Deception

It's funny that those stories that are predictable are the most unrealistic. You find you know what the characters are going to do, not because you would do the same in their place, but because you know what this type of character does in this type of situation. Denise Mina has written a good story with a believable twist AND her characters act like real people. The husband goes back and forth between I trust her/I don't trust her, she did it/she couldn't have done it. The reader is superb with no jarringly false voices. I look forward to more books from Ms. Mina.

Although this book was a bit slow-moving in the middle, the ending was worth the wait and the character development was, in retrospect, excellent. I really enjoyed the narrator's brogue; he truly brought Lachlan Harriott alive!

This book would have merited 5 stars had the middle moved faster and had the action not shifted back and forth in time quite as much. I didn't have trouble following the plot, but I can see why other reviewers might well have.

Definitely worth a listen!

Great story and characters. I could not stop listening to this story. I think this is probably the best buy I have done at audible.

What a fascinating study of human emotion and relationship. I'd read anything by this author, and the narrator was absolutely fantastic. This is one I'm leaving on the iPod so I can go back and get a little fix of Scotland from time to time.
Very highly recommended! Give us more of Mina!

It took me a little while to adjust to the fact that this book would be told in the first person in the form of a journal, but soon I found myself absorbed in this man's dilemma. I started to care how things would turn out for the characters and to wonder about the truth of the murder mystery. Stick with it through the beginning and the story builds. I'll look for other books by this author.

I stayed to the end in order to see how it would end and if it would end. It was a bit hard to follow. I found the husband rather irritating and wishy washy.

With just a few short and very insightful descriptions Denise Mena can capture a gesture, a mood, even a character. The people and places seem to come alive and be so real. This is more of a psychological thriller, with slow building suspense. The character of the narrator, Lachlan, and his constant ruminating is trying, but his account of his efforts to find the killer(s) is engrossing and enjoyable. Well narrated.

The intricacies of character development. Is this guy a boob? Is this woman an innocent? wha?

What I liked best was the way it developed. Some might find it slow. I didn't. I found it more and more involving.

No, I haven't, but he was excellent.

You won't get no High Concept from me!

Denise Mina is a great story teller with a real flavor to her stories. Like I said, involving.

Well I got this on the strength of the majority of the other reviews and I can only say that I completely disagree. The story plods along with all the speed of a comatose snail, and the so-called "twist" was definitely not worth the wait, nor was it particularly surprising. Sorry, but I cannot agree with the other reviews- avoid this at all costs!

I'd read Fields of Blood by the same author. This book was quite different, but Denise Mina's writing showed her amazing talent for quick caricature. One or two sentences and the characters are alive.

While there is a twist, I wasn't too suprised, and it's not a traditional mystery. Those looking for a procedural will be disappointed. While the main character does gather evidence, he doesn't know what to do with it--so he wonders over it, slowly becoming more depressed, or oppressed, until he reaches a decision as to what he's going to do for himself and his family.

The narration is of good quality, and though the Scottish accent seems a bit overdone in places, it more often adds convincingly to the story. For example, note the main character's nickname, Lachey: the Scots dialect pronunciation is "Lackey."

In all, very enjoyable and looking forward to more unabridged titles by this author!