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Still Life cover art

Still Life

By: Val McDermid
Narrated by: Cathleen McCarron
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Summary

The Times Audiobook of the Week.

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....

The number one best seller and unrivalled queen of crime Val McDermid is back with her most exhilarating, breath-taking thriller yet.

©2020 Val McDermid (P)2020 W. F. Howes Ltd

Critic reviews

"No one can tell a story like she can." (Daily Express)

"The queen of psychological thrillers." (Irish Independent)

What listeners say about Still Life

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Poor narration

I love Val McDermid but I had to stop listening and read the book instead because i just couldn’t get on with the narrator. She used bizarre inflections and emphasis and seemed to overact every sentence.

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35 people found this helpful

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THE WORST VM NOVEL TO DATE

I am sad to report that I found Still Life to be patronising, predictable, part political polemic (with a clear political agenda) not helped by a terrible narrator.

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35 people found this helpful

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negative


negative about the English comments Val clearly wants to leave UK didn't enjoy her points of view in this story we want to escape not have her push her opinions on to the readers
ps l am a Canadian.

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31 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The Best Yet.

This is the latest in the Karen Pirie series and I can’t fault it. Previously I had felt that the negativity and tension between KP and The Dog Biscuit (her boss) was just annoying and didn’t seem very likely. I know it’s meant to add to the tension in the plot, but I just found it pointless.
In this novel Markie hardly makes an appearance and the way that the plot unfolds is just a delight. I loved it. Reading one of Val McDermid’s books is so satisfying. Her clear love of good food and good gin, her affection for her characters. Perfect. A great addition in Daisy too.

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29 people found this helpful

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Buy the book

Shockingly poor narration. From someone who voice trains! Did manage to suffer on to the end but it was painful. The narrator puts a terrible 'wow' intonation into every sentence, even descriptive ones. Accents are awful and inconsistent. Seriously weakens characterisation. The humour & strong character of Karen Pirie are ruined by this narrator. Advise you to read this book for yourself. Or wait until the author insists on it being redone by a decent narrator.

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22 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Like slipping on a comfortable pair of slippers.

Karen Pirie is probably my favourite series of books. Fantastic story. Well told. Waited 2 years for this installment. Finished in 2 days!

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16 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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I don't need Scottish independence OTT

This was a good story but it appears to have come from the SNP press office / Propaganda for independence department real shame spoilt the story

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14 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Enjoyable despite narration.

The narrator was not very good at voices for the characters, ranging from extremely childish girly voices for some of the female characters to ponderously slow and deep voices for some of the men. Her accents were also all over the place and confusing. As narrator she also produced a smile in her voice at inappropriate times where the delivery should have been more serious. Eilidh Fraser was much better.
I enjoyed the story, but am beginning to like Karen Pirie less. In the beginning she was more individua and interesting, genuinely self doubting and without ego, but now she seems to be becoming a stock character in some ways - in this book she seemed deliberately bloody minded and intolerant with her boyfriend, blaming him for the way he was brought up ( her view seemed to be that she was poor and deprived, therefore people who were better off are less morally acceptable than her), and self righteous and judgemental with other people she met.

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13 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing as always!!

Just gets better & better haven’t slept much as I couldn’t put it down. Also I’ve got to say that the narrator Cathleen McCarron did a fantastic job ! The only sad thing is I’ve listened to it & I really didn’t want it to end!

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13 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved It

Dear Val, please write another Karen book as soon as you can.

Thanks.

I love the characters, the writing, the relevance and the twists and turns.
Val McDermid is a great writer, you invest in her characters, her stories have depth and i look forward to each book.

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10 people found this helpful