Conviction by Denise Mina

Happy paperback release day for Denise Mina and Conviction!

Anna McDonald is not having a good day. Her husband has just announced that he's leaving her, for her best friend. In fact, that very day the set off on a trip, taking Anna's two daughters with them and leaving the freshly betrayed woman alone. 

Why didn't she kick up a fight? Because Anna is hiding something. 

That same day, Anna begins listening to a true crime podcast about a family that was murdered on a seemingly cursed yacht. And when she realizes she personally knows one of the victims, someone she considered a friend once upon a time, she becomes consumed by the case. 

With her friend's betrayed husband by her side, Anne sets off to investigate the death herself. But it's more than just a distraction from her separation. The case has a connection to Anna that goes deeper than a passing acquaintance. And her poking around catches the attention of people she really shouldn't be messing with.

I snagged a copy of this one last December on lab day (the day every three months when I am ever so pleasantly reminded that I am not 100% healthy). It was a treat for myself, prompted by the fact that it was a Reese's Book Club pick. But then it languished in my TBR, waiting for my attention.

Then, in need of distraction from our current situation AND looking for a new audiobook to start while prepping my garden on a rare, warm spring day, I decided it was time to dive in.

Holy cow, why did I wait so long?! Not only that, why did I wait so long to read Denise Mina?!

Mina is a Scottish author who's been garnering praise for years. And I've been reluctant to dive in until she started doing stand alones (I've had The Long Drop in my TBR even longer than Conviction). I get it now. I really do!

Conviction is a fast read, made faster by the fact that the plot takes place over the course of just a couple of days. That, and Anna is a pretty explosively fascinating character! (Literally and figuratively, considering her temper!)

This is also the second podcast book I finished in a week (the other review will go live this summer since it was an ARC).

The podcast in question and the case that draws Anna's attention away from her husband's betrayal is also fascinating, centered around the deaths of a man and his son and daughter on a yacht that's rumored to be haunted.

Upon starting the podcast, Anna actually has no idea it's about a man she knows. Of course as soon as that becomes clear, she's hooked. She didn't know he was dead, much less murdered. And she certainly doesn't believe, as the producer of the podcast clearly does, that he could have been responsible.

But as I mentioned, it's more than just clearing his name or keeping her mind occupied that draws Anna into the case.

If you're looking for a quick and incredibly thrilling read, I highly recommend this one. I absolutely loved it and I especially loved the audio version! Cathleen McCarron was such a wonderful narrator that I'm absolutely seeking out more of the audiobooks she has a hand in.

Order it from BookBar!