How the Dead Speak by Val McDermid
How the Dead Speak is the final Tony Hill and Carol Jordan novel by Val McDermid, published in 2019. It is the sequel to Insidious Intent. I’ve enjoyed this series so much and am sad there won’t be any more to read.
Former DCI Carol Jordan has left the police and is working on recovering from all the trauma she has experienced over the years. Her former team, ReMIT, has a new DCI. Dr Tony Hill is unable to work as a criminal psychologist any more, so is finally working on the book he’s been meaning to write for years.
When a large number of human remains are found in the grounds of an old convent, it appears that someone has been using it as their own burial ground for years.
None of the victims seem to have been missed or reported missing, so tracking down a killer or killers feels like an impossible mission.
But as DI Paula McIntyre, DS Alvin Ambrose and DC Stacey Chen are close to finding some answers, the new DCI and DI aren’t as supportive as Carol. And they really could use Tony’s help.
As ever, the story is told from a number of points of view, including Carol, Tony, Paula and the murderer. The reader knows who the murderer is quite early, but ReMIT just needs to catch up.
How the Dead Speak is another real page turner from Val McDermid and a fitting end to a brilliant series. I was hoping there might be scope to continue the series, but it definitely did feel like the end. If you like detective stories and you don’t mind a bit of gore, I would definitely recommend the Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series. I have reviewed them all on the blog. You could go back to the beginning of the series or start somewhere in the middle.
