A Place of Execution

Written by Val McDermid

Narrated by Paddy Glynn

Winter 1963: two children have disappeared off the streets of Manchester; the murderous careers of Myra Hindley and Ian Brady have begun. On a freezlng 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, Val McDermid's 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.

A Place of Execution is winner of the 2000 Los Angeles Times Book Prize and a 2001 Edgar Award Nominee for Best Novel.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: May 16, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543613278

Val McDermid

VAL McDERMID is the internationally bestselling author of more than twenty crime novels. She has won the CWA Gold Dagger Award for Best Crime Novel of the Year and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; her novels have been selected as New York Times Notable Books and have been Edgar Award finalists. She was the 2010 recipient of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Crime Writing. More than 10 million copies of her books have been sold around the world. She lives in the north of England. Visit her website at www.valmcdermid.com.

Reviews for A Place of Execution

[Pamela Child · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A winding tale of conspiracy that survived many years and would have never been revealed except for a chance meeting. I actually had to listen to the explanation twice to figure it out. A bit of witchcraft it would seem

[Jessica Kopchik · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very interesting book, excellent reading, very detailed. I’m not a huge fan of books that flashback and forward, but it was done tastefully I thought, not excessive. All in all I enjoyed it.

[Jill Jorgensen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Out of the other books I have read by Val. I like this one the best.

[Ronda Seidule · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book, told in two sections, years apart. I was gobsmacked by the ending. Don't read any other reviews, I read a few that...just
don't! If you love true crime you'll love this book, it ties into the Moors Murders, and if you love suspense and mystery you'll love this book.

[kale.dyer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Excellent murder mystery set in the English countryside with the village in question having a dark secret. Really well done.

[silentq_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This one's languished on my to-read shelf for years, but I finally was in the mood for a crime novel. It's in two parts, with the conceit that an author is interviewing the main players involved in the investigation of a young girl from a tiny village in Derbyshire in the 1960's. First we get her book, and then it switches to the present day to cover her reaction to the detective's request that she suppress the book due to new information. I blazed through this in one day that I spent at home sick on the couch, it sucked me right in and I kept wanting to learn more. The middle drags a tiny bit as the trial is only sketchily covered, the detective is ordered not to attend. It's well written and didn't give too much away too soon. There were a couple of revelations that made me gasp out loud, and the interplay of suspicions and certainty and provable facts were fascinating. The central crime is disturbing as it involves the abuse of a 13 year old girl, so I doubt that I'll re-read it, but I'm tempted to at least re-skim it to see if knowing the end puts a new light on any of the early chapters.

[Sharon Brittingham · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I purposely looked up more books by Val McDermid. I had read only one of her books previously but knew I was hooked. So far, the narration has been excellent as well. I will probably read at least one of her books every month.
You will not be disappointed by this to part story. Well written and riveting.

[runner56_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A beautifully crafted police procedural within a highly entertaining cast of characters. Val McDermid can not only hold the reader's attention with an edge of the seat thriller but expertly disguises the real human story behind the killing of Alison Carter until the closing chapters. Her writing style is nothing short of brilliant showing once again why she has few equal to her as a crime writer.

[quondame · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Well enough written and paced, with the awkward sentence or so, the entire story depends on the unlikely setup and is so full of detail that the characters, which seem to offer promise, really aren't given room to be more than ciphers with a stereotype as a label - upright police officer with supportive new wife, smarmy news reporter, old knowing village woman, nasty piece of work villain, self promoting police superior. The police sergeant Thomas almost comes through, but it's not enough.

This meta mystery is so clever it cuts itself. Lest you not notice, Book II, Part II is located before Book II Part I and that placement is all that gives Book II Part I its tension. Also a reference is made to The Wicker Man to rub in the rubes using the police to their own ends aspect.

[pepe68-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

very riveting. there's always a sense that something is not as it seems but i never guessed what it was. the plot around the policeman is convincing and makes the book a bit more than just a whodunnit

[brakketh-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Excellent murder mystery set in the English countryside with the village in question having a dark secret. Really well done.

