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gracepf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Suicide, Addiction, Suicide attempt, and Stalking
Minor: Domestic abuse, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Terminal illness, Blood, Car accident, Body shaming, and Death of parent
what_heather_loves's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"There is a warmth and a comfort in hearing about people in worse situations than your own. . . . I had not murdered my entire family or killed myself. I hung onto that."
Present day Glasgow, Scotland and affluent mother of two, Anna is addicted to true crime podcasts. Her day starts out as normal, but is disrupted by husband Hamish announcing he's leaving her for friend and neighbour Estelle and taking their two girls. After he has left, distraught but determined Anna flees, and ends up with a travelling companion - Estelle's husband, famously anorexic musician, Fin. Listening to a new podcast, Death and The Dana, about the scuttling of a luxury yacht in Saint Martin leading to the death of its three passengers, startles Anna when she realises that, years before, she was friends with one of the passengers, wealthy Leon. No one understands why the yacht sank, but it appeared deliberate. Disturbingly for Anna, she has another connection to Leon, through his then wife, gangster billionaire, Greta. Anna's life explodes and normal rules no longer apply...
My first Denise Mina and certainly not my last. I knew it would be spectacular storytelling after hearing Sam Baker interview the author on her podcast, The Shift. It was also a Reese's Book Club pick. Anna is a complex character, handled masterfully by Mina, but I liked Fin too, found him funny if vulnerable. Including the topical subjects of true crime podcasts, fame and celebrity, and the dilemmas it creates, Mina's writing is exuberant, whipping the plot from glamorous locations like Skibo Castle and Venice to train journeys and escaping gangsters. It's one hell of a ride. I read this sparkling thriller compulsively over two days and nights.
Present day Glasgow, Scotland and affluent mother of two, Anna is addicted to true crime podcasts. Her day starts out as normal, but is disrupted by husband Hamish announcing he's leaving her for friend and neighbour Estelle and taking their two girls. After he has left, distraught but determined Anna flees, and ends up with a travelling companion - Estelle's husband, famously anorexic musician, Fin. Listening to a new podcast, Death and The Dana, about the scuttling of a luxury yacht in Saint Martin leading to the death of its three passengers, startles Anna when she realises that, years before, she was friends with one of the passengers, wealthy Leon. No one understands why the yacht sank, but it appeared deliberate. Disturbingly for Anna, she has another connection to Leon, through his then wife, gangster billionaire, Greta. Anna's life explodes and normal rules no longer apply...
My first Denise Mina and certainly not my last. I knew it would be spectacular storytelling after hearing Sam Baker interview the author on her podcast, The Shift. It was also a Reese's Book Club pick. Anna is a complex character, handled masterfully by Mina, but I liked Fin too, found him funny if vulnerable. Including the topical subjects of true crime podcasts, fame and celebrity, and the dilemmas it creates, Mina's writing is exuberant, whipping the plot from glamorous locations like Skibo Castle and Venice to train journeys and escaping gangsters. It's one hell of a ride. I read this sparkling thriller compulsively over two days and nights.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Addiction, Violence, Sexual assault, and Murder
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
felicitydisco's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.5
A creepy, twisty puzzle.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Eating disorder, and Suicidal thoughts
kerrianne10's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder and Murder
Moderate: Suicide and Rape
evefaith's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction and Eating disorder
Minor: Rape
caleykapowski's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Sexual assault, and Animal cruelty
jdesk's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
can’t decide between a 3.75 and 4.0…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Addiction, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Death of parent, Sexual assault, and Suicide
keirahelena_'s review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Death of parent
jesscoast's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
The premise of this book was so exciting and promising, and the first half really delivered. I loved the format of the narration with episodes of the podcast interjected throughout. The journey through Europe was delightful and immersive. The podcast script was exactly something I'd love to listen to, though it ends poorly and abruptly in my opinion so perhaps I should have noticed Mina's issues finding a satisfying ending earlier than I did.
The set up is mysterious and set my expectations high, maybe a little too high, which led to disappointment as the story dragged on in what felt like was a sloppy, confusing, too convenient wrap up. I also found the character's personalities, decisions, and dialogue unrealistic to the point of being silly and eye-roll inducing. Her attempt at making a quirky, diverse set of characters made them unrelatable and impossible to predict (and not in a fun mysterious way, in a frustrating way where everyone felt disconnected and forced). The problem was that I found Mina really couldn't deliver on all she promised.
<Spoiler>I have many unanswered questions that I'm still annoyed by. I feel like there was never a clear answer about why Anna was so intrigued by Leon's story she felt she had to pause her life and put her children at risk to investigate. No further details about their relationship ever emerge, and Lillys character seemed like a pointless throw away. The climax at Gretchen's compound in Paris was far too fast and impossible to imagine in any realistic sense. The big twist wasnt fully explained and left a lot of doubt about whether Gretchen was the mastermind she was described as. Fin was unrealistically stupid, and his podcast made no sense to listeners who didn't know what was going on. I find it hard to believe he'd compromise everyone's safety without thinking twice over and over and over. He only made good decisions when it saved the day and they had no other escape, which I find lazy and undeveloped writing. Overall the second half of the book needed a much better edit, a more thought through plot, and less pages wasted on logistics with more pages dedicated to logical decisions and explaining motivations and intentions.
The set up is mysterious and set my expectations high, maybe a little too high, which led to disappointment as the story dragged on in what felt like was a sloppy, confusing, too convenient wrap up. I also found the character's personalities, decisions, and dialogue unrealistic to the point of being silly and eye-roll inducing. Her attempt at making a quirky, diverse set of characters made them unrelatable and impossible to predict (and not in a fun mysterious way, in a frustrating way where everyone felt disconnected and forced). The problem was that I found Mina really couldn't deliver on all she promised.
<Spoiler>I have many unanswered questions that I'm still annoyed by. I feel like there was never a clear answer about why Anna was so intrigued by Leon's story she felt she had to pause her life and put her children at risk to investigate. No further details about their relationship ever emerge, and Lillys character seemed like a pointless throw away. The climax at Gretchen's compound in Paris was far too fast and impossible to imagine in any realistic sense. The big twist wasnt fully explained and left a lot of doubt about whether Gretchen was the mastermind she was described as. Fin was unrealistically stupid, and his podcast made no sense to listeners who didn't know what was going on. I find it hard to believe he'd compromise everyone's safety without thinking twice over and over and over. He only made good decisions when it saved the day and they had no other escape, which I find lazy and undeveloped writing. Overall the second half of the book needed a much better edit, a more thought through plot, and less pages wasted on logistics with more pages dedicated to logical decisions and explaining motivations and intentions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Murder, Violence, and Infidelity
Moderate: Rape, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
sawyer_reads_stuff's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Death, Suicide, Animal death, Blood, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcohol, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts