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Anna and Fin #2
Confidence
'Denise Mina gets to the heart of what crime really is. You feel like you are right there, in all the dark nooks and crannies that her characters inhabit' Sunday Times and international bestselling author, Karin SlaughterDeception. Theft. Murder. All you need is confidence . A brand new escapist thriller from the award-winning author of ConvictionWhen Lisa Lee, a vulnerable young woman, vanishes from a pretty Scottish seaside town Anna and Fin find themselves at the centre of an internet frenzy to find her.But Lisa may not be the hapless victim her father thinks. She had an unsuccessful YouTube channel and her last film showed her breaking into an abandoned French Chateau with other UrbExers and stumbling across a priceless Roman silver casket. One day after Lisa vanishes that casket gets listed for auction in Paris, reserve price fifty million euro and a catalogue entry that could challenge the fundamental principles of a major world religion.On a thrilling chase across Europe, Anna and Fin are caught up in a world of international art smuggling, billionaire con artists and religious zealotry.Confidence , is a thrill of a novel from one of crime writing's most accomplished authors.PRAISE FOR CONVICTION :'If you loved Killing Eve , you'll devour Conviction ' Erin Kelly'Such a playful, fast-paced, and entirely compulsive' Ann Cleeves'A dark star of a novel, blazingly intense, up-to-the-minute fresh, and exciting as all hell' A. J. Finn, author of The Woman in the Window
Paperback
First published July 5, 2022
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About the author
Denise Mina
109 books2,520 followersDenise Mina was born in Glasgow in 1966. Because of her father's job as an Engineer, the family followed the north sea oil boom of the seventies around Europe
She left school at sixteen and did a number of poorly paid jobs, including working in a meat factory, as a bar maid, kitchen porter and cook.
Eventually she settled in auxiliary nursing for geriatric and terminal care patients.
At twenty one she passed exams, got into study Law at Glasgow University and went on to research a PhD thesis at Strathclyde University on the ascription of mental illness to female offenders, teaching criminology and criminal law in the mean time.
Misusing her grant she stayed at home and wrote a novel, 'Garnethill' when she was supposed to be studying instead.
She left school at sixteen and did a number of poorly paid jobs, including working in a meat factory, as a bar maid, kitchen porter and cook.
Eventually she settled in auxiliary nursing for geriatric and terminal care patients.
At twenty one she passed exams, got into study Law at Glasgow University and went on to research a PhD thesis at Strathclyde University on the ascription of mental illness to female offenders, teaching criminology and criminal law in the mean time.
Misusing her grant she stayed at home and wrote a novel, 'Garnethill' when she was supposed to be studying instead.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 449 reviews
May 31, 2022
This is the sequel to Denise Mina's Conviction, featuring the return of true crime podcasters, Anna McDonald with her traumatic personal history and Fin Cohen with his eating issues. Anna's lighthouse getaway organised for her blended family that includes her 2 daughters, Jess and Liz, Hamish and Estelle is not turning out well, largely due to the presence of the ghastly Sofia. Desperate to leave, Fin joins her as she escapes intending to look into a young vulnerable YouTube vlogger, Lisa Lee, who has gone missing, the vlogger has contacted them in the past. Lisa is part of UrbEx, she has recently posted a video of an abandoned French Chateau where she discovered various items, including a 'cursed' silver casket, discovered in Hungary, with a sinister history of death attached to it.
The casket, a priceless religious artefact, is now listed for sale at a Paris auction house, attracting a frenzy of interest from those desperate to acquire it, one of whom is Paul Hammersmith, a Christian billionaire. Did Lisa steal the casket? The narrative is related from Anna's perspective with insertions from the podcast. Upon arriving home, Anna and Fin encounter the wealthy Bram Van Wyk, with his precocious 13 year old son, Marcos, whom he has only just recently met. Bram insists on joining them on their visit to see Bob Lee, Lisa's father at his home in North Berwick where she went missing. Before long, they are flying in Bram's private plan on a madcap European adventure, staying in top exclusive, luxurious hotels, eating the most fabulous food. However, it soon becomes clear that Bram has a different agenda from Anna and Fin in this outrageously twisty story of art heists, murder, priests, missing art, forgeries and more, where the missing Lisa turns out to be a small part of a much bigger picture.
There is plenty of fun and dark humour in this complex and entertaining sequel from the talented Mina, a series that is markedly different from her usual writing fare. As a result, some of her legions of fans might not find this as appealing, but I enjoyed reading this, I think it illustrates her writing versatility, I particularly the appreciated the bonkers finale. You will need to suspend your sense of disbelief to get the most out of this colourful and offbeat novel with its large cast of larger than life characters. A terrific read. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
The casket, a priceless religious artefact, is now listed for sale at a Paris auction house, attracting a frenzy of interest from those desperate to acquire it, one of whom is Paul Hammersmith, a Christian billionaire. Did Lisa steal the casket? The narrative is related from Anna's perspective with insertions from the podcast. Upon arriving home, Anna and Fin encounter the wealthy Bram Van Wyk, with his precocious 13 year old son, Marcos, whom he has only just recently met. Bram insists on joining them on their visit to see Bob Lee, Lisa's father at his home in North Berwick where she went missing. Before long, they are flying in Bram's private plan on a madcap European adventure, staying in top exclusive, luxurious hotels, eating the most fabulous food. However, it soon becomes clear that Bram has a different agenda from Anna and Fin in this outrageously twisty story of art heists, murder, priests, missing art, forgeries and more, where the missing Lisa turns out to be a small part of a much bigger picture.
There is plenty of fun and dark humour in this complex and entertaining sequel from the talented Mina, a series that is markedly different from her usual writing fare. As a result, some of her legions of fans might not find this as appealing, but I enjoyed reading this, I think it illustrates her writing versatility, I particularly the appreciated the bonkers finale. You will need to suspend your sense of disbelief to get the most out of this colourful and offbeat novel with its large cast of larger than life characters. A terrific read. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
April 20, 2022
Lisa Lee is an Urbex who disappears after posting a YouTube film of herself and three others exploring an abandoned French chateau. Her disappearance catches the attention of podcasters Anna McDonald and her partner Finn Cohen and their search for Lisa takes them on a European tour, includes mysterious Twitter messages, stolen art, priests and the Voyniche Casket which has a very shadowy history. Anna narrates the unfolding drama.
Sometimes you want something light and easy such as a cozy mystery at others you want something more complex, clever and intelligently woven that you have to pay close attention to. The latter fits the description of this latest novel by the talented Denise Mina. It starts very strongly with some vivid descriptions of the ‘Shat-oo’, it’s creepy and unsettling and then let’s chuck in a bit of Scottish atmosphere especially some wild weather and you’re off to a cracking start! We get to vicariously visit a lot of European venues in the pursuit of the story of the casket and the quest for it. This is inherently dangerous and at times you are on tenterhooks as the race is deadly. The plot is fast paced, we meet some shady characters who with a few broad strokes you can picture with ease. My favourite character is Marcos - what a kid! There are liars and cheats so your belief and trust changes like the wind. There are plenty of plot twists especially towards the end and moments where the tension is so taut you can scarcely breathe and yes of course, there are some jaw drops! The ultimate end is blooming brilliant- I laugh and applaud. That title is so clever!
My only negatives are the ‘oddness’ of Anna's blended family which is a bit of a head spinner and there are a few things included that detract from an exciting European escapade.
