‘The Retribution’ and ‘The Vanishing Point’ by Val McDermid
Val said. “The sort of review that makes me want to get down on my knees and thank a critic who reads with care and gets what I’m trying to do. Made my day.”
‘I can’t recall ever reading a novel by McDermid that hasn’t gripped me from the outset. McDermid knows crime, but more importantly, she knows the dark side of men and women and the havoc they can wreak on each others’ lives. A recipient of the Lambda Pioneer Award and numerous other crime writing awards, with close to 30 novels to her name she’s been churning out at least a book a year for, well, quite a while.
Her two latest–released in the U.S. back-to-back—are very different. The Retribution is the latest in her popular series involving Tony Hill and Carol Jordan.The Vanishing Point is a stand-alone and does it ever….
The Scottish crime writer was meeting fans after appearing as a guest speaker at a public lecture at Sunderland University when a woman, believed to be in her 60s and wearing a blonde wig and trilby hat, pulled out a bottle of ink and poured it over the shocked 57-year-old.
Crime writer Val McDermid pictured at the Murray Library lecture theatre where she was giving a talk as part of the Sunderland University’s year-long public lecture programme.
Black ink was pelted at murder writer Val McDermid as she gave a public lecture at Sunderland University on her illustrious career.
An OAP wearing a wig and hat made the attack at the end of the 45-minute talk as Val signed a book for her, before running away.
Shocked Val dubbed the stunt “bizarre” and took to Twitter to say: “I’m fine, a bit shaken, never had anything like that before.”
She added: “No accounting for nutters. First incident like this in 25 years of book events. Who knew I could provoke such unpleasantness from a stranger?
“She walked out before anyone grasped what had happened. Everyone was stunned.”
Northumbria Police launched an investigation into the attack which happened last Thursday and inquiries are still ongoing.
Available in ebook for the first time ever, this duo of classic Christmas crime short stories by Sunday Times number one bestseller, Val McDermid
‘It’s Christmas, so treat yourself to a blast from my writing past. A Wife in a Million was the first short story I ever had published. I wrote it in response to a request from my editor, who was compiling an anthology of women’s crime writing called Reader, I Murdered Him. As with much of my work, it was inspired by what I saw in the world around me. The story was written in the wake of the terrible economic circumstances of the Thatcher years, when the North suffered catastrophic decline. People were angry and desperate, and I wanted to capture the sense of frustration felt by so many. But as always, it was focusing on the characters, their lives and their relationships that made the story come alive for me. A few years later, the same editor decided to put together a sequel – Reader, I Murdered Him Too – and that seemed like a good excuse to revisit my original detective, Maggie Staniforth. The trigger for this story was a Native American proverb – but I can’t say more, because I don’t want to give any secrets away. Like a Christmas present, you’ll just have to unwrap it yourself! Season’s greetings to you all.’
LAMBDA LITERARY REVIEW
Available in ebook for the first time ever, this duo of classic Christmas crime short stories by Sunday Times number one bestseller, Val McDermid