The Long Drop

A Novel

By: Denise Mina

Narrated by: David Monteath

A Washington Post Best Book of the Year, this stand-alone psychological thriller from the acclaimed author of the Alex Morrow novels that exposes the dark hearts of the guilty...and the innocent.

William Watt's wife, daughter, and sister-in-law are dead, slaughtered in their own home in a brutal crime that scandalized Glasgow. Despite an ironclad alibi, police zero in on Watt as the primary suspect, but he maintains his innocence. Distraught and desperate to clear his name, Watt puts out a bounty for information that will lead him to the real killer.

Peter Manuel claims he knows the truth that will set Watt free and has information that only the killer would know. It won't come cheap. Manuel is an infamous career criminal, a degenerate liar who can't be trusted and will say, or do, anything to make a buck.

But Manuel has something that Watt wants, which makes him the perfect target for Manuel's consummate con. Watt agrees to sit down with Manuel and before they know it, one drink has turned into an epic, forgotten night of carousing across the city's bars and clubs that exposes the thin line between a good yarn and the truth.

The next time the unlikely pair meets is across the witness stand in court - where Manuel is on trial for the murder of Watt's family. Manuel calls Watt to the stand to testify about the long, shady night they shared together. And the shocking testimony that Manuel coaxes out of Watt threatens to expose the dark hearts of the guilty...and the innocent.

Based on true events, The Long Drop is an explosive, unsettling novel about guilt, innocence, and the power of a good story to hide the difference.

©2017 Denise Mina (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"A whip-smart Scottish crime novel...you'll find yourself hooked." ( People)

"This stand-alone thriller showcases Mina at her best, capturing the nuanced psychological suspense and ethical shadows of her Alex Morrow series as well as the electric dialogue and tangible grit of her Paddy Meehan novels." ( Booklist)

"Mina's riveting sixth novel featuring Glasgow Detective Inspector Alex Morrow...(is) an installment that exposes the bleakness of small-town Scotland as skillfully as it does the bustling mean streets of Glasgow." ( Publishers Weekly)

Five Stars

Interesting, believable characters, Reads like true crime with realistic dialogue. Narrator has Scottish accent that this American can understand clearly. The story itself is universal, serial murderers attack at random causing fear & chaos in communities and without a motive are hard to identify. Satisfying ending.

Excellent

Well now I’m hooked on learning more about Glaswegian history. If you enjoy Erik Larson-esque stories, I believe you will enjoy this book.

gritty tale

gritty tale if the underbelly of Scottish law enforcement. another denise mina success. dark and engrossing

That's it?

well written, interesting historical back drop, well read, but the story ended unfilling as mystery book goes

Interesting writing and good performance but….

If you’re not familiar with the country it may be disappointing. It was for me.

Denise Mina demands our attention

Any additional comments?

First let me say that at the outset (not being from Scotland) I'd no idea that this was a fictionalised account of a true story. As I was pulled deeper into the book I kept thinking that it had the ring of truth. A quick check with Wikipedia confirmed my suspicions, and also confirmed that 90% or more of the book is absolutely factual. I can only suppose that the portrayal of some of the character's thoughts and motivations are the result of Mina's speculation. So even though the book Is classified as a novel, it reads like a brilliantly realized true crime story. Also be warned that it requires the reader to pay very close attention, especially at the start. Denise Mina does NOT write down to her readers, so gear yourself up to think and listen well. In the long run I found that it was well worth the effort. Excellent.

Absolutely loved it!

After finishing (and loving) the Alex Morrow series, I downloaded this, not sure what to expect after reading the reviews. It was slow going for me at first, trying to learn the characters and to understand the turns of phrases AND pay attention to the details. But It wasn’t long before I was hooked! The long, long night that Peter Manuel and William Watt spent together was hilarious! The way Mina describes the thoughts and motivations of those two is masterful. And OMG chapter 14 completely caught me off guard - could it be true? What does Denise Mina (and the rest of Scotland) know that isn’t part of the “official” record? I loved how she wrote about how the verdict rippled through Scotland. I found myself consulting Wikipedia throughout - who are Adam Smith and Dr. Johnson, for instance? Who were the Billy Boys? What’s a Teddy Boy? What happened to Dandy McKay? And then, when she describes what a Long Drop really is ... well all I can say is excellent. A great book, it will go down as one of my favorites! And now I’m so motivated to visit Glasgow!

boring

it wasn't bad. it was just boring. I'd pick something else if i had it to do over.

This NOT in the Alex Morrow series!!

This is not in the Alex Morrow series by Denise Mina - I bought it believing it to be Book 6 in the series but it is not.

Pedantic

I was fully half way through this audible version of this book before I became aware of one character of interest--the wife of brother Tom. The plot and the characters did not capture my interest. The author is brilliant with respect to describing details, but...I understand this is Mina's first effort, or maybe second, at so=called real crime writing. I urge her to focus on her own creative imagination and leave real time stuff alone.