The Distant Echo - Val McDermid

This book took me a while to read - not because it wasn't good, just because I have been going through some personal drama and when this type of thing happens I have a really hard time concentrating. It actually took me almost 3 weeks to finish this book but I am certainly glad I did.

According to amazon.com "Set in 1978 in St. Andrews, Scotland, four drunken male students, friends since childhood, stumble over the raped and stabbed body of a dying woman, Rosie Duff, while staggering home through a snow storm. Though her violent brothers are convinced of their guilt, no one is charged with Rosie's murder. In part two, 25 years later, the police hope new forensic technologies will solve the crime, and suddenly someone is stalking the four men, whose lives have been haunted and their relationships changed by the murder. Two die, supposedly by accident, and the remaining pair, Alex Gilbey and Tom Mackie, must find out what happened before they're killed, too. James Lawson, an assistant chief constable who was a junior cop in 1978, wants to close the case and avenge the death of his admired superior, DI Barney Maclennan, who fell from a cliff during the initial inquiry. When Graham Macfadyen, who claims he's Rosie's illegitimate son and also seeking revenge, contacts Lawson, the investigation takes a startling turn."

There is a lot to this book and it was definitely a page turner. I liked how half of the novel was set in 1978 and the rest in 2004. It broke the book up quite nicely and allowed us to see who the characters grew to be. I also liked how all the characters were so different and even though they grew up to be people they would probably not choose to be friends with -they still were friends when it came down to it. I think that is pretty true to life, sometimes you make friends you will have forever and those seem to be the ones you want when bad stuff is going down.

All of Val McDermid books are good. I have enjoyed everyone I have read. I have yet to read any of her series' but am looking forward to them in the future.

Rating - 3