End of the Wasp Season
Alex Morrow, No 2
Denise Mina
Read by Jane McFarlane

Hachette Audio
9/26/2011 / ISBN 9781611136258
Police Procedural / Scotland / Contemporary/ Audio / Downloadable & CD / Unabridged
Amazon

Reviewed by Brenda Weeaks

End of the Wasp Season is my first Mina mystery. Hearing a sample of the Jane McFarlane’s narration was the deciding factor in trying this series…

A young woman returns from a funeral only to be violently murdered. The reader /listener is aware of attackers and their reasoning, but it doesn’t stop one from wondering why these particular individuals are so incredibly violent about it. The suspense of the storyline comes from following a pregnant Detective Inspector Morrow as she interacts with locals and connects the dots. It’s an intense, unpleasant path. At times the language or strong material got the better of me and I had to hit pause. But I couldn’t turn it off until I had all the answers.

The author throws us into the violence of the murder scene right away. From there she reintroduces DI Morrow and former partner, now boss, Bannerman. The frustration of the storyline is Morrow dealing with social prejudice even though she shows she can hold her own as lead investigator and, at times, even has to advise Bannerman on what he should be doing as DCI. Throughout the investigation, Morrow reminds herself, as well, about how to act and investigate.

End of the Wasp Season is a dark, realistically cruel, and sometimes vulgar mystery. The writing is superb. If you like the intensity of mystery authors Ian Rankin or Val McDermid you’ll want this series.