Get Your Free Audiobook
-
Still Life
- Narrated by: Cathleen McCarron
- Length: 13 hrs and 6 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction
Non-member price: $34.94
People who bought this also bought...
-
Broken Ground
- Karen Pirie, Book 5
- By: Val McDermid
- Narrated by: Cathleen McCarron
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a body is discovered in the remote depths of the Highlands, DCI Karen Pirie finds herself in the right place at the right time. Unearthed with someone's long-buried inheritance, the victim seems to belong to the distant past - until new evidence suggests otherwise, and Karen is called in to unravel a case where nothing is as it seems. It's not long before an overheard conversation draws Karen into the heart of a different case, however - a shocking crime she thought she'd already prevented. As she inches closer to the twisted truths at the centre of these murders, it becomes clear that she's dealing with a version of justice terrifyingly different to her own....
-
-
Great story extraordinary narration
- By Anonymous User on 16-09-2018
-
The Skeleton Road
- By: Val McDermid
- Narrated by: Cathleen McCarron
- Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a skeleton is discovered hidden at the top of a gothic Victorian building in Edinburgh, which is scheduled for renovation, Cold Case Squad detective Karen Pirie is given the task of identifying the decades-old bones. Her investigation leads her back to past conflicts, false identities and buried secrets...
-
-
my first auto book ever,
- By Steve on 25-07-2015
-
Ahead of the Game
- A Scottish Murder Mystery (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, Book 10)
- By: JD Kirk
- Narrated by: Angus King
- Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a body is discovered at a popular Highland landmark, it seems like just another day on the job for DCI Jack Logan and his team. Except this body is missing a very vital component, and given its location - The Well of Seven Heads - it seems like someone is trying to send a message. But why? And to whom?
-
-
JD Kirk’s best so far
- By Martine H on 23-03-2021
-
A Darker Domain
- By: Val McDermid
- Narrated by: Eilidh Fraser
- Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's 1984. The miners' strike is dividing the country. In a struggling coal-mining town, the miners and their families are living at the edge of their resources. On the 14th of December, five miners break ranks to travel to Nottingham and work. For those who stay behind, this is an unforgivable betrayal. Twenty-three years later, a young woman is asking the police to trace her missing father. Miner Mick Prentice vanished, never to be seen again.
-
-
Terrible
- By Noelle N. on 10-04-2021
-
Out Of Bounds
- By: Val McDermid
- Narrated by: Cathleen McCarron
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a teenage joyrider crashes a stolen car and ends up in a coma, a routine DNA test could be the key to unlocking the mystery of a 20-year-old murder inquiry. Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie is an expert at solving the unsolvable. With each cold case closed, justice is served. So, finding the answer should be straightforward, but it's as twisted as the DNA helix itself.
-
-
Great voice.
- By Jan A on 28-09-2016
-
A Snowball's Chance in Hell
- A Scottish Murder Mystery (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, Book 9)
- By: JD Kirk
- Narrated by: Angus King
- Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a young man is found frozen to death on a Highland street in mid-December, DCI Jack Logan initially puts it down to a Christmas night out gone tragically wrong. But, when a postmortem reveals something more sinister, Jack discovers he is dealing with a cold, calculating killer with a long line of victims, a talent for torture, and a perverse sense of justice.
-
-
Humour in crime novels
- By DebManning on 27-01-2021
-
Broken Ground
- Karen Pirie, Book 5
- By: Val McDermid
- Narrated by: Cathleen McCarron
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a body is discovered in the remote depths of the Highlands, DCI Karen Pirie finds herself in the right place at the right time. Unearthed with someone's long-buried inheritance, the victim seems to belong to the distant past - until new evidence suggests otherwise, and Karen is called in to unravel a case where nothing is as it seems. It's not long before an overheard conversation draws Karen into the heart of a different case, however - a shocking crime she thought she'd already prevented. As she inches closer to the twisted truths at the centre of these murders, it becomes clear that she's dealing with a version of justice terrifyingly different to her own....
