Brannigan has two cases running side-by-side in this book: the smash-and-grab burglaries of stately homes and the product tampering at a chemical company which appears to have led to actual deaths. Besides all the usual spy equipment, the internet is beginning to be an important tool in investigation, and Kate has a hacker on call for jobs she can't handle. She also has contacts in the criminal and journalistic worlds, but she does most of the grunt work, legal and not so legal, herself. She lives next door to her on/off again boyfriend, who has a bad habit of trying to help her in some of her most dangerous investigations.
Once I got past the rather long job of following a suspect out of the country, I began to enjoy this book again. McDermid gave us satisfying endings to both investigations and a personal quandary of our heroine. I liked this one enough to read others in the series, at least those few I can get my hands on.
March 1, 2021
Another entertaining adventure for private investigator Kate Brannigan, with plenty of fun and banter. Good way to spend a day.
December 24, 2023
3.5 stars.
Read
June 17, 2016This was another great read in the series. For me it was the best one so far. I love the characters that the author has created and look forward to reading the next book in the series. The only sad thing is that I'm getting close to the end of the series, only another couple of books are left.
June 26, 2016
2.5*
Fun read but not as sophisticated as some of her other books.
Fun read but not as sophisticated as some of her other books.
August 17, 2019
Review to follow.
September 16, 2022
This reads so modern, it's astonishing to realize it's not historical fiction. It's set in the mid-1990s and was published in 1996--yet it features a strong, independent, capable female lead in a high-danger, action role.
While other woman protagonists are getting their groove back--yep, that's the year "Stella Got Her Groove Back," and nothing against "Stella" or getting a good groove, but the focus was satisfactory romance to complete a woman who was in all other ways fulfilling the Supermom role of the era--while Stella is getting her groove back, McDermid's Kate Brannigan is outwitting criminals and cops alike, walking a wobbly line to see justice done, and letting romance take a back seat while she focuses on her work. Don't worry, romance lovers--our dashing detective does get her romantic rewards, when she's good and ready.
If Kate doesn't have "it all," lacking children simply because she doesn't want any, she does have her life the way she wants it, and that stands out not only for its time but nearly thirty years later. McDermid's feminism says a woman can take a clear-eyed look at what she wants from her work and relationships, and call the shots.
The action is fast-paced, the plotting is ingenious, the motivations and manipulations are multilayered, and the crimes carry across classes and countries' boundaries. No dust has gathered on this mystery.
Yet, it would be a great read for any author considering setting a story in the 1990s. Kate's explanations of her then-high-tech contrivances show us the sleuth's delight in the then-brand-new possibilities of the internet, mobile phones, and the tricks she could pull with a few tools picked up at the nearest electronic gadgets store. How she thought about, and used, such now-obvious resources as phone messages, would be a mind-expanding revelation for any writer completely accustomed to our era of easy data. For example, redialing and counting clicks to get a phone number. Why didn't she just check the "recent calls" list? Because in 1996, there wasn't one.
Here I was not having checked the publication date, thinking this was one of the novels McDermid had written recently but set in the last century. So much has changed, I was marveling at her convincing recreation of the thrill of the internet in its infancy. Instead, it turns out this was written in that time, and stands as a marvelous document of someone's understanding and excellent use of emerging technologies.
And all of that cleverness is just incidental to a story that delivers action and intrigue, and also powerful character development and keen social observation. I wasn't a big fan of mysteries, back in 1996. Too bad. I had no idea what I was missing.
While other woman protagonists are getting their groove back--yep, that's the year "Stella Got Her Groove Back," and nothing against "Stella" or getting a good groove, but the focus was satisfactory romance to complete a woman who was in all other ways fulfilling the Supermom role of the era--while Stella is getting her groove back, McDermid's Kate Brannigan is outwitting criminals and cops alike, walking a wobbly line to see justice done, and letting romance take a back seat while she focuses on her work. Don't worry, romance lovers--our dashing detective does get her romantic rewards, when she's good and ready.
