An adopted woman (Margo) connects with her birth aunt (Nikki) after her adopted mother passes away. Her birth mother was an addict, who was murdered while working the streets. This story is sad, and chilling. Margo and Nikki struggle to overcome their class and experience differences, to trust each other enough to solve Margo's mum's murder.

It's worth reading, but seeps under your skin, and you'll be thinking about it for a long time afterwards.

The Less Dead, by Denise Mina, is an engrossing read that tells the story of Margo, an adoptee who sets out on a mission to discover the truth about her birth mother, Susan. What Margo uncovers is a heartbreaking reality—her mother was brutally murdered shortly after her birth, and her killer has never been found.

Margo joins forces with her Aunt Nikki, who for years has been receiving anonymous, haunting letters from her mother's murderer. Together, Margo and Nikki embark on a thrilling search for answers that spans across the years, uncovering unexpected twists and secrets along the way.

Mina’s compelling writing draws you into the story with compelling suspense and intense emotion. As the story moves forward, you can feel Margo and Nikki's pain, as they grapple with loss, regret and unresolved grief.

The Less Dead is a hauntingly beautiful story that pushes crime fiction into uncharted territories, revealing uncomfortable truths in a unique and unexpected way. It's a masterful exploration of the human condition and an engrossing page-turner that is sure to linger in your memory long after you finish it.

I found this book hard to follow and engage with at times. The story seemed to drag on unnecessarily which meant I lost interest while reading.

A dark tale of sex workers, adoption and bereavement. I enjoyed Denise Minas previous standalone novel Conviction, but I could not engage with the characters and the ending was rushed and disappointing.

One of my favourite books of 2020 was Denise Mina's Conviction. But it was the first book that I had read from her. So when I saw that she had a new book out I was incredibly excited to read it.
Sadly, I struggled to get through this, so much so that I kept picking it up and putting it down over a course of months, something that I have never done before.
As someone who has lived in Glasgow their whole life, I did enjoy its Glasgow setting and could imagine myself in many of the places that are described throughout.
But the story itself wasn't as strong or captivating as I hoped it would be.
I also couldn't really engage with any of the characters either, which was a big departure from Conviction.
And finally, the ending felt rushed and rather abrupt.
I would still be interested in reading more from Denise Mina going forward though.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A tale of two cities…

Two things conspire to make Margo Dunlop decide to seek out her birth mother: the recent death of her adoptive mother, and her own pregnancy which, as a doctor, has led her to worry about the possibility of unknown genetic issues. She’s too late, however – her mother, Susan, died shortly after giving Margo up for adoption. But the counselling service puts her in touch with her mother’s sister, Nikki, and they arrange to meet. Nikki has a strange story to tell, and a request to make. Like Nikki herself, Susan was a street prostitute on the Drag – Glasgow’s red light zone – back in the late1980s, when sex workers were still mostly local women (as opposed to trafficked girls from abroad), driven to the trade by a combination of poverty, lack of opportunity and, often, addiction to drink or drugs. Susan was brutally murdered and left lying naked in the street – one of a spate of murders of prostitutes over the course of a few years. Nikki is convinced the murders were carried out by one man, although the police disagree. The man in question had an alibi for the time of Susan’s murder, but Nikki hopes that Margo will be able to use her privileged position as a doctor to help break the alibi. At first, Margo thinks Nikki is some kind of fantasist, but events soon convince her that there may be some truth in her story…

I’ll start by saying the murder plot and its solution are by far the weakest part of the book. They feel like little more than a vehicle to allow Mina to discuss what clearly interested her far more – the lives of those involved in the sex trade at that time, and how they were treated by a society that preferred to ignore their existence, and by a police force who saw them as third-class citizens. Hence the title – murdered prostitutes were considered “the less dead”, and the investigations into their deaths were perfunctory and under-resourced. The general feeling was that they “asked for it”.

