thecirclek's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Really enjoyed this mystery. I expected it to be from the point of view of the police, and was pleasantly surprised when Maureen, the victim's girlfriend, turned out to be the main investigator. This book does contain a lot of content related to sexual abuse, including by family members, and alcoholism, so be warned. But overall this was a very satisfying mystery with a great cast of characters and many memorable sequences.
nick_jenkins's review against another edition
5.0
I may be preternaturally disposed to like fiction about Glasgow, as I spent a semester there in college and loved the city, but Denise Mina is one fucking good writer. The mystery/crime plot winds up a little sloppily and a little hurriedly, but her characterization and the way she makes the simple actions of those characters come alive is really special.
melissakuzma's review against another edition
3.0
The first book of a dark mystery series set in Scotland. Can't wait to read the rest!
feliciar33ds's review against another edition
1.0
"Eight long months of emotional turmoil passed as suddenly as a fart."
-Blah. Super slow and boring.
-Blah. Super slow and boring.
jfbfsf's review against another edition
3.0
It was a solid crime novel. I hesitate to call it a thriller because it never felt all that thrilling, but I didn't know who did it, or how it would turn out, and I wanted to keep turning the pages.
As an aside, I will note that I'm not sure if it's this author, or just British/Irish/Scottish authors in general, but at times I had some trouble following along because of language difficulties. There are words that clearly don't mean what I think they mean, but I don't really have any way to look them up, since they're technically English. Very small examples are lorry for truck, chips for fries (right?) a fag for a cigarette... but surprisingly often I came across words that actually hindered my understanding of the action. 37 uses later I still don't quite know what "close" means. A lobby? A hallway? A block? A courtyard?
I also found the end, while satisfying, to be oddly short of drama.
But like I said - I enjoyed reading it.
As an aside, I will note that I'm not sure if it's this author, or just British/Irish/Scottish authors in general, but at times I had some trouble following along because of language difficulties. There are words that clearly don't mean what I think they mean, but I don't really have any way to look them up, since they're technically English. Very small examples are lorry for truck, chips for fries (right?) a fag for a cigarette... but surprisingly often I came across words that actually hindered my understanding of the action. 37 uses later I still don't quite know what "close" means. A lobby? A hallway? A block? A courtyard?
I also found the end, while satisfying, to be oddly short of drama.
But like I said - I enjoyed reading it.
teamparkin's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
dave37's review against another edition
5.0
A very fine mystery here. Well-written, with a unique "detective" and an intriguing cast of supporting characters. The high quality writing resulted more a combination of mystery and novel, rather than the so-so prose that mars much of this genre. The style, though certainly not the substance, reminded me most of the excellent P. D. James. I can't wait to read Ms. Mina's other efforts.
jajorgen's review against another edition
5.0
I read this one back in '98 when it first came out and it was my favorite mystery of the year. Gritty and realistic and set in Glasgow, Scotland. I just re-read this for a book group and found new things to appreciate. Very solid mystery with all the clues laid out and an appealing, if very flawed, protagonist in Maureen.