Still Life: The heart-pounding number one bestseller that will have you gripped

· Hachette UK
62 reviews
Ebook
448
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

Don't miss Silent Bones, the twisty new Karen Pirie thriller

'No one can tell a story like she can' Daily Express

'The queen of psychological thrillers' Irish Independent
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'The bodies never stay buried forever . . .'

On a freezing winter morning, fishermen pull a body from the sea. It is quickly discovered that the dead man was the prime suspect in a decade-old investigation, when a prominent civil servant disappeared without trace. DCI Karen Pirie was the last detective to review the file and is drawn into a sinister world of betrayal and dark secrets.

But Karen is already grappling with another case, one with even more questions and fewer answers. A skeleton has been discovered in an abandoned campervan and all clues point to a killer who never faced justice - a killer who is still out there.

In her search for the truth, Karen uncovers a network of lies that has gone unchallenged for years. But lies and secrets can turn deadly when someone is determined to keep them hidden for good . . .
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Praise for Val McDermid:

'Brilliant . . . Sensational . . . Unforgettable' Guardian

'Compulsively readable' Irish Times

'As good a psychological thriller as it is possible to get' Sunday Express

'It grabs the reader by the throat and never lets go' Daily Mail

'One of today's most accomplished crime writers' Literary Review

Don't miss Silent Bones, the twisty new Karen Pirie thriller 'No one can tell a story like she can' Daily Express 'The queen of psychological thrillers' Irish Independent ____________ 'The bodies never stay buried forever . . .' On a freezing winter morning, fishermen pull a body from the sea. It...

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Ratings and reviews

62 reviews
Gillian Gillard
May 4, 2026
Excellent story telling, complicated but not too complex to be unravelled by the reader. Fast paced but cognisant of the rules of policing in different jurisdictions. Almost by the book but Pirie as always putting her own spin on how far to go to get the truth.
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Roslyn Holman
September 18, 2020
What can you say that isn't a superlative used previously on the work of Val McDermid. Great story line, with lots of twists and turns, interesting personal relationships - particularly like the name Dog Biscuit for the police officer. Also the insecurity that the character, Karen shows in her relationship with Hamish and the feeling that she is being disloyal to her previous lover, Phil. Very believable. Also topical that McDermid has weaved Covid into the story line, which is shaping our world for a new normal.
8 people found this review helpful
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A Google user
May 29, 2026
As good as ever although as I don't swear myself I did not like the frequent use of the "f" word but that is only a small complaint
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About the author

Val McDermid is an international number one bestselling author whose books have been translated into more than forty languages. Her multi-award-winning series and standalone novels have been adapted for TV and radio, most notably the Wire in the Blood series featuring clinical psychologist Dr Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan. The Karen Pirie novels have now been adapted for a major ITV series.Val has been chair of the judges for the Wellcome Book Prize and the Gordon Burn Prize, and has served as a judge for the Women's Prize for Fiction, the Man Booker Prize and the Royal Society Book Prize. She is the recipient of eight honorary doctorates and is an Honorary Fellow of St Hilda's College, Oxford. She is a visiting professor in the Centre of Irish and Scottish Studies at the University of Otago in New Zealand. Among her many awards are the CWA Diamond Dagger recognising lifetime achievement and the Theakston's Old Peculier award for Outstanding Contribution to Crime Writing. Val is also an experienced broadcaster and much-sought-after columnist and commentator across print media.www.valmcdermid.com Instagram @quineofcrime

Val McDermid is an international number one bestselling author whose books have been translated into more than forty languages. Her multi-award-winning series and standalone novels have been adapted for TV and radio, most notably the Wire in the Blood series featuring clinical psychologist Dr Ton...

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