The Skeleton Road

The thrilling new stand-alone novel from one of the world’s most celebrated crime writers proves that the secrets of the past can never really be hidden . . .

In the centre of historic Edinburgh, builders are preparing to demolish a disused Victorian Gothic building. They are understandably surprised to find skeletal remains hidden in a high pinnacle that hasn’t been touched by maintenance for years. Who do the bones belong to, and how did they get there? Could the eccentric British pastime of free climbing the outside of buildings play a role?

Enter cold case detective Karen Pirie, who gets to work trying to establish the corpse’s identity. When it turns out the bones may be from as far away as the former Yugoslavia, Karen will need to dig deeper than she ever imagined into the tragic history of the Balkans: to war crimes and their consequences, and ultimately to the notion of what justice is and who serves it.

Atmospheric, spine-chilling and brimming with intrigue and suspense, this is Val McDermid’s richest and most accomplished psychological thriller to date.

PRAISE FOR VAL MCDERMID

“She’s the best we’ve got.” —THE NEW YORK TIMES

“Val McDermid has become our leading pathologist of everyday evil. . . . The subtle orchestration of terror is masterful.” —THE GUARDIAN (UK)

“One of the world’s leading mystery writers. . . . Thomas Harris crossed with Agatha Christie, if you will.” —OBSERVER