Past Lying

Past Lying by Val McDermid is a razor-smart crime thriller that blends literary intrigue with the dogged satisfaction of a cold case finally being pushed back into the light. Set in atmospheric Edinburgh, it follows DCI Karen Pirie as a dead writer’s unfinished manuscript lands on her desk – and reads uncomfortably like a guide to a real disappearance.

The story circles an old case: a university student who vanished from her own doorstep, leaving behind questions no one has been able to settle. As Karen traces the manuscript’s origins and the people who had reasons to keep the past buried, the investigation tightens into a knot of grudge, misdirection and half-told truths.

Perfect for readers who love Scottish crime fiction, police procedurals with sharp character work, and mysteries where books, secrets and identity collide.

Step into Edinburgh’s shadows and see where the story really ends.