The Grave Tattoo - Val McDermid

When I read the plot synopsis for The Grave Tattoo, I groaned inwardly at the prospect of yet another book dealing with the quest to uncover a long-lost manuscript containing secrets... When I finished it, I groaned inwardly again... dismayed at the fact I had reached the end of such an enjoyable book. The plot surrounds the potential existence of a previously unknown epic poem by William Wordsworth, telling the tale of the mutiny on the Bounty from the perspective of his old friend and leader of the mutiny, the leader of the mutiny. Chasing this manuscript is Dr Jane Gresham, a young academic obsessed with the missing manuscript. Needless to say, it's not ...  Read the complete review

The Grave Tattoo.   ~ About the Author ~   Val McDermid began her writing career as a journalist, before turning to writing novels, and is without a doubt the UK's best known female writer of thriller books. Even those who might not have read her books, are likely to know her for her best known series - Wire in the Blood, which has been made into a TV series featuring Robson Green, and currently Simone Lahbib. The Grave Tattoo was first published in 2006.   ~ The Book synopsis ~ After unusual amounts of rain, a body is uncovered in the peat hillsides of The Lake District. It becomes apparent this is a fairly old ...  Read the complete review

Until a fortnight ago, I had never read any of Val McDermids books. Indeed nor had I even heard of her. I am more accustomed to the likes of Stephen King and Jonathan Kellerman. However, having just finished re-reading most of the books that I have got I decided I wanted to try something new. Initially I went into Sainsbury's before I got on the train to work, with the intention of seeing if they had a Stephen King novel that I hadnt yet read. However they did not appear to have any! What they did have, however, was a book that caught my eye. I'm not sure why but it seemed to be jumping out of the shelf at me. The Grave Tattoo by Val McDermid and it was on special offer ...  Read the complete review

Val McDermid, a former journalist, is the author of many crime novels including series featuring criminal profiler Tony Hill; private investigator Kate Brannigan; and journalist Lindsay Gordon. Val’s work has received awards including the Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger, the Anthony Award for Best Novel and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. “The Grave Tattoo”, published in 2006 and currently available in hardback, is her latest novel. I do enjoy Val’s novels although, being a sensitive soul, some of her murders are a bit too gruesome for my liking. (In fact, this has put me off reading a couple of them.) “The Grave Tattoo”, I’m happy to report, does ...  Read the complete review