Conviction

Denise Mina

It won’t take you long to finish this thriller from the whip-smart Scottish crime writer. Conviction reads so quickly the pages turn themselves. The premise throws seemingly standard-issue middle-class mum Anna into turmoil, as her husband suddenly leaves with her best friend, taking their young daughters. As her world falls away, Anna follows the twists of a true-crime podcast about the murderous sinking of a yacht in the Med. She chases up the story behind the podcast, in the company of anorexic rock star friend/needy hanger-on Fin – abandoned husband to her faithless best friend. In a dangerous race around Europe, Anna swerves through a deadly maze and her identity peels off, revealing someone other than she seems. Hilarious, emotional and addictive, Conviction rushes to a barmy denouement that unlocks the puzzle. 8/10