Having read the first book in the Anna and Fin series, Conviction, I was looking forward to reading Confidence. However, I have to confess that reading this one felt like wading through treacle endless pages seemingly going nowhere.

Like the first book the case begins with an event, a youtuber Lisa Lee who goes missing after she discovers a mysterious religious artifect in a deserted French chateau, which intrigues Anna and Fin that they want to investigate what had happened to her. Their journey to discover the truth brings them into contact with some extremely dodgy characters and some situations that will have you eye rolling whilst reading along the way. And not even the dramatic conclusion could revive this one for me.

Podcasters Anna and Fin, who we first met in Denise Mina’s previous novel, Conviction, are investigating the disappearance of a young female urbexer and YouTuber, along with a sealed casket, the contents of which may or may not prove that the resurrection actually happened. To this end, they criss-cross Europe encountering a colourful cast of characters. It’s a sort of Internet-based caper, but that aspect is rather clunky. It’s supposed to be a comedy, too, but although it’s quirky I didn’t discover many laughs. Overall, for me Confidence was an amiable, but ultimately confusing and unrewarding read.

Denise Mina’s latest novel, ‘Confidence’, is an exhilarating thrill ride. Following the plight of Anna and Fin as they set off on a race to find a missing filmmaker and an stolen antique, readers are taken on a rollercoaster journey of high-stakes art smuggling, billion dollar fraud, and dangerous religious secrets.

The storyline is captivating, clever and full of unexpected twists, keeping readers gripped throughout. In addition to its intense plot, Mina’s writing is highly descriptive and evocative, creating an immersive atmosphere of suspense and danger. Each of the characters is expertly developed, particularly Lisa Lee – the vulnerable yet determined protagonist who has the strength of mind to stand up for her beliefs in the face of incredible adversity.

A real tour de force of crime fiction, ‘Confidence’ is sure to please all lovers of thrillers. This story shows how faith, strength and courage can help to protect even the most vulnerable individuals, inspiring us to strive for confidence in ourselves and our beliefs. Highly recommended.

Confidence by Denise Mina is the second book in the series with Anna and Fin. I could tell there was some information I was missing, but I didn't find it made a huge difference, and didn't lessen my enjoyment of the book.

You know true crime podcasting has become very popular when it starts appearing in other media. We've had Only Murders in the building, and now we have lead characters in this book having a podcast of their own.

There was hints of Dan Brown in this book, both for the travel and the secrets in the book.

I found this to be an enjoyable adventure story.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Random House UK.

Did not realise this was a sequel. Did not feel lost but definitely feel like it would have been better to read in order.
Engaging and well developed storyline but did not grip me completely and did take me a while to finish

This book is the sequel to Conviction where two, true crime podcasters resolve to find a girl missing from a Scottish seaside town.
This leads them into a long chase across Europe with the plot twisting and turning and never a dull moment
Good enjoyable read

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Well written and with a well developed storyline. I enjoyed this one and my attention was held to the end!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
I have not read the first book in this series so my judgement might be impaired by a lack of familiarity with the characters; the book goes straight into the holiday from hell with a mix of characters who are not enjoying each other's company. I read 10% of the book but found it very difficult to get into as much of it was setting the scene with a lengthy description of a YouTube posting. The ARC copy contained a great many typos and many American spellings even though it is supposed to be set in the UK. These features made this book unpalatable for me, and I did not read any further.

I had not realised (and it made no difference to my reading .. it's definitely standalone) this was a book in series. The backstory of principal character Anna was shuffled in pretty quickly but that didn't matter. It is however salient to her precipitate escape from holiday weekend from hell. She and her podcast partner, Finn, track a film maker on social media who has disappeared just as she'd filmed a dazzling exclusive valuable religious casket she discovered in an abandoned chateau. Very impressed by mina's writing as ever .. it's developed since I read her first years ago where it had a professional sheen .. really intriguing style noe.

Good plot premise with strong characters with a wide range of likeability. Setting was described really well and a plot that keeps your attention grabbed.

