GODS AND BEASTS, by Denise Mina

A book review of a newly-discovered crime fiction author is always a pleasure. Perhaps you haven't heard of Mina, who has ten books and a number of awards to her credit. This, the tenth, begins with a horrific shooting in a Glasgow, Scotland sub-post office. The victim, a well-respected retired school bus driver, had taken his four year-old grandson on an outing. Behind them is Martin Pavel, sending Christmas presents home to America. When the police begin their investigation into the murder, it becomes clear nobody is who they seem to be. Mina's fabulously deft and subtle handling of the plot, of the characters and their complex lives, will put her at the top of your must-read list, right along with Martha Grimes and Ian Rankin. The denouement will blind-side you. I'd like to have seen more depth to the wrap-up, but the comeuppance scene is stellar. A 4.5, with writing you could teach an MFA class on.
www.denisemina.com