She Treads Softly: Silent Bones

Friday, November 14, 2025

Silent Bones

Silent Bones by Val McDermid
12/2/25; 432 pages
Grove/Atlantic
Karen Pirie Series #8

Silent Bones by Val McDermid is a recommended procedural, highly for the right reader, and the eight novel featuring DCI Karen Pirie in Scotland. It can be read as a standalone novel.

Two cases are investigated by the Historical Crimes Unit of Police Scotland lead by DCI Pirie and her team DS Daisy Mortimer and DC Jason Murray (Mint). The first is a body uncovered when rain causes a landslide on a motorway which was built eleven years ago. The remains are identified as belonging to Sam Nimmo, an investigative journalist. He was believed to be on the run after his pregnant fiancée was found murdered and he was the prime suspect. Now it is clear that someone killed Nimmo.

The second case involves a death from five years ago. The death was determined to be accidental, but New Zealander Drew Jamieson believes his brother hotel manager Tom Jamieson was murdered and wants Police Scotland’s Historic Cases Unit to look at the death. Tom appeared to have fallen down Edinburgh’s Scotsman Steps, but Drew obtained camera footage that showed manufacturer Marcus Nicol following Tom that night.

The quality of the writing is very good. While the plot set-up is interesting and the two cases being investigated are compelling enough, the pace felt way-too-slow moving in this outing of the Historical Crimes Unit. It also felt unnecessarily wordy, making the cases over complicated when it became clear the direction the investigations were heading. Perhaps this is my problem due to reading several tightly plotted, succinct novels lately. For everyone who loves procedurals, however, Silent Bones certainly does have the team follow up on every clue and piece of information they discover. I have enjoyed other novels in the series more.

The characters are all well-know at this point in the series and continue to experience more development while looking into these cases so those new to the series can easily follow who is who. While they are investigating, the suspects and others involved in the cases also receive character development along the way. Expect many Scottish procedures, phrases, and words along the way. Take note that it felt dodgy and annoying for a Scot to bring up her personal opinions on US politics several times.

Silent Bones is a good choice for those who enjoy detailed procedurals. Thanks to Grove/Atlantic for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.