Author:Nicci French
Nicci French's darkest most shocking thriller yet, Saturday Requiem is the stand-alone sixth instalment of the Frieda Klein series, about a young girl accused of murdering her family
Thirteen years ago eighteen-year-old Hannah Docherty was arrested for the brutal murder of her family. It was an open-shut case and Hannah's been incarcerated in a secure hospital ever since.
When psychotherapist Frieda Klein is asked to meet Hannah and give her assessment of her, she reluctantly agrees. What she finds horrifies her. And Frieda is haunted by the thought that Hannah might be as much of a victim as her family; that something wasn't right all those years ago.
And as Hannah's case takes hold of her, Frieda soon begins to realize that she's up against someone who'll go to any lengths to protect themself.
'Nicci French's sophisticated, compassionate and gripping crime novels stand head and shoulders above the competition' Sophie Hannah
'French leads the field' Sunday Express
'Brilliantly crafted . . . masterly control of suspense' Daily Mirror
'Tense, frightening, gripping' Easy Living
'Dark, nerve-tingling and addictive' Daily Express
Abused by the system meant to protect her, Hannah is a long-term resident of a secure psychiatric hospital. They think she murdered her family, Freida Klein thinks differently. However, nothing is as it seems and digging up the past can have terrifying consequences.
Frieda Klein is back in Nicci French's darkest, most shocking thriller yet.
Nicci French's sophisticated, compassionate and gripping crime novels stand head and shoulders above the competition.
—— Sophie HannahBrilliantly crafted . . . masterly control of suspense
—— Daily MirrorTense, frightening, gripping
—— Easy LivingDark, nerve-tingling and addictive
—— Daily ExpressMagnificent
—— Evening StandardFrench leads the field
—— Sunday ExpressThe Long Drop is not just a success and a thrilling read in its own right, but a game-changer for the genre.
—— Stuart Kelly , Scotland on SundayA relentlessly tense and exciting read, every page oozes menace and its core of truth makes it all the more unsettling.
—— Sunday MirrorDeliciously shadowy.
—— Claire Allfree , MetroDark, gritty and chilling, it is steeped in the atmosphere and mores of Glasgow in the 1950s
—— Choice[An] extraordinary story of a 1950s Glasgow murder mystery.
—— Guardian, 2017 Books of the YearThe Long Drop is an extraordinarily unsettling, evocative and compelling novel
—— Laura James , AGA MagazineI’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.
—— Abir Mukherjee[O]ne of crime fiction’s most acute observers of contemporary society.
—— Jake Kerridge , Sunday Express, 2017 Books of the YearA wonderfully punchy evocation of a legendary murder mystery, packed with the authentic sights, sounds and intrigues of Glasgow in the late Fifties.
—— Robert Goddard[I] was gripped, impressed by her insight into the mind of a psychopath… A grim novel, but a very good one.
—— Allan Massie , Yorkshire Post, 2017 Books of the YearMina's novels are engrossing, deeply rooted in reality and astutely perceptive about human nature
—— Daily ExpressPowerful, passionate and compelling. Mina can chill your blood and break your heart in the same sentence
—— Mark BillinghamWhy do Scottish writers dominate British crime fiction? With Denise Mina at least, the answer is pure class
—— Daily TelegraphRemarkable… 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
—— James O'Brien , Times Literary SupplementCharismatic, grimy masterpiece
—— Jake Kerridge , Daily TelegraphBleak and atmospheric
—— Harriet Lane , ObserverA suspenseful journey into the past with the notorious 1950s serial killer Peter Manuel, it’s a brilliant, unsettling read
—— Siobhan Synnot , Daily MailThe 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
—— Mark Abrahamson , NudgeThis unsettling, uncomfortable and compulsively readable take on justice and retribution is the real deal
—— Stuart EversIf, 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
—— Jake Kerridge , Daily TelegraphThe 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
—— Ian Rankin , GuardianA superb recreation of a Glasgow serial murder trial (and risk of miscarriage of justice) in 1958.
—— Mark Lawson , GuardianWhen I finished it I simultaneously wanted to burn it and to buy copies for everyone I know.
—— Jake Kerridge , TelegraphThe 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.
—— Stuart Kelly , The ScotsmanThis is an absolutely compelling read.
—— Simon J. James , Times Higher EducationStaggering in scope and execution.
—— Jon Coates , Daily ExpressMina's insight into the wellsprings of violence is terrifyingly acute and her eye for period detail is unsurpassed. A bravura reimagining of 1950s Glasgow
—— Liam Mcllvanney , Big IssueMina’s recent novel The Long Drop…is her most interesting work
—— Neil Mackay , HeraldAn atmospheric recreation of a vanished Glasgow…and a compelling exploration of the warped criminal mind. A Mina masterpiece
—— The Times, *Top Ten Crime Novels of the Decade*One of the most exciting writers to have emerged in Britain for years.
—— Ian RankinOne of the most fiercely intelligent of crime writers
—— Daily Telegraph