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Paddy Meehan #2
The Dead Hour
Paddy Meehan thought she'd be farther along in her career as an investigative journalist by now. But three years after breaking a big story, she's still on perpetual night shift, chasing police calls for a story that will promote her out of a twilight existence that makes candy bars and coffee a medical necessity. With her father and brothers unemployed and her family perilously short of money, she needs the work. The domestic dispute at a house in a wealthy suburb seems like nothing unusual - at first. The elegant blonde in the shadows bleeding from a head injury doesn't want any help; and the well-dressed, ingratiating man at the front door tells Paddy everything's fine and that she should leave. And then he asks her to make sure nothing appears in the paper, slipping cash into her hand before he closes the door. The next morning, Paddy sees the lead TV news story: the blonde woman had been tortured, beaten, and left to die. The untraceable man was neither her boyfriend nor her husband, and Paddy can't understand why the victim passed up the chance to walk through the door and live. Far from the spoiled trophy wife Paddy assumed her to be, the victim was a prosecution lawyer with a social conscience that clashed with her privileged background. Soon Paddy begins to make connections no one else has seen, and after she witnesses the body of a suicide being pulled from the river, she finds surprising links between the two deaths. It's the story Paddy's dreamed of, but she'll lose all credibility if word gets out about the bribe. The police who attended the call are twisting the evidence for reasons of their own, and her boss at the newspaper is impatient with Paddy's unproven hunches. Only Paddy cares enough to pursue a dark and brutal truth that could make her career - or kill her.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
243 people are currently reading
1487 people want to read
About the author
Denise Mina
109 books2,539 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.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 304 reviews
August 6, 2016
Damn I love these books. I adore Paddy Meehan! She is one of the best series protagonists I’ve come across in years. In her era (late 80s) and her particularly conservative religious community, women don’t work – they marry. So here’s Paddy, charging full speed ahead into the “unnatural” life of a professional, unmarried woman. She’s tough but insecure. Hot-headed, yet kind. And she’s totally badass.
No plot summary for this book but suffice it to say that she gives as good as she gets. She screws up and falls down and she gets right back up again.
”The smiled at each other, these two working women, both keeping jobs from needy men, betraying nature by escaping the kitchen sink, these two women who were out in the world, active not passive, subjects not objects.”
Boom.
No plot summary for this book but suffice it to say that she gives as good as she gets. She screws up and falls down and she gets right back up again.
”The smiled at each other, these two working women, both keeping jobs from needy men, betraying nature by escaping the kitchen sink, these two women who were out in the world, active not passive, subjects not objects.”
Boom.
December 11, 2014
Paddy Keeps Rolling! - 4 Stars
Paddy Meehan is one of the most entertaining characters I have encountered in a long time. On one hand, she is a little overweight and is self conscious while on the other she is spunky, quick witted and quick tempered. She is the only unbeliever in a staunchly catholic home and she is convinced her unbelief will drag her whole family to hell with her. The entertainment provided by Paddy is worth the read.
Plot summary
Paddy is faced with a moral dilemma. She attends at a police call in progress where there is an apparent domestic situation occurring. After the police have spoken with the parties and have failed to make any arrests, she seeks a comment from the parties. Inside, she sees a young woman who is clearly hurt and with blood running down her face. The man at the door gives her fifty pounds and asks her to keep it out of the papers. The next day, Paddy learns that the woman in the house was found dead. Should she turn in the 50 pound note and risk losing her job or should she keep it to help her down on the luck family. It is after another body is pulled out of the river that Paddy believes there is a bigger story going on and the police seem to be obscuring the facts. Will she get the story of her career or will the bribe come to obscure her credibility.
The Good
Improvements!
The story formatting was my biggest complaint with the first book. While the various "chapters" and "parts" remain, it is much easier to follow in this installment. As in the first, there is a parallel storyline, but it is in the present and is coherent. Instead of detracting from the book, the parallel storyline adds to overall feel.
Setting, Characters and more Setting
As in the first installment, Denise Mina expertly develops characters and places them in a believable near historical setting. I did not visit Scotland in the mid 80's but I feel as if I was there. The depressed economy and the rise of an urban drug culture play prominently in the story and well developed.
The Bad
A Few Stumbles
While the formatting is much improved, it suffers with some pacing issues. I enjoyed the writing and the character of Paddy Meehan so much, that I felt as if it could have been a favorite book but jarring pacing ultimately (although mildly) reduce my opinion.
Can this Book Stand Alone
If you really want it to. While this story is self contained, it is part of a trilogy. This second book does not borrow heavily from the first and you would not be lost if you picked up this one first.
Final Thoughts
This and first in the trilogy has left me wanting to read more by Denise Mina. She has a sharp eye for setting and character and I look forward to finish the trilogy. That said, I am quite disappointed there are only three book as Paddy is such a great and relatable character.