Overall though, I really enjoy this one, it’s well written and includes the author’s trademark wit and dark humour and some delightful turns of phrase!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House U.K., Vintage for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Sometimes you want something light and easy such as a cozy mystery at others you want something more complex, clever and intelligently woven that you have to pay close attention to. The latter fits the description of this latest novel by the talented Denise Mina. It starts very strongly with some vivid descriptions of the ‘Shat-oo’, it’s creepy and unsettling and then let’s chuck in a bit of Scottish atmosphere especially some wild weather and you’re off to a cracking start! We get to vicariously visit a lot of European venues in the pursuit of the story of the casket and the quest for it. This is inherently dangerous and at times you are on tenterhooks as the race is deadly. The plot is fast paced, we meet some shady characters who with a few broad strokes you can picture with ease. My favourite character is Marcos - what a kid! There are liars and cheats so your belief and trust changes like the wind. There are plenty of plot twists especially towards the end and moments where the tension is so taut you can scarcely breathe and yes of course, there are some jaw drops! The ultimate end is blooming brilliant- I laugh and applaud. That title is so clever!
My only negatives are the ‘oddness’ of Anna's blended family which is a bit of a head spinner and there are a few things included that detract from an exciting European escapade.
Overall though, I really enjoy this one, it’s well written and includes the author’s trademark wit and dark humour and some delightful turns of phrase!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House U.K., Vintage for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
March 26, 2022
Confidence started very well, but faded very badly. At her best, Denise Mina is brilliant, I think, but this one is quite a long way from her best.
Anna and Fin are podcasters with a reputation for investigating and solving mysteries and problems. The book begins with them and their tangled families of exes, new partners and children of various couples on a misguided holiday in a lighthouse, where they are stuck with each other during a very bad storm. Denise Mina handles this part very well, with the tensions and relationships very convincingly drawn, and Anna’s secret past being brought to light realistically and with quiet shock value.
The trouble is, almost none of it has the slightest relevance to the subsequent splot, in which Fin and Anna become embroiled in a complex story of a missing vlogger and the possibly priceless and religiously vital object she has found and may have stolen. This takes them all over Europe in the company of a deeply dodgy man and his young son; there is threat and murder, a lot of who-can-you-trust?, plus a highly unconvincing Perilous Climax with what felt like a deus ex machina denouement. Frankly it all felt rather contrived and like one of those rather implausible thrillers you might read on holiday and then forget and leave behind.
I was disappointed. The really interesting character and relationship developments weren’t at all relevant and were almost a distraction and the plot didn’t do much for me either. Denise Mina is much better than this, I think. I’ll definitely read her next and hope for a return to form, but I can’t recommend Confidence.
Anna and Fin are podcasters with a reputation for investigating and solving mysteries and problems. The book begins with them and their tangled families of exes, new partners and children of various couples on a misguided holiday in a lighthouse, where they are stuck with each other during a very bad storm. Denise Mina handles this part very well, with the tensions and relationships very convincingly drawn, and Anna’s secret past being brought to light realistically and with quiet shock value.
The trouble is, almost none of it has the slightest relevance to the subsequent splot, in which Fin and Anna become embroiled in a complex story of a missing vlogger and the possibly priceless and religiously vital object she has found and may have stolen. This takes them all over Europe in the company of a deeply dodgy man and his young son; there is threat and murder, a lot of who-can-you-trust?, plus a highly unconvincing Perilous Climax with what felt like a deus ex machina denouement. Frankly it all felt rather contrived and like one of those rather implausible thrillers you might read on holiday and then forget and leave behind.
I was disappointed. The really interesting character and relationship developments weren’t at all relevant and were almost a distraction and the plot didn’t do much for me either. Denise Mina is much better than this, I think. I’ll definitely read her next and hope for a return to form, but I can’t recommend Confidence.
July 20, 2022
omg what a hot mess this is. Nothing in this story rang true or made sense. Are they looking for Lisa or some box or a yellow painting? If the police are looking for Lisa then why didn't they interview/question Alan the guy who shot the drone video? It wasn't hard to find him. The police knew Lisa filmed this house (with the box) and that it might be connected to whatever happened to her but for some reason they weren't able to find out that the house was emptied by some sort of moving service?
Why did Anna and Fin hook up with Bram? and why stay with him? Who is Marco's mother - conveniently and boringly mysterious? Why didn't Lamberg just go back to the house and get the box? Once the family left the house it sat empty for a long time until Lisa filmed it. It just doesn't track that he wouldn't go back to the house and search it for the box or a clue to the box - or maybe it does but the entire story is so outrageous and doesn't make any sense that perhaps I missed why he didn't do that. Just a confusing mess.
Why did Anna and Fin hook up with Bram? and why stay with him? Who is Marco's mother - conveniently and boringly mysterious? Why didn't Lamberg just go back to the house and get the box? Once the family left the house it sat empty for a long time until Lisa filmed it. It just doesn't track that he wouldn't go back to the house and search it for the box or a clue to the box - or maybe it does but the entire story is so outrageous and doesn't make any sense that perhaps I missed why he didn't do that. Just a confusing mess.
July 2, 2022
Anna and Fin #2
When Lisa Lee, vulnerable young woman, vanishes from a pretty Scottish seaside town, Anna and Fin find themselves at the centre of an internet frenzy to find her. But Lisa may not be the hapless victim her father thinks. She had an unsuccessful YouTube channel and her last film showed her breaking into an abandoned French Chateau with other UrbExers and stumbling across a priceless Roman silver casket. One day after Lisa vanishes that casket gets listed for auction in Paris, reserve price fifty million euros and a catalogue entry that could challenge the fundamental principles of a major world religion.
This is the sequel to Denise Mina's Conviction and what a page turner this book is. Anna and Fin are still hosting their podcasts. They are travelling across Europe in search of a missing woman. We travel through Scotland, France, Italy and the UK as Anna and Fin try to find the missing woman. The pace is steady throughout. It's also a quick and easy book to read.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #RandomHouseUK #Vintage and the author #DeniseMina for my ARC of Confidence in exchange for an honest review.
When Lisa Lee, vulnerable young woman, vanishes from a pretty Scottish seaside town, Anna and Fin find themselves at the centre of an internet frenzy to find her. But Lisa may not be the hapless victim her father thinks. She had an unsuccessful YouTube channel and her last film showed her breaking into an abandoned French Chateau with other UrbExers and stumbling across a priceless Roman silver casket. One day after Lisa vanishes that casket gets listed for auction in Paris, reserve price fifty million euros and a catalogue entry that could challenge the fundamental principles of a major world religion.
This is the sequel to Denise Mina's Conviction and what a page turner this book is. Anna and Fin are still hosting their podcasts. They are travelling across Europe in search of a missing woman. We travel through Scotland, France, Italy and the UK as Anna and Fin try to find the missing woman. The pace is steady throughout. It's also a quick and easy book to read.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #RandomHouseUK #Vintage and the author #DeniseMina for my ARC of Confidence in exchange for an honest review.
July 24, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed the first in this series, Conviction, and have liked/loved several other Denise Mina novels. So it's with regret that I'm abandoning this one at the halfway point, but also with relief. It doesn't seem to me like a Mina novel at all. it has none of her usual insightfulness, occasional humour, brilliant characterisation.