If Kate doesn't have "it all," lacking children simply because she doesn't want any, she does have her life the way she wants it, and that stands out not only for its time but nearly thirty years later. McDermid's feminism says a woman can take a clear-eyed look at what she wants from her work and relationships, and call the shots.
The action is fast-paced, the plotting is ingenious, the motivations and manipulations are multilayered, and the crimes carry across classes and countries' boundaries. No dust has gathered on this mystery.
Yet, it would be a great read for any author considering setting a story in the 1990s. Kate's explanations of her then-high-tech contrivances show us the sleuth's delight in the then-brand-new possibilities of the internet, mobile phones, and the tricks she could pull with a few tools picked up at the nearest electronic gadgets store. How she thought about, and used, such now-obvious resources as phone messages, would be a mind-expanding revelation for any writer completely accustomed to our era of easy data. For example, redialing and counting clicks to get a phone number. Why didn't she just check the "recent calls" list? Because in 1996, there wasn't one.
Here I was not having checked the publication date, thinking this was one of the novels McDermid had written recently but set in the last century. So much has changed, I was marveling at her convincing recreation of the thrill of the internet in its infancy. Instead, it turns out this was written in that time, and stands as a marvelous document of someone's understanding and excellent use of emerging technologies.
And all of that cleverness is just incidental to a story that delivers action and intrigue, and also powerful character development and keen social observation. I wasn't a big fan of mysteries, back in 1996. Too bad. I had no idea what I was missing.
March 23, 2024
3.75 stars
This might be my least favourite book in the series.
Part of it is completely my fault. About 70% into the book, I made the mistake of looking at the Goodreads page of Book 5, which started with So lesson to self, don't look up anything on the books you're reading and enjoying!
The other part that affected my enjoyment of the book is Richard and Kate's relationship and Kate's infidelity. I did debate if I should call it infidelity because at the end of the day, Kate I also don't think the author did a good job with the conflicts in Kate and Richard's relationship. It wasn't properly explored or resolved. I had the same issue with Tony Hill and DI Jordan's relationship in book 10 of that series, which kind of ruined that series for me. It's nowhere near as bad here but I do wonder if the author is just not that with writing conflicts in romantic relationships.
Other than that, I do like the rest of the book and am eager to continue the series.
This might be my least favourite book in the series.
Part of it is completely my fault. About 70% into the book, I made the mistake of looking at the Goodreads page of Book 5, which started with So lesson to self, don't look up anything on the books you're reading and enjoying!
The other part that affected my enjoyment of the book is Richard and Kate's relationship and Kate's infidelity. I did debate if I should call it infidelity because at the end of the day, Kate I also don't think the author did a good job with the conflicts in Kate and Richard's relationship. It wasn't properly explored or resolved. I had the same issue with Tony Hill and DI Jordan's relationship in book 10 of that series, which kind of ruined that series for me. It's nowhere near as bad here but I do wonder if the author is just not that with writing conflicts in romantic relationships.
Other than that, I do like the rest of the book and am eager to continue the series.
March 31, 2025
Clean Break is another addition to the Kate Brannigan series by Val McDermid which was originally published in 1995.
Bill Mortensen has gone away and has left Kate Brannigan in charge of the agency for a couple of months. When Henry Naismith calls Kate to inform her that his Monet has been stolen, Kate is in ‘bits’. She and Mortensen had installed the security system on Naismith’s art collection at his country manor, Birchfield Place. Like many other country estates, it was open to the public, and the Monet was the biggest draw of all.
At the same time Brannigan gains a commercial client who is rather paranoid, he is the managing director of Kerrchern which makes cleaning products. Recently its bestselling product KerrSter, a universal cleaning product had killed a publican in Stockport. Cyanide had killed the publican when he opened the KerrSter. Naismith had been on the end of a blackmailing attempt.
