Trick of the Dark by Val McDermid

Trick of the Dark is a standalone novel by Val McDermid, published in 2010. I’ve been working my way through three of Val McDermid’s series – Allie Burns, Karen Pirie and Tony Hill/ Carol Jordan. I bought Trick of the Dark because I had a few pounds left on a Waterstones voucher from Christmas and it was the only Val McDermid in the shop I hadn’t read. I wasn’t disappointed!

Dr Charlie Flint is a psychiatrist who has done some work on offender profiling with the police. One of her recent cases went very wrong and she is unable to work. So when she receives some mysterious newspaper cuttings in the post, she is happy to have something to do.

The cuttings relate to a groom murdered on his wedding day. His business partners have just been found guilty of his murder. After the initial shock of the murder, his bride is now free to live life on her terms with a new lover.

Someone is convinced there has been a miscarriage of justice and wants Charlie to investigate…

So Charlie, an Oxford graduate, finds herself back at her old college, with all of its mysterious ways. Very little has changed and there are people who would protect the college and the university above all else. Even if it means letting a murderer go free.

As Charlie delves further, she discovers there is even more to this crime than she originally thought. She is sure someone has got away with the perfect murder, but there is no evidence to prove her right…

Trick of the Dark is another fantastic page turner by Val McDermid. Unusually, it isn’t set in Scotland and none of the characters are Scottish. Another difference is that all of the central characters are lesbians. As a lesbian herself, McDermid usually has some lesbian characters, but this is the first book of hers I’ve read where there are several lesbians at the heart of the story.

If you enjoy a detective story, you will love Trick of the Dark. I can’t wait to read even more Val McDermids!