The premise is interesting - an urban explorer goes missing shortly after posting a YouTube video of a French chateau she and two companions had explored. Then a valuable and famous casket seen on the video turns up in an auction house. The casket is rumoured to contain proof of the resurrection of Christ. So far, so good, if a bit Dan Brown-esque. But then we go on an interminable journey, first by car and then by plane, which literally takes up the entire first half of the book and yet by that stage only gets us from the south west coast of Scotland to Glasgow Airport and then halfway to Rome. It would actually take less time to make that journey than it has taken me to read about it. Along the way, Anna and Fin read emails and articles, talk to people on FaceTime, etc., but mostly we get tedious details of everything they eat, where they sit, the décor of the plane and just about anything else you can think of. The odd thing is it's quite short for a contemporary thriller, and yet feels overstuffed with extraneous trivia. The story is static - I feel I've learned nothing to move it forward for an age. Also, Anna and Fin have joined up with a cartoon villain and his cartoon son, who have endless fights that involve them swearing at each other a lot. None of it is credible or convincing, and I've lost all interest in finding out about the missing girl or the casket. In this year of abandoned new releases, another one bites the dust...
The premise is interesting - an urban explorer goes missing shortly after posting a YouTube video of a French chateau she and two companions had explored. Then a valuable and famous casket seen on the video turns up in an auction house. The casket is rumoured to contain proof of the resurrection of Christ. So far, so good, if a bit Dan Brown-esque. But then we go on an interminable journey, first by car and then by plane, which literally takes up the entire first half of the book and yet by that stage only gets us from the south west coast of Scotland to Glasgow Airport and then halfway to Rome. It would actually take less time to make that journey than it has taken me to read about it. Along the way, Anna and Fin read emails and articles, talk to people on FaceTime, etc., but mostly we get tedious details of everything they eat, where they sit, the décor of the plane and just about anything else you can think of. The odd thing is it's quite short for a contemporary thriller, and yet feels overstuffed with extraneous trivia. The story is static - I feel I've learned nothing to move it forward for an age. Also, Anna and Fin have joined up with a cartoon villain and his cartoon son, who have endless fights that involve them swearing at each other a lot. None of it is credible or convincing, and I've lost all interest in finding out about the missing girl or the casket. In this year of abandoned new releases, another one bites the dust...
July 8, 2022
This one was a miss for me and I stopped reading halfway through.
Even though the writing was quirky and quick like her first book, everything else about this misses for me. The characters, main and side, are all unlikable and irritating. They are hard to connect with and root for. I missed the quirky bond between Anna and Fin.
The plot is slow paced making this hard to get into. I’m the first 50%, nothing of note happens making it hard for me to want to keep reading. The mystery seems to be a stretch and, something I didn’t fine relatable or realistic.
Overall this book just wasn’t for me.
Even though the writing was quirky and quick like her first book, everything else about this misses for me. The characters, main and side, are all unlikable and irritating. They are hard to connect with and root for. I missed the quirky bond between Anna and Fin.
The plot is slow paced making this hard to get into. I’m the first 50%, nothing of note happens making it hard for me to want to keep reading. The mystery seems to be a stretch and, something I didn’t fine relatable or realistic.
Overall this book just wasn’t for me.
July 10, 2022
I love Denise Mina's writing, and have read just about everything she's written. A big fan! I loved CONVICTION, the first book in this series. This second book was well-written, as always, but the narrator seems to have lost all the vibrancy and humor that she had in book one; the voice is strangely muted. It seems like a first person narrator who wants to be a third person narrator. The first book had a nice layered mystery, but this story felt more haphazard, with several inexplicable or poorly explained events.
I'll still read everything she writes, though. :)
I'll still read everything she writes, though. :)
August 3, 2022
Denise Mina channels her art lover nerdie side in her latest.
July 7, 2022
This one really confused me. Admittedly, I didn’t read the first book, Conviction, but other reviews say it wouldn’t have cleared anything up even if I did. For starters, it took me a while to figure out that Anna was retelling the story. The summary (on the ARC I have at least) talked about how she makes her blended family go on vacation together but that is only a plot point for about 5% of the book. The search for Lisa becomes secondary in my opinion which is what drew me to the book. I couldn’t understand why Anna and Fin would just blindly fly around with a shady person who they immediately don’t trust. Overall, just didn’t work for me but I’m sure others will have different feelings!
July 10, 2022
Podcast hosts Anna McDonald and Fin Cohen were supposed to be on a week-long vacation with their --- how to put it? --- significant others. It’s complicated. How could they have thought it would work out well? For starters, Anna invited her ex-husband and his new wife, whom she actually likes. And she invited Fin and Fin’s new girlfriend, whom she wants to like but absolutely doesn’t. Then there are the children, who may be the best of the lot. If only they could go outside. But a mega-storm is raging.
So when they hear news of YouTube star Lisa Lee having gone missing, the podcasting pair leap at the chance to run off in search of her, patting themselves on the back for doing the right thing. An hours-long drive to Anna’s home turns into an hours-upon-more-hours-long drive, at the end of which they simply want to grab something to eat and a few winks before beginning their hunt. Instead, they’re confronted by a shifty figure who calls himself Bram van Wyk. Van Wyk claims he can help them. He has a private plane and lots of money, and is willing to take them anywhere they want to go, including the French chateau where the YouTuber had last filmed.
Maybe it was the lack of sleep, or perhaps the lack of nourishment, but Anna and Fin agree to let Bram whisk them away. The promise of getting some rest while actually traveling to their goal sounds pretty good. So off to France they go. However, Bram filed a travel plan to Rome, which is where they land. He assures his guests that it’s only a one-day delay. There’s someone in Rome he needs to visit first. That someone is a priest --- rather, an ex-priest --- and he has an interesting story, starting with why he’s alive at all.
With their heads virtually spinning, Anna and Fin accept Bram’s offer of a ride to Paris. Again. This time he actually flies them there. The chateau that Lisa had been exploring was supposedly the source of an ancient Christian artifact, now the subject of an upcoming auction in the City of Lights. Many would kill to get their hands on it. Many, in fact, have killed for it. Did someone kill Lisa because of it? Is that why she’s disappeared? While Anna and Fin work to figure that out, Bram is on a different mission. He plans to acquire the invaluable artifact. Not for himself, mind you, but for a client.
All this time, Bram’s long-lost son, Marcos, has been tagging along. His mother decided, after about 11 years, that Marcos should meet his father, so it should come as no surprise that the lad tends to be angry. In fact, nearly everything he says is laced with the F-bomb. Heavily laced. It might take a while for him to form a bond with his dad. To be fair, Bram isn’t what you’d describe as especially loving and nurturing, or particularly ethical. Nonetheless, this motley crew all flit around the European continent together, searching for Lisa --- with Bram trying to get his hands on the artifact --- until they find what they’ve been looking for. It’s what comes after this that is the most explosive part of the story.
Denise Mina’s CONFIDENCE will take readers on a lively journey around several countries, while its heroes meet unscrupulous sorts and wiggle their way out of some very tight spots. As they go along, history sneaks in --- a lot of which is due to what Lisa found in that chateau, but also due to how religion shaped what people did over the years. It’s a wild race from the start, from the moment the podcasters make their escape, to the end, when they return home much the wiser.
