The Last Temptation
HarperCollins 2002
Synopsis: A white-knuckle ride through a world of
corruption, cruelty and violence ... Mapping the minds of murderers
is what Dr Tony Hill does better than anyone. So when a twisted killer
starts targeting psychologists across northern Europe, he's the obvious
choice to track the executioner's mental and physical journey.
Except that Tony doesn't want to do this any more.
But the case is about to come uncomfortably close to home. The next
victim is a friend of his. And his former partner, DCI Carol Jordan,
is herself in Germany, working undercover in a world where human life
is cheaper than a drugs deal. She needs his help as much as the serial
killer hunters do.
Confronting the worst of contemporary crime and struggling to unravel
roots that lie deep in the tormented past of Nazi atrocities and Stasi
abuses, Tony and Carol are forced to battle for survival against overwhelming
odds. In this morass of doublecross and doubledealing, they have no
one to trust but each other.
Tony Hill is back. And this time, it's personal.
"McDermid masterfully controls her cast as Tony and Carol
work against time to bring their cases to a conclusion. The settings
in Berlin are vividly evoked...
This is a hugely ambitious novel, involving three police forces, of
which the British seem to be the most Machiavellian. ... With a television
series on ITV this year starring Robson Green as Tony Hill, it looks
as if there'll be a new police investigator to replace the lamented
Morse"
Maggie Douglas, The Express
"Val McDermid is one of the few crime authors who can be
convincing when it comes to 'writing tough' yet retain a powerful
emotional insight... McDermid is doing something quite extraordinary
with the crime fiction suspense thriller."
Jane Jakeman, Scotland on Sunday
Read an extract from The Last Temptation
