Splinter the Silence (Tony Hill / Carol Jordan Book 9)

This was a nice change of pace for the usually less optimistic policing duo, Carol and Tony. Even though things seem dire at first, the whole interrelationship atmo is positive and caring.Carol has some soul searching to do, Tony surprises himself ( and us) and Stacy Chen finds out about humans and emotions.all of our usual players and even some of the less usual ones are set to the task by one of Tony’s gut feelings. Everyone is out to prove something this time and the answers won’t come easily.Val Mcdermid is always determined to let her very humane characters grow and she has succeeded yet again in writing a well balanced’ logical, strategically and logically under built story. Though her usually gritty and dark wasn’t as present as it has been in the past’ I found this story enjoyable and well constructed. I love crime most when it’s believable.Mcdermid has an amazing pace. She knows when and how to throw tidbits of information. She is very gifted in thinking patterns’ even though some of her characters are allowed out of the box. She’s never pushing conclusion or adding deus ex machina éléments. Everything has its own flow and fall into place at a logical point in the story. For me that’s the hardest part of good crime writing. Not rushing the information, knowing when an how to introduce it.I just hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I have

I suppose to understand my title to this review you will just have to read this Tony Hill and Carol Jordan novel for your own excitement and satisfaction. MIT's squad was totally destroyed after Jacko Vance . Now there is a new serial killer that Tony finds on his own because he is bored. This one is a misogynistic bullying cyber stalker who adds a literary flare to his patterns when making the women with causes outside of their familial responsibilities by referring to older rebellious women writers who committed suicide. The book of the author left at the seen is the only clue and it was not obvious to Tony for quite some time . This time Stacy does a great trip into cyberspace to really help solve this case too. I loved this quick read and I believe I felt this way mostly because of the building of the character relationships over the years in this series written by Val McDermid ! These are my most favorite of her creations and I know one day I may meet them because they seem so real . I do not know what will come next but I am ready !

Women who are outspoken online seem to be committing suicide, in ways similar to suicidal female authors...The plot was twisty and complex... but the relationships between the detectives is what I found really interesting.I tend to enjoy McDermid's novels, and this one worked well.Also- I have not been reading this series in order, and she is very skillful at giving us just enough backstory to make sense, with out spoilers for the previous books in the series.

I've read most of Val McDermid's books. This book seemed to delve into the Carol/Tony characters at length. Usually there is a balance between antagonist and protagonist while being able to get into the mind of the villain. This book might appeal to those who long for more development between Carol/Tony. I found the last quarter of the book pertaining to the culprit and crime, wrapped up too quickly. So, if you've read Val's other books for the psychological twists, turns and wrong-ways, this book hasn't done what her other works have. On the other hand, is you have read Val's other books...you are rewarded with fantastic play between our heroes finally growing closer.

Val McDermid, one of the most reliable of British mystery novelists, is in good form with Splinter the Silence, the latest in the series featuring police investigator Carol Jordan and psychologist/profiler Tony Hill. These protagonists are one of the most interesting -- if not always the most appealing -- crime fighting duos in fiction. MdDermid's only misstep is the ending. It relies too much on conventions of the genre, not to mention a hard to believe rescue, but by the time everything plays out, our enjoyment level remains high because she is one of the best at generating and maintaining a breakneck pace, even though, in Splinter the Silence, there are few real surprises along the way.This time out, the bad guy seeks out high profile female victims of cyber bullying. These women are known for feminist sensibilities and are tough and capable, but not enough to remain unscathed. To Jordan and Hill, their apparent suicides don't make much sense, but as the investigation deepens, so does their understanding of what is actually going on. Amid all of this, Carol Jordan is fighting an exceedingly tough patch with her escalating alcoholism, just as she rejoins the police force as the head of a new department with everything to lose. But her loyal friend Tony Hill is on hand to offer much needed support. Their relationship never disappoints.The best news for fans of this series is that Val McDermid has set up a perfect scenario for future installments.

This story was tightly plotted. Carol Jordan is the flawed policewoman charged with heading up the new ReMIT unit. Tony Hill is her friend and the psychologist who helps her solve crimes.Matthew Martin has a grudge against feminists who he sees as leading women astray from their rightful jobs as wives and mothers. He sets the women who have all been vocal about their beliefs up as apparent suicides. Carol and her team have set out to find him and bring him to justice.This book is number 9 in a series. I think that it was fine as a stand alone.

I'm afraid Val McDermid shot this series in the foot in the aftermath to 'The Retribution', when Carol gives up the police force. Though I did want to see her back with her team, the way in which this is achieved feels heavily contrived and has all the credibility of the shower scene in Dallas. McDermid as well have come right out and said that the events of the last few books turned out to be a dream. The whole storyline about internet trolls feels like a she is trying too hard to make the whole thing relevant (and will date the book horribly a few years down the line) and I found her heavy handed political correctness is begining to get on my nerves. Not really sure what the fuss about getting Carol back was about anyway as the whole crime seems to be solved by a combination of Stacey and Tony's efforts and Carol really plays very litle part in it. The storyline isn't really all that interesting and I was hoping for a much more exciting ending. It just feels like an author going through the motions to keep a tired old cash cow going. I think in the next book she should just write a happy ending for Tony and Carol and put an end to the series, it has definitely run out of steam.