[floratina · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

READ IN DUTCH

My first book from Val McDermid and it didn't disappoint me. I had seen the series with Tony Hill, but this isn't one of them.
I liked to see into one village so closed to strangers, I couldn't even believe there are actually places where people still live like that. I liked the plot, but sometimes it was a little bit slow and taking the speed out of it, which didn't make it easy to continue reading. It also had the doom to be my Holidaybook, and as I don't seem to be able to read whenever I'm on holiday, this might not have helped either.

[jselliott-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An incredible stand-alone volume from Val McDermid. I found this novel almost impossible to put down (but one has to make tea and sleep, you know). A very cleverly-framed text, you don't quite know where you're at with this murder mystery. What at first looks like a rather neat and tidy investigation with no (or minimal) loose ends, turns out to be something else entirely.

Murder in a small, traditional English country town set in both the 1960s and modern day. And there's always a cup of tea to be had. I appreciate a writer who understands the importance of tea! ;)

It's also nothing like the Kate Brannigan series, which I started reading after this, my first McDermid book.

[balthazar0lawson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There are often novels that are about old convictions that are bought into question because of new information and the story is about unraveling the truth. This is that sort of story but in reverse. We start with a crime, the disappearance of 13 year old Alison Carter, and follow it through to the end of the investigation and subsequent court case. We then jump 35 years where the truth about what really happened is revealed.

The only thing I can say against this novel is that is long and perhaps a bit too wordy. Otherwise, it's a good read.

[lb121100 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a great mystery. I thought I figured it out but there were still some details that I missed. McDermit is a great writer. You get engrossed in the books right away. I recommend this one very highly. Then you will be a fan like me.

[ant.harrison · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Oh, if only Val McDermid would write more books like this: stand-alone crime novels which are gripping and believable and that leave resonances after you've read the last page. Here, she is so good at conjuring up the 1960s and takes us to the histrionic setting where children go missing and are murdered. Told in flashback, both the contemporary and historical scenes are brilliantly realised. I didn't want this book to end. So much better than those predictable and formulaic forensic-psychologist-serial-killer books that she's better known for. More like this please Val.

© Koplowitz 2011

[mikedraper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In 1963 as the story begins, it's the time in England when the Beatles released their first album and the time of The Great Train Robbery.
The setting is the Derbyshire area, known for the Peak District National Park.

A constable gets a call from a woman asking for help. Her fifteen-year-old daughter is missing.

Since two other children have been missing recently, police set up an immediate search.

Alison Carter lived with her mother and step-father in a small hamlet of Scardale which is made op of only a few houses and about three families who were closely connected.

The investigation, led by Det. Inspector George Bennett is very thorough but stalls. Then one resident remembers an old mine. At that scene, evidence is found that points to one person. Further investigation makes police certain but there's not a body. Officials must decide if there is sufficient evidence to try this person for murder.

The setting of the small hamlet is well described as is the confidence of the residents that Alison will be found. Then we experience their realization that she won't.

Then the story moves to 1998 when George Bennett is retired. A woman meets George's son and tells him she's writing a book about the events in Scardale. She wants to return there for research. New events come to life that will shock the reader.

A well plotted, well written story which is vastly entertaining.

[adithyajones · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One of the best mystery books I have ever read..You are kept on the edge and it is difficult to put the book down with out knowing the resolution..

[ruthm2010 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A young girl goes missing from her home in a small close-knit Derbyshire community and a major police investigation into the circumstances surrounding her disappearance begins. Utterly believable and completely gripping it captures the emotional journey of the characters in a story which spans over 35 years.

[womansheart_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Surprising "Jack-in-the Box" resolution brings great pleasure to reading this village mystery by Val McDermid

This novel wasn't available at my usual source, The Library, so I found it on-line, used, and immediately bought it, thinking I would read it sometime soon. Little did I know that once I had begun it was so interesting that I would polish it off in no time flat. I have to say, while the writing is excellent and the characters are believable and well drawn, it is the twist at the end that made this book for me. No spoilers should ever happen in reviews of this delightful book, so that it impacts each reader in it's own way.

It is set in a very small village in Derbyshire. A young girl, aged thirteen, goes missing one day after she had taken her dog out for a walk before evening tea. A recent hire at a nearby police force is assigned to find the missing girl and bring relief to her anxious mother. He is quickly obsessed with the case and with determining what has happened to this young girl. He has a good partner and following procedures, the partners put their very best efforts into the mystery of what has happened. Neither the living child, nor her body are ever found. There is an arrest after quite some time has passed and new evidence comes to the detective that point in the direction of the girl's step-father. The investigation heats up.