-
-
Great story extraordinary narration
- By Anonymous User on 16-09-2018
-
The Skeleton Road
- By: Val McDermid
- Narrated by: Cathleen McCarron
- Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a skeleton is discovered hidden at the top of a gothic Victorian building in Edinburgh, which is scheduled for renovation, Cold Case Squad detective Karen Pirie is given the task of identifying the decades-old bones. Her investigation leads her back to past conflicts, false identities and buried secrets...
-
-
my first auto book ever,
- By Steve on 25-07-2015
-
Ahead of the Game
- A Scottish Murder Mystery (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, Book 10)
- By: JD Kirk
- Narrated by: Angus King
- Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a body is discovered at a popular Highland landmark, it seems like just another day on the job for DCI Jack Logan and his team. Except this body is missing a very vital component, and given its location - The Well of Seven Heads - it seems like someone is trying to send a message. But why? And to whom?
-
-
JD Kirk’s best so far
- By Martine H on 23-03-2021
-
A Darker Domain
- By: Val McDermid
- Narrated by: Eilidh Fraser
- Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's 1984. The miners' strike is dividing the country. In a struggling coal-mining town, the miners and their families are living at the edge of their resources. On the 14th of December, five miners break ranks to travel to Nottingham and work. For those who stay behind, this is an unforgivable betrayal. Twenty-three years later, a young woman is asking the police to trace her missing father. Miner Mick Prentice vanished, never to be seen again.
-
-
Terrible
- By Noelle N. on 10-04-2021
-
Out Of Bounds
- By: Val McDermid
- Narrated by: Cathleen McCarron
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a teenage joyrider crashes a stolen car and ends up in a coma, a routine DNA test could be the key to unlocking the mystery of a 20-year-old murder inquiry. Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie is an expert at solving the unsolvable. With each cold case closed, justice is served. So, finding the answer should be straightforward, but it's as twisted as the DNA helix itself.
-
-
Great voice.
- By Jan A on 28-09-2016
-
A Snowball's Chance in Hell
- A Scottish Murder Mystery (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, Book 9)
- By: JD Kirk
- Narrated by: Angus King
- Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a young man is found frozen to death on a Highland street in mid-December, DCI Jack Logan initially puts it down to a Christmas night out gone tragically wrong. But, when a postmortem reveals something more sinister, Jack discovers he is dealing with a cold, calculating killer with a long line of victims, a talent for torture, and a perverse sense of justice.
-
-
Humour in crime novels
- By DebManning on 27-01-2021
-
The Distant Echo
- By: Val McDermid
- Narrated by: Tom Cotcher
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a freezing morning four drunken students stumble upon the body of a woman in the snow. Rosie has been raped, stabbed and left for dead in a cemetery. The only suspects are the four young men now stained with her blood. Twenty-five years later the police mount a cold-case review of Rosie’s unsolved murder, and the four are still suspects. But when two of them die in suspicious circumstances, it seems that someone is pursuing their own brand of justice....
-
-
Keeps you guessing ...
- By Mimosa on 11-01-2019
-
Tell No Tales
- The Hidden Norfolk Murder Mystery Series, Book 4
- By: J M Dalgliesh
- Narrated by: Greg Patmore
- Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a world of lies, one truth remains. Dead men tell no tales...When the body of an unidentified man is found at the foot of Sheringham cliffs with injuries inconsistent with a fall, DI Tom Janssen must piece together his final days to determine how he fell to his death...or who pushed him...The investigation quickly reveals a network of locals with ties to the victim, but as for the man himself...he remains something of a mystery. The dead man doesn't fit in; not with his social circle, not with his business interests, and when others come looking for him, the intrigue only deepens.
-
The Darkest Evening
- By: Ann Cleeves
- Narrated by: Janine Birkett
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Driving home during a swirling blizzard, Vera Stanhope's only thought is to get there quickly. But the snow is so heavy that she becomes disorientated and loses her way. Ploughing on, she sees a car slewed off the road ahead of her. With the driver's door open, Vera assumes the driver has sought shelter, but when she inspects the car she is shocked to find a young toddler strapped in the back seat. Afraid they will freeze, Vera takes the child and drives on, arriving at Brockburn, a run-down stately home she immediately recognises as the house her father, Hector, grew up in.
