The Last Breath

When The Dead Hour ended I had to immediately start this, the final entry in the Paddy Meehan trilogy. Paddy is such an irresistible character that I would have enjoyed spending time with her regardless of the quality of the story. But Mina provides an enticing story too, with great characters, suspense, and an interesting family life in the background. The contemplation of five-year-old Pete is so genuine, that I would be surprised if Mina is not a mother herself. Highly recommended.

Warning: this review contains spoilers.

****

It is 1990, and Paddy Meehan is now a columnist with the Glasgow Daily News, having risen through the ranks and maintained her position in the face of job cuts, declining circulation and the creeping forces of technology changing how print journalism functions. But she's paid her dues on the lower ranks of the journalist food chain, which is why she knows exactly what's up when two police officers show up at her door one evening: it's the death knock, informing her someone has died. Her ex-boyfriend, Terry Hewitt (also a journalist), has been murdered, and she was listed in his passport as his next of kin. As she tries to piece together what he was working on when he died, she not only gets a show more big story, but also nearly gets herself killed in the process.

I loved this final book in the trilogy. Paddy has become such a real character to me that I just liked reading about her going about her day-to-day life, juggling work, family and then of course the putting her life in danger aspect. I also liked checking in with Sean, and Mary Ann, and Trisha, and the other journalists. And an even bigger surprise was the bairn. When Paddy found out she was pregnant at the end of The Dead Hour, I immediately requested Slip of the Knife because I had to find out how she handled the situation. This book presents us with the five-year-old Pete, who is named after Dr Pete from The Field of Blood (cue wobbly lip and glistening eye on my part) and who appears just enough to be adorable but not so much as to wear out his welcome.

And wow, what an ending! I can see why this is a trilogy: how would you write a follow-up to that?

The trilogy as a whole is very much recommended. show less

This is the third in Mina's Paddy Meehan series. Six years have elapsed since the cliffhanger of the second, and Paddy is no longer struggling as a rookie reporter but is making good money as a columnist. Her life has calmed down and she is much more self-assured. However, when Terry, a journalist she has known for much of her life (and who she briefly dated), is brutally killed, possibly by the IRA, Paddy finds out that she has inherited some documents and a house from him and begins to investigate what happened to him. Then, his colleague, a photographer, with whom he had been collaborating on a book of photographs, is killed in a set-up meant to look as if he had suffered a stroke after taking too much cocaine, and Paddy begins to show more think the photographs had something to do with it. As in any Mina book, there are issues to be explored, including the IRA and whether it is operating in Scotland, police silences and corruption, betrayal, and British intelligence. This book also circles back to some of the characters from the first book in the series. I have come to be more interested in Paddy as this series has evolved, and this was just the right distraction for a stressful time. show less

Protagonist: journalist Paddy Meehan
Setting: Glasgow, Scotland in 1990
Series: #3

First Line: Terry Hewitt had never been as afraid as he was now.

Crime reporter Paddy Meehan is no stranger to murder, but nothing has prepared her for this visit from the police. Her former boyfriend and fellow journalist Terry Hewitt has been found shot through the head and dumped in a ditch. Paddy knows she will be of little help since she had not seen Terry in more than six months, so she is bewildered to learn that according to his will he has left her his house and several suitcases full of notes. Drawn into the investigation, Paddy begins making connections to Terry's murder that no one else has seen.

I seldom read series books so close together, but show more The Dead Hour ended on such a cliffhanger that I couldn't help myself. I devoured this book. When Denis came home from work, I was glad that he went to check his email so I'd have time to finish it. Mina has a masterful way of blending characterization and setting so smoothly that I just can't see these people existing anywhere else. It was an absolute pleasure to watch Paddy grow and change over the years--from a whiny, self-pitying girl that I wanted to shake to an older and wiser person willing to trust herself, take chances and know what's most important in life. I know this is supposed to be a trilogy, but it's one that I wish would have several more installments. Excellent stuff! show less

stumbled across Denise Mina as an author years ago when I picked up her first novel Garnethill.

Her gritty style captured me then and Slip of the Knife just confirms why I enjoyed it so much.

Paddy Meehan is a female reporter in Glasgow, Scotland. When her ex boyfriend Terry is found shot execution style, she mourns his passing. She is stunned to find out he has left her his house and a folder full of notes - he was also a reporter. As she digs further into his death, it looks like The Troubles have a part in his passing. How far will Paddy go to find the truth - especially after her son is threatened.

There is so much more to the plot than just that brief overview. The subplots involving Paddy's troubled personal life, her family and show more friends are just as fascinating. Meehan is a recurring character who is overweight, cantankerous, loyal and dogged. She is a wonderful protagonist simply because she is so far from a 'perfect' character.

Mina's writing is gritty and real. Her descriptions and conversations leap off the page. She has a sly sense of humour, often injected when least expected. Historical fact is carefully woven into fiction.

Absolutely recommended! show less

Great closer for a terrific trilogy. Paddy Meehan has come a long way from her first appearance, but she has retained her sense of self and her relentless nose for the story. There is a fine tradition of journalists getting involved in mysteries and conspiracies and these three books have been a treat. They all kept the focus on news gathering without ever trying to make Paddy a superhero or physically tough. The background characters are drawn effortlessly and the plot barrels along. I think I'm going to go ahead and read more of Mina's books.

Denise Mina's books pretend to be your average thriller/murder mystery, and follow many of the strategems and structures of the genre. However, she manages to surpass the cliches of the genre and draw you into the dilemmas of the characters. She does this by making the characters very real, and by employing a beautiful turn of phrase which can take your breath away.
If you enjoy thrillers, but feel this as certain dirty pleasure, then Denise Mina can make you feel that you're reading something of note, something worthy rather than trash, and can make you think about more than what will come at the end of the book.