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Fife-born crime writer Val McDermid started out as a journalist before her success of debut novel Report for Murder: The First Lindsay Gordon Mystery in 1987.
Since then she’s written over 40 novels, alongside a variety of collections of short stories, two children’s books, several works of non-fiction, and a graphic novel.
Her most popular characters include Tony Hill and Carol Jordan, who also feature in the television programme Wire in the Blood starring Robson Green, and Inspector Karen Pirie.
Her huge popularity around the world has seen her sell over 19 million books which have been translated into more than 40 languages.
With so many books to choose from, it’s hard for a Val McDermid beginner to know where to start.
To help out, we’ve had a look at how the millions of readers of book website Goodreads have rated her books.
Here are the top 10.
5. Broken Ground
Fifth place goes to the fifth Inspector Karen Pirie book - 2018's Broken Ground. It scores an average rating of 4.18 from 9,471 reviews. | Contributed
6. The Torment of Others
The second half of our countfown starts with The Torment of Others. The fourth in the Tony Hill & Carol Jordan series by Val McDermid was first published in 2004 and scores an average rating of 4.17 from 9,341 reviews. "A dead girl lies on a blood-soaked mattress, her limbs spread in a parody of ecstasy. The scene matches a series of murders which ended when irrefutable forensic evidence secured the conviction of one Derek Tyler. But Tyler's been locked up in a mental institution for two years, barely speaking a word – except to say that 'the Voice' told him to do it. Top criminal psychologist Dr Tony Hill is prepared to think the unthinkable – this is not a copycat murder but something much stranger. While DCI Carol Jordan and her team mount a desperate and dangerous undercover police operation to trap the murderer, Hill heads towards a terrifying face-off with one of the most perverse killers he has ever encountered…" | Contributed
7. Out of Bounds
Seventh spot foes to the fourth Inspector Karen Pirie novel, Out of Bounds. The 2016 book has an average rating of 4.17 from 10,811 reviews. "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 twenty-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. Meanwhile Karen finds herself irresistibly drawn to another case, one that she has no business investigating. And as she pieces together decades-old evidence, Karen discovers the most dangerous kinds of secrets. Secrets that someone is willing to kill for..." | Contributed
8. The Wire in the Blood
Next up is the book that gave its name to the television series following the adventures of Tony Hill & Carol Jordan - 1997's The Wire in the Blood. It's the second book in the series and scores an average reader rating of 4.16 from 19,115 reviews. "Dr Tony Hill sets his team a task: find a link between the cases. Only one officer comes up with a theory, but it’s too wild… that is, until one of their number is murdered and mutilated. Tony has started a game – one where hunter and hunted can all too easily be reversed. He has baited an aggressor whose charming manner hides a warped and sick mind…" | Contributed