mspearlman's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
technomage's review
3.0
The last of the Paddy Meehan books and this is the best as the story holds together well alough there is not much detection going on.
sbslemko's review
3.0
This book was okay. I'm not really into crime drama/mysteries. I bought it at a book sale before I really knew what types of stories I enjoy the most.
lesliethewanderlust's review
2.0
I couldn't really decide if I liked this book or not. At times it felt like a book filled with unlikable characters. The father of Paddy's son. Her boss , her co-workers. Paddy is endearing at times and that at other times I didn't really care for her.
The premise of the book was interesting and was what interested me in the book in the first place. It takes place in Scotland. The writing reflected that quite a bit. Maybe I will read it again at a later date because I really did want to like it.
The premise of the book was interesting and was what interested me in the book in the first place. It takes place in Scotland. The writing reflected that quite a bit. Maybe I will read it again at a later date because I really did want to like it.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review
4.0
This is the third of Denise Mina’s novels to feature Paddy Meehan, the feisty reporter first introduced in ‘The Field of Blood’. We rejoin Paddy in 1990 where she is now a leading newspaper columnist with a flash car and a flat. Just as Paddy settles down on a Saturday night, intent on relaxing in front of the television in a comfortable pair of pyjamas, a knock on the door changes everything. Terry Patterson, her first lover and journalistic hero, has been found naked and executed in a ditch.
Who killed Terry and why? Paddy has been named as his next of kin, and he has left her everything in his will. Paddy believes that the answer to his murder is contained in his past and as she seeks to unravel the case, she realises that she and those closest to her are also in danger.
Paddy Meehan is an unlikely hero. She is brash, abrasive, doggedly determined, likeable and so very human.
While this novel can be read alone, I’d recommend reading the novels in order. The development of Paddy’s character in the earlier novels is an important part of the backstory. Many of the other characters have also been introduced in the earlier novels, and their relationships with each other are as much a part of the novel as solving the murder is.
Who killed Terry and why? Paddy has been named as his next of kin, and he has left her everything in his will. Paddy believes that the answer to his murder is contained in his past and as she seeks to unravel the case, she realises that she and those closest to her are also in danger.
Paddy Meehan is an unlikely hero. She is brash, abrasive, doggedly determined, likeable and so very human.
While this novel can be read alone, I’d recommend reading the novels in order. The development of Paddy’s character in the earlier novels is an important part of the backstory. Many of the other characters have also been introduced in the earlier novels, and their relationships with each other are as much a part of the novel as solving the murder is.
guiltyfeat's review
4.0
Great closer for a terrific trilogy. Paddy Meehan has come a long way from her first appearance, but she has retained her sense of self and her relentless nose for the story. There is a fine tradition of journalists getting involved in mysteries and conspiracies and these three books have been a treat. They all kept the focus on news gathering without ever trying to make Paddy a superhero or physically tough. The background characters are drawn effortlessly and the plot barrels along. I think I'm going to go ahead and read more of Mina's books.
More...