A Washington Post Best Book of the Year, this standalone psychological thriller from the acclaimed author of the Alex Morrow novels that exposes the dark hearts of the guilty . . . and the innocent.
William Watt's wife, daughter, and sister-in-law are dead, slaughtered in their own home in a brutal crime that scandalized Glasgow. Despite an ironclad alibi, police zero in on Watt as the primary suspect, but he maintains his innocence. Distraught and desperate to clear his name, Watt puts out a bounty for information that will lead him to the real killer.
Peter Manuel claims he knows the truth that will set Watt free and has information that only the killer would know. It won't come cheap. Manuel is an infamous career criminal, a degenerate liar who can't be trusted and will say, or do, anything to make a buck.
But Manuel has something that Watt wants, which makes him the perfect target for Manuel's consummate con. Watt agrees to sit down with Manuel and before they know it, one drink has turned into an epic, forgotten night of carousing across the city's bars and clubs that exposes the thin line between a good yarn and the truth.
The next time the unlikely pair meets is across the witness stand in court -- where Manuel is on trial for the murder of Watt's family. Manuel calls Watt to the stand to testify about the long, shady night they shared together. And the shocking testimony that Manuel coaxes out of Watt threatens to expose the dark hearts of the guilty...and the innocent.
Based on true events, The Long Drop is an explosive, unsettling novel about guilt, innocence and the power of a good story to hide the difference.
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"The emerging story is an intricate and suspenseful unveiling of a murderer's mind while taking readers on a compelling journey through Glasgow's historic underworld...This stand-alone thriller showcases Mina at her best, capturing the nuanced psychological suspense and ethical shadows of her Alex Morrow series as well as the electric dialogue and tangible grit of her Paddy Meehan novels."
— Booklist (Starred Review)
“Narrator David Monteath expertly heightens and diminishes his Scottish accent to differentiate the characters of Denise Mina’s novel based on the true story of murderer Peter Manual, who terrorized Glasgow in the 1950s. Monteath has an easy voice to listen to…Listeners who pay close attention will be rewarded by the quality of the writing.”
— AudioFile“With one plot line continually hopscotching over the other, Mina manages to keep two narratives going at once: the farcical account of Watt and Manuel’s binge and the sober courtroom drama of dueling life-or-death stories when Manuel faces a jury…This one feels painfully real.”
— New York Times Book Review“Encompasses a harrowing picture of the social issues of the time—many of which still prevail—packing a truly powerful punch.”
— Boston Globe“Takes readers on a suspenseful tour into the past, through psyches and situations far grimmer than even those sooty Glasgow streets…[Mina] takes readers into the mind of a psychopath, as well as into the shadow lands where the grieving families of the victims find themselves exiled.”
— Washington Post“Mina’s moody, mesmerizing book…soon shows its teeth…In clipped prose, Mina reimagines the events surrounding the crimes.”
— New York Times“A terrific exploration of crime and oppression.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“An intricate and suspenseful unveiling of a murderer’s mind.”
— Booklist (starred review)“Outstanding…With knifelike precision, Mina flicks between the bizarre twelve hours Watt and Manuel spend together getting drunk in Glasgow bars and Manuel’s later trial.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“[A] thriller…that you won’t want to put down.”
— BookPage“Like the film M, Mina’s latest is both a tale of a twisted killer and a searing condemnation of hypocrisy.”
— Literary HubThe Long Drop takes readers on a suspenseful tour into the past, through psyches and situations far grimmer than even those sooty Glasgow streets.
— Maureen Corrigan, Washington PostMina has always been a close observer of the brutality drunkards can inflict on their wives and children... this one feels painfully real.
— Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book ReviewA terrific exploration of crime and oppression.
— Kirkus (Starred Review)Outstanding.
— Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)An atmospheric, chilling thriller...The power of Mina's writing is such that she can transport readers from placidity to violent pandemonium in the space of a paragraph.
— Maureen Corrigan, The Washington PostA whip-smart Scottish crime novel...you'll find yourself hooked.
— Kim Hubbard, PeopleMina's riveting sixth novel featuring Glasgow Detective Inspector Alex Morrow...(is) an installment that exposes the bleakness of small-town Scotland as skillfully as it does the bustling mean streets of Glasgow.
— Publishers WeeklyThe "always dependable Mina...delivers another atmospheric, well crafted mystery.
— Library JournalPiercingly perceptive.
— KirkusMina's gift at unveiling the relatable quandaries, desires, and missteps that create criminals provides an irresistible hook...Recommend to readers who appreciate driven, conflicted female detectives like Anne Holt's Hanne Wilhelmsen, Val McDermid's Carol Jordan, and Tana French's Cassie Maddox.
— BooklistDenise 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.
David Monteath is a voice talent and audiobook narrator. He was born in Glasgow and grew up in Milngavie and in the Highlands before returning to Glasgow. He appeared in various television productions during his teens. He trained at the Webber-Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and spent many years with the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow. He is now best known as a voice actor and owns his own recording studio. He has voiced many thousand television and radio commercials as well as corporate narrations.