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Disgraced psychiatrist Charlie Flint's career looks like it's on the rocks. She's facing a disciplinary hearing after a report of hers led to a psychopath being set free. So she's got a lot of time on her hands when she receives a mysterious envelope of press cuttings through the post. The articles relate to a murder in the grounds of Charlie's old Oxford college. A groom was found battered to death hours after his wedding and two of his work colleagues have been found guilty of his murder. Except, someone has doubts about their guilt and wants Charlie to investigate. Val McDermid has scarcely put a foot wrong in a 25-year career which has shown a willingness to experiment across the genre. I've always had a very soft spot for her Lindsay Gordon novels, but the standalones run these close. What McDermid does well is to take that old genre idea of a closed community, be it a village or a university, and then shape it to her own ends. I thought at first TRICK OF THE DARK was going to be one of those insular Oxbridge novels where everyone stands around sipping port and tossing out bon mots. Far from it. Charlie and the other characters linked to St Scholastika's can be perceived as outsiders because of their sexuality. In fact, we don't get much feel for the college, as Charlie seems to spend a lot of her time rushing around the UK. And she's a plausible amateur sleuth who's used to the legal process and asking questions – and she has a tame policeman on call as well. TRICK OF THE DARK won't be everyone's cup of tea. No doubt there will be the usual helping of bigots who claim they're not homophobic, but why do we have to have all these lesbians flaunting themselves all over the place? All I can say is, it's about time a mainstream publisher finally woke up to the fact that gay and lesbian characters can have starring roles and not just be there in the background as the loyal friend. And, for McDermid, it's one of her more low-key outings – you won't get the blood and guts of the Tony Hill series here. But it's more effective for that if, like me, you subscribe to the 'less is generally more' theory. Yes, TRICK OF THE DARK is a wee bit short on tension, but it's well-paced and has at the centre the enigmatic character of businesswoman Jay Stewart to keep us hooked. You may well guess the ending – I had my suspicions – but it's an engaging ride to get there. And, even better, Robson Green won't get cast in the lead role! § Sharon Wheeler is a UK-based journalist, writer and lecturer.
Reviewed by Sharon Wheeler, October 2010
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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