Dead Beat

By: Val McDermid

Narrated by: Chloe Massey

Dead Beat introduces Kate Brannigan, a Thai-boxing, rock-and-roll female private detective from Manchester.

As a favor to her rock journalist boyfriend, Kate agrees to track down a missing song-writer Moira Pollock, a search that takes her into some of the seediest parts of Leeds and Bradford. But little does she realize that finding Moira is only a prelude to murder. Juggling her other cases, including a search to uncover the source of counterfeit luxury goods, Brannigan finds herself for the first time on the trail of a killer.

©1992 Val McDermid (P)2019 W.F. Howes Ltd.

Ending Just To Pat

I was ready to give the book all 5 stars until the conclusion. The ending felt rushed plus the author held back information till the end that felt like a trick . All the red herrings pointed elsewhere.

dead beat

I was reluctant to try a new series by Val McDermott. ( silly me) she has never disappointed. But the character sounded like one I would not like. The synopsis doesn't do her justice. finished the book in 2 days. Take a chance on this book, it was really entertaining.

I don't think Val McDermid wrote this book

Either Val McDermid subbed this book out to a ghostwriter or it's one of her older drawer novels that got hauled out in lieu of a newer work.

Why I say this:
The novel is filled with the worst clichés and similes, like 'his voice grated like an emery board on my nails'. The McDermid of old never used such sloppy writing and when I say the novel is filled with these I am not exaggerating; they are everywhere. After a while, they start to grate on one's ears like emery boards. It just doesn't sound like this book was written by the same author who wrote all those other terrific novels.

The narration is ok, but the books narrated by Saul Reichlin and Sean Dooley are better.

Overall, it's alright and the story is engaging enough, but I think my time with Val McDermid, like my time with Patricia Cornwell, is coming to a reluctant end. When authors become bored with writing, they should do their devoted fans a favour and retire rather than start to churn out drivel.

story plot

story plot. her first novel was the murder of a teen. This story is not to my liking.