Fortunately, I was also far more interested in that aspect, so the weakness of the murder plot didn’t spoil the book for me. Mina’s knowledge of Glasgow appears to be encyclopaedic and, although she is dealing mostly with a section of society that I knew and still know very little about, the city she describes feels entirely authentic. This was a time of huge change for Glasgow, dragging itself out of the poverty and gang violence of the post-war era and recreating itself as a modern, vibrant cultural centre. Mina’s story straddles this transformation, Susan a product of the old times and Margo of a new, more affluent and perhaps more hopeful future, but still saddled metaphorically as well as literally by the city’s past. Of course there are still major problems of poverty and inequality as in all large cities, and Mina is as clear-sighted about the present as the past. Street prostitution may not be as commonplace, but only because it’s now carried on indoors – still largely driven by addiction, still as prevalent, still as sordid, but better hidden from disapproving eyes.

Nikki is a wonderful creation – too strong to be pitied or demeaned, but with no attempt to glorify her or the trade she worked in either. The book isn’t done as a dual timeline, so that we learn about the past wholly through the eyes of those in the present who were there at the time. Nikki is around fifty now, a survivor who made it through mostly by her own efforts but helped a little by the general improvement in standards of life over the recent decades. There are enough touches of Glaswegian dialect in her speech to make it authentically distinctive, while causing no problems for a non-Glaswegian reader. Margo’s middle-class upbringing provides a reason for Nikki to explain things about her very different life naturally, as one would to anyone who hadn’t shared one’s life experiences, and this of course means that she explains it to the reader too.

I found Margo and her middle-class friends slightly less well portrayed, but only in comparison. As she tries to work out what happened to the mother she never knew, Margo’s drives around the city and visits to various houses in different parts of it give the reader a real sense of a place of contrasts – wealthy and poor, old and new, respectable and seedy. I wondered, though, if my fascination for this deep gaze at my own city would be shared by people who don’t know it, or if they might find themselves wishing that the drives didn’t last as long and fewer street names and street histories were given. However, this is a far more accurate depiction of Glasgow than in the vast majority of contemporary crime fiction, written, I feel, with unromanticized affection, and the strength of the story of these despised and disregarded women well outweighs the weaknesses in the mystery plot. 4½ stars for me, so rounded up.

NB I received a free copy of the book without obligation to review from the publisher, Random House Vintage.

This started well but seemed to get lost along the way and the ending seemed rushed. It just felt so flat and unlikely. It hasn’t put me off the author at all but this book won’t be one I go back to.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

Denise Mina is always willing to grapple with the darkest issues, and the people society overlooks. The Less Dead has an additional resonance after the recent death of Peter Sutcliffe reminded us of how the police disparaged the sex workers who he killed, contrasting them to his “innocent” victims. 

Margo Dunlop is a Glasgow GP. She is pregnant. Her adoptive mother has recently died and she is struggling to clear out her house and sell it. She is also estranged from her partner. With these major life events coming at once, it is understandable that Margo decides to search out her birth mother.

The Less Dead begins with her waiting in a counselling centre for the arrival of her birth mother's sister, Nikki. Nikki is late but when she finally arrives, she tells her that her birth mother, Susan, was a sex worker and was murdered soon after she gave up Margo. The killer was never found.

Nikki wants Margo’s help to bring the killer to justice. She believes that Margo, as a professional, will be able to get answers that she is unable to get herself.

Margo is unsure that she wants to become involved in Nikki’s life. Nikki and her close friend are, like Susan, former sex workers. As she learns more about Nikki, she finds other reasons to be suspicious of her. Margo is also dealing with her relationship issues, a friend in crisis, her adoptive family’s dramas, and other plot developments which I won't spoil.

The Less Dead as a whole feels like an early draft, in need of shaping and polishing. Nikki articulates (twice!) her hurt about the way sex workers are considered to be worth less than other women. Margo's complicated feelings around her birth and adoptive mothers are nicely handled but, as a GP, she seems surprisingly squeamish and naïve about the lives Susan and Nikki led.

