Book Club May 2020- Conviction
By: Denise Mina
Published Year: 2019
Publisher: Mullholland Books
Pages: 376
Summary (Provided by Goodreads): A true-crime podcast sets a housewife's present life on a collision course with her secret past.
The day Anna McDonald's quiet, respectable life explodes starts off like all the days before: packing up the kids for school, making breakfast, listening to yet another true crime podcast. Then her husband comes downstairs with an announcement, and Anna is suddenly, shockingly alone.
Reeling and desperate for distraction, Anna returns to the podcast. Other people's problems are much better than one's own--a sunken yacht, a murdered family, a hint of international conspiracy, but this case actually is Anna's problem. She knows one of the victims from an earlier life, a life she's taken great pains to leave behind, and she is convinced that she knows what really happened.
Then an unexpected visitor arrives on her front stoop; a meddling neighbor intervenes; and life as Anna knows it is well and truly over. The devils of her past are awakened--and in hot pursuit. Convinced she has no other options, she goes on the run, and in pursuit of the truth, with a washed-up musician at her side and the podcast as her guide.
What I thought
I don’t think I could give a better summary than the one provided, but basically Anna has a secret past life that is brought to the forefront of her new life when she listens to a true crime podcast.
This was the perfect thriller for the time in which we are living. It’s mysterious but light and unique. Each episode of the podcast is written as part of the story so you can “hear” what each episode is. I have never read a book that has written podcasts in this way before.
As you know, I’m not the bet at writing reviews for mysteries because I am constantly worried about giving too much away. I really liked the way that the story unfolded and found it to be unlike other books that I have read before. I liked the style in which everything was written and the pacing was great.
None of the characters in the book are likeable but they’re aware of this which makes them more tolerable. I don’t mind unlikable characters if there is that self-awareness. Anna even says a few times that she knows she doesn’t come off well and I appreciated that. I also appreciated that this book surprised me. I did not expect the ending. There were bits throughout the book that I was able to predict, but the ending was not one of them. I will always have more respect for a mystery that surprises me.
What Book Club Thought
Everyone really enjoyed this one! While not everyone is typically a thriller/mystery fan, the lightness of this one appealed to everyone. We also laughed when we found out that this was previously a Reese’s Book Club Pick. We’ve consistently had the same taste in books as Reese and, while we’ve enjoyed some of them more than others, we have not had one that we’ve actively disliked. 2/5 of the book club members did guess the ending before it happened, but not 100% of the way in which in played out. Overall, it was a fun and light book that sparked some fun discussion. If you enjoy mysteries and are looking for something lighter that is a bit different from the standards, I recommend checking this one out.