Reviewed by Kate Ayers
So when they hear news of YouTube star Lisa Lee having gone missing, the podcasting pair leap at the chance to run off in search of her, patting themselves on the back for doing the right thing. An hours-long drive to Anna’s home turns into an hours-upon-more-hours-long drive, at the end of which they simply want to grab something to eat and a few winks before beginning their hunt. Instead, they’re confronted by a shifty figure who calls himself Bram van Wyk. Van Wyk claims he can help them. He has a private plane and lots of money, and is willing to take them anywhere they want to go, including the French chateau where the YouTuber had last filmed.
Maybe it was the lack of sleep, or perhaps the lack of nourishment, but Anna and Fin agree to let Bram whisk them away. The promise of getting some rest while actually traveling to their goal sounds pretty good. So off to France they go. However, Bram filed a travel plan to Rome, which is where they land. He assures his guests that it’s only a one-day delay. There’s someone in Rome he needs to visit first. That someone is a priest --- rather, an ex-priest --- and he has an interesting story, starting with why he’s alive at all.
With their heads virtually spinning, Anna and Fin accept Bram’s offer of a ride to Paris. Again. This time he actually flies them there. The chateau that Lisa had been exploring was supposedly the source of an ancient Christian artifact, now the subject of an upcoming auction in the City of Lights. Many would kill to get their hands on it. Many, in fact, have killed for it. Did someone kill Lisa because of it? Is that why she’s disappeared? While Anna and Fin work to figure that out, Bram is on a different mission. He plans to acquire the invaluable artifact. Not for himself, mind you, but for a client.
All this time, Bram’s long-lost son, Marcos, has been tagging along. His mother decided, after about 11 years, that Marcos should meet his father, so it should come as no surprise that the lad tends to be angry. In fact, nearly everything he says is laced with the F-bomb. Heavily laced. It might take a while for him to form a bond with his dad. To be fair, Bram isn’t what you’d describe as especially loving and nurturing, or particularly ethical. Nonetheless, this motley crew all flit around the European continent together, searching for Lisa --- with Bram trying to get his hands on the artifact --- until they find what they’ve been looking for. It’s what comes after this that is the most explosive part of the story.
Denise Mina’s CONFIDENCE will take readers on a lively journey around several countries, while its heroes meet unscrupulous sorts and wiggle their way out of some very tight spots. As they go along, history sneaks in --- a lot of which is due to what Lisa found in that chateau, but also due to how religion shaped what people did over the years. It’s a wild race from the start, from the moment the podcasters make their escape, to the end, when they return home much the wiser.
Reviewed by Kate Ayers
September 17, 2022
I loved Conviction, Denise Mina’s first book to feature Anna McDonald and Fin Cohen so I was excited for the release of Confidence, set around a year after Anna and Fin raced around Europe while podcasting their journey to expose the murderer of an old friend and his children.
When the story opens, Anna, Fin, their respective ex-partners, Hamish and Estelle, Fin’s new girlfriend, Sofia, plus Anna and Hamish’s daughters, and Hamish and Estelle’s new baby, are holidaying together in a Scottish lighthouse. Anna, desperately trying to distract herself from the tense atmosphere, mostly caused by Sofia, is scrolling through messages from listeners to their now successful podcast when a cryptic tweet from a user called WBGrates catches her eye.
Lisa Lee didn’t take it. Please tell them.
Attached to the message are two links, one to a YouTube film of a young woman, Lisa Lee, exploring an abandoned French chateau in an undisclosed location, the other to a page in an auction catalogue displaying a small antique silver casket that is visible in Lee’s footage. Not understanding the connection, Anna searches online and learns the Voyniche Casket is expected to be the subject of a frenzied bidding war among groups that believe it contains proof of Christ’s resurrection, and that Lisa Lee has been reported missing.
Seizing the excuse to abandon the holiday Anna and Fin follow up, and are quickly drawn into the hunt for the missing girl, and the truth about the casket. The pair don’t seem to have a lot of agency in the plot though, their movements are mainly dictated by Bram Van Wyk, a wealthy former smuggler/con man, and his desperate bid to recover the casket. It sort of feels like Mina had an idea for a thriller about smuggling and fanaticism, but didn’t know what to do with it, so she wrote Anna and Fin into it. Unfortunately I think it was a poor fit, and everything suffered as a result. While I easily dismissed plot inconsistencies and absurdities in Conviction, here they were jarring, and the twists had little impact.
The story primarily unfolds from Anna’s first person perspective, alternating with short transcripts from their podcast that serve to fill in some information gaps. While Anna won me over in Conviction, I didn’t find her nearly as compelling or witty here, and Finn may as well have been totally absent.
The pace also suffered with the plot issues and a fair amount of superfluous description. The travel helped somewhat as Anna and Finn fly around Europe courtesy of private jets and helicopters.
I think it’s clear I am disappointed by Confidence, I was feeling a little more generous immediately after finishing it but in retrospect it’s flawed enough that I feel it’s just barely okay, and wouldn’t recommend it.
When the story opens, Anna, Fin, their respective ex-partners, Hamish and Estelle, Fin’s new girlfriend, Sofia, plus Anna and Hamish’s daughters, and Hamish and Estelle’s new baby, are holidaying together in a Scottish lighthouse. Anna, desperately trying to distract herself from the tense atmosphere, mostly caused by Sofia, is scrolling through messages from listeners to their now successful podcast when a cryptic tweet from a user called WBGrates catches her eye.
Lisa Lee didn’t take it. Please tell them.
Attached to the message are two links, one to a YouTube film of a young woman, Lisa Lee, exploring an abandoned French chateau in an undisclosed location, the other to a page in an auction catalogue displaying a small antique silver casket that is visible in Lee’s footage. Not understanding the connection, Anna searches online and learns the Voyniche Casket is expected to be the subject of a frenzied bidding war among groups that believe it contains proof of Christ’s resurrection, and that Lisa Lee has been reported missing.
Seizing the excuse to abandon the holiday Anna and Fin follow up, and are quickly drawn into the hunt for the missing girl, and the truth about the casket. The pair don’t seem to have a lot of agency in the plot though, their movements are mainly dictated by Bram Van Wyk, a wealthy former smuggler/con man, and his desperate bid to recover the casket. It sort of feels like Mina had an idea for a thriller about smuggling and fanaticism, but didn’t know what to do with it, so she wrote Anna and Fin into it. Unfortunately I think it was a poor fit, and everything suffered as a result. While I easily dismissed plot inconsistencies and absurdities in Conviction, here they were jarring, and the twists had little impact.
The story primarily unfolds from Anna’s first person perspective, alternating with short transcripts from their podcast that serve to fill in some information gaps. While Anna won me over in Conviction, I didn’t find her nearly as compelling or witty here, and Finn may as well have been totally absent.
The pace also suffered with the plot issues and a fair amount of superfluous description. The travel helped somewhat as Anna and Finn fly around Europe courtesy of private jets and helicopters.
I think it’s clear I am disappointed by Confidence, I was feeling a little more generous immediately after finishing it but in retrospect it’s flawed enough that I feel it’s just barely okay, and wouldn’t recommend it.
October 5, 2022
I re-read CONVICTION not long ago because I'd forgotten everything in it. And sometimes that's not so helpful but this time it really was. So much of that novel is laying the groundwork of the relationship between Anna and Fin, which makes much more sense now that we have a second novel. I would happily have more! This one is more fun, more twisty, and has a better ending. Just a step up all around.