The many promising issues that are set up are not fully developed. Then at the end suddenly there is a rush of events but no real resolution. I'm a bit surprised it's been nominated for the Costa Novel award (maybe the proverbial right author, wrong book).

I’ve enjoyed several Denise Mina novels and normally can overlook plot problems because of their strong characterisation, sense of place and dark humour. This one, though, feels disappointing after the Conviction set expectations so high. If you haven’t read her work before, maybe start there.
*
I received a copy of The Less Dead from the publisher via Netgalley.

The Less Dead is a stand-alone novel from award-winning Scottish crime writer Denise Mina. Following the death of her foster mother, GP Margo goes in search of her birth mother. She is shocked to discover that her real mother, Susan, was a drug addict and a sex worker; she was also brutally murdered, only months after Margo’s birth, and her body dumped at a bus stop in Easterhouse. She arranges to meet Susan’s sister, Nikki, and enters a world so outside of her comfort zone that she is not sure if she wants to go any further.
The story is split between the 1980s and present day, and highlights the contrasting attitudes between then and now; it also makes it obvious that some things have not improved. The title refers to those, like Susan, whose deaths are not considered to be important enough to warrant a thorough investigation, and, unsurprisingly, the killer has never been brought to justice.
Mina brings Glasgow to life – warts and all – in this gripping tale, and shines a light on the dark side of masculinity. The story is mostly told from Margo’s point of view, but there is another voice, anonymous, in the shadows, full of poison and hatred. Both Nikki and now Margo receive letters – taunting them – alleging that they are from the killer. It is unclear where the threat is coming from, and this makes for a very tense and unsettling read.
The characters are well written and thoroughly believable. At the beginning of the book, I found Margo unlikeable and hard to empathize with, but by the end she has changed and become stronger. I did find her treatment of her boyfriend Joe a bit puzzling though. In contrast, Nikki has sorted herself out but still no one will listen to her; all she wants is Margo’s help in catching her sister’s killer.
The Less Dead is not a police procedural, but an intelligent and gripping crime thriller that shines a sympathetic spotlight on attitudes to sex workers, drug addiction and deprivation in the dark underbelly of Glasgow. Full of menace and dark humour, this unusual book will definitely make you stop and think.
Thanks to Vintage and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.

A harsh lesson in what society thinks of sex workers, migrants etc with the title referring to them being a sad epitaph but the telling was jumbled and hard to engage with. I’m still totally unclear why Lilath and her partner were even in the book and overall am left wondering what he ending was about.

I love Denise's style of writing and I found myself really warming to Margo, the books main character. She wasn't dealt the easiest start in life but miraculously, she's done well for herself. I love the story of her meeting her biological aunt! I did find some parts of the story a little far fetched but all in all it was a pleasant read.

With thanks to Random House UK, Vintage and Netgalley for the ARC.

The Dame is in top form in her latest novel.

Full review to follow.

It has only been a few months since Denise Mina fans were treated with Conviction, a stand-alone novel set in the world of celebrity and real-crime podcast. In The Less Dead Mina returns to her hometown, Glasgow, the familiar setting for, among others, her Alex Morrow series.

Our protagonist, Doctor Margot Dunlop, goes in search of her birth mother through the only remaining connection she could trace – her aunt, Nikki. Margot is overwhelmed and caught unawares by both Nikki’s larger-than-life personality and her revelation that Susan, Margot’s mother, was a drug-addicted sex-worker. She was also one of four women who were murdered in Glasgow in the eighties. The serial killer was never found and investigations all led to dead ends or the truth was covered up by the police.

As Margot is on the verge of becoming a mother herself and Nikki is relentlessly persistent, she has no choice but to find out more about her family’s dark, yet colourful past and help find the elusive killer. Nikki is convinced of the killer’s identity, she just needs an ally to prove his guilt. Soon Margot receives the same threatening letters as Nikki, as well as a stalker. Using the stalker’s voice as he observes Margot makes for some truly chilling and tense moments. The use of short, crisp sentences creates an additional sense of nervous anticipation and it also suits the characters’ personality perfectly.

