Faye goes on a time traveling journey to her own childhood after accidentally falling into a space hopper box and connects with her mum.

I decided to try this as someone whose parent died when I was young. Faye is probably ten years older than me, and I am still unsure that even if I could time travel to see my dad, would I? This story definitely didn't make me want to.. It was so almost a good story, the character almost fully formed... Just not quite there in any way for me. The writing was okay and I enjoyed the way Faye was trying to explore her past, even if I wanted to shake her a few times!! I felt by the end I enjoyed enough but felt the author could have perhaps explored other narrators than just Faye as she was a bit repetitive and acting in a way I didn't think she would if I was in her position.

I know time travel is meant to be scifi but this was trying to shoe horn it into a first person story of family loss so just missed the mark for me.

I think I'm quite late to the Denise Mina party.. I read Conviction last year and thought it was okay but was much more impressed by The Less Dead.

Mina writes the streets of Glasgow so well its like walking down them in person. The characterisation of her female characters is great as well, it felt like she had researched and spoken to sex workers in trying to really understand how things have been on the street during the time Susan, Nikki and Lizzie were working, as well as how sex work has changed. The Less Dead explores really complex issues surrounding sex work, adoption, and policing.

I think the important thing about crime novels is trying to get your reader to have figured out who the villain is so they keep reading to find out if they are right, and leading them there well. This is what Mina clearly does with ease. Easy to read despite its content, and really taught as a whip at key points.

The only reason this isn't a 5 star review is because I think it took too long to get going and the start was a bit confusing.

The Other Black Girl delves deep into the competitive and very white world of publishing but with a razor hidden at its back.. I honestly didn't expect the wee twists, and as a few reviews say it is a bit of a slow burner but I think that adds to the confusion and journey Nella is on when Hazel turns up at Wagner.

The story mainly is told from Nella's POV, but interspersed with smaller chapters from other characters who don't necessarily add to the main story but do go a long way to building up the tension to the end.