Anna is a fun narrator, she makes jokes and winks at the reader. I enjoy having her take us through this rollercoaster ride. It seems to me that we will have more books because it feels like we are just starting to get a better feel for Fin, that there are clearly some unexplored depths.
This plot is somehow more outlandish than Conviction's, but actually I found it more believable. Now that they have their podcast there are reasons for Anna and Fin to be looking into crimes that have nothing to do with them. This book has podcast episodes mixed in to give us plot exposition, which I think works really well. This time we have urban exploration, a South African smuggler, and a race for Christian artifacts. There is a disappearance and a possibly cursed object and the more we learn the more murders we find.
This time it's not actually Anna and Fin that ground us. Instead it's 12-year-old Marcos, their unlikely and unwilling companion. He is being dragged along by his newly discovered father, the aforementioned smuggler. It's an absurd idea, taking a very spoiled and unhappy kid along on their adventure, but it's clear that our smuggler feels this may be his only chance to spend time with his son. It's a nice emotional grounding that doesn't feel too heavy handed, especially as the two can't stop fighting with each other.
I have been a Denise Mina fan for well over a decade and I really enjoyed this. She's had some great series in the past and I hope we get a few more books in this one!
I did the audio, which I enjoyed quite a bit. Although I noticed that the reader pronounces Anna's real name differently than the reader in the first book, which irked me. But it's a nice Scottish accent so I'll take it.
Anna is a fun narrator, she makes jokes and winks at the reader. I enjoy having her take us through this rollercoaster ride. It seems to me that we will have more books because it feels like we are just starting to get a better feel for Fin, that there are clearly some unexplored depths.
This plot is somehow more outlandish than Conviction's, but actually I found it more believable. Now that they have their podcast there are reasons for Anna and Fin to be looking into crimes that have nothing to do with them. This book has podcast episodes mixed in to give us plot exposition, which I think works really well. This time we have urban exploration, a South African smuggler, and a race for Christian artifacts. There is a disappearance and a possibly cursed object and the more we learn the more murders we find.
This time it's not actually Anna and Fin that ground us. Instead it's 12-year-old Marcos, their unlikely and unwilling companion. He is being dragged along by his newly discovered father, the aforementioned smuggler. It's an absurd idea, taking a very spoiled and unhappy kid along on their adventure, but it's clear that our smuggler feels this may be his only chance to spend time with his son. It's a nice emotional grounding that doesn't feel too heavy handed, especially as the two can't stop fighting with each other.
I have been a Denise Mina fan for well over a decade and I really enjoyed this. She's had some great series in the past and I hope we get a few more books in this one!
I did the audio, which I enjoyed quite a bit. Although I noticed that the reader pronounces Anna's real name differently than the reader in the first book, which irked me. But it's a nice Scottish accent so I'll take it.
August 7, 2022
For a book that claims to be the next big thing in crime literature, I found this a mediocre read - it was gripping, but simultaneously difficult to follow and sort of attempted to explore so many avenues that it lost its quality.
It starts strongly, introducing the characters and their respective in a succinct, gripping and easy-to-understand manner. But it quickly goes downhill rather quickly once the plot gets set in motion.
The book claims to be about the disappearance of a missing woman, but this made up 0.000001% of the plot line. It could’ve been an interesting commentary on how the rise in True Crime videos has caused several problems - instead, it tries to paint the image of a couple of people who happen to be able to invade a criminal ring.
It was difficult to follow, I feel like I could not succinctly to tell you what happened and I just felt like the writing was here there and everywhere. A more simplistic plot line wouldve honestly been better in this scenario - I don’t mind complicated plots, this one was just poorly executed.
Thanks to NetGalley for my advanced readers copy in exchange for this honest review.
It starts strongly, introducing the characters and their respective in a succinct, gripping and easy-to-understand manner. But it quickly goes downhill rather quickly once the plot gets set in motion.
The book claims to be about the disappearance of a missing woman, but this made up 0.000001% of the plot line. It could’ve been an interesting commentary on how the rise in True Crime videos has caused several problems - instead, it tries to paint the image of a couple of people who happen to be able to invade a criminal ring.
It was difficult to follow, I feel like I could not succinctly to tell you what happened and I just felt like the writing was here there and everywhere. A more simplistic plot line wouldve honestly been better in this scenario - I don’t mind complicated plots, this one was just poorly executed.
Thanks to NetGalley for my advanced readers copy in exchange for this honest review.
September 1, 2022
This was really a hot mess. Big plot holes, really undeveloped characters. I kept reading hoping it would pull together but…no. Hot mess.
April 5, 2024
Spectacularly bad, especially since I enjoyed the first book. This felt really forced to be a part of the series, the main characters had almost no business being involved in the plot at all
July 5, 2022
I haven’t read the first book in this series that feature the main protagonists, Anna and Fin. It doesn’t actually bother me jumping into a series even though I haven’t read previous books in it although there is always that risk that you may feel like you are missing out. Whilst the storyline itself does indeed work well as a standalone, I do feel like I didn’t quite connect with Anna and Fin as whilst we do find out some of their backgrounds, the story focuses more on the case so I felt I wasn’t quite as emotionally connected as I usually would be. Will certainly be making sure to read the first book now as Anna especially has been through a lot so would love to get more into her head especially.
Anna and Fin find themselves travelling across Europe to try and discover what happened to a missing film-maker. I loved how the story starts off with the pair hotfooting it away from their partners and family whilst having a holiday. It was obvious that these two like to be adventurous although Fin comes across as much weaker emotionally wise than Anna. There are some quite quirky characters that come in the form of Bram and a boy called Marcus and for me this was where Fin and Anna started to come into their own and commandeer the story. There is certainly lots going on so you do need to keep your wits about you as the story takes different twists and turns.
Confidence may be the second book in a series but is actually the first novel I have read by the author. She has a very distinct writing voice and have been left intrigued to read more by her. If you love a story full of mystery and suspense that will keep you on your toes, then this is for you. There’s a bit of a religious, holy grail type of theme going on which certainly held my interest and look forward to seeing what the author has in store for Anna and Fin next.
My thanks to Vintage Books for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
Anna and Fin find themselves travelling across Europe to try and discover what happened to a missing film-maker. I loved how the story starts off with the pair hotfooting it away from their partners and family whilst having a holiday. It was obvious that these two like to be adventurous although Fin comes across as much weaker emotionally wise than Anna. There are some quite quirky characters that come in the form of Bram and a boy called Marcus and for me this was where Fin and Anna started to come into their own and commandeer the story. There is certainly lots going on so you do need to keep your wits about you as the story takes different twists and turns.
Confidence may be the second book in a series but is actually the first novel I have read by the author. She has a very distinct writing voice and have been left intrigued to read more by her. If you love a story full of mystery and suspense that will keep you on your toes, then this is for you. There’s a bit of a religious, holy grail type of theme going on which certainly held my interest and look forward to seeing what the author has in store for Anna and Fin next.
My thanks to Vintage Books for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
June 7, 2023
Oh dear. I enjoyed Conviction (the previous book in this series) so much, and so I was sure I’d like this one too. But alas, Confidence is a mere shadow of its predecessor. It was jumbled and confusing, and it was really hard to care about the characters. I had to force myself to finish it; usually if I am feeling this way about a book, I just abandon it. But I kind of wanted to see if there was a payoff at the end, any payoff at all. There was not.