Denise Mina has the uncanny ability to write crime fiction that is gripping, clever and oh so darkly humorous. It’s a combination you don’t expect to work – one moment of hilarity immediately followed by utter gritty, graphic gruesomeness. It strikes the perfect balance between dark and light.

Rest of review: https://westwordsreviews.wordpress.com/2020/11/01/the-less-dead-denise-mina/

Precision writing from very start .. even secondary characters are fully drawn and integral to plotting ... while I doubt each to give it away .. the family she found isn't at all what she expected .. and they are worse. Searching for news of her bioligical mother she encounters an ancient murder 'story'. Mina is an arresting and nuanced writer .. every book of hers I read is sharp and well observed .. highly recommend this one!!!

Margot is adopted. The life Margot leads is a good life in a loving family, her adoptive mother has recently died, Margot has split from her relationship. Margot is pregnant.
Susan Brodie, Margot birth mother has died with no details, Margot is curious about her genetic legacy before Janette her adoptive mum died she found letters from her aunt asking for her help around Glasgow’s Jack the Ripper being after her which left Margo thinking there is schizophrenia in the family and arranges a meeting with her aunt Nikki to find out. The meeting arranged and Margot waiting in the agency 2hrs pass the meeting time and Margot is about to leave when Nikki arrives calling Margot Patsy her birth name. Margot leaves the agency with Nikki to discover more. Susan Brodie was a sex worker who was Brutally murdered, Nikki is convinced a police officer was her killer and other workers at the same time and wants Margot help looking at some past records, Margot refuses. Margot goes to a court hearing and meets with Nikki again after this meeting Margot receives a threatening letter has her apartment Broken into and wrecked and is being followed which see’s Margot drawn into this unfamiliar world.
As the story line progresses several creepy and threatening events happen and the suspense escalates a good story overall with very detailed descriptions.

A gritty thriller dealing with the seedy side of Glasgow in the late 1980s.

Margo is going through something of a crisis: her adoptive mother has died and she is struggling with the grief; she has split with her partner and is pregnant; she discovers that her birth mother was a prostitute, brutally murdered only four months after Margo’s birth.

To add to her woes, her best friend is being stalked by a violent ex and Margo herself is being followed by someone linked to her mother’s murder.

Margo is not coping well and makes a series of bad choices which lead her further into danger.

There is a real tension in the writing and the language can be crude and quite unsparing. The women who have worked the streets are shown in stark reality and there is an interesting speech in which one character explains that prostitution had its good times as well as its bleak ones. The brutality of the life and the humour and humanity of the women is well described.

The ending is rather abrupt but satisfying.

One caveat: I must have missed the explanation of why Margo, a GP, was able to take so much time off work!

Margot is going through a mid-life crisis. Her adoptive mother dies and decides to trace her birth mother. She contact her aunt and discovers her birth mother is dead - murdered. She decides to take justice for her mother murder. Really enjoyed this book.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest and unbiased views.
Fair to say that as a Glaswegian myself I have for a long time been a huge fan of Ms Mina and have read all of her publications over numerous years. The standard of writing has remained consistently high through out and this one is no exception to the norm.
Please please keep them coming.

Margo is about to meet her birth family for the first time. Its no great reunion though as she learns that her mother was murdered and the killer was never caught. Then she starts receiving letters from the killer but is it McPhail who everyone believes killed her?

This was an interesting story and almost has a Jack The Ripper feel to it with the murders of prostitutes. The story was good but i must admit the ending was a bit of a let down. I wanted more of a showdown and a little more reasoning from the killer. The plot was steady with a couple of dramatic bits thrown in. I found myself quite invested in the Lilah, Richard side story. Margo was hard to understand at times and made some questionable decisions. I think I liked Lizzie and Betty best. Interesting but ending was lacking,

Another gripping and gritty crime thriller from the reliable Mina with a great cast of characters and a winning mix of dark humour and social commentary. Grim at times but well worth reading.