Synopsis
Longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2022
Shortlisted for the CWA Dagger in the Library 2021
Longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize 2021
Shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award 2020
When Margo goes in search of her birth mother for the first time, she meets her aunt, Nikki, instead. Margo learns that her mother, Susan, was a sex worker murdered soon after Margo's adoption. To this day, Susan's killer has never been found.
Nikki asks Margo for help. She has received threatening and haunting letters from the murderer, for decades. She is determined to find him, but she can't do it alone...
A brilliant, thought-provoking and heart-wrenching new thriller about identity and the value of a life, from the award-winning author of The Long Drop and Conviction.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Vintage Publishing
- ISBN: 9781529111804
- Number of pages: 352
- Dimensions: 197 x 128 x 22 mm
- Weight: 250g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
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A suspenseful, menacing thriller and so much more
Goodness me, gentle reader, but this book is a cracker! Want to know how good it is? Though it is very different, it reminds me in many ways of The Long Dr... READ MORE
Disappointing!
I’d like to thank Random House UK, Vintage and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Less Dead’ by Denise Mina in exchange for my honest and... READ MORE
I was on the edge of my seat until the very last word!
It took a little while for this story to settle at the start, and for the characters to become clear and approachable, but in a way this only added to the ... READ MORE
Got lost along the way
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 ... READ MORE
Engrossing Family Drama
The Less Dead. by Denise Mina is a thoroughly satisfying read. The author very skilfully involves the reader in the life of the main character, Margo who i... READ MORE
Compassion for The Less Dead
When Margo, a doctor from Glasgow, arranges to meet her birth family for the first time via an adoption charity, the meeting is attended by Nikki, Margo’s ... READ MORE
The Less Dead, by Denise Mina
Denise Mina is extraordinary. If you liked “Conviction” you will love “The Less Dead”. It is a story about Glasgow’s underbelly that makes “No Mean Cit... READ MORE
Some great female characters - insightful and exciting thriller.
This is a very clever thriller with its roots in the dark days of Glasgow; especially around drugs and prostitution.
It approaches an old serial killer ca... READ MORE
The Less Dead
Another great book from Netgalley. I was not sure all the time I was reading this where it was going to go and that is a good sign for a good book. It tw... READ MORE
Hard-hitting & Sharp
Janette, Margo Dunlop's adoptive mother has recently died and Margo and her long-term, cheating partner, Joe, have also parted ways. Struggling with her wo... READ MORE
Glasgow At It's Best.
A dark, gritty, gripping read.
Margot Dunlop, a doctor, is at a crossroads in her life. She is grieving the recent death of her mother and on searching for... READ MORE
Great mystery!
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Less Dead features Margo, a doctor who has just found out that she is pregnant,... READ MORE
A cracking read
I was offered the opportunity to read a proof of The Less Dead before publication. I haven’t read any of Denise Mina’s books before; I don’t gravitate to c... READ MORE
A compelling read
Margo is adopted, it’s a good adoption and she’s succeeded in life, becoming a doctor. Her birth mother was a drug addict and sex worker and was killed man... READ MORE
Dark, Gripping, Thought provoking!
For me, Denise Mina never disappoints! Her descriptions of surroundings are succinct but complete. She draws the reader in to the seedier side of Glasgow w... READ MORE
An intelligent, gripping and compassionate crime novel
'When we get killed they call us the "less dead"...'
I'm grateful to the publisher for an advance e-copy of The Less Dead via NetGalley.
After the globet... READ MORE
An intelligent, challenging thriller.
‘The Less Dead’ by Denise Mina is a compelling read, not least because it’s not easy to work out the identity of the serial killer who has targeted Glasweg... READ MORE
Family Drama
Margot is having a thirty something crisis: she's burning out at work; she's just split with her boyfriend who was cheating on her; her mother had recently... READ MORE
Compelling and heartfelt
After firmly establishing herself as a Crown Princess of Tartan Noir thanks to three outstanding series (Garnethill, Paddy Meehan, Alex Morrow), Glasgow sc... READ MORE
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