Audiobook Notes
Content Advisories
It is difficult to find commentary on the sex/violence/language content of book if you are interested. I make an effort to give you the information so you can make an informed decision before reading. *Disclaimer* I do not take note or count the occurrences of adult language as I read. I am simply giving approximations. When reviewing language, mild obscenities are words like, shit, hell or damn. Religious exclamations are words such as Christ or Jesus when used as profanity.
Scale 1 - Lowest 5 - Highest
Sex - 3
There is a bit more sex in this installment than the last. There is a moderately graphic sex scene in the book and several less graphic ones. As Paddy is aging, the content is become a bit more "adult".
Language - 1
There are about 45 mild obscenities, 70 uses of the f-word and 3 religious exclamations.
Violence - 3
There is also more violence in the background of this novel. There are several mildly graphic descriptions of death and several scenes where characters are beaten. The author tends to avoid the gory description.
Paddy Meehan is one of the most entertaining characters I have encountered in a long time. On one hand, she is a little overweight and is self conscious while on the other she is spunky, quick witted and quick tempered. She is the only unbeliever in a staunchly catholic home and she is convinced her unbelief will drag her whole family to hell with her. The entertainment provided by Paddy is worth the read.
Plot summary
Paddy is faced with a moral dilemma. She attends at a police call in progress where there is an apparent domestic situation occurring. After the police have spoken with the parties and have failed to make any arrests, she seeks a comment from the parties. Inside, she sees a young woman who is clearly hurt and with blood running down her face. The man at the door gives her fifty pounds and asks her to keep it out of the papers. The next day, Paddy learns that the woman in the house was found dead. Should she turn in the 50 pound note and risk losing her job or should she keep it to help her down on the luck family. It is after another body is pulled out of the river that Paddy believes there is a bigger story going on and the police seem to be obscuring the facts. Will she get the story of her career or will the bribe come to obscure her credibility.
The Good
Improvements!
The story formatting was my biggest complaint with the first book. While the various "chapters" and "parts" remain, it is much easier to follow in this installment. As in the first, there is a parallel storyline, but it is in the present and is coherent. Instead of detracting from the book, the parallel storyline adds to overall feel.
Setting, Characters and more Setting
As in the first installment, Denise Mina expertly develops characters and places them in a believable near historical setting. I did not visit Scotland in the mid 80's but I feel as if I was there. The depressed economy and the rise of an urban drug culture play prominently in the story and well developed.
The Bad
A Few Stumbles
While the formatting is much improved, it suffers with some pacing issues. I enjoyed the writing and the character of Paddy Meehan so much, that I felt as if it could have been a favorite book but jarring pacing ultimately (although mildly) reduce my opinion.
Can this Book Stand Alone
If you really want it to. While this story is self contained, it is part of a trilogy. This second book does not borrow heavily from the first and you would not be lost if you picked up this one first.
Final Thoughts
This and first in the trilogy has left me wanting to read more by Denise Mina. She has a sharp eye for setting and character and I look forward to finish the trilogy. That said, I am quite disappointed there are only three book as Paddy is such a great and relatable character.
Audiobook Notes
Content Advisories
It is difficult to find commentary on the sex/violence/language content of book if you are interested. I make an effort to give you the information so you can make an informed decision before reading. *Disclaimer* I do not take note or count the occurrences of adult language as I read. I am simply giving approximations. When reviewing language, mild obscenities are words like, shit, hell or damn. Religious exclamations are words such as Christ or Jesus when used as profanity.
Scale 1 - Lowest 5 - Highest
Sex - 3
There is a bit more sex in this installment than the last. There is a moderately graphic sex scene in the book and several less graphic ones. As Paddy is aging, the content is become a bit more "adult".
Language - 1
There are about 45 mild obscenities, 70 uses of the f-word and 3 religious exclamations.
Violence - 3
There is also more violence in the background of this novel. There are several mildly graphic descriptions of death and several scenes where characters are beaten. The author tends to avoid the gory description.
July 28, 2023
Dit boek kreeg veel goede reviews op Goodreads. Persoonlijk kan ik het echter maar 2 sterren geven. Ik vond dat er veel te veel over de achtergrond van de hoofdpersoon geschreven werd, en dat het verhaal niet echt vlotte. Ook vond ik de introductie van Kate niet goed. Er werd veel over haar verteld, over de situatie waarin ze zat, maar het duurde erg lang voor ik begreep wat ze eigenlijk met het verhaal te maken had. Pas redelijk ver naar het einde toe werd dit mysterie opgelost.
Eigenlijk heb ik dit boek enkel volledig uitgelezen omdat het het enige boek was dat ik bij me had op vakantie.
Eigenlijk heb ik dit boek enkel volledig uitgelezen omdat het het enige boek was dat ik bij me had op vakantie.
February 23, 2016
Paddy Meehan #2 and by the time of this it was joyfully obvious that no-one had to long for/moan about/miss Garnethill. Denise does not know how it feels to write a less than great book. Paddy has made reporter, but are doing her dog introduction time during the Dead Hour of night.