-
-
Vintage Vera
- By Ruth on 05-10-2020
-
A Death Most Monumental
- A Scottish Detective Mystery (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, Book 8)
- By: JD Kirk
- Narrated by: Angus King
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the remains of a brutally murdered young woman are left hanging from the Glenfinnan Monument in the Highlands of Scotland, DCI Jack Logan and his Major Investigations team are dispatched to investigate. At first, the case appears to be fairly open and shut. But, as evidence mounts, Jack uncovers some shocking truths about the victim that risk turning the investigation into a potentially explosive international incident.
-
-
Plots and laughs
- By Maureen Brown on 08-01-2021
-
A Song for the Dark Times
- By: Ian Rankin
- Narrated by: James Macpherson
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When his daughter Samantha calls in the dead of night, John Rebus knows it's not good news. Her husband has been missing for two days. Rebus fears the worst - and knows from his lifetime in the police that his daughter will be the prime suspect. He wasn't the best father - the job always came first - but now his daughter needs him more than ever. As he leaves at dawn to drive to the windswept coast - and a small town with big secrets - he wonders whether this might be the first time in his life where the truth is the one thing he doesn't want to find....
-
-
Another Rebus Masterpiece
- By Kirsty on 04-10-2020
-
The Last Bloody Straw
- A Scottish Crime Thriller (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers)
- By: JD Kirk
- Narrated by: Angus King
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tormented by the recent loss of a colleague, DCI Jack Logan is on the warpath, determined to bring down all those he holds responsible for the officer's death. His quest for revenge is cut short when a woman's body turns up on the remote island of Canna, and Jack is summoned to investigate. As a storm closes in, Jack finds himself cut-off from the rest of the world, with no car, no phone signal, and only DC Neish for company,
-
-
I love this series
- By Nerissa on 16-10-2020
-
The Coffinmaker’s Garden
- By: Stuart MacBride
- Narrated by: Ian Hanmore
- Length: 16 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a massive storm batters the Scottish coast, Gordon Smith’s home is falling into the North Sea. But the crumbling headland has revealed what he’s got buried in his garden: human remains. With the storm still raging, it’s too dangerous to retrieve the bodies, and waves are devouring the evidence. Which means no one knows how many people Smith’s already killed and how many more he’ll kill if he can’t be stopped. The media are baying for blood, the top brass are after a scapegoat and ex-Detective Inspector Ash Henderson is done playing nice.
-
-
painfully drawn out,
- By AlbaRoo🦶🏽 on 21-01-2021
-
A Whisper of Sorrows
- A Scottish Crime Thriller (DCI Logan Crime Thrillers)
- By: JD Kirk
- Narrated by: Angus King
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The hunter has become the hunted. Ten years ago, DCI Jack Logan caught the twisted child killer known as Mister Whisper. Two days ago, Mister Whisper escaped. Now, Jack must track down the most ruthless enemy he has ever faced before he can strike again. But after 10 years behind bars, it isn't just murder that Mister Whisper has in mind. It's revenge. A Whisper of Sorrows is the sixth book in the DCI Jack Logan crime thriller series, all based in the Highlands of Scotland, and it's perfect for fans of Tartan Noir crime fiction.
-
-
Story gets more and more ridiculous
- By Anonymous User on 12-11-2020
-
The Big Man Upstairs (A Scottish Crime Thriller)
- DCI Logan Crime Thrillers, Book 7
- By: JD Kirk
- Narrated by: Angus King
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Just when he thought he was out.... Burdened by guilt over the trauma recently inflicted on his friends and colleagues, former-Detective Chief Inspector Jack Logan has spent the past nine months living in self-imposed exile. When a mother and her young daughter are the victims of a double murder staged to look like suicide, Logan is dragged back to help hunt down and catch a brutal, calculating killer. But the world has moved on without him.
-
-
Never Disappoints.
- By Anonymous User on 19-11-2020
-
Cavendish & Walker: Volume 1
- Cavendish & Walker, Books 1-3
- By: Sally Rigby
- Narrated by: Clare Corbett
- Length: 20 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Three gripping crime fiction thrillers featuring DCI Whitney Walker and forensic psychologist Dr. Georgina Cavendish. Deadly Games: DCI Whitney Walker’s in trouble. She’s threatened with demotion if she screws up another case. When a killer starts murdering female students, it’s a chance to redeem herself. Forensic psychologist, Dr Georgina Cavendish, has spent her life inside the university walls, but when one of her students is murdered, she steps out from behind the books, putting her skills to the test. The two headstrong women join forces to stop the killer.