Kate Brannigan takes on both case, and one of the cases would have her cross Europe. This would mean mixing with the mafia, drugs and a dead body. While the other case would take her along the M62 to Warrington. Both cases would bring her into contact with the Police. She would once again be annoying detective inspector Cliff Jackson, the one person who would love to put her in a cell.
Just another brilliant thriller.
Bill Mortensen has gone away and has left Kate Brannigan in charge of the agency for a couple of months. When Henry Naismith calls Kate to inform her that his Monet has been stolen, Kate is in ‘bits’. She and Mortensen had installed the security system on Naismith’s art collection at his country manor, Birchfield Place. Like many other country estates, it was open to the public, and the Monet was the biggest draw of all.
At the same time Brannigan gains a commercial client who is rather paranoid, he is the managing director of Kerrchern which makes cleaning products. Recently its bestselling product KerrSter, a universal cleaning product had killed a publican in Stockport. Cyanide had killed the publican when he opened the KerrSter. Naismith had been on the end of a blackmailing attempt.
Kate Brannigan takes on both case, and one of the cases would have her cross Europe. This would mean mixing with the mafia, drugs and a dead body. While the other case would take her along the M62 to Warrington. Both cases would bring her into contact with the Police. She would once again be annoying detective inspector Cliff Jackson, the one person who would love to put her in a cell.
Just another brilliant thriller.
December 27, 2018
Kate's on her own whilst her business partner is away and low and behold two cases come up. Firstly there's the burglaries at a number of stately homes and secondly Kate is engaged in the mystery of a blackmail of a household cleaning product company where a customer has died from inhaling the fumes from one of their products resulting ion cyanide poisoning.
The Thefts take her travelling with boyfriend Richard all over Europe in hot pursuit of the fence whilst the cleaning products has her busy in her native north-west of England.
The pace on both cases is excellent and there's the usual humour Val McDermid always throws in to the Kate Brannigan series. The 'Girls are Best' and the inclination that all men are stupid and an inferior race does become wearing and bity pathetic to be honest, so does the constant input of lesbianism and hence the knocking off of one star. But I did enjoy the book, despite finding the new potential love interest of Michael Haroun a prize w****r and hope he won't be making a reappearance, and would recommend it to VM fans, particularly of her earlier work.
The Thefts take her travelling with boyfriend Richard all over Europe in hot pursuit of the fence whilst the cleaning products has her busy in her native north-west of England.
The pace on both cases is excellent and there's the usual humour Val McDermid always throws in to the Kate Brannigan series. The 'Girls are Best' and the inclination that all men are stupid and an inferior race does become wearing and bity pathetic to be honest, so does the constant input of lesbianism and hence the knocking off of one star. But I did enjoy the book, despite finding the new potential love interest of Michael Haroun a prize w****r and hope he won't be making a reappearance, and would recommend it to VM fans, particularly of her earlier work.
April 13, 2020
This book was written in 2003, that’s just 2 years after Steve Jobs introduced the iPod and 4 years before he unveiled the first iPhone. There’s quite a lot of tech involved in the telling of this story and it’s cutting edge for 2003, in fact it’s far fetched for 2003, so it makes for lame reading in 2020 in the midst of a pandemic.
Having said that I cannot give a lower rating because of that, it’s just if you were thinking of reading it I’d say don’t because it will irk you.
As for the story and characters, they are also 2003 so I am going to try and channel myself from 17 years ago.
The story is not fast paced but wide ranging in its scope. I like how it was slick in some places but naive in others. I would not have read this book 17 years ago because at the time I was driving 110kms per day to work and back so I would have been listening to this on my car stereo (after ripping the CDs from the library and putting the mp3s on an SD Card. Ha!
I would have loved it, not because it is gripping or tense or particularly well written, but because it demands nothing of you, it is entertainment for anyone who likes crime/detective novels. Just that.
Having said that I cannot give a lower rating because of that, it’s just if you were thinking of reading it I’d say don’t because it will irk you.