I love Val McDermid's books and I'm very fond of her characters Carol Jordan and Tony Hill and Carol's team of crack investigators. That said, this isn't one of the best Hill and Jordan books. There's nothing wrong with it but it doesn't have the twists and turns or the horrifying killings that characterise most of the previous books. It's impossible not to compare any McDermid book to those that go before it, and this one suffers a little by such comparison.There's never any doubt about who the killer is - only whether there is one at all as a series of women apparently have killed themselves after becoming the victims of online 'trolls' as a result of expressing 'feminist' views. The characters are the same, the continuing will-they-won't-they saga of Hill and Jordan's relationship continues and the team of police characters are boosted with a couple of newbies but nothing too surprising. Carol's drink problem comes to the fore but seems to be conveniently simply solved. And as for the actual 'sleuthing', it's not so much good old fashioned policing as a nice bit of cyber hacking.I enjoyed the book but it wasn't one of McDermid's best.

VM drew on her own literary university education in this latest Hill & Jordan novel; the references to Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath et al gave a strong new dimension. I was more fascinated by the Hill-Jordan struggle than by the storyline in this which I felt was thin. The previous eight books in this tremendous series have gripped in a way in which this one didn't. Characters are very strong in all her books and she develops them to the point that one comes to know them as real people. This time it was the turn of the techno queen Stacey to be the focus in the foreground. She is a brilliant psycho-examiner and walks in the shoes of Tony Hill who is so real he could walk off the page. This is strong on male/female stereotypes and she draws out social issues of gender and gender roles as the novel progresses. Maybe I was gripped by this more than I felt whilst reading it! Is a tenth one planned?

Carol has been in a bad place emotionally so Tony has hit upon the idea of looking in to the suicide of a womans' rights activist who was horrendously trolled for her views. When they realise there might be more women they call on ex colleagues Stacy and Paula to get them some more background information. As they are establishing a pattern Carol is asked to rejoin the police force and set up a trial specialist department which will investigate serious crime over six counties with backup from the local areas as required. She reassembles part of her old team and to get started they use this fledgling investigation to jump start the department.I thoroughly enjoyed Splinter the Silence with its good mix of investigation and the personal. Ms McDermid has called it right in the mixture with Carol and Stacy providing the personal touch (some surprises in store) and a suitably warped perpetrator for the investigation. The novel has a very readable style and good pacing. I put it down to go to sleep and found that it was the first thing on my mind when I woke up and couldn't wait to get back in to it.The plot is a bit thinner than some of the previous novels as it all hangs on information gained by Stacy's hacking. It did make me wonder how they would get the case to stand up in court but it's fiction so it really doesn't matter. I'm not a big fan of novels based on internet activity as I'm too old to have any interest in splashing my life across it and modest enough to believe that no one would be interested so I just don't get it. Fortunately the novel is not big on detail and concentrates more on the theme of trolling unpopular views. It makes some very pertinent points about trolls, their inadequacy and their misogyny which make perfect sense.Carol and Tony are at another crossroads in their relationship. While it is still spiky there is an underlying sense of the bond they share and their mutual dependence. Tony seems stronger mentally than before and has more self awareness, perhaps because he is spending time away from Carol. Carol, on the other hand, is weaker and comes to rely on Tony for support. It is an interesting change in the dynamic. I was even more interested in the spotlight thrown on Stacy who is showing signs of empathy. Could it be that her relationship with DC Sam Evans has changed her outlook?Splinter the Silence is a good, absorbing read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

The general view of readers of this seems to be: eminently readable as ever, though not McDermid at her most gripping either. I'd have to concur. I've read this series from the beginning and McDermid seems to have slowly moved away from the 'shock and awe' of some of the earlier books. We don't get the gruesomeness that set some of the earlier books apart...but maybe McDermid has mellowed over time?!I liked the premise of this: a killer that people don't even know is killing and I liked the development of Stacey (whilst Tony and Carol get back on to a more even footing). It was still a good, engaging read, without being truly great.

