Horrifying Discoveries at a Former Convent

The most popular and talented novelist, TheScottish Val McDermid Her new novel explores difficult social issues, So talk to the dead. Authorities, who found the bodies as the former convent was demolished, must determine what happened. They suspect the existence of a serial killer and begin a complex and dangerous investigation.

When a promoter carrying out demolitions on the site of a former convent unearths the bodies of children, Paula McIntyre’s team, in charge of the investigation, begins questioning the former residents of the nuns’ brutality.

Other gruesome discoveries await the police, and the gardener denounces the priest who convinced him to bury homeless people in holy ground.

This track, like the previous one, leads to a dead end. It is necessary to “make the dead speak”, whose disturbing figure leaves the shadow of a serial killer. A regional brigade, which is not used cold boxRecruits Carol Jordan, who has been dropped from the police force, and her sidekick Tony Hill, an expert in psychological profiling.

to the source

Val McDermid, the famous Scottish author, is an expert in the art of conveying a lot of information while keeping a steady pace while telling a compelling story.

“When I try to find information, I don’t just go to the library or the Internet: I try to talk to people who actually do it. So, I have stories and facts. I can add a lot of things to my lessons,” she explains in a telephone interview from her home in Scotland.

That’s what she does with psychological profiler Tony Hill in this novel.

“I didn’t know a psychological profiler or a clinical psychologist and by chance, while watching local TV, I saw this gentleman who was a profiler for the police. I convinced him to talk to me and we became friends. He said what he was doing. His methods are those of Tony Hill in the book. The stories he told me, all the details, were not information found in a book. We understand this when we take the time to meet these people. »

True facts

The birth ofSo talk to the dead Associated with the actual discovery of a place where babies born to single mothers were buried, while they were cared for by a religious institution.

“A few years ago I listened to a great BBC podcast about the town of Tuam in Ireland, where there was a huge scandal. The infants were buried in the convent grounds. I find that awful. But I thought it was an interesting idea to explore for a novel. »

Then she delved into methodical research and writing.

“Then I had to figure out how to incorporate the characters into this story. »

Val McDermid, a feminist writer well aware of the news, recalled that women were oppressed.

She observed, “The attitude of society and the church was unforgiving and ungenerous. Women were so oppressed… there was no way they could stand up like they do today.”

“It’s no surprise to anyone. »

When the book was released in its original English language version it received an overwhelming response from its readers.

“Readers are very interested in the idea of ​​the novel. The story is fictional, but what happened in Catholic convents and schools fits the culture of the day. »

• Scottish author Val McDermid is the author of nearly thirty novels, which have been translated and sold over 15 million copies.
• She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
• She has won several prestigious international awards including the Diamond Dagger Lifetime Achievement Award.
• In Flammarion, she recently published The limits are yours, Honeymoon And Rough terrain.
• She sang in the rock band The Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers.

Summarize

“ Despite programming in her GPS, Carol Jordan has trouble finding Melissa Rintoul’s address. She had only been to Edinburgh twice before and had a vague memory of the New Town, its wide streets, tall Georgian buildings and private gardens enclosed by iron fences designed to keep out intruders. But behind these austere facades, a labyrinth of small lanes and alleys, where old carriage sheds have been transformed into beautiful apartments, is clearly hidden. »