As for the story and characters, they are also 2003 so I am going to try and channel myself from 17 years ago.
The story is not fast paced but wide ranging in its scope. I like how it was slick in some places but naive in others. I would not have read this book 17 years ago because at the time I was driving 110kms per day to work and back so I would have been listening to this on my car stereo (after ripping the CDs from the library and putting the mp3s on an SD Card. Ha!
I would have loved it, not because it is gripping or tense or particularly well written, but because it demands nothing of you, it is entertainment for anyone who likes crime/detective novels. Just that.
May 19, 2024
This was a fast, don't-bother-me-I'm-reading kind of book. I finished it in almost two days and would have happily read it in one sitting if I could have.
Kate is a PI and has connections everywhere and has the best sense of humor as well as descriptive turn of phrase.
She's working on two cases at the same time while her partner is out of the country. She's sure she an handle it. She's also dealing with romance issues to add to the mix.
I've been a fan of Val McDermid for some time but hadn't heard of this particular series before spotting this book on the shelf. It's book 4 in the series but it didn't diminish the enjoyment of it by not starting with book one. I will be on the lookout for the rest of the series soon.
It was interesting reading some of the other reviews. The less enthusiastic are more enamoured of the Tony Hill series and likely feel that a writer can only write one type of book. I'm glad I was already a fan and did not read any of these reviews before buying it and reading it. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading the rest of the series.
I can definitely recommend this book, series and author.
Kate is a PI and has connections everywhere and has the best sense of humor as well as descriptive turn of phrase.
She's working on two cases at the same time while her partner is out of the country. She's sure she an handle it. She's also dealing with romance issues to add to the mix.
I've been a fan of Val McDermid for some time but hadn't heard of this particular series before spotting this book on the shelf. It's book 4 in the series but it didn't diminish the enjoyment of it by not starting with book one. I will be on the lookout for the rest of the series soon.
It was interesting reading some of the other reviews. The less enthusiastic are more enamoured of the Tony Hill series and likely feel that a writer can only write one type of book. I'm glad I was already a fan and did not read any of these reviews before buying it and reading it. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading the rest of the series.
I can definitely recommend this book, series and author.
October 20, 2024
Now four for four — I am not impressed. I am tired of her friends, the journalist, the burglar. I am tired of her boyfriend. I was mildly interested in the theft of a Monet painting from a stately home (mystery No. 1 of two here), but I was very bored by the car pursuit across Europe down to Italy. I was bored from the get-go with the counterfeit chemicals (mystery No. 2). I guess maybe there's a good reason why most detective books include clever murders, because these non-murderous plots are just too dull.
The main problem, though, is our detective, Kate Brannigan, herself. She fails to make clever observations about the people and places she encounters, as Sam Spade or Philip Marlowe would. She's clever at solving crimes but a dead loss for clever observations. Her attempts at amusing asides fall completely flat with me (imagine me saying "Ha. Ha." in a monotone). KB is also immune to real danger in almost every instance (there was one dangerous situation in the previous book), so there's zero suspense in these books. I'm surprised the author was able to stay awake while writing this.
.
The main problem, though, is our detective, Kate Brannigan, herself. She fails to make clever observations about the people and places she encounters, as Sam Spade or Philip Marlowe would. She's clever at solving crimes but a dead loss for clever observations. Her attempts at amusing asides fall completely flat with me (imagine me saying "Ha. Ha." in a monotone). KB is also immune to real danger in almost every instance (there was one dangerous situation in the previous book), so there's zero suspense in these books. I'm surprised the author was able to stay awake while writing this.
.
May 21, 2023
Clean Break is the 4th story about private investigator Kate Brannigan, but the first I have read. Kate is a spunky, brave woman with loyal friends and an unusual relationship with her boyfriend, music journalist, Richard. I had no problem reading this as a stand alone since Kate’s lifestyle is clearly shown and the occasional back reference puts events in context. Though definitely not a cosy mystery there is no gratuitous violence included in the novel.