February 21, 2018
Terrific Tartan noir with young Paddy Meehan getting in over her head again. Great on the sexual politics of a provincial newsroom in the 1980s with a few too many scenes following the physical breakdown of a coke-head on the run. Satisfying enough to hunt down the third in the series.
January 23, 2022
I love Denise Mina. I wish this series were longer.
November 4, 2020
Setting: Scotland; 1984. This is the second book in the series featuring Glasgow journalist Paddy Meehan. In this latest episode, Paddy is assigned to the newspaper's 'night car', chasing police calls to see if any interesting stories are revealed. Attending an upmarket home in the Bearsden area after reports of a domestic, Paddy and her driver find the police already there, interviewing a man on the doorstep. Paddy catches a glimpse of a woman in the house, bleeding from her face, but she indicates that she isn't in trouble so the police and Paddy leave, only to find the woman was murdered later that night. So begins a fraught investigation for Paddy, determined to make up for letting the woman down....
I'm not usually keen on crime novels with a journalist as the main character but the Paddy Meehan series is head and shoulders above the rest, perhaps because unlike other literary journalists, she has a conscience! I find it easy to identify with Paddy and her personal and career problems, especially so through having watched the excellent TV adaptation, and am really looking forward to libraries re-opening so I can get hold of the next in the series - 9/10.
I'm not usually keen on crime novels with a journalist as the main character but the Paddy Meehan series is head and shoulders above the rest, perhaps because unlike other literary journalists, she has a conscience! I find it easy to identify with Paddy and her personal and career problems, especially so through having watched the excellent TV adaptation, and am really looking forward to libraries re-opening so I can get hold of the next in the series - 9/10.
December 19, 2016
Aged 21 and suffering under the gloom of the Thatcher years, Patricia "Paddy" Meehan is the only wage-earner in her Glasgow family. Her job is as a very junior reporter on a fictional Glasgow newspaper, the Daily News; her main task is to cruise the city at night with a driver, listening to the police radio and checking the hospitals and cop shops in search of an interesting story. One night she witnesses a pair of cops being bribed not to investigate what looks like an extremely nasty "domestic incident"; the following morning she discovers that the woman in question, a prominent lawyer and Amnesty activist, was tortured to death. The next day the dead woman's ex-fiance commits suicide, and the cops choose to assume this is an admission of guilt for the murder, even though Paddy knows they must know this cannot be true . . .
This is the second of Mina's books that I've read, the other being Deception, which I enjoyed while I was reading it only to feel let down by the ending, which seemed to me an artifice rather than a resolution. I felt let down by the ending of The Dead Hour, too, which leaves several plot strands unresolved and seems to be setting things up for a sequel. I've since learned that my suspicion was probably correct -- there's another Paddy Meehan book after this -- but also that it had a Paddy Meehan predecessor. In other words, in terms of what's gone before, the novel works just fine as a standalone; in terms of its ending, not so well.
I was less captivated by Mina's writing this time round. I kept noticing odd little bits of description that didn't seem to make sense. Someone made a little figure-of-eight gesture with their head, which sounded reasonable until I tried it. Someone else walked along flapping their hands behind them, which is far easier to do but would be completely abnormal. And so on. (There was also a sex scene that must surely have been at least nominated for the Bad Sex Award.) This isn't to say that the novel doesn't function as a pageturner -- it does -- just that I felt it lacked the narrative drive of Deception, as evidenced by the very fact that I was noticing these things.
All in all, then, an interesting book but one that failed to kindle my passions.
This is the second of Mina's books that I've read, the other being Deception, which I enjoyed while I was reading it only to feel let down by the ending, which seemed to me an artifice rather than a resolution. I felt let down by the ending of The Dead Hour, too, which leaves several plot strands unresolved and seems to be setting things up for a sequel. I've since learned that my suspicion was probably correct -- there's another Paddy Meehan book after this -- but also that it had a Paddy Meehan predecessor. In other words, in terms of what's gone before, the novel works just fine as a standalone; in terms of its ending, not so well.
I was less captivated by Mina's writing this time round. I kept noticing odd little bits of description that didn't seem to make sense. Someone made a little figure-of-eight gesture with their head, which sounded reasonable until I tried it. Someone else walked along flapping their hands behind them, which is far easier to do but would be completely abnormal. And so on. (There was also a sex scene that must surely have been at least nominated for the Bad Sex Award.) This isn't to say that the novel doesn't function as a pageturner -- it does -- just that I felt it lacked the narrative drive of Deception, as evidenced by the very fact that I was noticing these things.
All in all, then, an interesting book but one that failed to kindle my passions.
November 5, 2008
To be blunt: I hated this. If I could give it 0 stars, I would.
Honestly, in my opinion it is not worthy of being called a "thriller". It gave me no emotion whatsoever. I disliked the main character, there was no suspense and the entire plot was extremely boring. The cover text made me think that it was going to be a decent read and as I like thrillers I picked it up. But I struggled to get through this and even started reading other books at the same time, which I never do.
If it weren't for the fact I don't like to give up on a book and stop somewhere in the middle, I would've chucked it after page 40 or so. Don't bother with this one.
