This particular book contains events that many will find gruesome and seriously deviant to say the least. What is interesting is these passages are from the imagined work of other writers, so the initial impulse is not to credit her with the grisly scenes, rather a third party. The passages she uses are not gratuitous. They are integral to introducing the behavior of a serial killer, and a possible source for his demented inspiration. What drives the killer is more complicated than that, or this book would not have Ms. McDermid's name upon it. These portions of the book are also a small part of the reading, and should not discourage anyone from enjoying this writer's craft.

The characters she creates are little short of brilliant. One of them is a PHD Candidate named Terry. If this character were based on a real female, she would be on many men's list of women to meet, and also a woman who would be more than a match for most. The author presents very bright, attractive, strong women without their needing to mimic the undesirable characteristics of their male counterparts. Terry is one of the best female characters I have read in some time.

A certain genre of writers are the targets of this book's killer, or are they? The best part of that query is that you will not know until the last pages of the book why everything took place as it did. One of the keys to a great thriller/mystery is how well the author sustains uncertainty and suspense. No author does this better that Ms. McDermid. She sets blind alleys, manipulates misdirection, and false conclusions brilliantly. No matter how many books you have read that required an answer to, "Who...", you will find this lady's work on par with anyone's.

Unconditionally recommended.


A Serial Killer-Fest   November 14, 2001
 8 out of 10 found this review helpful

Val McDermid has produced a compelling thriller that is simply packed with shocking murders and mounting tension.

Someone is murdering thriller writers around the British Isles. But the disturbing thing is that the way in which the murders are being carried out closely resembles the murders described in each author's book. Fiona Campbell, a geographical profiler who occasionally works with the police, happens to be involved with a thriller-writer. Together they alternately believe and then discount the possibility that he may be on the list of future victims.

To add interest for the reader, and realism to the story, Fiona is inundated with work. We, the readers benefit from this by being kept bust keeping up with developments in, not one but three cases. This was a great device for maintaining the pace while allowing the story to unfold on a natural timeframe.

While a little predictable towards the end, Killing the Shadows still provides many heart stopping moments, a few nose-wrinkling descriptions and plenty of entertainment that kept me engrossed from the opening scene. If you like chillers about serial killers and the profiling undertaken to track them down, then you're going to love this book.


Absolute brilliant storytelling   September 18, 2001
 4 out of 7 found this review helpful

Psychologist Fiona Cameron uses state of the art computer programming to develop a serial profiling system, but not the typical sexual based type that dominates the field. The professor believes that other factors can also pinpoint a personality besides the sexual approach. She has helped the police solve several homicides though she is not always believed.

Her lover, best selling author Kit Martin, informs Fiona that someone murdered a peer, using a modus operandi found in the deceased's novel. Other killings of authors using a page or two out of their books soon follow. Fiona working with the Toledo, Spain police struggles to put together a clear profile of the killer, but refuses to quit because she thinks Kit is on the murderer's short list.

KILLING THE SHADOWS is an engaging serial killer investigative tale starring a wonderful lead character with a location that embellishes the plot. The enjoyable story line widens the common belief in profiling with a believable technique that is also quite frightening with what Fiona can do with it. Though the reluctance by the police to accept a serial killer on the loose seems ridiculous with the body count, the who-done-it is fun and the heroine is as good a character as Kate Brannigan is. Val McDermid shows why she is an award-winning author with this strong story.


Catchy but contrived   September 28, 2001
 4 out of 5 found this review helpful

Killing the Shadows has an catchy outline: somebody is systematically murdering the top-selling psych-crime authors, each murder copying the method used in that author's best known book. Crime psychologist Fiona Cameron has more than a professional concern in the case - her true love, Kit Martin, is a best-selling crime writer himself. Irresistable idea, but there's a risk that following a plot like this can end up a bit contrived, and unfortunately, that's what happens with this book.

Much of what happens you can guess well in advance, with the exception of the killer's eventual motive, which turns out to be so disconnected you'd never guess it. The main characters and relationships are all too pat and flawless - the edginess of some of Val McDermid's previous characters is absent. Fiona has emotional scars from a personal tragedy that segues neatly into her chosen career, and that tidily resolve themselves at the end. She has perfect romantic bliss with Kit, and a perfect platonic friendship with a cop who is, of course, Kit's best male bonding buddy. Kit is tough enough to write blood-curdling prose, sweet enough to leave her home-made risotto in the fridge for dinner, and irritatingly dumb, in the tradition of people in scary films who always walk alone down dark alleys.

Am I being tough on this book? Probably - there will be readers who really like it. It's still well-written, despite the often predictable plot, and some of the minor characters are the most interesting. It's far from a bad book, though I think after this, psychological profiling's been done to death. But Val McDermid at her best - try 'The Mermaid Singing' - is so very good, and this book doesn't quite reach that standard.


A psychological thriller that explores fantasy vs. reality.   November 12, 2001
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Val McDermid, in her new novel, "Killing the Shadows," uses some well-worn plot devices. A stalker targets writers of murder mysteries, killing them off using the same methodology as the writers use to "bump off" their own fictional victims. In a parallel story, a suspect is apprehended for raping and killing a young mother of twins. Politics and public opinion taint both investigations and greatly hamper the ability of the detectives to find the perpetrators.

If "Killing the Shadows" is so derivative, then why does it work so well? The answer is that McDermid uses these formulas to their best possible advantage, creating memorable characters and putting them in intriguing situations. She also makes the most of the settings, from the historic streets of Toledo, Spain, to the Scottish Highlands.

The main character is the fascinating Fiona Cameron, professor and academic psychologist. Fiona is an expert at using advanced computer methods to help identify and track serial offenders and she has enjoyed a good measure of success in the past. Fiona lives with Kit Martin, a writer of thrillers who may be on a killer's "hit list". Fiona's expertise is called upon in a series of cases, including one in Spain, but no case is more important to her than the one that involves the safety of her partner, Kit.

McDermid explores the theme of murder as fiction vs. murder as reality. The public loves grisly murder mysteries and the authors of these books often make a great deal of money. Has our fascination with murder and mayhem hardened us to the horrible reality of violent death? This is a thought-provoking theme. Fiona's sister had been killed violently years before, and Fiona has been trying for a long time to "kill the shadows" that haunt her. She understands from personal experience how the murder of a loved one shatters those who are left behind.

Unfortunately, "Killing the Shadows" falters at the end. McDermid reaches quite a bit to come up with a surprise ending and it just doesn't wash. The motivation and the behavior of the killer make no sense and the cat and mouse ending is more formulaic than fascinating. However, "Killing the Shadows" is just fine until the end and I recommend it overall for its rich atmosphere and engaging characters.