Silent Bones

A Karen Pirie Novel

By: Val Mcdermid

Narrated by: Cathleen McCarron

The new installment in the “relentlessly engrossing series” (The Wall Street Journal) finds Karen Pirie and her team investigating the murder of a journalist paved under a motorway—but was it his work or his private life that put him there?

Scotland, 2025. When torrential winter rain causes a landslide on a motorway, it dislodges more than mud and asphalt—it reveals a skeleton, concealed when the road was built eleven years prior.

Sam Nimmo, an investigative journalist who’d been poking his nose into the murky politics of the Scottish independence referendum, had become the prime suspect in the brutal murder of his girlfriend when he vanished. Now he’s reappeared, buried under the motorway. It’s the perfect cold case for DCI Karen Pirie, chief of Police Scotland’s Historic Cases Unit. What was Nimmo investigating that was worth killing over? Or was it revenge for murdering his girlfriend? Meanwhile, an allegation of murder has surfaced over the supposedly accidental death of a hotel manager. It may have links to another accident on a remote Highland road. It’s a series of puzzles that tests Karen and her team to their limits. And possibly beyond...

A darkly propulsive thriller of secrets hidden at the core of a Scottish Highlands town, Silent Bones reaffirms Val McDermid as a crime writer of inimitable power.

Critic reviews

"

Narrator Cathleen McCarron returns to deliver a totally engaging listening experience in McDermid’s eighth installment of the Karen Pirie series. McCarron’s command of Scottish accents, coupled with her ability to shift seamlessly between male and female characters, draws listeners in and keeps them glued to their earbuds. Pirie, chief of Scotland’s Historic Cases Unit, and her capable team investigate a body dislodged from a rain-damaged motorway while also focusing on a supposed accidental death case. Listeners will enjoy the interplay among Pirie and her colleagues as they take bold measures to bring justice to victims’ families. McCarron’s assured narration heightens the procedural tensions and the emotional stakes.

Skillfully woven backstory allows newcomers to jump right in here without missing a beat."

"

Narrator Cathleen McCarron returns to deliver a totally engaging listening experience in McDermid’s eighth installment of the Karen Pirie series. McCarron’s command of Scottish accents, coupled with her ability to shift seamlessly between male and female characters, draws listeners in and keeps them glued to their earbuds. Pirie, chief of Scotland’s Historic Cases Unit, and her capable team investigate a body dislodged from a rain-damaged motorway while also focusing on a supposed accidental death case. Listeners will enjoy the interplay among Pirie and her colleagues as they take bold measures to bring justice to victims’ families. McCarron’s assured narration heightens the procedural tensions and the emotional stakes.

Skillfully woven backstory allows newcomers to jump right in here without missing a beat."

Complex storytelling

A twisty story that was engaging all the way. The narrator uses different voices for each character with skill . Occasionally her tendency to use a chuckle mixed with dialogue is too much for my taste. Otherwise, a pitch perfect experience.

Very interesting and captivating

I enjoyed listening to this book thoroughly! The Narrator was excellent. The only thing I didn’t care for was the frequent use of the “F” bomb. Otherwise, both thumbs up.

Realistic Relationships

Loved the ending and current affairs input also the realistic friction of the Police colleagues with each other was very entertaining

Banish the Banter

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Ms. McDermid is a very talented author who can weave together an interesting story. If she would have stuck to the story and lessened the repartee a bit, I would have enjoyed it more. This is a matter of taste because there are likely a lot of readers who love the back and forth. For me, there was simply too much of it and I found it distracting and annoying. Otherwise it was a great story.

Flat and uninteresting.

I expected to enjoy this book as I have previous Val McDermid novels. The plot in this book is never developed. It went on and on and never reached a conclusion. Characters were uninteresting and did not engage my interest. I was bored and it took me a while to actually finish it. Terrible.