Beneath the Bleeding - Val McDermid

'Beneath the Bleeding' is the latest in Val McDermid's series of crime fiction novels featuring psychological profiler Dr Tony Hill and Detective Inspector Carol Jordan. If you haven't read any of the novels, you may have seen some of them used as the basis for the television series 'The Wire in the Blood' starring Robson Green and Hermione Norris. It's not essential to have read the previous books but past incidents are referred to quite often through ...
...how the relationship between Tony and Carol has reached the strained point the reader finds in 'Beneath the bleeding'.

If you haven't seen the television series or read any of the other novels, the basic premise is this: slightly odd but highly insightful psychologist Tony Hill works for the Home Office and when he's not assessing the patients in a secure hospital for convicted criminals with severe mental health problems, he helps ... more

'Beneath the Bleeding' is the latest in Val McDermid's series of crime fiction novels featuring psychological profiler Dr Tony Hill and Detective Inspector Carol Jordan. If you haven't read any of the novels, you may have seen some of them used as the basis for the television series 'The Wire in the Blood' starring Robson Green and Hermione Norris. It's not essential to have read the previous books but past incidents are referred to quite often through the course of this novel and do shed light on how the relationship between Tony and Carol has reached the strained point the reader finds in 'Beneath the bleeding'.

If you haven't seen the television series or read any of the other novels, the basic premise is this: slightly odd but highly insightful psychologist Tony Hill works for the Home Office and when he's not assessing the patients in a secure hospital for convicted criminals with severe mental health problems, he helps the local police in challenging cases by using psychological profiling to create a suspect description that might lead to a breakthrough. This has given the series an interesting and meaty angle with a thrilling psychological aspect; as Tony explains to Carol what makes a serial killer tick, so the reader learns more about what makes someone kill and how the police use psychology to solve crimes.

'Beneath the bleeding' differs slightly from the usual style readers have come to expect from the series. At the beginning of the book Tony Hill is the victim of an attack that sees him laid up in the same hospital where the Bradfield football team's star striker is fighting for his life. When one of the doctors treating the footballer realises that the footballer has been poisoned with ricin Carol Jordan's team are called in to investigate. Not wanting to be idle, Tony starts to investigate the case too - from his hospital bed.

Days after the footballer's death, a huge bomb is detonated at a sell out match at the football stadium, killing tens of people and injuring hundreds more. Is it related to the killing of the football star or is it a terrorist plot that was already planned? When Tony finds a possible case that might be linked to the poisioning, he has to convince the sceptical Carol that although the connection appears tenuous it is worth investigating.

What makes this book a little odd - but that's not necessarily a negative - is the way that two quite different plots run parallel to each other. First the poisonings - it's almost in the vein of Agatha Christie - poisoning is a rather archaic form of murder and the way Tony investigates them from his hospital bed is reminiscent of old-fashioned detective work based on a great deal of thinking. On the other hand there is the bomb storyline which is very topical and one that I think Val McDermid handles excellently. This part of the story comes as no surprise - it's there to read on the book jacket (something that I found a little surprising though) - and I was worried that it might come across as either incredibly clichéd or particularly 'right on' and politically correct.

Both threads are credible enough and give readers plenty to ponder about. The way each is told also contrasts sharply. The poisoning storyline is told through the police investigations and the reader only learns as much as the police. The other thread is told through the characters involved and could have been in interesting aspect of the book but it fails to deliver the psychological insights present in the other novels in the series; quite simply it missed a prime chance to deliver what Val McDermid fans love most about her books.

Having read all the other books in the series I am well acquainted with the main characters but I must say I am now finding that the dysfunctional relationship between Tony and Carol is casting a dark shadow over the whole thing. While there has to be something more to the relationship than the work connection, I am beginning to tire of the 'will they, won't they scenario'. The introduction of Tony's more or less estranged mother in 'Beneath the bleeding' makes some attempt to deal with this situation but - and I found this most surprising - Val McDermid has created in Mrs Hill the most incredible character I have encountered in her books. In the end the introduction of the character fails to bring anything meaningful to either the novel alone or the series as a whole.

Another meaningless feature of the story is Tony's hospitalisation which does little other than slow the story down as Tony languishes helplessly in bed wishing he could play more of an active role. Believe me I wanted that too - it would have reduced the page count by at least fifty. Val McDermid was herself laid up after surgery when she started writing 'Beneath the bleeding' so maybe this was her inspiration for Dr Hill's predicament?

The secondary characters are believable enough although they are the standard stock of crime fiction; the family in denial, the agitated football manager who fears the loss of his star striker, the grieving widow - all competently drawn but somehow lacking any sparkle.

As crime fiction goes this is undoubtedly a confident and accomplished piece of writing and readers familiar with her work would expect nothing less. The plots are watertight and certainly give the reader plenty to mull over but there are no huge twists and nothing to really get excited about. 'Beneath the bleeding' is a far cry from the debut novel of the series 'The Mermaids Singing' which shocked and stunned at every turn. These days the flawed and complex relationship between the two central characters to too dominant while the psychological aspect that was always the draw is barely there at all.

That said there's still enough to enjoy. Classy writing, clever plots and a good pace do save this novel. Possibly better read as a stand alone, 'Beneath the bleeding' is a good choice for armchair detectives and shows why Val McDermid is still one of the most popular contemporary British crime novelists. 

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