Readers of Val McDermid’s work will know that she has a strong sense of place, particularly when writing about Scotland. This book contains stunning photographs and insightful text about McDermid’s various novels: the little incidents that inspire specific books, the places she borrows and transplants into other places to set just the right atmosphere, and how the places she’s lived have affected her own outlook on life. The book also includes a short story set on Jura that isn’t readily available anywhere else, so for that plus the photography this is worth looking into. The only reason it wasn’t a 4 was that some of the two-page spreads didn’t appear to be labelled, and I found that mildly annoying. But the content of the book was otherwise great and I would recommend it. ( )