200,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿 

Black Friday Sale on Now! Save up to 25% off Books, Toys, Board Games, & Puzzles! ✨

Still Life

The heart-pounding number one bestseller that will have you gripped
By Val McDermid
Series: Karen Pirie
0.0 (0 reviews)
4.22 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 14,721 ratings, 1,016 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In Still Life by Val McDermid, DCI Karen Pirie delves into a complex investigation involving a mysterious corpse discovered in the backwaters of Fife. As she navigates the intricacies of the case, unravelling past and present enigmas, Pirie is challenged by both professional and personal obstacles. This gripping crime thriller masterfully intertwines human drama with suspenseful investigation.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2300
Elsewhere:
$2499
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you love intricate mysteries and gripping storytelling. As a fan of crime and thriller novels, you'll appreciate the complex characters and the unexpected twists that keep you guessing until the very end. The author masterfully interweaves suspense with strong narrative skills, making it a page-turner for enthusiasts of the genre.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

The breathtaking new DCI Karen Pirie thriller from number one bestseller and queen of crime, Val McDermid. When a body is pulled from the sea, Karen must reopen a case from a decade before, drawing her into a sinister world of betrayal and dark secrets.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
Don't miss Past Lying, the twisty new Karen Pirie thriller

'No one can tell a story like she can' Daily Express

'The queen of psychological thrillers' Irish Independent

'The bodies never stay buried forever . . .'

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 campervan 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 . . .

Praise for Val McDermid:

'Brilliant . . . Sensational . . . Unforgettable' Guardian

'Compulsively readable' Irish Times

'As good a psychological thriller as it is possible to get' Sunday Express

'It grabs the reader by the throat and never lets go' Daily Mail

'One of today's most accomplished crime writers' Literary Review

Series: Karen Pirie

View all
  • Past Lying
    KAREN PIRIE RETURNS. A MASTERFUL THRILLER BY THE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER VAL MCDERMID THE HEART-POUNDING NEW KAREN PIRIE NOVEL - NOW A MAJOR ITV SERIES STARRING LAUREN LYLE 'Another jewel in Val McDermid's crown' MICK HERRON 'A must-read for anyone who enjoys top-notch crime fiction' YOURS 'A chilling, twisting triumph. Past Lying is a classic mystery' CHRIS WHITAKER ____...
    By Val McDermid
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • On Sale
    27% off
    Out of Bounds
    Don't miss Past Lying, the twisty new Karen Pirie thriller. 'It grabs the reader by the throat and never lets go' Daily Mail 'Incredibly suspenseful' Sunday Mirror __________ 'There are lots of things that ran in families, but murder wasn't one of them . . .' When a teenage joyrider crashes a stolen car and ends up in a coma,...
    By Val McDermid
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Silent Bones
    Silent Bones
    The powerful new thriller in the Karen Pirie series, now a major TV series 'Beautifully structured, witty and twisty' — ANN CLEEVES 'A perfect crime novel' — KATE MOSSE 'Powerful, moving and wise' — HARLAN COBEN 'Full of humour, heart and trademark twists' — CHRIS WHITAKER 'A corkscrew twist at every turn' — DAILY MAIL The truth is buried just...
    By Val McDermid
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • On Sale
    22% off
    Silent Bones
    The Masterful New Thriller in the Karen Pirie Series, Now a Major TV Series The truth is buried just beneath the surface . . . When torrential rain causes a landslide on a motorway in Scotland, it reveals a crime scene: someone hid a body in the tarmac eleven years before. Journalist Sam Nimmo had been the prime suspect in...
    By Val McDermid
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Broken Ground
    Number one bestseller and queen of crime Val McDermid returns with her most breathtakingly atmospheric and exhilarating novel yet. 'Somebody has been here before us. And he's still here . . .' 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...
    By Val McDermid
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Still Life
    Don't miss Past Lying, the twisty new Karen Pirie thriller 'No one can tell a story like she can' Daily Express 'The queen of psychological thrillers' Irish Independent 'The bodies never stay buried forever . . .' On a freezing winter morning, fishermen pull a body from the sea. It is quickly discovered that the dead man was the prime...
    By Val McDermid
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Skeleton Road
    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... The Skeleton Road unravels a web of intrigue, taking readers on...
    By Val McDermid
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Broken Ground
    Number one bestseller and queen of crime Val McDermid returns with her most breathtakingly atmospheric and exhilarating novel yet. 'Somebody has been here before us. And he's still here . . .' 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...
    By Val McDermid
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Still Life by Val McDermid has been lauded for its masterful storytelling, with praise highlighting her unrivalled status in the crime genre and her insight into the psyches of characters. Critics commend her compelling narrative and affirm her position as the "Queen of Crime," noting the brilliance and expertise she brings to the genre.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780751576948