Title: Splinter the SilenceSeries: Tony Hill & Carol Jordan (#9)Author: Val McDermidFrom: NetgalleyGenre: Crime, ThrillerRelease Date: 1st December 2015Challenges: 2016 Netgalley & Edelweiss Challenge,2016 Blogger Shame, 2016 Prequel & Sequel Challenge (2 points)Links: Goodreads - AmazonSynopsis (from Goodreads): 'That day, waiting had been almost unbearable. He wanted something more spectacular, something that couldn't be ignored. These deaths needed to make a mark . . .'Psychological profiler Tony Hill is trained to see patterns, to decode the mysteries of human behaviour, and when he comes across a series of suicides among women tormented by vicious online predators, he begins to wonder if there is more to these tragedies than meets the eye. Similar circumstances, different deaths. Could it be murder? But what kind of serial killer wants his crimes to stay hidden? Former DCI Carol Jordan has her own demons to confront, but with lives at stake, Tony and Carol begin the hunt for the most dangerous and terrifying kind of killer - someone who has nothing to fear and nothing to lose . . .Splinter the Silence is the 9th book of the Tony Hill & Carol Jordan series. Crime wise Splinter the Silence is completely standalone, however there are some things in the book, particularly the complicated relationship between Tony and Carol, that are clearer if you've read previous books. There will be very minor spoilers in this review, but nothing major.This book did have a couple of "finally!" moments for me. The first was Carol coming to terms with her drinking problem (which became an issue after the events in The Last Temptation, book 3, for various reasons and carried on through the books. However it doesn't take over the series and is just a sub plot) and, with help, doing something about it. Then there are the bridges between Tony and Carol. After book 7, things between them were a bit rocky (and through book 8), but now things are smoothing out a bit between them and their relationship is coming back together (though to be clear it's not quite romantic in nature).I've read some reviews that accuse this book of being one that fills a gap and brings the characters back together. To some extent I can agree, but I don't think that that's a bad thing. This book sees the return of Paula (though she played a major role in the previous book too), Stacey and Kevin, as well as one of the more minor characters from a few books back, Alvin. I think this book was important to set up the team for the next installment (or what I hope is going to be a next installment!)The crime itself was interesting, it didn't start off as an actual police investigation, instead it was an exercise Tony was using to distract Carol but accidentally turned out to be something worth investigating (almost a bit like Wire in the Blood, but a different setting and different reasons). It was reasonable for the police force to have missed the murders, and knowing Tony it was reasonable for him to pick up on it.The other thing that needed investigating in this book was who leaked the story about Carol to the press. Now as soon as I read what had happened I knew who was responsible (as I think many readers of the series would), though I did wonder at one point if someone on the team was covering for them. It was interesting to see where one team member's loyalties really lay, and I was glad by the outcome.Carol and Tony are addictive, and I'm now gutted that I'm all caught up and have to wait for their next story!

Val McDermid manages to churn out these books at an amazing rate, but she maintains quality writing and plotting. Carol's life is disintegrating. She and Tony identify suspicious suicides from media reports, and before you know it they think they may really be a serial killer at work. Confirming their hunch requires real detective work (and real detectives) up against the original investigators of each case, who saw it as open and shut suicide. A race against time and challenging personal relationships add to the mix. Nicely done.

The moral dilemma was interesting (I won't elaborate so as not to spoil the plot) but it is concluded satisfactorily for me by the end. Consider your own view for a moment when you get there. This book in the series is following on from the previous couple in that a good part of it concerns character development rather than being solely about the 'serial killer .' Still it's enjoyable if you care about Tony and Carol.

Whilst I don't think this is the tensest book of the Tony Hill series, I did really enjoy it. Carol has reached rock bottom and Tony brings her back from her descent into the bottle and their relationship is tentatively advanced as a consequence. Carols career is put back in harness (with some bumps in the road) with those she trusts around her and the team ably abetted by Tony solve a series of murders that appeared to be suicides. i think this book ties up some loose ends and hopefully launches some new books based around Carols new command.

The topic and setting is for the climax of creativity the author has gifted us with in her long successful career.Picking up trolling phenomenon as the centre piece starting the story and leading us through the twists of suspicious suicides of capable modern women, allows the reader to remember - how prevalent the 20th century Black Country saying still seems to have a place in some men's dreams:- A Woman's Place is at the Hearth -An aspect of social attitudes bedded into a bloodless crime novel,a fantastic literary achievement.

A thoroughly enjoyable book with its portrayal of all human frailties and twisted justifications. I am sure that procedurally there were inaccuracies but who cares when there is evil at large. IT was also an interesting take on the essential mix of characters and talents required to catch a baddie.

As ever Val McDermid is in a class all of her own. Who doesn't love the Carol and Tony saga? Their characters are so real, their relationship so involved it's difficult to guess where it's going. Similarly her plots are really believable, her writing style unsurpassed. I can't wait for more.

It was great to read another Tony Hill and Carol Jordan case. Val McDermid is a great story writer and brilliant with characters. We meet many of the characters from previous books which is a bit like meeting up with old friends but it holds up just as well if you have never read a Tony and Carol story before. The relationship between Tony and Carol is very cleverly crafted and believable. It must be quite hard to keep up to date with all the new methods of detection using modern technology and Val makes it interesting as well as informative. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one.

I love Val McDermid books and especially any with Tony Hill and Carol Jordan. This is no exception. Carol is no longer in the Police, she is doing up a barn. Tony continues to worry about her and care for her. There are some High Profile Women who have been trolled for expressing their opinions on line, then end up Committing Suicide, or do they? No more giveaways, read this page turner for yourselves.

Enjoyable, but I am beginning to spot the formula, which for me is disconcerting as I don't have an organised mind.This is a new genre for me, I continue to read because of the family element, knowledge of the characters and the knowledge that they are less than perfect , just like the rest of us