The Torment of Others by Val McDermid

The Torment of Others is the fourth Tony Hill and Carol Jordan novel by Val McDermid. It was published in 2004 and is the sequel to The Last Temptation.

After the harrowing events of The Last Temptation, DCI Carol Jordan is taking a break from the police to recover. But Chief Constable John Brandon persuades her to return to the fictional northern city of Bradfield to head up a new Major Investigation Team in the city.

Meanwhile, Dr Tony Hill has a new job at Bradfield Moor secure hospital.

Carol’s first case is that of a missing boy, who has seemingly disappeared without trace. It seems to be connected to a very similar disappearance just over a year before. DI Don Merrick, who is part of Carol’s team, led the initial investigation and feels he has let the boys and their families down.

Then a prostitute gets murdered in the most brutal way in the heart of Temple Fields, the city’s red light district. Incredibly, the murder is identical to a series of killings four years earlier. But the murderer, Derek Tyler, is locked up in Bradfield Moor and there is no question of his guilt. So why does it seem like he’s started again? Derek Tyler doesn’t speak at all. Can Tony get through to him and get some answers?

It’s not long before another prostitute is murdered, but getting any sense or truth out of the girls and the drug dealers on the street is proving to be a problem. Then Carol and the team decide to carry out a very risky mission to trap the murderer…

All of Val McDermid’s books are very, very good. But I’m going to say The Torment of Others is even better than most of them. There is a lot going on and some real danger and tension, which kept me turning the pages, desperate for answers. Is it necessary to read the full series to enjoy The Torment of Others? Not really, but I would definitely recommend the entire series (as long as you don’t mind gruesome murders – this series has the most gruesome murders!).