Gods & Beasts by Denise Mina

May 2013

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Born August 21, 1966, in Glasgow, Scotland; daughter of James (an oil engineer); partner of a forensic psychologist; children: Fergus, Owen. Education: Received law degree from Glasgow University; attended Strathclyde University (Ph.D. program). Addresses: Home: Glasgow, Scotland. E-mail: info@denisemina.co.uk.

CAREER:

Writer, novelist, playwright, and comic book writer. Formerly worked in a meat factory, as a hospice nurse in geriatric and terminal-care nursing homes, as a bartender, as a cook, and as a university tutor in criminology and criminal law.

Scottish novelist Denise Mina entered the literary scene in 1998, winning two awards from the Crime Writers' Association, one for the short story "Helena and the Babies" and another for her first novel, Garnethill. Since 1998, she has continued to work as a novelist, completing her "Garnethill" trilogy, several novels in the "Paddy Meehan" series, a stand-alone thriller, Deception, and installments in the "Alex Morrow" series, including Still Midnight and The End of the Wasp Season. Mina has also produced graphic novels for the "Hellfire" series and a stand-alone graphic novel, A Sickness in the Family.

Scottish mystery novelist Denise Mina exposes a seamy underbelly in the streets of her native Glasgow. All of her books are moody, tempered by a feeling of anxiety that slowly crescendos through her tightly-plotted stories. Be warned that the crimes will be violent and gruesome, and the heroes who investigate the crimes, though sympathetic, will be deeply flawed. Mina is best known as a traditional novelist, though has a following for her graphic novels, which include original works as well as adaptations of other authors. Start with: [Still Midnight].

“Alex Morrow” Series

.                      

Still midnight (Mar 2010)

Series: Alex Morrow novels, 1

.The end of the wasp season (Sep 2011)

Series: Alex Morrow novels, 2

Gods and beasts (Feb 2013)

Series: Alex Morrow novels, 3

The red road (Feb 2014)

Series: Alex Morrow novels, 4

"Garnethill" Trilogy

• Garnethill,  1999.
• Exile,  2001.
• Resolution,  2002.

"Paddy Meehan" Series

• The Field of Blood, 2005.
• The Dead Hour, 2006.
• The Last Breath,(UK Title: Slip of the Knife,)  2008.

OTHER

• Sanctum (mystery novel), UK:, 2002, (published as Deception, Little, Brown, 2005).
• Hurtle (radio play), BBC Radio 4, 2003.
• John Constantine, Hellblazer: Empathy is the Enemy (graphic novel), illustrated by Leonardo Manco, Vertigo (New York, NY), 2006.
• (Contributor) Hellblazer: The Red Right Hand (graphic novel), illustrated by Leonardo Manco, Vertigo (New York, NY), 2007.
• A Sickness in the Family (graphic novel), illustrated by Antonio Fuso, Vertigo Crime/DC Comics (New York, NY), 2010.
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Book 1 & 2 (graphic novel), DC Comics (New York, NY), 2012.

Read alikes

Glasgow P Division procedurals   by Peter Turnbull    

(The man with no face;   Deep and crisp and even)

Reason: Though Alex Morrow is a female DS in Glasgow while the Glasgow P Division novels feature a mostly male force, both series offer the gritty details of a police procedural and the bleak atmosphere the Scottish city is known for. In these bleak, Glasgow-set novels, the city itself offers a dark backdrop for mysteries that combine the details of a police procedural with revelatory psychological depth.

                                                                       

Where the bodies are buried   by Christopher  Brookmyre                                              Reason:  Seemingly separate investigations come together in these mystery novels, both set in a grungy, vividly described Glasgow. The two novels also offer strong female protagonists, corrupt cops, political problems, and a wealth of procedural details

Death line  by Geraldine Evans                              

Reason:  These hard-edged mysteries, set in the UK and starring female cops, boast investigative details, imaginative plotting, and insight into the lives of their protagonists, Glaswegian DS Alex Morrow in Gods and Beasts and English DS Bev Morriss in Death Line.

                                                           

Bannister, Jo    

Reason:  Jo Bannister and Denise Mina write stand-alone psychological suspense stories that feature strong characters, imaginative plotting, and taut suspense. The stories have a dark atmosphere, sinister revelations, and twists and turns that keep the stories moving quickly

Rankin, Ian                                                                                        

Reason:  Both Denise Mina and Ian Rankin are Scottish writers of the hardboiled style, telling gritty, dark, and disturbing stories. -- Victoria Caplinger                                                            

McDermid, Val                                                                                              

Reason:  Denise Mina and Val McDermid are Scottish authors that focus on the psychological aspects of their chilling mysteries, creating characters that are fully realized, if disturbing. Both authors feature strong women protagonists and gritty urban settings. -- Victoria Caplinger