I don't know why, but it's been a while since I've sunk deep down into a Karen Pirie investigation. Pirie is such an indomitable character. Author Val McDermid tells readers that "Women never felt threatened by her and men treated her like a wee sister or a favourite auntie," and many characters in Out of Bounds come to rue misjudging her. How good is this fictional head of Scotland's Historic Crime Unit? I rank her right up there with two other personal favorites, Dr. Ruth Galloway and DCI Vera Stanhope. (I'll bet that made some of you perk up.)
In Out of Bounds, Pirie is still mired deep in the aftermath of a personal tragedy. Unable to sleep, she finds herself walking the streets of Edinburgh in the wee hours of the morning. This is how she becomes acquainted with Syrian refugees, and how she takes this acquaintance further is another mark of her character.
When Karen Pirie knows she's in the right, she's like a steamroller. Fortunately, she knows her "superior" officer's Achilles heel and uses that knowledge to bring villains to justice. And woe betide any lazy cop who stands in her way because she's exceptional at finding ways to work around slothful impediments, too.
While I'm talking about this woman's character, I also need to mention her relationship with her partner, young Jason. The Historic Crime Unit of Police Scotland is a two-person operation-- an indication of how Pirie's "superior" officer really wants her to fail. Young Jason isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, but she feels that it's better to stick with a known numpty (Scots slang for a stupid or ineffectual person) than to bring in a new one. But Jason isn't as useless as Pirie thinks, and his evolving character and her relationship with him are some of the best parts of this book.
Another strength of Out of Bounds is its depiction of Scotland itself. McDermid shows us that, thirty years after Thatcher, parts of Scotland are still reverberating from the damage caused by the closure of its coalfields. Readers learn that, in Scotland, children cannot be disinherited, as well as how other points of Scottish law affect investigations.
The plot is luxurious, and I sank down into it right up to my lower eyelids. With all its seriousness, Out of Bounds still made me bark with laughter at unexpected bits of humor, and Karen Pirie is one of those characters who will always bring me back for more. Why on earth did I wait so long to read this book?
In Out of Bounds, Pirie is still mired deep in the aftermath of a personal tragedy. Unable to sleep, she finds herself walking the streets of Edinburgh in the wee hours of the morning. This is how she becomes acquainted with Syrian refugees, and how she takes this acquaintance further is another mark of her character.
When Karen Pirie knows she's in the right, she's like a steamroller. Fortunately, she knows her "superior" officer's Achilles heel and uses that knowledge to bring villains to justice. And woe betide any lazy cop who stands in her way because she's exceptional at finding ways to work around slothful impediments, too.
While I'm talking about this woman's character, I also need to mention her relationship with her partner, young Jason. The Historic Crime Unit of Police Scotland is a two-person operation-- an indication of how Pirie's "superior" officer really wants her to fail. Young Jason isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, but she feels that it's better to stick with a known numpty (Scots slang for a stupid or ineffectual person) than to bring in a new one. But Jason isn't as useless as Pirie thinks, and his evolving character and her relationship with him are some of the best parts of this book.
Another strength of Out of Bounds is its depiction of Scotland itself. McDermid shows us that, thirty years after Thatcher, parts of Scotland are still reverberating from the damage caused by the closure of its coalfields. Readers learn that, in Scotland, children cannot be disinherited, as well as how other points of Scottish law affect investigations.
The plot is luxurious, and I sank down into it right up to my lower eyelids. With all its seriousness, Out of Bounds still made me bark with laughter at unexpected bits of humor, and Karen Pirie is one of those characters who will always bring me back for more. Why on earth did I wait so long to read this book?
