- Hardcover
- Publisher: Book Club Associates (1984)
- ASIN: B003LXXCPI
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
The Torment of Others
and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Learn more. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
34 of 35 people found the following review helpful
By RachelWalker
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Hardcover
The Torment of Others is McDermid's fourth novel starring duo Tony Hill and Carol Jordan, who are, along with Stephen Booth's Ben Cooper and Diane Fry, the most interesting pairing in crime fiction. It is also, possibly, the very best. Not least because it's quite a bit shorter than many of her books - the result is a slightly slimmer, more tight, incredibly tense and suspenseful piece of work.
Two plots run parallel here: the disappearance of two young boys, which itself fades a little in importance when prostitutes begin turning up brutally murdered in grotty rooms. After her ordeal in Berlin, Carol Jordan has been off work in London, but is gradually tempted back to Bradfield by her boss John Brandon, to head a special team that will target particularly high-profile murder cases. Tony Hill, meanwhile, is also back in Bradfield, his stint as a lecturer at St Andrews University having come to an end. The job simply wasn't right for him. He much prefers to indulge in his work in the messy heads of the mentally ill. It is where he feels most at home, and is where he's most effective. He's taken a job at the local mental hospital.
The prostitute murders have particular resonance for the new murder squad, in that they mirror exactly a series of four murders from a few years ago. However, the culprit, Derek Tyler, is now incarcerated in the hospital where Tony now works. Tony's reluctant to accept the possibility of a copycat (they're sexual murders; each perpetrator has very differing needs and desires, thus the patterns of killing should very rarely, if ever, be the same), but what other explanation is there?
The general opinion seems to be that this is McDermid at her strongest, and I would probably agree. It may not be A Place of Execution, but that is a work that, as some reviewers say, "transcends the genre", so I am discounting it. In terms of the Hill/Jordan series, it is every bit as thrilling and inventive as the first, with the added bonus of having a veritable feast of the protagonists emotional turmoils to indulge in. The tension between the two is marvellous, their relationship is an absolute gem. All series detective novels, when taken as an entire unit, are essentially a love story (I think). In this regard, this series of McDermid's is the finest, all the better for that she doesn't fill books and books with it - just one every few years.
The Torment of Others is a very suspenseful, tense, thrilling read. The writing's excellent, very atmospheric, and the climax is exciting and shattering. Definitely so. Excellent work, Val; excellent.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
It's always a pleasure when I take a chance on a new novelist and it pays off as well as it did here. Val McDermid is, I now know, one of our best writers and I won't hesitate to buy any book in the future with her name on the cover. In The Torment of Others, you'll get everything you want from a thriller and more : intelligent characters, gripping imagery, a powerful plot, clever pacing and just entertainment all round. The lead characters Jordan and Hill are very much individuals whose personalities and concerns are so well described that we almost feel that we know them; the key point is that we can easily believe in them. The side-plot of their 'relationship' is actually intriguing, dealt with subtle aplomb by their creator and cleverly left unfinished within the context of this story so that we can carry on where they left off in the next one. The main story line of this book is quite daringly graphic in its description without being gory for its own sake. It just leaves you wondering "Jeez, what a way to go"...and I'm not a woman! This is a writer of high intellect, vivid imagination and the bringing together of those rare skills makes for very enjoyable reading. Call me a fan.
21 of 24 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
Val McDermid's Tony Hill/Carol Jordan series has never been for the squeamish, and The torment of others is no exception. This book resisted being left on the coffee table and so I carried it around with me for the 48 hours it took me to read it. Tony and Carol are the most unusual crime fighting duo around and McDermid has had the sense to keep the romantic aspects of their relationship unrequited, a la Mulder and Scully. (You'll have to read The torment of others to find out if this is still the case.) Fans of Val's other works might think this series is too 'straight' for them, but don't be put off because there is always plenty of interest, and to admire. In short, McDermid pulls off the most difficult thing for a writer in her position, pleasing all of the readers all of the time.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 43 reviews
4.4 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
torment of others
received on time and am currently reading it and am enjoying it very much, i enjoy all val mcdermids books.
Published 16 days ago by jacqueline mabey j.mabey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very good quality book
Service and product excellent, don't hesitate to order here. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Published 17 days ago by Ukla
5.0 out of 5 stars
one of the best
val mcdermid is one of our best female crime writers. I have read torments of others ,Wire in the Blood, and killing in the shadows, all such good stories. Read more
Published 1 month ago by bookmoviefanatic
5.0 out of 5 stars
great read as usual
the only fault i can find with val is that i can read faster than she writes, i need more.
Published 2 months ago by Bob from Cardiff
5.0 out of 5 stars
Val McDermids usual standard....brilliant!
Once again Tony Hill and Carol Jordan in the midst of a sickening serial killer. Great twists and turns. Thoroughly good read.
Published 2 months ago by Vicki Lock
4.0 out of 5 stars
Getting better
Brilliant as usual could not put it down great twist to the end character Tony hill and Jordan great love reading Val Mcdermid
Published 3 months ago by DILLIGAF
5.0 out of 5 stars
A real page turner
A thrilling read from cover to cover. Couldn't put it down and nearly got divorced for not speaking to my wife for three nights while I read it.
Published 3 months ago by Keith Maslin
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best
Another good book with lots of twists and turns. Keeps you on edge and not sure till near the end who is the baddie
Published 3 months ago by pat wadds
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
What camn i say - another great story from a great author - I love the way she tells a story and have lots of her other books
Published 5 months ago by archergirl
5.0 out of 5 stars
Again, wonderful.
I so enjoy the ride with Val McDermid, always so exciting and always a twist in the tail, how does she do it?
Published 5 months ago by Catherine
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
