Winter 1963: two children have disappeared off the streets of Manchester; the murderous careers of Myra Hindley and Ian Brady have begun. On a freezing day in December, another child goes missing: thirteen-year-old Alison Carter vanishes from her town, an insular community that distrusts the outside world. For the young George Bennett, a newly promoted inspector, it is the beginning of his most difficult and harrowing case: a murder with no body, an investigation with more dead ends and closed faces than he'd have found in the anonymity of the inner city, and an outcome which reverberates through the years. Decades later he finally tells his story to journalist Catherine Heathcote, but just when the book is poised for publication, Bennett unaccountably tries to pull the plug. He has new information which he refuses to divulge, new information that threatens the very foundations of his existence. Catherine is forced to re-investigate the past, with results that turn the world upside down. A Greek tragedy in modern England, A PLACE OF EXECUTION is a taut psychological thriller that explores, exposes and explodes the border between reality and illusion in a multi-layered narrative that turns expectations on their head and reminds us that what we know is what we do not know.
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"Extremely practical and tactical advice on how to get stuff done and how to get other people to get stuff done. Great balance between teaching the concepts and making them actionable. I've started to implement the 4DX strategy and it's working for me! Good stuff!" — Kelly (4 out of 5 stars)
"Extremely practical and tactical advice on how to get stuff done and how to get other people to get stuff done. Great balance between teaching the concepts and making them actionable. I've started to implement the 4DX strategy and it's working for me! Good stuff!"
“Val McDermid’s elegiac study of a heinous crime and its aftermath, is very much in the (P. D.) Jamesian mode, both in its inventive use of devices of detection and its mournful view of murder as a moral reckoning.”
“One of the most ingenious mystery novels ever.”
“Inventively conceived and wonderfully written…A marvel from start to finish.”
“Val McDemid’s best work to date.”
“Val McDermid has created a novel so intense and vivid that the reader suspends her own reality and enters the world of Scardale in 1963. The story is tightly told with characters so memorable that they become part of our life. A brilliantly logical denouement stuns and shatters us, making this a most remarkable reading experience.”
“McDermid…generates curiosity and, finally, whiplash surprise.”
“McDermid spins a haunting tale whose complexity never masks her adroitness at creating memorable characters and scenes. Her narrative spell is such that the reader is immersed immediately in the rural Britain of the early 60s. She clearly did extensive research on how police work was done at the time, and it has paid off beautifully. The format of the novel is unusual, with much of it purporting to be a true crime book, but McDermid keeps the suspense taut, and her pacing never flags. This is an extraordinary achievement, and it’s sure to be on many lists of the best mysteries of the year.”
" Very Good; covers how to get things done by focusing on Wildly Important Goals "
" one/time, focus to wig wildly imp goal, lead measures, 80/20 focus, compelling scoreboard, rhythm of accountability. "
" Great for implementing goals and accountability. Read this for work and I also want to use it in my personal life. "
" I just started a new job and I am really enjoying this way of motivating the organization from the ground up. Very smart! "
" A novel in two parts , not sure the second part added much to the story , was a bit predictable at the end. The twist wasn't a surprise as i had guessed it allready. "
" This is a chilling murder mystery. It is not for the faint-hearted, yet it is a wonderfully contructed story. "
" Excellent read! Found it hard to put down. Love the twist towards the end. And even though I have read it multiple times still enjoyed it after the first read through. "
" An unusual mystery is always welcome at my house! "
" I loved this book. It is one of the few books I have read a second time and knowing the ending didn't spoil the enjoyment of the story. Val McDermid is a great writer. "
" A great mystery. I give it 4.5 stars as it was full of suspense and interesting characters. "
" A Place of Execution by Val McDermidI'm a big fan of Val McDermid, her writing is always impeccable and as soon as one chapter ends you want to start another immediately! I look forward to reading more of her work. "
" I enjoyed this book although it was a slow starter, whilst I realise this is one of her earliest books, I think her more recent ones are much better. "
" Superbly written. Never saw the ending coming! "
" ONE OF THE BEST BOOK TO COME ALONG! "
" The best mystery I've read in a long time. The story is well-paced even though this is a long text. It was really hard for me to put this down once I started. "
" This book really sucked me in - a fairly intelligent murder mystery! The twist at the end is worth wading through the first 200 pages of character development. "
" Good mystery - it was a good time filler. "
" I love a good British mystery. This one was hard to put down. "
" Absolutely superb. I have a soft spot for mysteries about cold cases. This one was done perfectly. I could not stop reading. "
Val McDermid is an author whose bestselling novels have won the Los Angeles Times Book of the Year Award, and the Crime Writers' Association's Gold Dagger and Cartier Diamond Dagger Award for outstanding achievement. She is also a multiple finalist for the Edgar Award, including for the true crime nominee Forensics. Her novels have been translated into forty languages and have sold over 16 million copies. Visit her online at ValMcDermid.com.
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