It starts out okay, and in fact that is why I am giving it two stars instead of one. The beginning is strong: Anna and Fin are taking a holiday with their exes, Hamish and Estelle, who are now together with a small baby. Anna and Hamish’s pre-teen daughters are also there. To round out the group, Fin’s awful girlfriend Sophia has come along at Anna’s insistence, despite Fin’s protests.
There’s a horrible scene with Sophia being horrible, and Anna and Fin leave to go back to Glasgow to follow up on a lead they want to explore for their podcast. A young urban explorer named Lisa Lee has disappeared into thin air after discovering an abandoned French chateau filled with artefacts, in particular a small silver casket with great religious importance. Fin and Anna meet an art smuggler, Bram, and his 12 year old newly discovered son, Marcos, who are somehow entangled in this whole casket thing also.
There are several really good set pieces in Confidence, all of them transcripts of interviews or podcast episodes describing true crimes related somehow to the casket: the story of Lisa Lee and her exploration of the chateau; the story of the biggest art theft in modern history at the Gardner Museum in Boston; the story of how a young Hungarian girl found the silver casket in the first place. These were very interesting! I wished more of the book was like this. Like I said, these stories are the reason this review is getting 2 rather than 1 star.
I am disappointed that Denise Mina wasted Anna and Fin in this book. I will probably read a third one if she writes a third one, mostly because I’ll be hoping she goes back to the style of the excellent Conviction.
It starts out okay, and in fact that is why I am giving it two stars instead of one. The beginning is strong: Anna and Fin are taking a holiday with their exes, Hamish and Estelle, who are now together with a small baby. Anna and Hamish’s pre-teen daughters are also there. To round out the group, Fin’s awful girlfriend Sophia has come along at Anna’s insistence, despite Fin’s protests.
There’s a horrible scene with Sophia being horrible, and Anna and Fin leave to go back to Glasgow to follow up on a lead they want to explore for their podcast. A young urban explorer named Lisa Lee has disappeared into thin air after discovering an abandoned French chateau filled with artefacts, in particular a small silver casket with great religious importance. Fin and Anna meet an art smuggler, Bram, and his 12 year old newly discovered son, Marcos, who are somehow entangled in this whole casket thing also.
There are several really good set pieces in Confidence, all of them transcripts of interviews or podcast episodes describing true crimes related somehow to the casket: the story of Lisa Lee and her exploration of the chateau; the story of the biggest art theft in modern history at the Gardner Museum in Boston; the story of how a young Hungarian girl found the silver casket in the first place. These were very interesting! I wished more of the book was like this. Like I said, these stories are the reason this review is getting 2 rather than 1 star.
I am disappointed that Denise Mina wasted Anna and Fin in this book. I will probably read a third one if she writes a third one, mostly because I’ll be hoping she goes back to the style of the excellent Conviction.
June 20, 2022
I devoured Conviction in double quick time so taken was I by Anna and Fin and their complicated lives and personalities, but in this second outing they are sidelined to role of spectators in a mystery that fails to captivate in the way of the original.
Lisa Lee has gone missing from her North Berwick home following the discovery of what is purported to be a casket holding the remains of Jesus's gowns in which he was wrapped following the crucifixion. Lisa is a urban explorer with a meagre YouTube following that explodes after her disappearance and it's only then that Anna comes across the email Lisa had sent to them looking for help with her situation.
Anna and Fin escape a dire family retreat and go off in search of Lisa finding themselves dragged along for the ride and becoming bit players in what's supposed to be their story.
In Conviction, Mina grabs us and never lets go plunging us into the messy lives and backstories of characters whose relationship is tempestuous at best, but everything seems much more tepid from the off as we begin with a lengthy description of a YouTube video and the novel fails to catch alight from there unfortunately.
Anna's voice feels lost in describing various European locales and Fin does little more than press record on his phone and the supporting cast are left to carry the mystery and fail to do so in an interesting way.
There can be no doubting Mina's talent, but I think this one loses what made Anna and Fin great in the first place and could be a case of difficult second album syndrome in that we got so much of them in the first book that there may not have been much more to give.
Lisa Lee has gone missing from her North Berwick home following the discovery of what is purported to be a casket holding the remains of Jesus's gowns in which he was wrapped following the crucifixion. Lisa is a urban explorer with a meagre YouTube following that explodes after her disappearance and it's only then that Anna comes across the email Lisa had sent to them looking for help with her situation.
Anna and Fin escape a dire family retreat and go off in search of Lisa finding themselves dragged along for the ride and becoming bit players in what's supposed to be their story.
In Conviction, Mina grabs us and never lets go plunging us into the messy lives and backstories of characters whose relationship is tempestuous at best, but everything seems much more tepid from the off as we begin with a lengthy description of a YouTube video and the novel fails to catch alight from there unfortunately.
Anna's voice feels lost in describing various European locales and Fin does little more than press record on his phone and the supporting cast are left to carry the mystery and fail to do so in an interesting way.
There can be no doubting Mina's talent, but I think this one loses what made Anna and Fin great in the first place and could be a case of difficult second album syndrome in that we got so much of them in the first book that there may not have been much more to give.
August 4, 2024
I always like Denise Mina. This is a very solid, globetrotting thriller that involves a weird abandoned house, a priceless artifact, a stolen painting, an a crazy South African billionaire. Mina's incorporation of social media into the narrative is pretty clever and not annoying. Using podcast transcripts lets her fill in background info in a natural way, and the chapter that describes a YouTube video of an urban explorer entering the abandoned house is genuinely fascinating and a bit creepy. This isn't a hugely character-focused book, but even the light sketches are effective. Both main character Anna and Bram (the billionaire) have damage that feels real in its ability to lead them to make really bad decisions.
July 18, 2022
Wanted to love it, but this was a hot mess.
October 11, 2022
Urbex, podcasts, con men, a potentially priceless Roman silver casket which may hold untold religious secrets, the filthy rich, an auction in Paris, missing (just vanished out the front door) people, a mouthy mixed-up kid, a mother who might be Boston mob - so many elements makeup this short and pithy story. There is even one chapter devoted to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum art heist in Boston. Sometimes the pieces feel greater than the whole. Should the con men triumph or stumble ? Will the kid survive ? What of the two prime podcasters ? As always, Denise Mina writes well. It may be that this story improves in the reader’s mind once it is completed and there is some distance from the finish when how the many pieces of it fit together can be more fully appreciated.
June 18, 2022
Thank you to the author, publishers Random House and NetGalley UK for access to this as an advance reader’s ebook. This is an honest and voluntary review.
I really wanted to like this book, but I spent too many chunks of it trying to figure out if I’d accidentally skipped chapters that would explain what was going on.
It is a sequel (which I only found out after I finished), so it may make more sense if you read the first one, but I had the impression that this confusion of not knowing quite what was going on was what the author intended. We see the action from the perspective of Anna, a podcaster who, with her co-presenter Fin, ends up falling into the search for a missing YouTuber largely as an excuse to escape a painfully awkward family holiday.
The search for the YouTuber is mixed up in the discovery and sale of a religious relic which may contain proof that Jesus was a real person and confirm Pontious Pilate’s involvement with his death.