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 04 February 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Sphere

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 40.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 359g

Pages: 512

Collections

Crime & Thriller Fiction General Fiction Police Procedural Psychological Thriller Series: Karen Pirie Val McDermid

About the Author

Val McDermid is a number one bestseller whose novels have been translated into forty languages, and have sold over nineteen million copies. She has won many awards internationally, including the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year and the LA Times Book of the Year Award. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009, was the recipient of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger in 2010 and received the Lambda Literary Foundation Pioneer Award in 2011.

In 2016, Val received the Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction Award at the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival and in 2017 received the DIVA Literary Prize for Crime, and was elected a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Literature and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Val has served as a judge for the Women's Prize for Fiction and the Man Booker Prize, and was Chair of the Wellcome Book Prize in 2017. She is the recipient of seven honorary doctorates, is an Honorary Fellow of St Hilda's College, Oxford and a Professor at the University of Otago in New Zealand. She writes full time and divides her time between Edinburgh and East Neuk of Fife.

X @valmcdermid

Instagram @quineofcrime

Also by Val McDermid

View all
  • Marple: Twelve New Stories
    Marple: Twelve New Stories is a tantalising collection of short stories that reintroduces the legendary detective Jane Marple. This anthology, crafted by twelve bestselling and acclaimed authors, breathes new life into one of Agatha Christie's most beloved characters. Each author brings their unique voice and perspective to Miss Marple, whilst masterfully preserving the hallmarks of a traditional mystery. The tales...
    Paperback
    $3100
    Elsewhere:
    $3500
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Marple: Twelve New Stories
    A brand new collection of short stories featuring the Queen of Crime’s legendary detective Jane Marple, penned by twelve remarkable bestselling and acclaimed authors. This collection of twelve original short stories, all featuring Jane Marple, will introduce the character to a whole new generation. Each author reimagines Agatha Christie’s Marple through their own unique perspective while staying true to the...
    By Lucy Foley and Natalie Haynes and Naomi Alderman and Agatha Christie and Val McDermid and Jean Kwok and Alyssa Cole and Elly Griffiths and Leigh Bardugo
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2500
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Darker Domain
    The second riveting crime novel in the Karen Pirie series, from No.1 Sunday Times bestseller Val McDermid. ‘A superb mystery’ The Times From the creators of Line of Duty and Bodyguard, KAREN PIRIE is now on ITV, starring Lauren Lyle (Outlander). Twenty-five years ago, a woman and her baby son were kidnapped and held to ransom. Catriona Grant ended up...
    By Val McDermid
    Paperback
    $2500
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Match Up
    FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER ... In Match Up, an unparalleled anthology brought to life by the most celebrated crime writers of our time, Lee Child's iconic Jack Reacher partners with Kathy Reichs' meticulous forensic anthropologist, Temperance Brennan, to catch a cunning killer who operates under the radar. Val McDermid’s brilliant profiler, Tony Hill, and his steadfast ally, DCI Carol...
    By Peter James and Sandra Brown and C. J. Box and Steve Berry and Diana Gabaldon and Lee Child and Gayle Lynds and Val McDermid and Kathy Reichs
