A well-written fast-paced crime thriller that does exactly what it says in the description.

It opens with a great scene from Lisa, an UrbExer (it's all explained) youtuber's POV at a chateau ...

Next is an awkward holiday situation and the rest of the book is from investigative journalist Anna's POV ...

Join Anna and Fin as they tear across Europe in a quest to find Lisa the youtuber and get caught up in the dodgy and dangerous world of art smugglers, con artists and religous zealots ...

Plenty of intriguing and interesting characters and moments along the way and a huge ending.

Many thanks to NetGalley UK and Random House UK for the advanced reader copy.

Oh cripes! I have loved Denise Mina's other books especially the Paddy Mehan series. This book I found very muddled and confusing. It was hard to make sense of the beginning and I found myself having to read bits over again or "rewinding" a few pages to check.. A good plot. The ending was a bit weird too. Not a bad read but not one of her best

A good crime /thriller written by an accomplished author containing modern issues which included Urbex, which I hadn’t heard about before but would definitely have been something I would have done in my younger days and also You Tube. The beginning of the story was with a very mixed/muddled or muddling along family a little more complex than many I know but probably not unlikely and then the two main characters leave the complex family holiday to chase a story. If the family relationships seem complicated it only sets the tone for the whole storyline, some reviews have said it is muddled or confusing but my feeling is that this is the intention, i very much enjoyed a storyline that I had to pay attention to and remember strands in order to make sense of the action. All in all a story that races along in a madcap and complex way, thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I,unusually, gave up on this book. It was hard to follow the storyline and appeared to be muddled as to what it was actually about.

I Ivor thrillers and mysteries and this one definitely ticked all the boxes! A great read that kept me going.

I have read many reviews of this book before I read it, and I can say that I didn't think it was as bad as some people think that it was. Let's start with the good points, it is well written, engaging and if you like books such as the Di Vinci code then I think that you will like this book. However for me I didn't really gel with it as much as I had wanted too. But overall it wasn't a bad book.

Readers who enjoy such thrillers as The Da Vinci code will love this book. It is a an action packed tale of two podcasters chasing an ancient silver box. It is not like Denise Mina books I behave read previously and not really to my taste. I found it too unrealistic: the concept of the blended family holiday and the fact that any parent would leave their child to chase after a story.

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.

The story is about well-known podcasters Anna & Fin and their search of Lisa Lee, who has gone missing after posting a YouTube film of herself and three others, exploring an abandoned French chateau. Lisa’s father is the police’s prime suspect in her disappearance. A priceless religious casket is stolen from the chateau and it looks like Lisa has stolen it.
It is in the first person, told from Anna’s point of view and includes some of her podcasts. The plot has several twists and plenty of tension including when Lisa is exploring the chateau and when the casket is sold at auction in Paris. You quickly realise some of the characters can’t be trusted.
This is the first book I’ve read featuring Anna and Fin and I struggled to comprehend the odd situation of the extended family holiday in a lighthouse, where they are stuck with each other during a very bad storm, with her ex-husband and her best friend, who is now his wife. I found parts of it unrealistic but it was an interesting read with a good ending.

I wanted to love this book as I really liked Conviction and I'm a big fan of Denise Mina's in general. However, the plot despite starting well became muddled and episodic, the ending being wrapped up rather hurriedly. Also, there were too many subplots that were left hanging and I can't see Anna as a mother who would put her curiosity re this stolen casket above supporting her daughters.

It had the potential to be a really gripping book but for me it missed the mark.

What an absolute triumph!! Denise just storms ahead with the follow up to conviction. We meet Anna & Fin again. I couldn't put it down everything else had to wait....Denise has an insight to what makes people tick, it starts off in a light house where all the families are on holiday, the tension ramps up until the excuse that Anna & Fin are looking for allows them to leave to look for the missing Lisa Lee. Murder, double dealing & mayhem ensues. I loved it!!!!

This follow up to Conviction has the podcasters Anna & Fin in search of a young Scottish girl Lisa who has gone missing after posting a video from an abandoned chateau from which she has stolen a priceless casket.
While I love Denise Mina’s gritty raw tartan noir novels - from the Garnethill trilogy through to The Less Dead, which I thought was outstanding - this is a very different style of book with much of the action taking place in France rather than Glasgow and while there is a pleasing build up of tension towards the end and interesting background on the smuggling of antiques (particularly religious icons) I didn’t enjoy it.
The plot is improbable and confusing, and didn’t have the depth I’ve come to expect from the author. I think the complicated backstories of Anna and Fin could be expanded upon, also there are too many shadowy figures. For instance references are frequently made to a character’s mother being someone you wouldn’t mess with, but at no point is the reason for this explained.
No doubt this book will appeal to some readers but it’s not for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Vintage for an ARC

There have been very mixed reviews about this book, but I absolutely loved it. I have read several Denise Mina crime novels before, and have heard her speak at the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival a couple of times and have a huge respect for her as an author. I found this book well-paced, interesting and it kept me guessing right to the end. I also learned new things about urbex and the shady world of high end art smuggling. I was also delighted with the ending and that's all I'm going to say about that.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Vintage for an advance copy of Confidence.

Having absolutely adored Anna and Fin's first adventure I could not wait to get my hands on this second instalment.

It's undoubtedly a clever story, involving art smugglers, Urbex YouTubers, double crossing religious fanatics and a potty mouthed, precocious pre-teen. However, I often felt a bit lost and the character development that was such a joy to read in Conviction was strangely absent here.

I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review

Had the potential to be a great story but I found it to be a but waffly throughout meaning I skipped chunks as couldn't see the relevance to the story.

Not a bad read, pretty predictable in most places and didn’t keep me guessing to much so not for me I am afraid …

There are very mixed reviews for this book and a lot of it is true. I wasn’t fond of the format but once into it got it completely. Will look out for the authors next book.

Lisa Lee is a ubex and has an unsuccessful YouTube channel and her last video showed her breaking into a abandoned French chateau Anna McDonald and her partner Finn cohen are podcaster’s who podcast true crime podcaster’s Lisa and Finn find themselves at the centre of a internet frenzy to find Lisa who vanished from a Scottish seaside town but police suspect her dad of killing her
Found this book a bit slow but it’s an okay book Just a one read book

Misdeeds Aplenty…
Lisa Lee disappears from a seaside town in Scotland. Anna and Fin are subsequently caught amidst an internet fiasco to locate her. Is the missing woman quite the victim as she has been made to be? Evidence tells them not. And, so begins a frenzied and action packed chase across Europe where Anna and Fin become caught up in way more than they bargained for. Quite different from previous work so the reader should enter and prepare to enjoy with an entirely open mind - free to adventure, bizarre goings on, misdeeds aplenty and an escapist thrill ride. Entertaining and fast paced enjoyment.

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.