Confidence by Denise Mina
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I have reviewed here 13 novels by Denise Mina. I liked or loved all of them and unhesitatingly recommended all 13, rating eight of them with at least four stars. Thus, I am at a total loss to explain why I do not like Confidence.

The opening of the novel is very promising. The narrator, Anna, a popular vlogger, watches a short movie made by another YouTube creator, Lisa Lee. Lisa is an "urban explorer," and the movie shows her visit to an abandoned chateau in France.

Soon, we learn that Lisa Lee vanished and that her disappearance may be connected with a very old artifact from the chateau—a casket that may have great religious significance. Ms. Mina describes the chase across Europe to locate the casket and explain Lisa's disappearance.

Despite Ms. Mina's usual accomplished writing, the story failed to interest me; finishing reading the novel turned out to be a chore. I am planning to re-read Confidence in summer, hoping to change my mind and write a more positive review.

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