Honestly, in my opinion it is not worthy of being called a "thriller". It gave me no emotion whatsoever. I disliked the main character, there was no suspense and the entire plot was extremely boring. The cover text made me think that it was going to be a decent read and as I like thrillers I picked it up. But I struggled to get through this and even started reading other books at the same time, which I never do.
If it weren't for the fact I don't like to give up on a book and stop somewhere in the middle, I would've chucked it after page 40 or so. Don't bother with this one.
February 23, 2016
Ännu bättre än första boken i serien, Blodsarv. Det är huvudpersonen Paddy som gör att jag tycker så mycket om de här böckerna. En passionerad och lite annorlunda karaktär! Intressant att läsa om liv i Glasgow var det också.
April 30, 2019
The second book in the series is just as good as the first. A horrific murder, the ties that bind families, police corruption, coming of age, women in the workforce, discrimination against Catholics in 80s Glasgow. It’s all there. Plus her ongoing obsession with Paddy Meehan. And her own dysfunctional family. Terrific.
February 19, 2016
Denise Mina is the sort of writer who puts lesser writers off from writing, since they know they can never compete with the casual brilliance of what she does. At least, that is the case with this writer, i.e. me.
I wasn't especially drawn to Paddy Meehan in the first book, in comparison with Maureen O'Donnell but this is the second and she has grown a lot more interesting in the meantime. The plot is well-worked and lucid, characters superb and Paddy herself combines an innate knowledge of how people behave with her own ignorance about how some things are. Fabulously wonderful read and I'm only irritated - and finished the book exclaiming 'oh bugger' because the next two are on my Amazon list as potential christmas presents, and I'll have to wait until then to find out what happens next.
And re-read, with, as usual, greater appreciation.
I wasn't especially drawn to Paddy Meehan in the first book, in comparison with Maureen O'Donnell but this is the second and she has grown a lot more interesting in the meantime. The plot is well-worked and lucid, characters superb and Paddy herself combines an innate knowledge of how people behave with her own ignorance about how some things are. Fabulously wonderful read and I'm only irritated - and finished the book exclaiming 'oh bugger' because the next two are on my Amazon list as potential christmas presents, and I'll have to wait until then to find out what happens next.
And re-read, with, as usual, greater appreciation.
May 12, 2023
Set in Scotland 1 *,
Well written by Denise Mina 1 *,
Well narrated police procedural novel 1*,
Kept me interested and guessing throughout 1*
Kind of teasing about how I rated this as indicated above, but totally honest about my 4* rating in general. I love Denise Mina’s characters and her writing. Just always so well done.
Well written by Denise Mina 1 *,
Well narrated police procedural novel 1*,
Kept me interested and guessing throughout 1*
Kind of teasing about how I rated this as indicated above, but totally honest about my 4* rating in general. I love Denise Mina’s characters and her writing. Just always so well done.
July 4, 2020
Paddy Meehan's job as a journalist has turned into late nights and poor stories. And when she finds herself at the scene of an 'ordinary' domestic, she leaves the crime scene with a crisp £50 note and a plea from the victim's well-dressed husband to keep this out of the papers. With the police not batting an eyelid and the cold getting to her, Paddy leaves the scene and thinks nothing of it, printing the story and saving her £50 for a rainier day. However, it's not long before Paddy is shown that there was nothing ordinary about that domestic. The victim is now dead and has been tortured, the well-dressed man was not her husband and to top it all off: the police are seeming to do everything they can to make this case disappear. Down and out, Paddy finds herself at the root of this crime, in danger, scared and begging for answers; not only for her safety but for a good story, too.
I have a very love-hate relationship with The Dead Hour. I had never read anything from Denise Mina before, but when I saw this book on my mum's bookshelf, I thought it looked just like my type. The cover and title were gripping, it looked to be a promising thriller. However, I really struggled to get into The Dead Hour.
Understandably, this is the second in the Paddy Meehan series, and I was unaware of this until I had started reading. However, it still reads pleasantly well as a standalone, with Denise Mina introducing characters well for new readers. I didn't feel like I was missing a large chunk of Paddy's story from not reading the first book, which is great for new readers!
Despite what appeared to be an enticing plot and fleshed out characters, I really struggled to engage with Denise's writing. The flow was a bit stale for me, and I felt like I couldn't get into The Dead Hour properly. It wasn't until my final reading session today, which totalled three hours, that I found the book un-put-downable. I wasn't engrossed, necessarily, but I did find myself enjoying the story more towards the middle of the book and enjoying Paddy's feisty persona.
However, when it came to the ending, Denise did what most thriller writers do... wrap everything in a nice little bow and say "done!" but also add a small twist to compel you to read the next in the series. Though I was let down by how abrupt things seemed to end, I was also not 100% sold on Paddy's story, her character or any subplots to be that shocked by the end twist, either.
Overall, I'd say The Dead Hours was an okay read. I'm glad I read it because it offered something new as opposed to previous thrillers I have read, but I wouldn't say it was a favourite.
