Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
Actually I just stopped listening to this book. It’s very detailed in its gruesomeness and I didn’t connect with any of the characters. Very disappointing as I was quite chuffed to have discovered a possible new series .
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The Mermaids Singing made for uncomfortable reading and not just due to the gory nature of the subject matter, which I could have coped with - although, be warned, this is on par with some of Karin Slaughter's nastier works and if you struggle with detailed and descriptive depictions of violence, torture and sexual depravity, you may want to keep on moving.
Most of my discomfort was solely in the rampant homophobia and derision for the gay and trans community. Yes, I get that this is depicting 1990's policing and was written in 1995, but there's only so many times I can read about the 'queers', the 'poofters' and other slurs and references to sexual proclivities that are... less than sensitive, shall we say. If it wasn't such a central tenant of the novel, maybe it wouldn't have been so jarring. But as the central crime involves men being found in gay hook-up spots brutally tortured and with incredibly nasty things done to their nether-regions, you would be right in assuming it's on almost every page.
Unfortunately, that made it difficult for me to really get into the novel and it made much of it feel shallow and judgemental rather than a twisty and interesting narrative. There's a kernel of an interesting tale hidden behind the incredible gore and 'gay men are bad' message, but it absolutely gets lost. I also didn't find there to be any nuance to the eventual reveal and found the 'twist on the profile' disappointing, particularly as it only serves to vilify another marginalised community for no apparently good reason.
So between what is essentially torture porn and the depiction of homosexuality on display here, I suspect many people will be turned off instantly. I got through it and will move on to the next book in the series, but that's mostly because I would swear I've read a book of hers before and really enjoyed it. So hopefully book two leaves the gay community well alone. All in all, this comes across as incredibly dated and I am absolutely raising an eyebrow at how the LGBTQ+ communities are depicted as it is really not great.
Most of my discomfort was solely in the rampant homophobia and derision for the gay and trans community. Yes, I get that this is depicting 1990's policing and was written in 1995, but there's only so many times I can read about the 'queers', the 'poofters' and other slurs and references to sexual proclivities that are... less than sensitive, shall we say. If it wasn't such a central tenant of the novel, maybe it wouldn't have been so jarring. But as the central crime involves men being found in gay hook-up spots brutally tortured and with incredibly nasty things done to their nether-regions, you would be right in assuming it's on almost every page.
Unfortunately, that made it difficult for me to really get into the novel and it made much of it feel shallow and judgemental rather than a twisty and interesting narrative. There's a kernel of an interesting tale hidden behind the incredible gore and 'gay men are bad' message, but it absolutely gets lost. I also didn't find there to be any nuance to the eventual reveal and found the 'twist on the profile' disappointing, particularly as it only serves to vilify another marginalised community for no apparently good reason.
So between what is essentially torture porn and the depiction of homosexuality on display here, I suspect many people will be turned off instantly. I got through it and will move on to the next book in the series, but that's mostly because I would swear I've read a book of hers before and really enjoyed it. So hopefully book two leaves the gay community well alone. All in all, this comes across as incredibly dated and I am absolutely raising an eyebrow at how the LGBTQ+ communities are depicted as it is really not great.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Torture, Stalking
Moderate: Transphobia
I watched the television adaptation of these books when I was younger, and I read a couple of them without realizing they were in a particular order (duh) at the time. I’ve recently decided to go back and read the series from the beginning.
Because the show had quite an impact on me (it was my first introduction to the world of psychology and profiling, and the gory-ness of it captured my weird teenage brain’s interest), I remembered the plot of this novel pretty well as I read it. But in a way I enjoyed that because it served to show me how well thought out the story and characterisation is. I knew what the outcome would be, so I could really appreciate the clues that Val McDermid drops throughout the story; there’s enough there for the killer’s (as well as Tony Hill’s) personality and motivations to unfold slowly and logically, without being so obvious that you figure it all out yourself before she wants you to. I think this is one of the true marks of a good mystery, and I really appreciated this aspect of her writing. It made me excited to get to the books where I don’t know what the plot is!
Because the show had quite an impact on me (it was my first introduction to the world of psychology and profiling, and the gory-ness of it captured my weird teenage brain’s interest), I remembered the plot of this novel pretty well as I read it. But in a way I enjoyed that because it served to show me how well thought out the story and characterisation is. I knew what the outcome would be, so I could really appreciate the clues that Val McDermid drops throughout the story; there’s enough there for the killer’s (as well as Tony Hill’s) personality and motivations to unfold slowly and logically, without being so obvious that you figure it all out yourself before she wants you to. I think this is one of the true marks of a good mystery, and I really appreciated this aspect of her writing. It made me excited to get to the books where I don’t know what the plot is!
Val McDermid always writes a good thriller, this is no exception.
dark
medium-paced
This was just a bit too gruesome for me - not something that generally bothers me but i found the torture a bit too graphic. When the dog was involved fairly early on in the book, i found i was skipping chunks. I think this is the first book by Val McD that i've read. I'll try another!
Too gory and graphic
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Torture, Murder
a little too predictable, but I still enjoyed it.