Let me pause here to let you decide for yourself if there is an empty nook or cranny anywhere in your home library or in your "reader's brain". If there is, jump on this title. It is a terrific and satisfying read.

I highly recommend this book. It is one that will stay in my memory for many, many years because the author is clever and compelling as a story teller.

[mazda502001 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the first book by this author that I have read and really enjoyed it.

Back Cover Blurb:
Winter 1963: two children have disappeared in 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 an isolated Derbyshire hamlet. For the young George Bennett, a newly promoted inspector, it is the beginning of his most harrowing case: a murder with no body, an investigation filled with dead ends and closed faces, an outcome that reverberates down the years.
Decades later he finally tells his story to Catherine Heathcote, but just when her book is to be published, Bennet unaccountably tries to pull the plug. He has new information which he refuses to divulge, information that threatens the foundations of his existence.
Catherine is forced to reinvestigate the past, with results that turn the world upside down.

[audryh_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

DI Bennett investigates the disappearance and apparent murder of a 14 year old girl from a rural ingrown community. Step-father is executed without a body being discovered. 35 years later the truth is revealed.

[chersbookitlist · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one of most well-written mystery novels I have ever read. If you like suspense and mystery stories, it is a must read.

[lesaholstine · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Powerful British novel of a writer relating the story of a twenty-year-old crime, only to have the cop who reported the story back out. The story was about the disappearance of a young girl from a small isolated village.

[ct4bergeron · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

On a feezing day in December 1963. 13 years old Alison Carter vanishes from her village. Nothing will ever be the same for the inhabitant of the isolated hamlet in the english countryside. Newly promoted Inspector George Bennett is determined to solve the case - even if it is just to bring home a daughter's dead body to her mother. As days progressed, the likelyhood that Alison has been murdered increases when a gruesome discovery is made in a cave. But with no corpse, the barest of the clues and an investigation that turns up more questions than answers, Bennett finds himself up against a stone wall... until he learns the shocking truth - a truth that will have far-reaching consequences. Decades later, Bennett finally tells his story to journalist Catherine Heathcote. But, just when the book is ready for publication,he pulls the plug on it without explanation. He has new information taht he will not divulge. Refusing to let the past remain a mystery, Catherine sets out to uncover what really happen to Alison Carter. But the secret is one she may wish she'd left buried on that dark day 35 years ago.

[cathyskye · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Protagonist(s): Detective Inspector George Bennett, journalist Catherine Heathcote
Setting: Derbyshire, England in 1963 and 1998

I've read a couple of McDermid's Kate Brannigan mystery series and enjoyed them so much that I thought I would try one of her standalones. I was not disappointed. McDermid is becoming one of my favorite authors.

It is a freezing cold December in 1963. 13-year-old Alison Carter lives in a tiny isolated community in Derbyshire called Scardale. She is envied by her friends because her stepfather buys her all the latest records. (And if you're an English teenager in 1963, Beatles records are a *must*.) One evening she steps out with her dog to take a walk and disappears. Newly promoted Detective Inspector George Bennett takes over the investigation. He doesn't have the experience, but everyone else is on leave. He takes Alison's disappearance to heart and in due course finds that the biggest obstacle to finding her is the distrust of the villagers. Thirty-five years later, Catherine Heathcote decides to write a book on the case that made Bennett's career. No one is prepared for what happens next.

Usually when I read a mystery, one thing stands above all the rest, whether it's the characterization or the setting or the plot. In A Place of Execution, all three are brilliantly done and each has an integral part in the book. One scene in particular will always stand out in my mind. In that scene, McDermid's language is simple and direct without being overly graphic--but I was left stunned, sickened, and with tears swimming in my eyes. Very powerful and moving! I wouldn't be at all surprised if this is one of my Top Ten reads of the year.

[devenish_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is just brilliant ! By far Mcdermid's finest book. It leads on from the Moors Murders of 1963 and interweaves this with her novel.I've rarely been so surprised by a denouncement before.