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    Backorder
    Ships early December
  • On Sale
    26% off
    The Distant Echo
    The first novel in the bestselling Karen Pirie series. The award-winning Number One bestseller and Queen of crime fiction, Val McDermid, carves out a stunning psychological thriller. The past is behind them, but what’s still to come will tear them apart… From the creators of Line of Duty and Bodyguard, the series KAREN PIRIE is now on ITV, starring Lauren...
    By Val McDermid
    Paperback
    $1700
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    22% off
    Silent Bones
    The Masterful New Thriller in the Karen Pirie Series, Now a Major TV Series The truth is buried just beneath the surface . . . When torrential rain causes a landslide on a motorway in Scotland, it reveals a crime scene: someone hid a body in the tarmac eleven years before. Journalist Sam Nimmo had been the prime suspect in...
    By Val McDermid
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Marple: Twelve New Stories
    A special edition collection of short stories featuring the Queen of Crime’s legendary detective Jane Marple, penned by twelve remarkable bestselling and acclaimed authors. This collection of twelve original short stories, all featuring Jane Marple, will introduce the character to a whole new generation. Each author reimagines Agatha Christie’s Marple through their own unique perspective while staying true to the...
    By Lucy Foley and Elly Griffiths and Jean Kwok and Alyssa Cole and Leigh Bardugo and Agatha Christie and Natalie Haynes and Naomi Alderman and Val McDermid
    Hardback
    $3499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Trick Of The Dark
    When Charlie Flint is sent a mysterious package of cuttings about a brutal murder, it instantly grabs her attention. The murder occurred in the grounds of her old Oxford college — a groom battered to death just hours after his wedding. As his bride and wedding guests sipped champagne, his alleged killers were slipping his bloodstained body into the river....
    By Val McDermid
    Paperback
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Queen Macbeth
    Shakespeare fed us the myth of the Macbeths as murderous conspirators. But now Val McDermid drags the truth out of the shadows, exposing the patriarchal prejudices of history. A thousand years ago in an ancient Scottish landscape, a woman is on the run with her three companions: a healer, a weaver, and a seer. The men hunting her will kill...
    By Val McDermid
    Paperback
    $2299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Winter
    'A warm hug of a book... like sitting by a roaring winter fire' JACKIE KAY Winter is the time to snuggle indoors without guilt; to curl up on the sofa with a good book or a box set, a hot drink or a wee whisky to hand. Val McDermid has always had a soft spot for winter: the bitter clarity...
    By Val McDermid
    Hardback
    $3899
    Elsewhere:
    $4499
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • How the Dead Speak
    Don't miss the electrifying new Karen Pirie thriller - STILL LIFE is out now The eleventh book in the Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series, from No. 1 bestselling author Val McDermid. 'The queen of crime is still at the top of her game' Independent No one can tell a story like she can' Daily Express 'One of today's most...
    By Val McDermid
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • On Sale
    23% off
    1989
    THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Karen Pirie returns . . . Pre-order Past Lying, the eagerly-awaited new Karen Pirie thriller, publishing October 2023 ___________ 1989. The world is on the brink of revolution and journalist Allie Burns is a woman on a mission. When she discovers a lead about the exploitation of society's most vulnerable, Allie is determined to investigate...
    By Val McDermid
    Paperback
    $2000
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Browse lists from our team

