Book review: Conviction

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By Denise Mina
Published by Harvill Secker

 Synopsis: The morning starts as any other for Anna McDonald. But the moment she opens the front door to her best friend, everything changes. Anna turns to see her husband standing at the top of the stairs, suitcase in hand. They’re leaving, together. And they’re taking Anna’s two daughters with them.

 With her safe, predictable world suddenly shattered, Anna tries to drown out the pain of their deceit by listening to a true crime podcast. There’s a sunken yacht, a multiple murder and a hint of power and corruption. But when Anna hears the name of one of the victims, she realises that this is a murder she can’t ignore. Her past, so carefully hidden until now, will no longer stay silent.

 To escape the trauma of her loss, Anna throws herself into investigating the case in the podcast. Little does she know that her past and present lives are about to collide, and throw everything she has worked so hard to achieve into freefall.

 How did this book end up in my hands? I read an 11-part serialisation of the book via The Pigeonhole ahead of publication.

 Was it a page-turner? Definitely a fast-paced page-turner. My race to the discovery of the truth was only hindered by the fact that I had to wait a whole day before receiving the next instalment in the serialisation.

 Did the book meet my expectations? This novel exceeded my expectations. Not only did I think that the plot was cleverly constructed to reveal a twist after the other, I also loved that it featured a podcast, which reminds me of another book I have thoroughly enjoyed – The Dangerous Kind by Deborah O’Connor. What I enjoyed most about this novel though – even more than the mad dash through France and Italy – was the duo formed by Anna and Fin. Such dry humour, I loved it!

 Three words to describe it. Thrilling. Witty. Fast-paced.

 Do I like the cover? This cover wouldn’t inspire me to pick the book off a shelf but it does the job.

 Have I read any other books by the same author? No, I didn’t know this author before. Based on this novel, though, I’d be interested to read more of her work.

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