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Book Review of The Red Road (Alex Morrow, Bk 4)

The Red Road (Alex Morrow, Bk 4)
cathyskye avatar reviewed on + 2261 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


Denise Mina is one of the best crime fiction writers out there. She puts readers right in the heart of Glasgow, Scotland-- "cynical Glasgow, a city exhausted of sorrow" -- and has them dine on a fine tale of crime and the search for truth. As far as I'm concerned, she's the absolute best at making readers understand and empathize with the marginalized, the people most avert their eyes from. In her books, like Garnethill and The Red Road, we meet the homeless, drug addicts, murderers, and former prostitutes. We learn why these people turned to drugs or sex work or killing. We see them trying-- and sometimes succeeding-- to turn their backs on their old lives, and while we may never condone what these people did, we can now understand and feel compassion. Most crime writers use the marginalized merely as victims and for shock value. Not Denise Mina, and this means that she has written some truly powerful stories.

In this series, police detective Alex Morrow isn't your usual cop. For one thing, her brother is a gangster. When criminals threaten to expose her relationship to a known felon, she tells them to go right ahead. You see, the police know it already; she hasn't hidden it from them. This is all a part of her "nothing but the truth and damn the consequences" method of policing.

In all its twists and turns, Alex's investigation ties in with an old case that occurred on the day of Princess Diana's death-- a fact that led to some shoddy detective work and the realization that, for some of the world, Diana's death could be just another day. This fact alone will make many readers feel as though they're experiencing life in another country.

Denise Mina's storytelling ability combined with a sharply delineated cast of characters and a strong plot makes The Red Road a compelling and satisfying read. She is an author who never disappoints, and I'm looking forward to finding out what Alex Morrow does next. Man those torpedoes, Alex-- full speed ahead!