Cross and Burn (Tony Hill & Carol Jordan – 8) by Val McDermid
(Excerpt from Goodreads) Internationally best-selling crime writer Val McDermid’s work speaks for itself: her books have sold millions of copies worldwide, won numerous accolades, and attracted a devoted following of readers around the globe. Her latest, Cross and Burn , picks up where The Retribution left off: following the best crime-fighting team in the UK– clinical psychologist Tony Hill and police detective Carol Jordan– who when we last saw them were barely speaking, and whose relationship will now be challenged even further.
Guilt and grief have driven a wedge between long time crime-fighting partners psychologist Tony Hill and ex-DCI Carol Jordan. But just because they’re not talking doesn’t mean the killing stops.
Someone is killing women. Women who bear an unsettling resemblance to Carol Jordan. And when the evidence begins to point in a disturbing direction, thinking the unthinkable seems the only possible answer. Cornered by events, Tony and Carol are forced to fight for themselves and each other as never before.
An edge-of-your-seat page-turner from one of the best crime writers we have, Cross and Burn is a chilling, unforgettable read.
My Review
3 stars
Tony Hill and Carol Jordan are back. After their last case that left Carol with the death of her brother and sister in law, Carol has retired. She blames Tony for their deaths and he does too. Then a mother is reported missing and a woman is found murdered that looks like Carol and Tony finds himself being blamed. Paula McIntyre finds herself at a loss and calls Carol in to help her find the proof that Tony is the killer. Carol just knows that Tony wouldn’t be involved and although she doesn’t want to have anything to do with him she steps in to find the real killer.
It’s clear that Tony and Carol’s relationship has fallen apart. Both of them are distant and lonely and want to be together yet they don’t. But with this new killer and Tony being blamed as the killer, Carol can’t just sit back and do nothing. This book is more about them trying to work around their split. I admit that I have not read any other books in this series. But I recommend that you read the other books so you can understand more about Carol and Tony’s relationship.
As for the mystery, I was a little disappointed. I didn’t see a lot of police discovery for the clues. It was more the killer explaining why he did what he did. It kind of ruins the challenge of reading the story and trying to guess what is going on. I also hate to say this but the first part of the book bored me more with the drama between Tony and Carol. There was a turning point and then things pick up but I was about ready to put the book down.
I think if you had read the rest of this series you would probably like this book more than me. But as a stand-alone story I was not really into it.
To purchase Cross and Burn make sure to check out Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, and Val McDermid’s website.
I received Cross and Burn for free from the publisher, a long time ago, in exchange for an honest review.
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