A review by winniefoster
A Place of Execution by Val McDermid

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book is very uneven in pacing and tone. The first section drags and there is an obvious twist that most readers will spot hundreds of pages before the narrator or the detectives. 
However, if this novel had been more tightly edited, it would have deserved five stars for the plot and evocative landscapes.