The Latest at Book Hero

View all

More from Crime & Thriller

View all
  • New Release
    Adam and Eve
    THE FINAL NOVEL FROM THE MASTER STORYTELLER Armistice Day 1918. Two children are born on the same day, hours – but worlds – apart. One the son of a shepherd, the other the daughter of an Earl. Adam and Eve. Their births mark the end of one war. Their love will change the outcome of another. 'If there were a...
    By Jeffrey Archer
    $3900
    Elsewhere:
    $4999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    King’s Ransom
    Five innocent hostages. Five private investigators. A fiendish ransom game. Has Detective Sam Speedman met his match? A fast and deadly Matthew Reilly thriller. A DARING ABDUCTION The richest man in the world has been kidnapped. Along with four of his children. THE DEADLY CHALLENGE The kidnapper's demand: the five best private detectives in America must come to the missing...
    By Matthew Reilly
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • King’s Ransom
    On Sale
    18% off
    New Release
    Eve's Pick Eve's Pick
    King’s Ransom
    Five innocent hostages. Five private investigators. A fiendish ransom game. Has Detective Sam Speedman met his match? A fast and deadly Matthew Reilly thriller. A DARING ABDUCTION The richest man in the world has been kidnapped. Along with four of his children. THE DEADLY CHALLENGE The kidnapper's demand: the five best private detectives in America must come to the missing...
    By Matthew Reilly
    Hardback
    $3700
    Elsewhere:
    $4999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    The French Illusion
    Bestselling author John Grisham delivers a new gripping, suspenseful page-turner about aParis honeymoon gone horribly wrong - and the nightmare that follows. After Paul and Chelsea Tanner's fairytale wedding, their future is full of promise. But their honeymoon to Paris takes a dark, shocking turn when they are kidnapped while on a day trip to the French countryside. Who would...
    By John Grisham
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    Chain Reaction
    Jack Reacher, \"the coolest continuing series character\" (Stephen King), returns in a brand new, pulse-pounding read from Lee and Andrew Child. The world’s bestselling hero is back in a brand new, high-octane adventure! ‘She knew that finding Reacher would not be easy . . .’ Washington DC. General Susan Turner needs help from the only guy she knows will get...
    By Lee Child and Andrew Child
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    The Family Cross
    In the gripping new thriller in James Patterson's globally bestselling series, Alex Cross faces his most personal case yet as a ruthless conspiracy targets Washington's most vulnerable... and his own family. Discover the latest gripping thriller in the globally bestselling Alex Cross series - now the inspiration for the original series CROSS on Prime Video starring Aldis Hodge as Alex...
    By James Patterson
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    The Heights
    In The Heights by #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sir Ian Rankin, murder comes to London's most exclusive high-rise - and every resident is a suspect... MURDER COMES TO LONDON'S MOST LUXURIOUS HIGH-RISE: AND EVERY RESIDENT IS A SUSPECT. The Heights: a gleaming, high-end high-rise looming over Hyde Park. Newly built from steel and smoked glass, it is a billionaire's playground offering sumptuous suites...
    By Ian Rankin
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    26% off
    New Release
    Death Row
    With all hope of an appeal fading away, the fate of a condemned murderess takes a shocking turn in a breathtaking short story from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid! A thrilling novella from #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden! Death is coming for her… unless she finds the truth first. Talia Kemper is on death row for murdering...
    By Freida McFadden
    Paperback
    $1700
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Signed Copy
    On Sale
    12% off
    Dying Days
    Award-winning writer delivers a pulse-pounding espionage thriller. Missing soldiers, MI6 secrets and European partisans collide in a deadly game where the lines between lies and reality are fast disintegrating. In the dying days of the Second World War, a new conflict is about to ignite. May, 1945: After fighting to liberate Europe from the Nazis, Tito's Yugoslav Army and Allied...
    By Anthony Byrt
    Paperback
    $2800
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    22% off
    New Release
    Fury In Death: An Eve Dallas thriller (In Death 63)
    In the new crime thriller from the bestselling author, Lt. Eve Dallas journeys into the darkness where murder is born… NYSPD homicide detective Eve Dallas has seen a lot in her time but even she is shocked by the savagery of a beating which leaves a wealthy biotech executive dead in his home office. The victim’s corpse is so mangled...
    By J. D. Robb
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    25% off
    New Release
    Tom Clancy Pressure Depth
    Jack Ryan Jr leads a team of divers in a race to beat the Chinese Navy to a weapon of terrible destructive power in the latest entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series. Jack Ryan Jr. is on Guam to work on a project for Hendley Associates. It's a perfectly ordinary insurance matter, but trouble finds the Ryans...
    By Jack Stewart
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Country Road Murders
    On Sale
    13% off
    The Country Road Murders
    From the Sunday Times bestselling author comes a pulse-pounding thriller about justice, vengeance and the roads that lead us home. No one gets this big without amazing natural storytelling talent - which is what Jim has, in spades — LEE CHILD Cross Rivers is the kind of small town where everyone knows your name – and your secrets. Silas Tucker...
    By James Patterson
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 200,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.