Review: ‘Cross and Burn’

Cross and Burn

By Val McDermid

Atlantic Monthly Press, 416 pages, $25

What to expect when you pick up a Val McDermid book? Scenes with detailed violence, strong presence of lesbian characterisation, storyline with a human darkness to the plot.

“Cross and Burn” meets all those expectations, some more than others. It is part of the Carol Jordan and Dr Tony Hill series. Only, this time around, they are on the opposite sides of the fence.

The book is a follow-up to the terror that the criminal, Jacko Vance, unleashed on police investigation officer Jordan’s life by killing her brother and his partner. Dr Hill, the legendary profiler on the team failed to connect the dots, which prevented her from stopping Vance in his tracks. The outcome is derailment of her career, loss of family and break-up with the closest person she has ever had any romantic inclinations towards — Dr Hill.

Vance, with a taste for crime against underage girls, is apparently based on the shamed BBC presenter Jimmy Savile.

Coming back to DCI Jordan, her life is a mess and running away is what she does best, that is until a new serial killer decides to surface with a graphic taste for torture against blonde women. And the accused in the crime is rather close to her past life.

Will the innate need to see justice done bring her back from the brink of alcoholic oblivion? “Cross and Burn” is a turning point for the character and Scottish noir writer McDermid works it out well. It is a page-turner, although there are some initial parts that could have done with a bit tightening of pace, especially when DCI Paul McIntyre, Jordan’s former team member, is busy reminiscing about her past life and struggling to cope with a new team head.

Additionally, I have never taken to the graphic depiction of violence against women — gives too many ideas. But, another might argue that a criminal bent of mind needs no urging. Well, the jury is still out on that.