Juggling two important cases and a possible new relationship keeps Kate on the move, travelling across Europe and putting herself into dangerous situations. Her contacts among former criminals enable her to be ahead of the police in following up the theft of a work of art while industrial sabotage has more domestic connections. Although set in the 1990s, Kate and the other well-rounded characters feel part of our modern world. Some of the plot twists may stretch possibilities but this adds to the enjoyment of this fast-moving story. I am looking forward to picking up another of her adventures in the future.
Juggling two important cases and a possible new relationship keeps Kate on the move, travelling across Europe and putting herself into dangerous situations. Her contacts among former criminals enable her to be ahead of the police in following up the theft of a work of art while industrial sabotage has more domestic connections. Although set in the 1990s, Kate and the other well-rounded characters feel part of our modern world. Some of the plot twists may stretch possibilities but this adds to the enjoyment of this fast-moving story. I am looking forward to picking up another of her adventures in the future.
June 9, 2019
I re-entered Kate Brannigan's relatively normal and gentle life in Manchester after forays into grim Bradford and bleak Oldcastle and it was a relief. It did however feel rather dull at the start. (Careful what you wish for, Jackie!)
I enjoy reading Val McDermid's writing. The opening monologue amazed me with its high quality. It gave immediate action and colour describing the traffic, no less, and set up the characters, catching the reader up with Kate's present situation, clearly and without wasting time.
After an opening 30% of the book, setting up the different cases and protagonist in Manchester, it all becomes a lot more international with quite a thrilling chase across Europe. I really enjoyed it and I was satisfied with the investigatory endings and the personal ending. Right choice, I thought!
I enjoy reading Val McDermid's writing. The opening monologue amazed me with its high quality. It gave immediate action and colour describing the traffic, no less, and set up the characters, catching the reader up with Kate's present situation, clearly and without wasting time.
After an opening 30% of the book, setting up the different cases and protagonist in Manchester, it all becomes a lot more international with quite a thrilling chase across Europe. I really enjoyed it and I was satisfied with the investigatory endings and the personal ending. Right choice, I thought!
October 27, 2022
I listened to the audio version of this book via Libby. I was surprised when I saw the whole book only lasted an hour so as I generally listen to audio books in the car, I breezed through this in one journey.
This was unlike most audio books, in that it wasn't read by a narrator but performed like a play. Therefore there were lots of sound effects, totally unnecessary I thought, and the words weren't always clear. The plot was rather far-fetched, more so than other Brannigan books I have read and it all just seemed like a bit of fun. A touch of Janet Evanovich, so to speak.
On reading previous reviews I see why it was so short. It was actually only half of the book as it involved only one case, the stolen Monet.
Summing up... better than listening to the radio when driving.
This was unlike most audio books, in that it wasn't read by a narrator but performed like a play. Therefore there were lots of sound effects, totally unnecessary I thought, and the words weren't always clear. The plot was rather far-fetched, more so than other Brannigan books I have read and it all just seemed like a bit of fun. A touch of Janet Evanovich, so to speak.
On reading previous reviews I see why it was so short. It was actually only half of the book as it involved only one case, the stolen Monet.
Summing up... better than listening to the radio when driving.
June 20, 2024
This is the fourth book I've read about Manchester-based, kick-boxing PI Kate Brannigan. This one starts with her investigation of an art theft from a mansion where she installed the security system, then jumps to her being hired to help out a company that's being blackmailed by an industrial saboteur. Her partner is out of town, so she's juggling these cases on her own.
I liked both storylines all right, but together they seemed to be too evenly matched. The twists at the end of each one -- combined with the will-they/won't they drama of her broken relationship with music journalist Richard -- seemed to prolong the book beyond the point at which it should have ended.