Anna and Fin are apparently going to out this all together as a podcast and early on there are some research sections which sound line they’re intended as context for a podcast. But, in the same way as the missing YouTubers random approach to editing and commentary makes it sound like a very unappealing watch, I don't get the sense that Anna and Fin’s podcast would ever actually work as they don’t seem to have a clear idea of what they’re looking for from anyone they speak to.
There are a lot of references to backstory that never quite seem to become fully relevant. And at the same time backstory that seems to be missing to explain what happens and why it’s taken as logical by Anna. It left me feeling as if I’d read an Indiana Jones script edited by some arthouse movie maker. As I said that backstory might appear in the first book, but there were no clues in the story that there was a first book and absolutely nothing that would entice me tk now go back and read the first one.
Maybe I’m just too used to books where backstory provides clues to the resolution. This is much more like the messier intertwining of real life where the last doesn’t always reflect the present. Unfortunately the result is neither as satisfying as a nearly wrapped up fiction nor as grounded as real life.
I really wanted to like this book, but I spent too many chunks of it trying to figure out if I’d accidentally skipped chapters that would explain what was going on.
It is a sequel (which I only found out after I finished), so it may make more sense if you read the first one, but I had the impression that this confusion of not knowing quite what was going on was what the author intended. We see the action from the perspective of Anna, a podcaster who, with her co-presenter Fin, ends up falling into the search for a missing YouTuber largely as an excuse to escape a painfully awkward family holiday.
The search for the YouTuber is mixed up in the discovery and sale of a religious relic which may contain proof that Jesus was a real person and confirm Pontious Pilate’s involvement with his death.
Anna and Fin are apparently going to out this all together as a podcast and early on there are some research sections which sound line they’re intended as context for a podcast. But, in the same way as the missing YouTubers random approach to editing and commentary makes it sound like a very unappealing watch, I don't get the sense that Anna and Fin’s podcast would ever actually work as they don’t seem to have a clear idea of what they’re looking for from anyone they speak to.
There are a lot of references to backstory that never quite seem to become fully relevant. And at the same time backstory that seems to be missing to explain what happens and why it’s taken as logical by Anna. It left me feeling as if I’d read an Indiana Jones script edited by some arthouse movie maker. As I said that backstory might appear in the first book, but there were no clues in the story that there was a first book and absolutely nothing that would entice me tk now go back and read the first one.
Maybe I’m just too used to books where backstory provides clues to the resolution. This is much more like the messier intertwining of real life where the last doesn’t always reflect the present. Unfortunately the result is neither as satisfying as a nearly wrapped up fiction nor as grounded as real life.
August 19, 2022
Anna and Fin are podcasters and crime journalists who are contacted by Lisa Lee. Lisa is an Urban Explorer who has posted a video of a visit to an abandoned chateau but now she has disappeared. Featuring on the film is a silver casket and the hint that it might be of great religious significance so when it goes on sale at a Paris auction house Lisa is immediately suspected. Anna and Fin are left trying to unravel the tale in the company of a crazed South African smuggler who also wants the casket.
Mina is such a fantastic crime writer that the reader almost forgets the crafting that goes into this type of thriller. I almost think it is a lightweight, throwaway piece of writer because it flies along at a pace with such a dark streak of humour through throughout. If you imagine the DaVinci Code without the overly religious theorising and with a really talented writer, you're not even halfway there!
Mina is such a fantastic crime writer that the reader almost forgets the crafting that goes into this type of thriller. I almost think it is a lightweight, throwaway piece of writer because it flies along at a pace with such a dark streak of humour through throughout. If you imagine the DaVinci Code without the overly religious theorising and with a really talented writer, you're not even halfway there!
February 28, 2023
So I waffled between 2 and 3 stars on this review because I really liked the first book in the series and I was waiting for it to be as good or better. But it didn’t get there for me.
I gave it a lower score because it was kinda all over the place with all sorts of plot holes and poor character development which was super distracting. I did, overall, like the story though it just needed a bit more structure. Anna drove me a bit nuts in the book as well. She was kinda all over the map and it was hard to follow.
I also found the podcast chapters to be confusing and even though they touched on info about some of our lead characters, I just didn’t think they were really needed. Those chapters felt like they could be their own separate book almost.
The ending was a fun idea but I thought it was missing a bit more finesse. It just kinda ended suddenly.
I gave it a lower score because it was kinda all over the place with all sorts of plot holes and poor character development which was super distracting. I did, overall, like the story though it just needed a bit more structure. Anna drove me a bit nuts in the book as well. She was kinda all over the map and it was hard to follow.
I also found the podcast chapters to be confusing and even though they touched on info about some of our lead characters, I just didn’t think they were really needed. Those chapters felt like they could be their own separate book almost.
The ending was a fun idea but I thought it was missing a bit more finesse. It just kinda ended suddenly.
June 23, 2022
Denise Mina has shown in recent years that she's not only one of the world's best crime writers, but she's a bit of a crime writing Swiss Army knife, covering ground from historical crime tales reimagining real-life murders in 1560s and 1950s Scotland, to Euro-tripping modern thrillers full of zest and fun, to deep character studies delving into the unseen and overlooked of urban life. And that's just her standalones in the past few years, following on from three outstanding series to kickstart her career (Garnethill, Paddy Meehan, Alex Morrow).
In CONFIDENCE, Mina continues the (mis)adventures of podcasters Anna McDonald and Fin Cohen, a gang rape survivor and an anorexic former rock star whose spouses ran away together. First spied in Mina’s excellent 2019 novel CONVICTION, this time Anna and Fin are looking to escape a family holiday, so distract themselves with the story of Lisa Lee, a YouTuber who emailed them and has now vanished after broadcasting her ‘urban exploring’ of a creepy French chateau. Soon after, a priceless religious relic with a deadly history is up for auction: a silver casket reputedly tied to the crucifixion and Pontius Pilate. 50 million will start the bidding.
Anna and Fin’s search is gate-crashed by sketchy South African Bram van Wyk, who has his eyes on the silver casket for desperate reasons, and is dragging his 12-year-old son around on private planes. A pell-mell journey across Europe ensues, colliding with past secrets and present dangers. Along with billionaire art lovers, religious zealots, and other very dangerous people. There’s a lot to enjoy in CONFIDENCE, with Mina nicely balancing action, intrigue, and some laughs in a thriller that veers zany at times. Having set the bar so very, very high with her past novels, this latest tale may not represent the best of Mina, but it’s a good, fun read.
In CONFIDENCE, Mina continues the (mis)adventures of podcasters Anna McDonald and Fin Cohen, a gang rape survivor and an anorexic former rock star whose spouses ran away together. First spied in Mina’s excellent 2019 novel CONVICTION, this time Anna and Fin are looking to escape a family holiday, so distract themselves with the story of Lisa Lee, a YouTuber who emailed them and has now vanished after broadcasting her ‘urban exploring’ of a creepy French chateau. Soon after, a priceless religious relic with a deadly history is up for auction: a silver casket reputedly tied to the crucifixion and Pontius Pilate. 50 million will start the bidding.
Anna and Fin’s search is gate-crashed by sketchy South African Bram van Wyk, who has his eyes on the silver casket for desperate reasons, and is dragging his 12-year-old son around on private planes. A pell-mell journey across Europe ensues, colliding with past secrets and present dangers. Along with billionaire art lovers, religious zealots, and other very dangerous people. There’s a lot to enjoy in CONFIDENCE, with Mina nicely balancing action, intrigue, and some laughs in a thriller that veers zany at times. Having set the bar so very, very high with her past novels, this latest tale may not represent the best of Mina, but it’s a good, fun read.