I have a very love-hate relationship with The Dead Hour. I had never read anything from Denise Mina before, but when I saw this book on my mum's bookshelf, I thought it looked just like my type. The cover and title were gripping, it looked to be a promising thriller. However, I really struggled to get into The Dead Hour.
Understandably, this is the second in the Paddy Meehan series, and I was unaware of this until I had started reading. However, it still reads pleasantly well as a standalone, with Denise Mina introducing characters well for new readers. I didn't feel like I was missing a large chunk of Paddy's story from not reading the first book, which is great for new readers!
Despite what appeared to be an enticing plot and fleshed out characters, I really struggled to engage with Denise's writing. The flow was a bit stale for me, and I felt like I couldn't get into The Dead Hour properly. It wasn't until my final reading session today, which totalled three hours, that I found the book un-put-downable. I wasn't engrossed, necessarily, but I did find myself enjoying the story more towards the middle of the book and enjoying Paddy's feisty persona.
However, when it came to the ending, Denise did what most thriller writers do... wrap everything in a nice little bow and say "done!" but also add a small twist to compel you to read the next in the series. Though I was let down by how abrupt things seemed to end, I was also not 100% sold on Paddy's story, her character or any subplots to be that shocked by the end twist, either.
Overall, I'd say The Dead Hours was an okay read. I'm glad I read it because it offered something new as opposed to previous thrillers I have read, but I wouldn't say it was a favourite.
April 15, 2024
I think I liked the first book better. This book only got 2 stars from me until about the last 40 pages when it got interesting. I think the major problem from MY eyes is that only about 50% of the book is related to the ultimate mystery. We know who the villeins are with about 100 pages left so its just a matter of time till the ending comes which is the interesting part. The other 50% is related to the goings on between Paddy and the news room and Paddy and the police force etc. Just the wrong ratio for my reading enjoyment. Keep it at about an 80-20 ratio for me.
But I do understand that is my preference and yours might be different. I will get the third and last book in the series for sure. All in all. I really like the Paddy character and I've been looking for a book series with a strong female lead... this isn't quite it but its worth the read.
I'm guessing since I've got about 10 years to live and read about a dozen books a year that I've got 120 left in my lifetime so I need to choose carefully.
But I do understand that is my preference and yours might be different. I will get the third and last book in the series for sure. All in all. I really like the Paddy character and I've been looking for a book series with a strong female lead... this isn't quite it but its worth the read.
I'm guessing since I've got about 10 years to live and read about a dozen books a year that I've got 120 left in my lifetime so I need to choose carefully.
August 19, 2019
Leave it to me to begin in the middle. I somehow picked up book two of a series (though completely able to be read as a standalone), after reading some words of praise for Mina's writing. Those words were well-deserved. Mina is an accomplished writer. She brings the dark, dour, bleak streets of Glasgow to life with her artfully descriptive prose, and her characters roam the pages like flesh and blood. Paddy Meehan had a life before this book (and I guess I'll go backward and read book one before I skip forward to book 3), but she's a strong, compelling protagonist plagued with the kind of self-doubts we all can appreciate. While the complex story pulls the reader with steadfast intrigue, this is not your typical action detective novel. Mina draws a time and place in history, and places us there to "appreciate" it. Highly recommended but begin your companionship with Paddy Meehan in the Field of Blood.
July 23, 2019
The story itself was OK. I like feisty protagonists acting for the benefit of others as well as for themselves. Especially when the protagonist is a woman. Although in this case, the person Paddy tried to protect was not at all likeable.
My problem is with the audio version. The reader, Helen O'Neill's accent was (to my ear) Irish. I'd rather have the reader use their own voice if they can't do an appropriate accent. Or I should just read the actual book with my eyes, instead of my ears. I'd have a problem with the relationships Paddy gets into- except I remember being in my early 20's & can't fault her.
My problem is with the audio version. The reader, Helen O'Neill's accent was (to my ear) Irish. I'd rather have the reader use their own voice if they can't do an appropriate accent. Or I should just read the actual book with my eyes, instead of my ears. I'd have a problem with the relationships Paddy gets into- except I remember being in my early 20's & can't fault her.
August 11, 2020
Well Paddy Meehan is back, no longer a pitiful copy boy, but a full-fledged crime reporter. With her spiked hair and slightly overweight body, Paddy is once again serious about her work. Unlike her fellow reporters and most of the police department, she wants to get the answer, find the guilty party, and still get credit for writing the story. The reason she became a journalist was “she saw the glory and dignity in a job most would see as a career compromise.” Yet she is still fighting the same demons: too fat, not enough self confidence, “twenty pounds away from the life she should be living.” For her “Principles matter.” Not bad for a 21-year-old determined woman.
October 24, 2017
#2 Paddy Meehan
Fortsatte på del två bara för att jag hade idétorka på vad jag skulle välja härnäst. Tycker att relationen med Paddys familj blommar ut mer här och den tycker jag är intressant samt hennes relation till katolicismen som hon försöker förhålla sig till för mammans skull.