I’ve enjoyed many of Denise Mina’s books and I was looking forward to this one, bearing in mind that I was aware it’s the second in a series. I must say I’m disappointed as I really couldn’t take to it at all. The author’s writing can’t be faulted but the plot does not grip nor are the characters relatable.

I much preferred her previous books and can’t say I’d recommend this one.

My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced copy to read and review.

It took me a couple of attempts to get into this - I'd forgotten what had happened in the first book (which I LOVED) and it tool me quite a while to pick up the thread. Once I was into it, I enjoyed Mina's clever turn of phrase and pacy writing but I wasn't bowled over by it in the way I was with Conviction. I'd still be keen to read more of this pair's adventures in future though.

Denise Mina took a change of direction in her last book, Convinction, moving into the world of social media and podcasts to unravel a mystery of missing treasures. Confidence is in a similar vein, being very now - following the world of urban explorers who go into abandoned buildings and see what's there. In this case, a relatively small-time YouTuber has discovered a stunning French chateau that's been left to rot, and inside the building there's a hidden room with some silverware and distinctive artwork. The YouTube video is taken down and the YouTuber goes missing, leading people to believe there's more to the abandoned location than meets the eye.
The story is told by the same two pod-casters as in Conviction, Anna and Fin, who have a knack for spotting a mystery and unravelling it - and what they discover goes to the heart of religious history and beliefs. Will the silverware challenge some of the world's major religions?
I must admit I got lost from time to time in the unravelling of the mystery, but I overall I loved it, the characters are so believable and convincingly portrayed, and the entire storyline would make an excellent podcast if it were true.
I hope that Denise Mina writes more books of this style, its such a refreshing way of telling a story and feels very fresh.

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!

I struggled to get into this novel, only realising upon finishing and reading other reviews that it's because it's a sequel! D'oh.
Once the opening scenes (which I struggled to understand) were over, the meat of the story began. While I found the topic reasonably compelling - the subject matter of crime podcasters and urban explorer YouTubers etc felt like a cool and modern twist on a crime thriller - the lack of background with the characters' relationships made it not as satisfying to follow. I was interested in the plot once it got going and keen to see out the ending, but once it arrived it was strangely anticlimactic and I'm not sure I properly understood it. Also not sure if it was just me but the actual quality of the proof was much lower than most, with unfinished editing sometimes genuinely getting in the way of understanding what was happening... So, a fun romp but left a bit perplexed! Thanks to Netgalley & publisher for the opportunity to read.

This is crime fiction at its finest! A beautiful setting plus some enterprising sleuths make for a terrific read!

A thriller of the modern era two podcasters go in search of answers . They are looking for a young urban ex you tuber who had gone missing after broadcasting and an ancient relic turns up at an auction. Is there a link. . The sleuths set off to find out

Thanks to Random House UK and Netgalley for ARC.

This picks up the story of Anna and Fin, accidentally successful true crime podcasters, on an ill judged country holiday with their respective blended families. They pick up on a story of a young Scots woman, Lisa Lee, who has apparently vanished shortly after uploading a video of an illicit visit to an abandoned chateau where a priceless religious artefact just might have been kept.
They impulsively decide to abandon their families and hunt for Lisa. Their haphazard methods take them across the UK and Europe, meeting some incredible characters and staying in some posh hotels along the way.
This caper novel ties in the current fashionable obsessions with urban exploration, true crime, art theft and social media and delivers an ending with a promise of a third instalment to come.
Conviction, the first to feature Anna and Fin, was similarly slight and despite some harrowing subject matter, light in tone, something few writers are skilled enough to pull off. I admire Mina's writing and her enthusiasm for the subjects, but for me there wasn't quite enough substance to hold me.

I read Conviction the first novel featuring the characters of Anna and Finn and enjoyed it very much. However, I struggled with Confidence the follow up novel and did not finish. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

This is a story of Anna & Fin who are on holiday with their families when they decide to look for a missing person called Lisa Lee who has disappeared.
I loved the characters Anna & Fin as they travelled across Europe took a bit of time to get into the story but I did enjoy it.
Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Uk.