The Wire in the Blood by Val McDermid: Psychologist Task Force versus Serial Killer

Tony Hill is a psychologist who sets a task for his team of budding police officers: to look for a pattern in the mysterious disappearances of young girls across the UK. Officer Shaz is the brightest button of the crew, pitches her theory a high-profile celeb, Jacko Vance is the killer. This propels her colleagues into laughing fits.

Only when she starts probing deeper and making enquiries does something shocking happen that demonstrates Vance’s prowess as a truly chilling killer.

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But with this revelation early in the novel, there are few other surprises in store, other than learning some of Vance’s backstory, which Tony’s team does to get a conviction.

McDermid’s character and community descriptions are vivid, and I love some her turns of phrases, which brought clear imagery. But the plot got tediously hampered by two big-footed plods who decide to freeze the task force on suspicion of murder, simply because the victim ‘knew’ her colleagues. Both plods were so big-footed, they were almost unbelievable.

And so Tony and co have to go it alone in nailing Vance. They complete an in depth profile of their subject to prove he has the disposition of the archetypal serial killer. But this alone is not enough to nail him. Time is running short in finding the location of a young girl Vance has kidnapped.

I didn’t see the relevance of a subplot involving serial arson within an industrial estate. The two stories did not link up at the end. The main plot was rather too indepth in its journey through coppers’ conversing and recapping on events. At times, I wanted the story to move on.

Vance convinced as a psychopath, a twisted mind sheltered behind ‘Teflon’ man, non-stick and too glossy in front of the cameras. But the ending heralded a question mark on whether Tony could get a conviction once they had found the girl in Vance’s house. Since Vance had sexually abused his victim and spat at her, his DNA on her body would have been in no short supply. The story was set in 1997, so DNA science was still around.

Vivid scenes and with some compelling drama, but I did feel the thriller would have been tighter with some scenes cut.