Angry, vital and unputdownable, The Long Drop’s themes of self-deception resonate long after the final page. This is crime fiction at its very best

Not a single word is wasted in this beautifully written novel. Unsettling, evocative and staggeringly good, it is possibly Mina’s finest achievement

A wonderfully atmospheric, unsettling read.

Deeply unsettling and thought provoking in all the best ways

The Long Drop is an exceptional book. The pages reek of fifties Glasgow, forming an oppressive backdrop to a true crime story that fascinates and appals from start to finish. Mina’s prose cuts to the bone, laying bare the prideful wickedness of men in a tale that is as often touching as it is frightening. A feast of a crime novel.

The Long Drop is a fascinating, quietly insidious work, unsettling but absorbing

It is a beautifully written book, a masterpiece by the woman who may be Britain’s finest living crime novelist

The Long Drop is not just a success and a thrilling read in its own right, but a game-changer for the genre.

A relentlessly tense and exciting read, every page oozes menace and its core of truth makes it all the more unsettling.

Deliciously shadowy.

Dark, gritty and chilling, it is steeped in the atmosphere and mores of Glasgow in the 1950s

[An] extraordinary story of a 1950s Glasgow murder mystery.

The Long Drop is an extraordinarily unsettling, evocative and compelling novel

I’ve been a fan of Ms Mina for a while, but The Long Drop has to be my favourite. The writing is beautiful and more than once I found myself having to pause, just to take in the sheer elegance of the prose. It’s an absolute gem of a book.

[O]ne of crime fiction’s most acute observers of contemporary society.

A wonderfully punchy evocation of a legendary murder mystery, packed with the authentic sights, sounds and intrigues of Glasgow in the late Fifties.

[I] was gripped, impressed by her insight into the mind of a psychopath… A grim novel, but a very good one.

Mina's novels are engrossing, deeply rooted in reality and astutely perceptive about human nature

Powerful, passionate and compelling. Mina can chill your blood and break your heart in the same sentence

Why do Scottish writers dominate British crime fiction? With Denise Mina at least, the answer is pure class

Remarkable… It often seems as if Mina has freed herself from most of the strictures of the thriller format in order to explore altogether more literary territory. It is a pleasure to accompany her. The writing is frequently arresting

Charismatic, grimy masterpiece

Bleak and atmospheric

A suspenseful journey into the past with the notorious 1950s serial killer Peter Manuel, it’s a brilliant, unsettling read

The book left me with vivid images of the deprived city at that time, as well as the villains, thugs, police and normal people with opposing religious views. There is a real undercurrent of evil throughout the book from start to finish. It is a fascinating way to tell a horrific tale and although uncomfortable and tragic for all the families’ loss, it shows the monster for what he is

This unsettling, uncomfortable and compulsively readable take on justice and retribution is the real deal

If, while wishing, Ian Brady or Charles Manson a sincere good riddance, you found yourself wondering what it would be like to experience their sulphurous charisma in person, Mina’s version of Manuel is probably the closest you can get. When I finished it I wanted simultaneously to burn it and to buy copies for everybody I know

The ever-reliable Mina deserves all the awards she has already won for this, her latest novel…. Absorbing and filled with insights, this is a bravura performance, a true original

A superb recreation of a Glasgow serial murder trial (and risk of miscarriage of justice) in 1958.

When I finished it I simultaneously wanted to burn it and to buy copies for everyone I know.

The Long Drop neither excuses the ghastly Manuel nor does it soft-soap the police and their ulterior motives, it does not sanctify the victims nor does it shy away from its own gruesome fascination with gruesome fascination.

This is an absolutely compelling read.

Staggering in scope and execution.

Mina's insight into the wellsprings of violence is terrifyingly acute and her eye for period detail is unsurpassed. A bravura reimagining of 1950s Glasgow

Mina’s recent novel The Long Drop…is her most interesting work

An atmospheric recreation of a vanished Glasgow…and a compelling exploration of the warped criminal mind. A Mina masterpiece

One of the most exciting writers to have emerged in Britain for years.

One of the most fiercely intelligent of crime writers

The ending hits the reader like a kick in the stomach

Jonasson's books have breathed new life into Nordic noir ...all the skilful plotting of an old-fashioned whodunit although it feels bitingly contemporary in setting and tone

The threads lie in various places, the plot is well woven and the pieces in the puzzle come together well in the end. The structure is good, the main characters are believable, the story flows well, everyone is a suspect á la Agatha Christie and the solution unveils the mystery and leads the readers to the truth. But not all the truth, as some things are better left hidden

Hulda Hermannsdottir is a welcome addition to the selection of Icelandic crime fiction protagonists . . . It is almost impossible to put the book down until the last word has been read

Out of all of Ragnar's books, this is the one I like the most . . . The book of his which reminds me most of Agatha Christie

A very good book, gripping and interesting, with all the threads carefully managed. Hopefully the author will publish as many books as possible with lead character Hulda

Praise for Ragnar Jónasson

No country associated with the label Nordic noir is as bleak, cold, snowy and empty as Iceland. And no crime writer portrays those elements as evocatively and scarily as Ragnar Jonasson

A classic crime story seen through a uniquely Icelandic lens... first rate and highly recommended

A modern take on Agatha Christie-­-style mystery, as twisty as any slalom . . .

Ragnar Jónasson writes with a chilling, poetic beauty - a must-read addition to the growing canon of Iceland Noir

Distinctive blend of Nordic noir and golden age detective fiction...atmospheric...economical and evocative prose

Seductive ... an old-fashioned murder mystery with a strong central character and the fascinating background of a small Icelandic town cut off by snow. Ragnar does claustrophobia beautifully

The ending hits the reader like a kick in the stomach

Jonasson's books have breathed new life into Nordic noir ...all the skilful plotting of an old-fashioned whodunit although it feels bitingly contemporary in setting and tone

Hulda Hermannsdottir is a welcome addition to the selection of Icelandic crime fiction protagonists . . . It is almost impossible to put the book down until the last word has been read

Out of all of Ragnar's books, this is the one I like the most . . . The book of his which reminds me most of Agatha Christie

The threads lie in various places, the plot is well woven and the pieces in the puzzle come together well in the end. The structure is good, the main characters are believable, the story flows well, everyone is a suspect á la Agatha Christie and the solution unveils the mystery and leads the readers to the truth. But not all the truth, as some things are better left hidden

A very good book, gripping and interesting, with all the threads carefully managed. Hopefully the author will publish as many books as possible with lead character Hulda