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Gods and Beasts: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.02) - 346 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
It's the week before Christmas when a lone robber bursts into a busy Glasgow post office carrying an AK-47. An elderly man suddenly hands his young grandson to a stranger and wordlessly helps the gunman fill bags with cash, then carries them to the door. He opens the door and bows his head; the robber fires off the AK-47, tearing the grandfather in two.
DS Alex Morrow arrives on the scene and finds that the alarm system had been disabled before the robbery. Yet upon investigation, none of the employees can be linked to the gunman. And the grandfather-a life-long campaigner for social justice-is above reproach. As Morrow searches for the killer, she discovers a hidden, sinister political network. Soon it is chillingly clear: no corner of the city is safe, and her involvement will go deeper than she could ever have imagined.
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"Reading Denise Mina is always such a pleasure. Her books are multilayered with more than one story line. This one is no exception. This is actually the first DI Morrow I've read. There were two previous ones: Still Midnight & The End of the Wasp Season. In this one, DI Alex Morrow is back from maternity leave after giving birth to twin boys. She and her husband are juggling their care, and she's not getting much sleep as a result. There are three stories that come together at the end: a robbery and murder at a local post office, a Labor politician who has been unable to resist the trappings of power and two police officers who are unable to resist the taking a bag of money from the car of a drug dealer. Interwoven throughout is Alex's on again/off again relationship with her half brother who is also the local mobster. He claims he is getting into legitimate businesses. Mina writes so well. There isn't a lot of waste nor is there any silliness. The best thing is her characters. The police aren't supermen or wonder women - just people trying to do their jobs. People aren't bad or good. They are just normal people. Underlying the story is what happens when the economic basis of a society falls apart."
— Larraine (4 out of 5 stars)
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“If you don’t love Denise Mina, you don’t love crime fiction. I guarantee Gods and Beasts will be one of your top books of the year.”
— Val McDermid, internationally bestselling author -
“Much of the charm of Mina’s new mystery comes from narrator Moira Quirk’s delightful delivery. Her Scots brogue is easy to understand yet beautifully exotic. (I could listen to her read the phone book.) Her characters feel real and familiar.”
— AudioFile -
“Mina’s novel skillfully and insightfully focuses on corruption—social, political, criminal, and moral—revealing the constant struggle for power in each of these areas, how it affects and is affected by human nature. Seemingly disconnected, these threads contribute in a cleverly interwoven way to the suspense and complexity of this novel. Narrator Moira Quirk…does an excellent job portraying this collection of unconventional characters, complete with Glasgow and Ayrshire accents. Denise Mina presents a carefully crafted plot, one which listeners will find engaging and enjoyable.”
— SoundCommentary.com -
“[The End of the Wasp Season] was an expert psychological deconstruction of the credit crunch, as well as a page-turning police procedural to boot. If anything, Gods and Beasts is even better…Gods and Beasts confirms Mina’s place at the front of the crime-writing pack.”
— The Independent (London) -
“Denise Mina’s stark depictions of Glasgow have long since reduced the city as shown in the television series Taggart to a tartan theme park. Gods and Beasts is vintage Mina: a complex three-ply plot involving a shooting, blackmail, and corruption, all described with hard-hitting prose and psychological acuity.”
— The Telegraph (London) -
“Excellent…While Mina keeps Alex’s life outside of work mostly on the back burner, she ups the stakes by taking us into the dark, beating heart of modern Glasgow, where the real deals are struck and the spoils divided.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Gods and Beasts Listener Reviews
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" Alex Morrow's twins are safe at home with her hubby, but things are heating up at the police station after someone goes postal at--a small post office. It's Christmas time in Glasgow and local crooks and dirty politicians are up to their usual tricks. Alex can't relax and enjoy the holidays until she figures out why a murder victim was targeted and who is continuing to threaten the victim's family. "
— Barbpie, 2/18/2014 -
" Corruption in Glasgow. Mina is a master writer. "
— Ellyn, 2/2/2014 -
" I still like the main character in this series, but I thought this book was sort of disorganized and disjointed. I had a little difficulty following the plot. I liked the writing, but I felt like the first one was the best so far. "
— Kathy, 2/2/2014 -
" Least favorite Denise Mina book. So many characters that I was confused. Even when everything finally came together, all I could think was "eh..." "
— Donna, 1/27/2014 -
" Good, but not her best. "
— Ted, 1/19/2014 -
" Another excellent novel from my favourite Scottish crime writer. "
— Sue, 12/31/2013 -
" Really have to concentrate - sometimes a bit scattered but worth the read. Would like to know more about Morrow's relationship with father of her children. "
— Catherine, 12/18/2013 -
" I think Mina is the best writer of all the Scots mystery authors and I love anything she does but this one is slightly less engrossing than the prior Alex Morrow (The End of Wasp Season). That said, still highly recommended but make sure you read the first two in the series first. "
— Amy, 12/14/2013 -
" I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had read the previous books with these characters. Still a good book. "
— Judy, 11/28/2013 -
" Highly engaging with an intricate web of narratives. My first Alex Morrow book but read very well as a stand alone. I was worried I would be lost because I hadn't read the previous books! "
— Sophie, 11/27/2013 -
" I couldn't stay interested. I didn't like any of the characters. I took it back to the library, unfinished. I hate doing that but just won't waste my precious reading time on something I don't like. "
— Su, 11/10/2013 -
" I really didn't get the storyline in this book. There were too many storylines and I didn't feel that I got the connection from where the story begins. I have enjoyed her other books, but just not this one. "
— Diane, 11/1/2013 -
" Disappointing after such rave reviews! "
— Damon, 10/22/2013 -
" Okay. Not as good as others.... "
— Jane, 10/16/2013 -
" Denise Mina is always terrific! Gods and Beasts did not disappoint. "
— Janet, 10/12/2013 -
" My m-I-l favorite author and relates to Glasgow whereabouts. Several stories linked by a common thread, was a good read but felt it wrapped up very quickly and all was solved rather suddenly ! "
— Sally, 9/1/2013 -
" Denise Mina writes about a gritty,crime filled tough world. What is most wonderful about her novels is that the protagonists are women, tough,prickly,smart women in male dominated worlds and professions. Not her best book but astute writing and characters. "
— Marcia, 8/25/2013 -
" Love all Denis Mina's books--every series has been exceptional--this one as well. Great writing. "
— Sundra, 7/31/2013 -
" This features DS Alex Morrow but is really several different stories about corruption rather than one case although everything does link in. "
— Rog, 5/29/2013 -
" Another great volume in the Alex Morrow series. Don't get to know too much more about Morrow, but that was okay with me. Her Glasgow is very different than the one I visited as a tourist. "
— Beth, 4/12/2013 -
" i have listened to one of this author's stories before on audio book (with the same recurring characters). Even though I liked this book- I found it to be confusing and the end did not clear it up for me. I would give it 2.5 stars if I could. "
— Elizabeth, 3/29/2013
About Denise Mina
Denise Mina is the author of mystery, horror, and historical fiction. She has written novels for four series, as well as stand-alone novels and graphic novels. The Field of Blood won the Barry Award for Best British Crime Novel, The Long Drop won the Gordon Burn Prize, and Garnethill.
About Moira Quirk
Moira Quirk, a British actress and Earphones Award–winning narrator, co-narrated Ben Bova’s Mercury and has narrated other popular audiobooks for which she received Audie Award nominations. She is a successful comedian and can be heard on Nickelodeon’s cartoon My Life as a Teenage Robot as well as in The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd, The Wild Thornberrys Feature, and Serendipity, among others. She has also lent her voice to several video games, including Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction and Haunting Ground.