sde's review against another edition
3.0
This one didn't work as well as an audiobook as the first one in the series. it would take me a while to figure out who was narrating, whereas in the print I am sure there are visual cues. Therefore, I had a little trouble following. But I still enjoyed Paddy Meehan and the Glasgow setting. Looks like my library does not have book #3 in audio format, so I will have to read the text. And then the series is done, which makes me sad.
technomage's review against another edition
3.0
Well this is better than the previous story, much better written with a plot that engages although it still feels a bit rushed towards the end and the detecting still seems to play second fiddle to Paddy's social life. I will read the next one in the series in due course.
reedabook's review
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
wrenna_shade13's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Violence
andrew61's review against another edition
3.0
Another one of denise mina's creations paddy meehan returns for her second story. Here the young Glasgow journalist is working the night cars shift when she attends an apparent domestic dispute and she and the two police officers turn a blind eye to a woman's jeopardy.
The subsequent events finds paddy at the centre of a plot that exposes corruption in police and criminal circles. I am looking forward to the final part of this trilogy.
The subsequent events finds paddy at the centre of a plot that exposes corruption in police and criminal circles. I am looking forward to the final part of this trilogy.
kimgabriel's review against another edition
3.0
Not a bad twist, having a journalist play the detective. A little grim and dour. In fact, a lot grim and dour. Not sure I will read anymore if there are any more.
vanessakm's review against another edition
4.0
This is the second book in Denise Mina's Paddy Meehan trilogy. The first one is [b:Field of Blood|94180|Field of Blood (Paddy Meehan, #1)|Denise Mina|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388209941s/94180.jpg|1780287]. It's not essential that the books be read in order but they ideally should be, if for no other reason than to appreciate the maturation of wee Paddy who is only 23 years old in this book.
Like all of Mina's books, the story is set in Glasgow, Scotland. This series is set in the 1980's--specifically 1984 here-and in the heart of Thatcher-era economic malaise and resentment. Paddy is a crime reporter for a local newspaper working the night shift, driving around the city following the summons of the police radio. The story opens with Paddy at the scene of a domestic violence call in a well-to-do neighborhood that ends the next day with the victim found tortured and dead, and Paddy feeling horribly guilty about leaving the scene with a would-be bribe in her pocket from the apparent killer. The following day, the victim's co-worker and ex-boyfriend commit suicide. The police seem largely uninterested in Paddy's take on what happened, and from there grows a tale of gangsters, police corruption and a giant bag full of cocaine that one character hilariously refers to as their "comfort pillow." Meanwhile, things don't look good at Paddy's economically challenged newspaper, which is under new management in a laying off mood. Losing her job would be especially bad news for young Paddy, who is the only member of her large Catholic family with a job at the moment.
I like Mina's Garnethill series the best but this one has really grown on me. There's lots of detail about 1980's Scotland (which sounds like a rollicking, unsafe place) and Paddy is as charming, resourceful, and fully formed as Garnethill's Maureen O'Donnell, yet totally distinct from her. I'm a big Denise Mina fan girl and can easily put her in the company of the likes of Dennis Lehane and Jo Nesbo. She's so smart about human nature and such a compelling story spinner, she's a pleasure to read.
Like all of Mina's books, the story is set in Glasgow, Scotland. This series is set in the 1980's--specifically 1984 here-and in the heart of Thatcher-era economic malaise and resentment. Paddy is a crime reporter for a local newspaper working the night shift, driving around the city following the summons of the police radio. The story opens with Paddy at the scene of a domestic violence call in a well-to-do neighborhood that ends the next day with the victim found tortured and dead, and Paddy feeling horribly guilty about leaving the scene with a would-be bribe in her pocket from the apparent killer. The following day, the victim's co-worker and ex-boyfriend commit suicide. The police seem largely uninterested in Paddy's take on what happened, and from there grows a tale of gangsters, police corruption and a giant bag full of cocaine that one character hilariously refers to as their "comfort pillow." Meanwhile, things don't look good at Paddy's economically challenged newspaper, which is under new management in a laying off mood. Losing her job would be especially bad news for young Paddy, who is the only member of her large Catholic family with a job at the moment.
I like Mina's Garnethill series the best but this one has really grown on me. There's lots of detail about 1980's Scotland (which sounds like a rollicking, unsafe place) and Paddy is as charming, resourceful, and fully formed as Garnethill's Maureen O'Donnell, yet totally distinct from her. I'm a big Denise Mina fan girl and can easily put her in the company of the likes of Dennis Lehane and Jo Nesbo. She's so smart about human nature and such a compelling story spinner, she's a pleasure to read.
nocto's review against another edition
3.0
The second book featuring Paddy Meehan, a young investigative journalist in 1980s Glasgow. This looks like being a series where the ongoing relationships outside the main story are worth coming back for; I'm interested to find out what happens to Paddy's family, especially her mother and her ex-fiancee Sean, over the years. Probably more interested than I am in the individual mystery actually.
sireno8's review against another edition
5.0
Denise Mina is just an amazing writer, let alone crime writer. This story sucks you in from the beginning which is the probably the only time things are on an even keel. The story barrages you from all sides, constantly complicating itself and unsettling you. Mina has created a world where truly anything can happen up to the last sentence--literally. The integrity and complexity of the main character--indeed all of the characters--keep the whole thing together and keep you thoroughly on board. I loved it! Usually I wait a while and switch around among authors particularly if I really like someone so that I don't read all their stuff at once and it all runs together in my head Also, it gives me something of the author's to constantly look forward to. However, I was so taken with FIELD OF BLOOD, I grabbed this one about 2 weeks later. I may not even wait 2 weeks to read the next one. Awesome.