News about Denise Mina

Denise Mina (Facebook)

I can't seem to escape the need to read Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy starting with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. And now with the announcement that Glaswegian Denise Mina, one of my very favorite crime novelists, has been chosen to adapt the series in graphic novel form, I can't stand the thought that I would be on the outside looking in. Read the article from the Guardian UK HERE for more details.

Field of Blood (2005)

Field of Blood by Denise Mina

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's a bad habit, but I keeping acquiring more books even though I have given myself a fairly specific goal for 2011 Reading. Several months ago, I picked up Field of Blood by Denise Mina at Schuler's Bookstore in Lansing in the used book section. Partly I was surprised by the large used section, which had some tempting titles. It took great fortitude to limit myself to one book.

I discovered Denise Mina early and read her Garnethill Trilogy. When I started Field of Blood, I was concerned that I wouldn't like it but protagonist Paddy (and the author) totally won me over. Be careful though. You may stay up past your bedtime to find out how things are going to be resolved.

The next book is The Dead Hour. Guess I have to add that to my list! Oh, and wait. She has a NEW book called The End of the Wasp Season, which sounds thrilling, coming out September 26, 2011.

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Still Midnight (2010)

Still Midnight by Denise Mina


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Stayed up past my bedtime to finish this excellent crime novel! Ever since discovering the Garnethill trilogy, I have been impressed with Denise Mina's ability to create a world peopled by flawed characters that we care about while telling a compelling story.

The bumbling criminals in STILL MIDNIGHT reminded me a bit of Elmore Leonard but the horror of random violence kept the proceedings grounded in Glasgow. DS Alex Morrow is an angry, disatisfied woman both at work and at home. Watching her spar with her partner while recognizing her total dedication to solving a terrifying kidnapping forces the reader to reluctantly give Alex some of the respect she deserves.

Mina starts with what could be stock characters and through small details eventually reveals them more completely. Even Alex herself is unmasked.  

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