Kittling: Books: Past Lying by Val McDermid

First Lines: He really believed it was a madcap game. A joke. A dare, played out between old friends. Why would anyone imagine otherwise?

It's April 2020, and Edinburgh is in lockdown. You'd think crime-- especially cold cases-- would take a holiday. Still, when a source at the National Library contacts DCI Karen Pirie's team about some archived documents of a recently deceased crime novelist, Karen welcomes the chance to investigate.

At the center of the investigation is a novel: two crime novelists playing a game of chess, but it soon becomes clear that their real-life competition is deadly serious. Bit by bit, Karen and her team uncover a very twisted game of betrayal and revenge, made even more complicated by the pandemic.

When anyone asks about my favorite mystery series, Val McDermid's Karen Pirie books are right up at the top of the list. With its lovely twisty plot, Past Lying is an excellent addition. The story is made even more engrossing by showing readers policing in the time of Covid. There are rules that must be obeyed, or there will be consequences, and Karen and her team have to be very careful (and quick-witted) about how they conduct themselves.

Speaking of Karen and her team, there is a lot in Past Lying to further the lives of the main characters. There's Karen's relationship with Hamish, the entrepreneur, which is complicated by the fact that he's miles away while Karen is in his apartment in Edinburgh with team member, Daisy, during the lockdown. And Daisy? She shows a lot of talent as a police officer, but I'm not sure how much I can trust her. After all, Daisy herself says, it's "... always handy to have something on your boss." This doubt makes the back of my mind itch as I watch Karen work hard to make both Daisy and Jason stronger members of the team.

There's even more going on in the characters' lives, which makes sense due to the personal nature of lockdown; however, there is also an insider's look at the craft of writing, manuscripts, publishing, author events, and workshops, as well as the plight of refugees. Past Lying is a densely layered, completely satisfying mystery, and I don't want to wait until December for the next book in the series.

Past Lying by Val McDermid

eISBN: 9780802161505

eBook, 412 pages

Police Procedural, #7 Karen Pirie

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.