Books: The Grave Tattoo By Val McDermid (2006)

“For centuries Lakelanders have whispered that Fletcher Christian staged the massacre on Pitcairn so that he could return home. And there he told his story to an old friend and schoolmate, William Wordsworth, who turned it into a long narrative poem – a poem that remained hidden lest it expose Wordsworth to the gallows for harbouring a fugitive. Wordsworth specialist Jane Gresham, herself a native of the Lake District, feels compelled to discover once and for all whether the manuscript ever existed – and whether it still exists today. But as she pursues each new lead, death follows hard on her heels. Suddenly Jane is at the heart of a 200-year-old mystery that still has the power to put lives on the line. Against the dramatic backdrop of England’s Lake District a drama of life and death plays out, its ultimate prize a bounty worth millions.” 

I did enjoyed this thriller from prolific Scottish writer Val McDermid. I’ve always wanted to read her, but my desire to start another series has made the idea a complex problem. So this stand-alone tale of historical happenings mixed with murder and modern science was a good compromise. I did find that I liked the historical stuff much more fascinating than the current issues that surrounded Jane Gresham. While it would not lead to read anything Wordsworth wrote, I found the research appealing

Still, I would be remiss if I did not point out how all the characters are thinly designed –and some, like Tenille- just a stereotype with a bit more intelligence –though like a lot of teenagers, she does dumb stuff that hurts her more than helps. Everyone else is just mean and crotchety for seemly no reason. Not living in the UK or Scotland, maybe these people do act this way, but I found the repeated use of this cliché irritating. I could not even care about Jane’s relationship with her brother Matthew, which was more soap opera than reality.

Still, I wonder why McDermid added the additional sub-plot of the murders. I think this book could’ve succeed without them, as the McGuffin of the missing epic poem was good enough to keep readers interested, but I guess she’s known as a crime novelist, so she had to stay in her lane. Of course, it would’ve been a shorter novel, and publishers need pages to justify those expensive hardcover releases.

I’m intrigued by McDermid’s prose, but I wonder is any of her multiple series she’s penned are like this, filled with stick-figure characterization, mean and ugly people, and a disappointing murder reveal?