Reviews

Beneath the Bleeding by Val McDermid

mmmalaspina's review

relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Police drama with focus on characters and flaws, didn’t love but enjoyed the mystery solving

caty_murray's review

dark mysterious fast-paced

3.5

ivy1302's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

The series has started to slow down at this point not in a bad way just not as great as the first few books. A cold in-site into Tony’s past very chilling and tear jerking. The plot was very slow. Still a brilliant book just wish Tony was more involved. 

jparnie's review

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense medium-paced

3.0

beebeetlebee's review

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

helenmcg's review

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

theinkdrinker's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

outsmartyourshelf's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

Dr Tony Hill is attacked at the hospital by a patient & left with a badly damaged knee. This should hinder him helping DCI Carol Jordan on one of the most complex cases she has faced, but this is Tony Hill we are talking about. A local star footballer has been poisoned & there seems to be little evidence & no motive, then Tony connects it to an earlier poisoning death, but when an explosion detonates in the stand of the football club, the investigation is taken in a different direction.

I found Carol rather irritating in this one as she continually rubbished Tony's insights into the case - wasn't she there during the last four books?! There's quite a lot going on in the plot, with poisonings, bombs, terrorism, etc and then if that wasn't enough, Tony's horrible mother turns up intent on defrauding him of his inheritance. Even so, I found this a bit more difficult to get through than the previous books as it seems to lose momentum a little, therefore, I can only rate this on 3.5. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Islamophobia

Minor: Homophobia

yowlyy's review against another edition

4.0

Brilliant! There's nothing that I could write that hasn't already been written about this installation in the Tony & Carol series, I truly enjoyed it and look forward to more.

canada_matt's review against another edition

4.0

McDermid approaches the fifth novel in the Hill-Jordan series from a unique perspective, set up in such a way to keep the format fresh. Turning the novel into a series of chapters broken up by day, the story progresses in such a way that the reader is kept wanting a little more with each page-turn. A freak attack at Bradfield Moors leaves Dr. Hill incapacitated and a guest of a hospital room, with at least one unwanted guest and little ability to help Jordan and her team. When a footballer is admitted to hospital with apparent flu-like symptoms, doctors are at a loss as to why he is getting no better with treatment. When ricin poisoning becomes a possibility, DCI Jordan and the Major Investigation Team begin examining possible motives and suspects, as the end result can only be murder. While the poison investigation is hampered by the stardom of its victim and varied lifestyle he lived, a plot to bomb the local football stadium is underway, though no one is the wiser. After a bomb explodes and wreaks havoc on those in attendance, the MIT (Major Investigation Team) fly into action on their second local case, looking to see how the act of terror played out and the rationale behind it, coming up with more questions than answers. When a second poison victim surfaces and others with suspicious symptoms make their with into the A&E ward, Jordan begins to wonder what sort of killer she may have on her hands. Following up on leads they are able to cobble together, the MIT soon determine that there is more to the story than meets the eye, as is usually the case. McDermid keeps the series strong with some interesting personal back stories into Hall's childhood and hooks the avid reader and sates those who want to know a little more about Dr. Tony Hill.

Moving away from the blood and gore that have become hallmarks for the series' victims, McDermid does not lessen the thrill level or stop advancing the complicated personal story shared by Hall and Jordan. While less a focus on their romantic over platonic personal advancement, McDermid tosses in some much anticipated backstory as it relates to Dr. Tony Hill and his opaque childhood. These advancements in Hill's personal story offers the series regular a better understanding of the character and perhaps an explanation for his troubled adulthood. McDermid is also to be applauded for finally getting the 'regularity' of Hill and Jordan's employment status and a foundational set of characters on which the reader can both rely to forge the narrative ahead.

Kudos, Madam McDermid for another tantalising story and thoroughly interesting angle. Keep it up and you'll net many more fans.