June 11, 2025
4.5 audiobook
December 31, 2022
Anna and Fin once again meeting shady people, because obviously they are now ok and they are coping...right?
Well, no.
Apparently, their way to deal with the dreadful family weekend Anna organised with her daughters, her ex husband Hamish and his new wife and Finn and his new girlfriend is to actually flee under the excuse of investigating the disappearance of Lisa Lee, who is a fan of their podcast. She is a youtube vlogger, part of UrbEx community people who break into abandoned places and explore. In her last video, she breaks into a chateau in France and finds what it appears to be a silver box with Roman markings. The casket has great value for religious community and great financial value for art traders which is why a South-African trader, Bram van Wyk, seems intent on attaching themselves to Anna's and Finn's investigation. This is how they got embroiled into international art trading, shady smuggling businesses, billionaires with money to burn and auctions.
In Conviction, I was entirely invested into Anna's and Finn's friendship born out of desperation and the mystery they were investigating wasn't really that interesting to me nor was resolution that surprising.
In Confidence, the mystery behind Lisa's disappearance made me turn the pages as was finding out what's the deal with Bram. Bram van Wyk is incredibly interesting character because he is so obviously not trust-worthy, but compelling never the less. He was so obnoxious from the start, but the more I read the more I wanted to find out what's his real motivation.
I love what Mina did with historical background and infamous reputation of the casket. She has a way of transporting you into past and because it's well researched it felt like a real artefact. Unfortunately, it also doesn't feel that important with the mystery in question: what happened to Lisa. My biggest problem with this novel were Anna and Finn. I feel like they hadn't significantly developed as individuals because they refuse to talk about their issues: easting disorder and traumatic past and when they come to some conclusion about this at the end, it just didn't feel earned or convincing. But Anna's and Finn's relationship was also neither developed further nor focused on and I was really annoyed by their passivity: for the bigger part since Bram appeared they just went along with his plans despite the red flags surrounding him. And drama of it sometimes felt ridiculous but not in a good way. So, perhaps, I missed some of that magic from the first novel where they were impulsive idiots.
All in all, not one of her best, but Denise Mina is always worth my time.
Well, no.
Apparently, their way to deal with the dreadful family weekend Anna organised with her daughters, her ex husband Hamish and his new wife and Finn and his new girlfriend is to actually flee under the excuse of investigating the disappearance of Lisa Lee, who is a fan of their podcast. She is a youtube vlogger, part of UrbEx community people who break into abandoned places and explore. In her last video, she breaks into a chateau in France and finds what it appears to be a silver box with Roman markings. The casket has great value for religious community and great financial value for art traders which is why a South-African trader, Bram van Wyk, seems intent on attaching themselves to Anna's and Finn's investigation. This is how they got embroiled into international art trading, shady smuggling businesses, billionaires with money to burn and auctions.
In Conviction, I was entirely invested into Anna's and Finn's friendship born out of desperation and the mystery they were investigating wasn't really that interesting to me nor was resolution that surprising.
In Confidence, the mystery behind Lisa's disappearance made me turn the pages as was finding out what's the deal with Bram. Bram van Wyk is incredibly interesting character because he is so obviously not trust-worthy, but compelling never the less. He was so obnoxious from the start, but the more I read the more I wanted to find out what's his real motivation.
I love what Mina did with historical background and infamous reputation of the casket. She has a way of transporting you into past and because it's well researched it felt like a real artefact. Unfortunately, it also doesn't feel that important with the mystery in question: what happened to Lisa. My biggest problem with this novel were Anna and Finn. I feel like they hadn't significantly developed as individuals because they refuse to talk about their issues: easting disorder and traumatic past and when they come to some conclusion about this at the end, it just didn't feel earned or convincing. But Anna's and Finn's relationship was also neither developed further nor focused on and I was really annoyed by their passivity: for the bigger part since Bram appeared they just went along with his plans despite the red flags surrounding him. And drama of it sometimes felt ridiculous but not in a good way. So, perhaps, I missed some of that magic from the first novel where they were impulsive idiots.
All in all, not one of her best, but Denise Mina is always worth my time.
July 18, 2023
När en ung kvinna spelar in en youtube-film i ett övergivet slott hittar hon ett gammalt romerskt skrin. Efter att filmen publicerats på internet försvinner flickan spårlöst - och skrinet dyker upp till försäljning till hutlösa summor. Det visar sig att skrinet har en mörk historia - många tidigare ägare har bragts om livet. Anna McDonald och Fin Cohen, som tillsammans driver en podcast med fokus på true crime, hamnar i centrum för en intensiv sökkampanj efter den försvunna kvinnan på nätet. Helt plötsligt finner de sig mitt i en värld av internationella konstsmugglare, bedragare och religiösa fanatiker: för skrinet som flickan hittade var så mycket mer än bara ett skrin, ska det visa sig 🫣
Relik är skriven på ett ljuvligt sätt - vi följer i huvudsak karaktären Anna, som i efterhand skriver ned det som hänt. På så vis blir berättelsen mer en återberättelse av det som sker och vi skippar stora delar dialog, Anna återger istället i stora drag det som sagts. Genom att låta podcasten uppta vissa kapitel får andra berättarröster ibland ta plats, vilket varierar berättartekniken.
Huvudkaraktärerna står i princip vid sidan av händelseförloppet, hela boken igenom. De bara följer med i det som händer. Det är genialt att ha tilldelat dem rollen som podcasters då det ju är precis vad det innebär att spela in podcasts: att man tillåter sig själv att ta ett steg undan för att låta berättelsen ha sin gång, utan att man inverkar.
Det ska sägas att det märktes att det var del två i en serie. Mycket tas upp som måste ha utspelat sig i boken innan - det funkar såhär men att ha läst första boken innan vore definitivt att föredra.
Relik är skriven på ett ljuvligt sätt - vi följer i huvudsak karaktären Anna, som i efterhand skriver ned det som hänt. På så vis blir berättelsen mer en återberättelse av det som sker och vi skippar stora delar dialog, Anna återger istället i stora drag det som sagts. Genom att låta podcasten uppta vissa kapitel får andra berättarröster ibland ta plats, vilket varierar berättartekniken.
Huvudkaraktärerna står i princip vid sidan av händelseförloppet, hela boken igenom. De bara följer med i det som händer. Det är genialt att ha tilldelat dem rollen som podcasters då det ju är precis vad det innebär att spela in podcasts: att man tillåter sig själv att ta ett steg undan för att låta berättelsen ha sin gång, utan att man inverkar.
Det ska sägas att det märktes att det var del två i en serie. Mycket tas upp som måste ha utspelat sig i boken innan - det funkar såhär men att ha läst första boken innan vore definitivt att föredra.
May 30, 2022
I have followed some Urbex photographers and been amazed at the incredible places that lie abandoned, often fully furnished - the inhabitants absence unexplained and baffling. This book starts with Scottish Urban Explorer Lisa Lee who posts on YouTube but then disappears, which is a fascinating hook for the reader at the start of the book. What follows is a series of events and coincidences as two Podcasters try to follow Lisa's steps. A story so incredible that it seems quite plausible, crossing the lines between Urbex and the closed and corrupt world of art. Absolutely mind bending.
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