-
-
Great opportunity!
- By Mimosa on 27-03-2021
-
Kill Our Sins
- The Hidden Norfolk Murder Mystery Series, Book 3
- By: J M Dalgliesh
- Narrated by: Greg Patmore
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the mutilated remains of a woman are retrieved by local fishermen, it falls to DI Tom Janssen and his team to identify how she came to be in the water and what put her there. Joined on the case by his new permanent boss, DCI Tamara Greave, it remains to be proven if the woman's death was a result of foul play or a tragic accident.
-
-
Another compelling JM Dalgliesh book
- By Helen Wilson on 08-02-2021
-
Little Doubt
- DI Kelly Porter, Book Seven
- By: Rachel Lynch
- Narrated by: Clare Kissane
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Ella Watson, a woman of wealth and status, is brutally stabbed to death in broad daylight, it sends a shockwave through the Lake District community. Later that day, Keira Bradley meets the same fate. But whereas Ella’s murder is a tragedy, Keira’s death on the notorious Beacon Estate is just another statistic in a dangerous place.
-
-
Another fabulous book
- By Angela Thomson on 20-08-2020
Publisher's Summary
The Times Audiobook of the Week
On a freezing winter morning, fishermen pull a body from the sea. It is quickly discovered that the dead man was the prime suspect in a decade-old investigation, when a prominent civil servant disappeared without trace.
DCI Karen Pirie was the last detective to review the file and is drawn into a sinister world of betrayal and dark secrets. But Karen is already grappling with another case, one with even more questions and fewer answers. A skeleton has been discovered in an abandoned camper van and all clues point to a killer who never faced justice - a killer who is still out there.
In her search for the truth, Karen uncovers a network of lies that has gone unchallenged for years. But lies and secrets can turn deadly when someone is determined to keep them hidden for good....
Critic Reviews
"No one can tell a story like she can." (Daily Express)
"The queen of psychological thrillers." (Irish Independent)
More from the same
What listeners say about Still Life
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- elizabeth b.
- 24-08-2020
She’s a bottler
I really like vals writing it’s easy to listen to and speeds along
I don’t think it’s the best book I’ve read but do write another one so I can enjoy. And use Cathleen as narrator she is terrific
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tracey A Zvirblis
- 01-02-2021
Mind blowing
I love Val McDermid’s writing. This story was well written & kept me intrigued. Nice to see females shining in lead roles. The narration was very good & easy to listen to.
Highly recommend
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Bill
- 21-09-2020
Interesting well-narrated good tale
Love Val McDermids novels. Latest is a good tight storyline, current and interesting. Appealing characterisations. Enjoyed the narration too. Highly recommend
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- David Oswald
- 20-09-2020
£10 pom from glenrothes still found the book aust
born in kirkcaldy (1951) what more could i ask read with mr google open memories
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Thubten Chokyi
- 01-04-2021
Love Karen Pirie
For me, Val McDermid's novels are filled with well-written characters, intrigue, personal dilemma and suspense. I'm happy to say Still Life didn't disappoint.
Cathleen McCarron delivered many diverse characters brilliantly.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- ross jones
- 28-01-2021
Karen goes on an adventure for 13 hours.
Oh boy, this is a dull stroll through all of the normal police cliches. Nothing new to see here move along.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sally Paulin
- 02-01-2021
complex story
great storylines witb a female cop and well read. i listened right to the end
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- andrea croft
- 26-12-2020
Very disappointing
Was expecting a much better storyline and narration. Very predictable and one dimensional, will not be purchasing from this Author again
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Varun
- 25-12-2020
Good story line
I really liked the story and how it unfolded little by little. It’s not a dragging story, so definitely a thumbs up for me.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kevin Flippence
- 29-11-2020
Enjoyable but predictable.
I enjoyed listening to the story although I was left to wonder if there are any Scottish male policemen of support service staff that are capable of solving a problem, showing initiative or filling a senior role or service.