That said, the European stretch where she's tracking the fence of the stolen art was genuinely exciting -- and also yielded one of McDermid's funniest puns.
I liked both storylines all right, but together they seemed to be too evenly matched. The twists at the end of each one -- combined with the will-they/won't they drama of her broken relationship with music journalist Richard -- seemed to prolong the book beyond the point at which it should have ended.
That said, the European stretch where she's tracking the fence of the stolen art was genuinely exciting -- and also yielded one of McDermid's funniest puns.
May 20, 2019
Author McDermid creates an iconoclastic, in your face protagonist of PI Kate Brannigan. She has two cases, one a Monet has been stolen from a landed gentry and two a soap company, Kerrechem is being blackmailed as their products are tampered with. She has a boyfriend, Richard who lives next door, but she flirts with a mortgage adjustor. It turns out the Italian mob is involved with the art thefts, and a disgruntled chemist messes with the soap product, but someone is using that event to get rid of a spouse with life insurance. So, some of it is fun. But there is a lengthy trip through Europe, and Kate is a little arrogant and snarky to like, but she does find some clues. I’d skip it.
December 15, 2017
This book was a surprise. Before I downloaded the audio edition, I checked to make sure it was unabridged. But I didn't look at the length of read more of the description. It turns out that what I listened to was a BBC Radio program of the book. It was interesting for each character to have a different voice, for there to be no background narration, and for there to be sound effects.
Unfortunately, the story was seriously abridged, but interesting. I checked and the book is 288 pages, which usually translates to about 6 to 8 hours on audio, so I will eventually read the whole book. I did check and my library system does not have any other audio editions.
Unfortunately, the story was seriously abridged, but interesting. I checked and the book is 288 pages, which usually translates to about 6 to 8 hours on audio, so I will eventually read the whole book. I did check and my library system does not have any other audio editions.
October 9, 2020
This will teach me to not read the gumpf on future books, and also to read the whole gumpf and not just the first line.
I came into this book expecting Richard to die. As the gumpf for book five said 'Kate Brannigan... her boyfriends obituary is in the newspaper...' So I spent the entire book going 'is that how he dies?' It didn't give me any patience for the non-Richard parts.
It did result in me spending the entire book calling KB 'f*!@ing b+!$h' for running around with Michael. As much as she didn't do anything, she also didn't not do anything. Team Richard!
I guess this only means one thing... bring on book 5.
I came into this book expecting Richard to die. As the gumpf for book five said 'Kate Brannigan... her boyfriends obituary is in the newspaper...' So I spent the entire book going 'is that how he dies?' It didn't give me any patience for the non-Richard parts.
It did result in me spending the entire book calling KB 'f*!@ing b+!$h' for running around with Michael. As much as she didn't do anything, she also didn't not do anything. Team Richard!
I guess this only means one thing... bring on book 5.
January 23, 2021
I think this series has gotten better and better as McDermid gets a clearer sense of Kate B and how she thinks. The books will never get great ratings from me because I'm not the intended audience (I'm a guy and the books are obviously written for a female audience) but I enjoy the complicated scenarios and Kate's kick-ass attitude. I also like that the books are centered in northwest England, I've not read too many detective series that are located in that part of the country. (It was also fun to follow the car chase south through Europe on my mapping apps.)
May 16, 2021
I have read a lot of Val McDermid books and she’s one of my favourite authors however this is the first Kate Brannigan book I’ve read.
It seems as though a completely different author has written it and it was a huge disappointment to me. I struggled through to the end but had developed no investment in any of the characters or events so didn’t really care what happened. As I usually love Val McDermid’s work so much I may try another Kate Brannigan but if it’s as farcical as this one won’t plod on with it.
It seems as though a completely different author has written it and it was a huge disappointment to me. I struggled through to the end but had developed no investment in any of the characters or events so didn’t really care what happened. As I usually love Val McDermid’s work so much I may try another Kate Brannigan but if it’s as farcical as this one won’t plod on with it.
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