The Grave Tattoo

The Grave Tattoo

by Val McDermid

4.3 (8,784)

4.3 stars from 8,784 reviews. One of the highest rated Mystery Thriller books we track.

513 pages~8.6 hr readPublished by St. Martin's MinotaurPublished 2006-01-01

$19.99At peak price

Last checked: May 29, 2026

Price history: $1.99 $19.99

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Price range: $1.99 $19.99

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Fans of these authors will like this...

  • Tana French
  • Kate Mosse
  • Donna Tartt

Fans of these books will like this...

  • The Little Stranger
  • Labyrinth
  • The Secret History

Perfect for you if...

  • You enjoy mysteries that braid together historical intrigue with contemporary murder, where the past refuses to stay buried.
  • You appreciate atmospheric British crime fiction set in specific, richly drawn locations like the Lake District.
  • You're drawn to literary puzzles and the idea that famous poets might have harboured dangerous secrets.

Maybe not for you if...

  • You prefer fast-paced thrillers that don't pause to build mood and historical context.
  • You want a straightforward whodunit rather than a layered mystery that requires patience with dual timelines.
  • You're not interested in the details of literary scholarship or Romantic-era history.

About this book

After heavy summer rains expose a strangely tattooed body on a Lake District hillside, an old local legend becomes disturbingly credible. For centuries, residents have told stories that Fletcher Christian orchestrated the massacre on Pitcairn Island so he could return home, where he shared his account with his schoolmate William Wordsworth. Wordsworth allegedly transformed the story into a long narrative poem that was kept hidden to protect him from legal consequences for sheltering a fugitive. Jane Gresham, a Wordsworth scholar and Lake District native, becomes determined to establish whether this manuscript ever existed—and if it survives today. As she investigates each lead, she finds herself in danger. Jane discovers she is caught in the center of a 200-year-old mystery with deadly consequences, set against the backdrop of England's Lake District. At stake is a bounty worth millions.

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Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

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Free$9.99$19.99May '20Dec '24Jul '25May '26
$1.99$19.99

Price has dropped 18 times over the last 6 years. Goes on sale roughly every 107 days. Typically stays discounted for 22 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

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#108#430,511#860,914May '18Dec '23Oct '25May '26

Currently #7,957 in the Kindle store — a top-10K bestseller.

Rating & Reviews

Purple line = star rating over time. Blue area = total review count growth.

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3.5★4.3★5.0★Oct '23Sep '24Mar '25Feb '26RatingReviews

Currently 4.3★ from 8,784 reviews

Gaining approximately 41 new reviews per month. Steady word of mouth growth. Rating has remained stable at 4.3 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

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Free$9.99$19.99May '20Dec '24Jul '25May '26PredictedMay '26

Actual Predicted

This book goes on sale roughly every 107 days. Next drop estimated in about 15 weeks. Typical discount: 90% off.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.

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Val McDermid

1 book on Vagrant Press

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