Fortsatte på del två bara för att jag hade idétorka på vad jag skulle välja härnäst. Tycker att relationen med Paddys familj blommar ut mer här och den tycker jag är intressant samt hennes relation till katolicismen som hon försöker förhålla sig till för mammans skull.
March 26, 2020
Paddy is a complex heroine to savor: she's fat; a complete underdog; whip smart; determined; and what a mouth! She is an outrageous, self destructive, funny young woman who faces long odds and manages not only to survive, but to see justice done. I'm a fan!
October 22, 2017
What a fabulous story! Journalist Paddy Meehan is the only employed member of her large family. And her job is no great shakes--she and her driver work the night shift, following whatever comes over the scanner. It doesn't pay well and she waits to be terminated; she hasn't had a good story in a long time. One night they turn out for a domestic, but in a swanky neighborhood. The man holds the door shut. She sees the woman in a mirror, bloody. The cops are getting ready to leave, not interested. The woman indicates that she doesn't want help; she'll stay. The man hands Paddy a bribe to stop her writing it up. After this, everything goes sideways. And you have to read it to find out how that happens, what Paddy does, and the danger she puts herself into.
Characters are great--real people, many of whom you actually find yourself caring about. Mina provides a real sense of place and time. The sense of menace emerges early on and does not let up. The ending? Well, once again, you have to read it.
Oh, no! I just went to Amazon to get the first book in the Paddy Meehan series! Though strictly speaking this could be categorized as a "cozy," since Paddy Meehan is not a police woman of any sort or a PI, trust me. This is not cozy.
Characters are great--real people, many of whom you actually find yourself caring about. Mina provides a real sense of place and time. The sense of menace emerges early on and does not let up. The ending? Well, once again, you have to read it.
Oh, no! I just went to Amazon to get the first book in the Paddy Meehan series! Though strictly speaking this could be categorized as a "cozy," since Paddy Meehan is not a police woman of any sort or a PI, trust me. This is not cozy.
July 15, 2019
This one didn't work as well as an audiobook as the first one in the series. it would take me a while to figure out who was narrating, whereas in the print I am sure there are visual cues. Therefore, I had a little trouble following. But I still enjoyed Paddy Meehan and the Glasgow setting. Looks like my library does not have book #3 in audio format, so I will have to read the text. And then the series is done, which makes me sad.
December 31, 2019
I really like Paddy Meehan.
July 1, 2012
Paddy Meehan, 21 years old and on night shift [called the “calls car” shift, and encompassing the Dead Hour, 3 AM], at the Scottish Daily News in Glasgow, makes one of her usual nightly calls, following the police radio in the car and going to the address to which the police have been summoned. This time it appears to be a domestic disturbance, the victim a young, elegant-looking blond woman who, though obviously bloodied, refuses any assistance and, when Paddy catches her eye, seems to slightly shake her head. The police leave, aided by the passing of money into their hands from the man who had answered the door, a scenario replayed moments later when Paddy, herself now the recipient of a 50 pound note, tries to question him. The following morning Paddy learns that the body of the blond woman, a prosecution attorney from a wealthy family, has been found, having been tortured, beaten and left to die, and she is tormented by the possible role she may have played by her quiescence.
To salve her conscience and, not incidentally, hoping to make her mark as an investigative journalist at the same time, Paddy follows up on the story, which expands when another death follows, whether suicide or murder an uncertain matter.
Glasgow, its rougher as well as finer areas, the helplessness of those affected by 1980’s unemployment, and the protagonist’s Irish Catholic background, are well drawn, as is Paddy, young, rebellious, hardworking [sole support of her parents and several siblings] and ambitious. The author having interspersed a second pov, contained within but separate from its surrounding chapters, was a bit confusing at first to this reader, as the identity of the second voice in unclear [although the reader knows her name] – it is really her relation to the rest of the story thus far that is not clear. It is not until over 50 pages into the book that her identity becomes evident. The effect of this device is to steadily build the suspense which, despite the book having begun at a moderate pace, grows till the hold-your-breath conclusion and a shocking twist before a very satisfying conclusion. As for that cliffhanger in the last line, the resolution of that will have to await the next book in the series, which I will eagerly await.
The Dead Hour is the second in the Paddy Meehan series, following Field of Blood, and Ms. Mina’s earlier books, including Deception and the Garnethill Trilogy.
To salve her conscience and, not incidentally, hoping to make her mark as an investigative journalist at the same time, Paddy follows up on the story, which expands when another death follows, whether suicide or murder an uncertain matter.
Glasgow, its rougher as well as finer areas, the helplessness of those affected by 1980’s unemployment, and the protagonist’s Irish Catholic background, are well drawn, as is Paddy, young, rebellious, hardworking [sole support of her parents and several siblings] and ambitious. The author having interspersed a second pov, contained within but separate from its surrounding chapters, was a bit confusing at first to this reader, as the identity of the second voice in unclear [although the reader knows her name] – it is really her relation to the rest of the story thus far that is not clear. It is not until over 50 pages into the book that her identity becomes evident. The effect of this device is to steadily build the suspense which, despite the book having begun at a moderate pace, grows till the hold-your-breath conclusion and a shocking twist before a very satisfying conclusion. As for that cliffhanger in the last line, the resolution of that will have to await the next book in the series, which I will eagerly await.
