Book Log: Val McDermid -- The Grave Tattoo

[julesjones]

Book 83

A murder victim's corpse is found in the Lake District, and it's an unusual one -- a bog body, but only two centuries old, and decorated with tattoos that indicate the man had been a sailor in the Pacific. Wordsworth scholar Jane Gresham sees a potential link with a Lakeland rumour -- that Bounty mutineer Fletcher Christian had not died on Pitcairn Island, but had secretly made his way back to England. And further, that he might have told his story to his old school friend Wordsworth. Jane already has reason to suspect that there is an undiscovered Wordsworth manuscript chronicling Christian's story, but when she goes looking for it, death follows in her wake.

This is a solid doorstopper of a crime novel, but every page is put to good use by McDermid in weaving her story. Enjoyed this a lot.

LibraryThing entry

Comments

[carl-allery.livejournal.com]

I'm a huge fan of Val McDermid, but I've given this book to a few friends because, as modern crime novels go, it's a bit different. The historical aspect is really well integrated, to my mind and just adds to the overall interest level.

[julesjones]

That's one of the things I really liked about it. It's multi-layered, and while a lot of the historical material is her extrapolation, she's basing it on solid fact and making an interesting story out of it in its own right, while making it integral to the present-day mystery.

[stevie-carroll.livejournal.com]

I loved that one. I should reread it.

[julesjones]

Yes, you should. :-)