Reviews with content warning for Violence - Conviction

I picked up this book at a gelato shop during a book give away week - it was on my patio table with a nice note and ribbon. I don't enjoy reading fiction a lot but gave this a try. I liked the beginning of it which was kind of a misdirect - I'm not familiar with Mina's writing. I thought it was going to be about a woman going through a separation. I wish all books came with trigger warnings at the front - this one really needs that. Among an unexpected series of near-death attacks, references to gang-assault, a campaign of criminal threat by a rich woman (hate the woman against woman themes), there are also references to suicide and a major eating disorder. It is a well-written story other than the sudden ending but I'm still looking for fiction that provides drama, development, redemption and character growth.

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gracepf's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

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what_heather_loves's review against another edition

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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.

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jesscoast's review against another edition

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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.

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sawyer_reads_stuff's review against another edition

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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

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cko's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

Very entertaining. Too bad that the main conflict is between is two women, one of whom victim blames the other for her own sexual assault.

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