The Dead Hour is the second in the Paddy Meehan series, following Field of Blood, and Ms. Mina’s earlier books, including Deception and the Garnethill Trilogy.
July 21, 2016
This is the second book in Denise Mina's Paddy Meehan trilogy. The first one is Field of Blood. It's not essential that the books be read in order but they ideally should be, if for no other reason than to appreciate the maturation of wee Paddy who is only 23 years old in this book.
Like all of Mina's books, the story is set in Glasgow, Scotland. This series is set in the 1980's--specifically 1984 here-and in the heart of Thatcher-era economic malaise and resentment. Paddy is a crime reporter for a local newspaper working the night shift, driving around the city following the summons of the police radio. The story opens with Paddy at the scene of a domestic violence call in a well-to-do neighborhood that ends the next day with the victim found tortured and dead, and Paddy feeling horribly guilty about leaving the scene with a would-be bribe in her pocket from the apparent killer. The following day, the victim's co-worker and ex-boyfriend commit suicide. The police seem largely uninterested in Paddy's take on what happened, and from there grows a tale of gangsters, police corruption and a giant bag full of cocaine that one character hilariously refers to as their "comfort pillow." Meanwhile, things don't look good at Paddy's economically challenged newspaper, which is under new management in a laying off mood. Losing her job would be especially bad news for young Paddy, who is the only member of her large Catholic family with a job at the moment.
I like Mina's Garnethill series the best but this one has really grown on me. There's lots of detail about 1980's Scotland (which sounds like a rollicking, unsafe place) and Paddy is as charming, resourceful, and fully formed as Garnethill's Maureen O'Donnell, yet totally distinct from her. I'm a big Denise Mina fan girl and can easily put her in the company of the likes of Dennis Lehane and Jo Nesbo. She's so smart about human nature and such a compelling story spinner, she's a pleasure to read.
Like all of Mina's books, the story is set in Glasgow, Scotland. This series is set in the 1980's--specifically 1984 here-and in the heart of Thatcher-era economic malaise and resentment. Paddy is a crime reporter for a local newspaper working the night shift, driving around the city following the summons of the police radio. The story opens with Paddy at the scene of a domestic violence call in a well-to-do neighborhood that ends the next day with the victim found tortured and dead, and Paddy feeling horribly guilty about leaving the scene with a would-be bribe in her pocket from the apparent killer. The following day, the victim's co-worker and ex-boyfriend commit suicide. The police seem largely uninterested in Paddy's take on what happened, and from there grows a tale of gangsters, police corruption and a giant bag full of cocaine that one character hilariously refers to as their "comfort pillow." Meanwhile, things don't look good at Paddy's economically challenged newspaper, which is under new management in a laying off mood. Losing her job would be especially bad news for young Paddy, who is the only member of her large Catholic family with a job at the moment.
I like Mina's Garnethill series the best but this one has really grown on me. There's lots of detail about 1980's Scotland (which sounds like a rollicking, unsafe place) and Paddy is as charming, resourceful, and fully formed as Garnethill's Maureen O'Donnell, yet totally distinct from her. I'm a big Denise Mina fan girl and can easily put her in the company of the likes of Dennis Lehane and Jo Nesbo. She's so smart about human nature and such a compelling story spinner, she's a pleasure to read.
Read
January 11, 2009The Dead Hour, by Denise Mina. B-plus
Downloaded from audible.com
This is the second book in the new series, involving Paddy Meehan, who started out as a copy boy (girl) and then, based on the good work done in the first book, Field of Blood, she is promoted to reporter. In this book she is now on the crime beat and rides around following the police to calls at night writing up summaries of what happened for the next morning’s paper. So, she was with the police the night they were called for a domestic incident at a villa in the wealthy part of town. The neighbors had complained of noise. The police went to the door. A handsome well-spoken young man came out and spoke with them telling them things would be fine. Paddy glimpsed a blond woman behind him in the house who looked very bloody and scared. Paddy raised her eyebrows at the woman to see if she wanted help, but the woman shook her head and stepped back. The man handed Paddy some money with the idea that she would “forget this”, and she surmised he paid off the police as well. Paddy kept the money at first but felt badly about it later when the woman turned up dead. She wrote the story anyway and ultimately turned the money over to the police to see if there were prints. This put her in the cross-hairs of the two policemen who took the call that night and who were in the habit of taking bribes. Paddy must use her wits to keep her job, not get killed. Paddy also finds herself involved with a married man-something her very Catholic family would not be able to countenance. I actually read the abridged version. I had trouble getting the unabridged version, which does actually exist. Also, the unabridged versions of these books are read by a narrator whose accent is so thickthat it's hard to understand her. The abridged version was read by Heather O'Neal. These books are aggressive and come up with solutions which may be against the law but which feel right. A wonderful book.
