Title: Confidence
Series: Anna and Fin #2
Author: Denise Mina
Publisher: Vintage
Synopsis:
Deception. Theft. Murder. All you need is confidence. A brand new escapist thriller from the award-winning author of Conviction
When Lisa Lee, a vulnerable young woman, vanishes from a pretty Scottish seaside town Anna and Fin find themselves at the centre of an internet frenzy to find her.
But Lisa may not be the hapless victim her father thinks. She had an unsuccessful YouTube channel and her last film showed her breaking into an abandoned French Chateau with other UrbExers and stumbling across a priceless Roman silver casket. One day after Lisa vanishes that casket gets listed for auction in Paris, reserve price fifty million euro and a catalogue entry that could challenge the fundamental principles of a major world religion.
On a thrilling chase across Europe, Anna and Fin are caught up in a world of international art smuggling, billionaire con artists and religious zealotry.
My review:
Confidence is a fun, fast-paced follow-up to the brilliant Conviction [read my review], which I really enjoyed. We return to Anna and Fin during very awkward family holiday. Soon they’re sucked into the case of Lisa Lee, a Youtuber who has gone missing after breaking into an abandoned house where she found a priceless artefact. Their escapade takes them across Europe and into trouble!
It’s great to be back with Anna and Fin – they’re entertaining characters and, although they’re not always the nicest people, they’re good fun to read about. Denise Mina again writes about them with humour, and gives the supporting cast the same treatment so that everyone in this book feels like real and very colourful characters!
The action is full-on and often you need to suspend your disbelief but it’s all worth it because this is a crazy, entertaining ride! I lost track of what exactly was going on at some points but it didn’t really matter because it’s a fun read, with plenty of darkness and tension scattered in there too. The podcast element is always interesting and adds a modern element to the plot. You don’t need to have read Conviction to enjoy this book, but I think it would help you get the best out of it. If you like offbeat mystery/thriller novels, this one is for you!
My rating: 4/5
Many thanks to the publisher, Vintage, for providing a copy of this book on which I chose to write an honest review.