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The Long Drop Paperback – February 16, 2018

by Mina Denise (Author)

3.7 2,066 ratings

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Glasgow, 1957. It is a December night and William Watt is desperate. His family has been murdered and he needs to find out who killed them.

He arrives at a bar to meet Peter Manuel, who claims he can get hold of the gun that was used. But Watt soon realises that this infamous criminal will not give up information easily.

Inspired by true events, The Long Drop follows Watt and Manuel along back streets and into smoky pubs, and on to the courtroom where the murder trial takes place. Can Manuel really be trusted to tell the truth? And how far will Watt go to get what he wants?

‘The extraordinary story of a 1950s Glasgow murder mystery’
Guardian

‘A masterpiece by the woman who may be Britain’s finest living crime novelist’
Daily Telegraph

‘Absorbing… this is a bravura performance, a true original’
Ian Rankin

‘Revisits a dark episode in Glasgow’s past… Mina navigates the uneasy territory between fact and fiction with consummate grace’
Val McDermid

Print length

256 pages
Language

English
Publisher

RANDOM HOUSE UK
Publication date

February 16, 2018
Dimensions

5.08 x 0.71 x 7.8 inches
ISBN-10

9781784704858
ISBN-13

978-1784704858
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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1784704857
Publisher ‏ : ‎ RANDOM HOUSE UK (February 16, 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781784704858
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1784704858
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.08 x 0.71 x 7.8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #4,270,998 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews:
3.7 2,066 ratings

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Denise Mina

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Denise Mina was born in Glasgow in 1966. Because of her father's job as an engineer, the family followed the north sea oil boom of the seventies around Europe, moving twenty one times in eighteen years from Paris to the Hague, London, Scotland and Bergen. She left school at sixteen and did a number of poorly paid jobs: working in a meat factory, bar maid, kitchen porter and cook. Eventually she settle in auxiliary nursing for geriatric and terminal care patients.

At twenty one she passed exams, got into study Law at Glasgow University and went on to research a PhD thesis at Strathclyde University on the ascription of mental illness to female offenders, teaching criminology and criminal law in the mean time.

Misusing her grant she stayed at home and wrote a novel, 'Garnethill' when she was supposed to be studying instead.

'Garnethill' won the Crime Writers' Association John Creasy Dagger for the best first crime novel and was the start of a trilogy completed by 'Exile' and 'Resolution'.

A fourth novel followed, a stand alone, named 'Sanctum' in the UK and 'Deception' in the US.

In 2005 'The Field of Blood' was published, the first of a series of five books following the career and life of journalist Paddy Meehan from the newsrooms of the early 1980s, through the momentous events of the nineteen nineties. The second in the series was published in 2006, 'The Dead Hour' and the third will follow in 2007.

She also writes comics and wrote 'Hellblazer', the John Constantine series for Vertigo, for a year, published soon as graphic novels called 'Empathy is the Enemy' and 'The Red Right Hand'. She has also written a one-off graphic novel about spree killing and property prices called 'A Sickness in the Family' (DC Comics forthcoming).

In 2006 she wrote her first play, "Ida Tamson" an adaptation of a short story which was serialised in the Evening Times over five nights. The play was part of the Oran Mor 'A Play, a Pie and a Pint' series, starred Elaine C. Smith and was, frankly, rather super.

As well as all of this she writes short stories published various collections, stories for BBC Radio 4, contributes to TV and radio as a big red face at the corner of the sofa who interjects occasionally, is writing a film adaptation of Ida Tamson and has a number of other projects on the go.

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3.7 out of 5

2,066 global ratings

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Laura H

A book about a serial killer doesn't have to be so we!l written to be excellent, but it helps

Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2023

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This book reads like a lyrical thriller, but it's a scary-true. The last chapters will leave you saying, "Wow!" to yourself in the dark.

Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2017

Verified Purchase

At first I was disappointed to find this was a stand alone, having grown fond of the character Alex in her previous books. But once I began reading, I was totally captivated by the story and the characters. This is gritty Scotland at its lowest depths. The characters aren't likeable nor are they supposed to be. Did William Watt hire someone to kill his wife? If so, the book never really answers why. Even late in the book we're told of a connection between Peter Manuel attending Mass and his worst offenses, but this isn't explored further. Was justice completely served? Obviously not completely. Did Peter Manuel have an accomplice who continued killing? Very probably. This questions left me wanting so much more.

As always Denise Mina's writing style is beyond exquisite. She paints such wonderfully vivid pictures of each character and their actions that I feel as if I'm in the room with them. In particular, her portrait of Peter's mother was heartbreaking. How must a mother feel, knowing that her son is evil, but loving him all the same? This writing is Mina at her finest.

6 people found this helpful

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L. Fisher

Disappointing

Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2017

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I didn't much care for this book. Not because it was poorly written. Ms Mina is one of our finest living authors, in my opinion. But this book has totally unsympathetic characters doing appalling things and mostly getting away with it. The book made me wonder if it might be a manuscript produced years ago, that she reworked and sold. End of the Wasp Season was probably the best mystery l've ever read. This is definitely not.

16 people found this helpful

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Murphy

A moving look at a disturbing criminal mind.

Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2020

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Writing was excellent: vivid, insightful, and pointed. The author's ability to delve into the characters' motivation and essence was truly unique. I don’t think you could ask for a better analysis of criminal behavior.

Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2018

Verified Purchase

I have read a lot of Denise Mina's books -- particularly the series with female protagonists. So, oddly, as good as the writing and male characters were, this book played out almost like an exercise for the first third. And THEN it clicked into gear. What a fascinatingly researched story with an omniscient narrator about a Scottish serial killer names Peter Manuel in the 1950s. When, very close to the end, we go deep into his mother's head it is heartbreaking. As a writer, I believe that novelists should be able to write away from the books that made their reputations, to try new things and different twists. And I salute Mina, her talent, her passion and her empathy into the twisted vines that comprise family and social life

One person found this helpful

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carmen

Great writing but anticlimactic

Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2022

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The writing, itself, is very good. The story isn’t bad, but we are told how it’s going to end near the beginning of the book. So there is no twist and, without one, the story falls flat. Perhaps it’s the setting, but I could not connect with any of the characters. And one of the most difficult things about this book is that there are so many characters that I had to keep backing up to remind myself who they were and how they fit in to the main storyline. I also found the dialogue challenging (the setting is Glasgow, Scotland) and it frustrated me. I checked this out from the library and I would recommend you doing the same. This would’ve been a tremendous disappointment had I purchased the book. That being said, I might read another book from this author, because I do like her writing.

One person found this helpful

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Dazy Daisy (univ professor)

I'm a big Denise Mina fan but this one simply didn't take.

Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2017

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You know, I'm a big Denise Mina fan but this one simply didn't take. I read about 100 pp and wondered what it was all about or going to be about. That's a fair amount of time and investment for a novel (and esp one by Mina, otherwise so reliably good in other outings), so I must say I let it go.

6 people found this helpful

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CL

Thrilling return to original form

Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2017

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Denise Mina is peerless in writing mad and bad characters, often from the inside out. I love her gritty early books the best, the Garnet Hill trilogy, the gritty characters of Glasgow, and I find this a very welcome return to that form. Love it. Tartan noir at its best.

One person found this helpful

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Mary Moore

From a letter that I wrote to my auntie in Scotland...

Reviewed in Canada on February 11, 2021

Verified Purchase

I've just finished reading ‘The Long Drop’ by Denise Mina, a Scottish writer who usually writes crime fiction but this book is based on the true story of Peter Manuel who was hanged for multiple murders in Glasgow in 1958. I expect you remember it, you were a young woman at the time and I was 11 - it was all truly horrifying and the whole country was riveted as the truth came out a bit at a time and the trial itself was surreal as Manuel sacked his lawyer and took over his own défense. William Watt’s wife, daughter, and sister-in-law were shot dead in their own home and even although he had an ironclad alibi, police were convinced Watt had done it and he actually spent time in jail while the investigation was ongoing. In an attempt to clear his name Watt offered a bounty asking for anyone with information to come forward - Peter Manuel claimed he knew the truth and it turned out he had information that only the killer would know about this murder as well as several others and mainly it was his arrogance that was his undoing in the end. I'm a little disturbed by how much I enjoyed the book in fact but I'd forgotten all about the whole gruesome business and Mina brought it back to lurid life.

Monika Baumüller-Rappold

True Crime - kein Krimi

Reviewed in Germany on August 11, 2019

Verified Purchase

Dass sich in der Wirklichkeit nicht alles so logisch fügt wie im Kriminalroman zeigt The Long Drop der schottischen Bestsellerautorin: Das Verbrechen selbst bleibt rätselhaft, der Täter bleibt undurchschaubar, obwohl wir ihn tagelang begleiten. Wer einen Krimi erwartet, wird enttäuscht. Interessant sind die Schilderungen der Glasgower Unterwelt der 1950er Jahre.

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billeeboy

Eerily Atmospheric, Superb.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 13, 2019

Verified Purchase

We lived across the Edinburgh Road from where Manuel lived. Lanarkshire at that time was terrorised by this animal Manuel. Denise captures the very essence of Glasgow and Lanarkshire at the time, an industrial area on the decline, stumbling into the post industrial world - but not quite yet, that would fully be completed in 20 years or so. Her detailed descriptions of the case, the characters, the era, the atmosphere, all ring true. I would say however she mentions South Lanarkshire often, as in South Lanarkshire cops etc. Nobody at that time used the term South Lanarkshire. North and South Lanarkshire are very recent inventions for local government. In the 1950s Lanarkshire was Lanarkshire, one entity with a Lanarkshire Constabulary and several Burgh Police forces. A minor but annoying point for us who hail from there. I am not sure I agree with her premise about the Watt killings (I won't spoil it by saying what it is) but hey ho, nothing would surprise me. Wonder what happened to Mr Watt? Manuel is the perfect poster boy for those who advocate capital punishment, an animal who deserved all he got. His father was a piece of work too. His maw? She just did what maw's all over the world do, stand by their son in spite of everything. I am glad the scales fell from Bridget's eyes at the end with regard to Manuel and his scumbag father Samuel.

13 people found this helpful

Defa45

Daunting

Reviewed in Australia on November 13, 2022

Verified Purchase

I usual enjoy Mina’s books but not this one. The facts are presented early and the outcome clear. I found the jumping backwards and forwards in time frustrating. There are no likeable characters in this book and the significant changes in police, judicial and forensic procedures highlight how plodding they were 60 years back

PHILLIP E BASSILL

Excellent Storytelling

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 9, 2024

Verified Purchase

A well written account of the misdeeds of Peter Manuel.

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