Downloaded from audible.com
This is the second book in the new series, involving Paddy Meehan, who started out as a copy boy (girl) and then, based on the good work done in the first book, Field of Blood, she is promoted to reporter. In this book she is now on the crime beat and rides around following the police to calls at night writing up summaries of what happened for the next morning’s paper. So, she was with the police the night they were called for a domestic incident at a villa in the wealthy part of town. The neighbors had complained of noise. The police went to the door. A handsome well-spoken young man came out and spoke with them telling them things would be fine. Paddy glimpsed a blond woman behind him in the house who looked very bloody and scared. Paddy raised her eyebrows at the woman to see if she wanted help, but the woman shook her head and stepped back. The man handed Paddy some money with the idea that she would “forget this”, and she surmised he paid off the police as well. Paddy kept the money at first but felt badly about it later when the woman turned up dead. She wrote the story anyway and ultimately turned the money over to the police to see if there were prints. This put her in the cross-hairs of the two policemen who took the call that night and who were in the habit of taking bribes. Paddy must use her wits to keep her job, not get killed. Paddy also finds herself involved with a married man-something her very Catholic family would not be able to countenance. I actually read the abridged version. I had trouble getting the unabridged version, which does actually exist. Also, the unabridged versions of these books are read by a narrator whose accent is so thickthat it's hard to understand her. The abridged version was read by Heather O'Neal. These books are aggressive and come up with solutions which may be against the law but which feel right. A wonderful book.
February 5, 2011
I first heard about Denise Mina from a National Public Radio review while I was driving to work. Scotland has always been one of my favorite places -- even Mina's Glasgow, a gritty city that is the exact opposite of stately Edinburgh. Growing like a toadstool in the 19th century prosperity of its shipyards, it has become Britain's equivalent of Detroit once those shipyards shuttered their doors. Some years ago, I stayed at a pub called the Babbity Bowster within a few blocks of George's Square and vividly remember the drunks passing by under the windows all night.
Denise Mina -- she pronounces her last name Mynah, like the bird -- sees the crime scene of Glasgow through the eyes of a chubby young journalist named Paddy (for Patricia) Meehan. She works the night shift, writing short pieces for a daily newspaper about the murders and gruesome accidents that punctuate the icy nights. It is the Thatcher era, an era of reduced expectations in a city sinking ever deeper into poverty.
The Dead Hour begins with a young woman attorney being tortured to death. The police, followed by Paddy, show up at the door in response to a call; but it appears that the police are more intent on covering up the crime than investigating it.
Spikey-haired Paddy endangers her own life by trying to break through the conspiracy of silence surrounding the case. In between times, she looks for love in all the wrong places, but she finally succeeds ... oh, but then, were you really expecting me to spill all the beans?
This is a very good mystery, and I will definitely read more of Mina's work. By the way, according to some people I know who have met her, she pronounces her last name Mynah because, as a former law professor, she did not want to be known as Miss D. Mina (misdemeanor).
Denise Mina -- she pronounces her last name Mynah, like the bird -- sees the crime scene of Glasgow through the eyes of a chubby young journalist named Paddy (for Patricia) Meehan. She works the night shift, writing short pieces for a daily newspaper about the murders and gruesome accidents that punctuate the icy nights. It is the Thatcher era, an era of reduced expectations in a city sinking ever deeper into poverty.
The Dead Hour begins with a young woman attorney being tortured to death. The police, followed by Paddy, show up at the door in response to a call; but it appears that the police are more intent on covering up the crime than investigating it.
Spikey-haired Paddy endangers her own life by trying to break through the conspiracy of silence surrounding the case. In between times, she looks for love in all the wrong places, but she finally succeeds ... oh, but then, were you really expecting me to spill all the beans?
This is a very good mystery, and I will definitely read more of Mina's work. By the way, according to some people I know who have met her, she pronounces her last name Mynah because, as a former law professor, she did not want to be known as Miss D. Mina (misdemeanor).
March 23, 2016
I love Mina’s character, Paddy Meehan – thumb ring, green leather coat, food addictions and all. She’s a Glasgow crime reporter who shows up at a domestic disturbance call. The door is answered by a handsome man, behind him, a woman with a bloodied face. The couple sends the police away, bribing Paddy to keep the story out of the paper. The next morning, the woman is dead. Paddy learns the cops who answered the call aren’t being honest about what happened, and realizes she’s stumbled onto a story that could just save her career -- if she isn't killed first.
A very compelling read.
A very compelling read.
December 26, 2008
This starts out a tad slow, but that fits perfectly with the heroine. It gets better and better also in line with her development. The sense of detail is good, with a near miss or 2, but not outside the genre or the characterization, and very close to the setting, the little I know of Glasgow (from others). A decent contrast to the Edinburgh mysteries, I'd say, a bit like comparing The Wire with CSI wherever. Definitely better and classier, despite the lower milieu.
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