The Queen of Forensic Thriller Fiction is coming to Christchurch!
Award winning author Val McDermid will be speaking as part of the WORD Christchurch's 'Shifting Points of View' programme, 6-7pm on Friday 13 September at The Piano.
I'm a long-time fan of her gritty, intricately plotted, macabre thrillers and I'm hoping for some insights into how she comes to grips with the innate evil and violence of the serial killers she so brilliantly depicts in her books. McDermid's most iconic contribution to the world of crime fiction was her pairing of forensic psychology and the hard graft of police work, and the bringing together of two disparate (and now legendary) characters; Tony Hill and Carol Jordan. This gripping and darkly curious look at serial killers and the hard-nosed detectives that catch them was brilliantly adapted into the ITV series 'Wire In The Blood' in the mid 2000's, starring Robson Green as the eponymous and troubled Tony Hill.
The book series starts with 'The Mermaids Singing' and fans of Kathy Reichs and Thomas Harris will love the mastery of McDermids interweaving stories and sinister creeping dread.
Her talk for WORD Christchurch is entitled 'How the Dead Speak', which incidentally is the also the title of her new book - the 11th in the Hill/Jordan series - and this new title finds our two protagonists in an unfamiliar and threatening position and opens a new world of possibilities for McDermid to explore, themes which will suit her signature bleak and dangerous style.
Not only is McDermid one of the leading figures in the world of crime fiction, she is also a proud Scot and her recent non-fiction release 'My Scotland' acts as a personal guided tour through the country that has influenced and shaped her writing throughout her life.
Her talk should be a good time and she's well practiced in front of audiences - she holds fellowships from the Royal Society of Literature, the Royal Society of Edinburgh AND... she's the current Visiting Professor at Otago University, attached to the university’s Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies.
I'm keen to hear what she makes of our own land of Aotearoa from her time spent on our shores, and if any inspiring moments have been drawn from our own landscapes and cultures that she can use in her works.
If you like Val McDermid's writing you'll love our Mystery Genre Guide. Within you'll find, among others, a list of Forensic Thrillers and Police Procedurals to keep your head scratching and your skin crawling...
Happy reading and see you at 'How the Dead Speak'.
WORD Christchurch Shifting Points of View
WORD Christchurch presents Shifting Points of View — a spectacular line-up of New Zealand and international speakers to warm you up and get you thinking. Shifting Points of View runs from Sunday 18 August to Saturday 14 September 2019. Visit our page on WORD Christchurch Shifting Points of View for more information, previews, reviews, and WORD reading.
^DevilStateDan
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