I consider a more balanced mix of characters would have added to the story and better highlighted the qualities of the main character, it seemed Karen Pirie only respected advice and input from women colleagues, the only men characters were - not very smart, misogynistic or criminals.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Susan
- 18-11-2020
Best Karen Pirie
The best book in the series. Great narrator. All the regional accents were perfect! Excellent story.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Sadé 66
- 25-08-2020
The Best Yet.
This is the latest in the Karen Pirie series and I can’t fault it. Previously I had felt that the negativity and tension between KP and The Dog Biscuit (her boss) was just annoying and didn’t seem very likely. I know it’s meant to add to the tension in the plot, but I just found it pointless.
In this novel Markie hardly makes an appearance and the way that the plot unfolds is just a delight. I loved it. Reading one of Val McDermid’s books is so satisfying. Her clear love of good food and good gin, her affection for her characters. Perfect. A great addition in Daisy too.
21 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- madmso
- 30-08-2020
THE WORST VM NOVEL TO DATE
I am sad to report that I found Still Life to be patronising, predictable, part political polemic (with a clear political agenda) not helped by a terrible narrator.
20 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Flossie_Chick
- 13-09-2020
Poor narration
I love Val McDermid but I had to stop listening and read the book instead because i just couldn’t get on with the narrator. She used bizarre inflections and emphasis and seemed to overact every sentence.
18 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- april davey
- 25-08-2020
negative
negative about the English comments Val clearly wants to leave UK didn't enjoy her points of view in this story we want to escape not have her push her opinions on to the readers
ps l am a Canadian.
17 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Kindle Customer
- 25-10-2020
Buy the book
Shockingly poor narration. From someone who voice trains! Did manage to suffer on to the end but it was painful. The narrator puts a terrible 'wow' intonation into every sentence, even descriptive ones. Accents are awful and inconsistent. Seriously weakens characterisation. The humour & strong character of Karen Pirie are ruined by this narrator. Advise you to read this book for yourself. Or wait until the author insists on it being redone by a decent narrator.
12 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- SB Irani
- 26-08-2020
Like slipping on a comfortable pair of slippers.
Karen Pirie is probably my favourite series of books. Fantastic story. Well told. Waited 2 years for this installment. Finished in 2 days!
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Bob Haward
- 22-01-2021
I don't need Scottish independence OTT
This was a good story but it appears to have come from the SNP press office / Propaganda for independence department real shame spoilt the story
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Gilraen
- 09-10-2020
Enjoyable despite narration.
The narrator was not very good at voices for the characters, ranging from extremely childish girly voices for some of the female characters to ponderously slow and deep voices for some of the men. Her accents were also all over the place and confusing. As narrator she also produced a smile in her voice at inappropriate times where the delivery should have been more serious. Eilidh Fraser was much better.
I enjoyed the story, but am beginning to like Karen Pirie less. In the beginning she was more individua and interesting, genuinely self doubting and without ego, but now she seems to be becoming a stock character in some ways - in this book she seemed deliberately bloody minded and intolerant with her boyfriend, blaming him for the way he was brought up ( her view seemed to be that she was poor and deprived, therefore people who were better off are less morally acceptable than her), and self righteous and judgemental with other people she met.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- EmGem22
- 09-09-2020
Loved It
Dear Val, please write another Karen book as soon as you can.
Thanks.
I love the characters, the writing, the relevance and the twists and turns.
Val McDermid is a great writer, you invest in her characters, her stories have depth and i look forward to each book.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- loopyloz
- 05-09-2020
Amazing as always!!
Just gets better & better haven’t slept much as I couldn’t put it down. Also I’ve got to say that the narrator Cathleen McCarron did a fantastic job ! The only sad thing is I’ve listened to it & I really didn’t want it to end!
7 people found this helpful
16 Best Audiobooks by Aboriginal Authors
Across genres, there’s no shortage of brilliant titles from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers of Australia.



25 Best Celebrity Audiobooks
It’s always a pleasant surprise to pick up a familiar story and find an unexpected famous friend in the narrator’s booth.



Best Audiobooks of 2020
We've crunched the numbers, heard from our listeners and gotten expert opinions to round up the best listens of 2020.


