The Red Road

Mina is a dab hand at constructing complex reads in which corruption permeates all levels of society and no one is left untainted, and THE RED ROAD is no exception: unsentimental, unsettling, and very, very good. * GUARDIAN *
Mina's crime novels are doing for Glasgow what Rebus did for Edinburgh: these fine mysteries also dig into the life of a city. * MAIL ON SUNDAY *
"Mina paints an overwhelmingly powerful picture of child abuse and the legacy that blights the lives of its victims for ever. Rose is brilliantly drawn - she's vulnerable but not pathetic, bubbling with rage yet desperate for someone, anyone to love her." * RADIO TIMES *
A brilliantly plotted tale that segues between past and present, THE RED ROAD is a "tartan noir" police procedural to rival Ian Rankin's best work, as Mina blends the harsh realities facing Glasgow's underprivileged kids with the salubrious world inhabited by the city's legal and financial wizards. The chief appeal, however, is Alex Morrow herself, a meticulously crafted character of depth and substance who succeeds in a patriarchal environment by virtue of her intelligence, persistence and humanity. * IRISH TIMES *
This hugely engrossing tale of murder, corruption and lies in Glasgow manages to successfully tackle the political as well as the personal and might be Mina's finest novel. * METRO *
The plot is as compelling as it is intricate. Denise Mina grows in assurance and becomes more accomplished with every book; and this one is a cracker, beautifully worked-out, every scene serving a purpose... I suggest you may want to go back to savour the details, for this is that rare thing, a crime novel that invites, and benefits from, a second reading. * SCOTSMAN *
The Glasgow author's 11th novel and her fourth to feature DI Alex Morrow is one of my favourite current crime stories. It's a brilliant, morally complex look at child abuse, police cover-up and corruption. Uncompromising and written with real psychological depth. * BIG ISSUE *
Old sins cast long shadows in this thriller that proves Mina deserving of the praise being heaped upon her. * BELLA *
All Denise Mina's books combine good reading with interesting sociological insights... Mina has a social worker's understanding of life at the bottom of society and a fine writer's ability to bring her characters to life. * LITERARY REVIEW *
Mina has created another slick and thoughtful crime thriller ... Mina invites us to see through the eyes of its criminals and victims while bringing together poignant themes about injustice and the vulnerable people in society * BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH *
Denise Mina's atmospheric novel is strongly characterised and deftly paced. * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *
A brilliantly plotted tale that segues between past and present, The Red Road is a "tartan noir" police procedural to rival Ian Rankin's best work, as Mina blends the harsh realities facing Glasgow's underprivileged kids with the salubrious world inhabited by the city's legal and financial wizards. The chief appeal, however, is Alex Morrow herself, a meticulously crafted character of depth and substance who succeeds in a patriarchal environment by virtue of her intelligence, persistence and humanity. * IRISH TIMES *
Mina is a dab hand at constructing complex reads in which corruption permeates all levels of society and no one is left untainted, and THE RED ROAD is no exception: unsentimental, unsettling, and very, very good. * GUARDIAN *
This hugely engrossing tale of murder, corruption and lies in Glasgow manages to successfully tackle the political as well as the personal and might be Mina's finest novel. * METRO *
Mina's crime novels are doing for Glasgow what Rebus did for Edinburgh: these fine mysteries also dig into the life of a city. * MAIL ON SUNDAY *
The plot is as compelling as it is intricate. Denise Mina grows in assurance and becomes more accomplished with every book; and this one is a cracker, beautifully worked-out, every scene serving a purpose... I suggest you may want to go back to savour the details, for this is that rare thing, a crime novel that invites, and benefits from, a second reading. -- Allan Massie * THE SCOTSMAN *
The Glasgow author's 11th novel and her fourth to feature DI Alex Morrow is one of my favourite current crime stories. It's a brilliant, morally complex look at child abuse, police cover-up and corruption. Uncompromising and written with real psychological depth. * BIG ISSUE *
Old sins cast long shadows in this thriller that proves Mina deserving of the praise being heaped upon her. * BELLA *
All Denise Mina's books combine good reading with interesting sociological insights... Mina has a social worker's understanding of life at the bottom of society and a fine writer's ability to bring her characters to life. * LITERARY REVIEW *
Mina has created another slick and thoughtful crime thriller ... Mina invites us to see through the eyes of its criminals and victims while bringing together poignant themes about injustice and the vulnerable people in society * BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH *
"Denise Mina's atmospheric novel is strongly characterised and deftly paced." -- David Evans * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *