Nothing But Smiles

DCI Gawn Girvin #7

by Linda Hagan

Emboldened by police indifference, a serial stalker is upping their game…Women in Belfast are waking up after a night out with no recollection of their return home. Not too unusual an occurrence, except there is a sign something is seriously a smiley-face emoji daubed on their abdomens.A journalist who has herself suffered such an assault approaches DCI Gawn Girvin. She has tracked down other women with the same experience. Some have already gone to the police, but their concerns were dismissed.The senior detective takes it upon herself to investigate. She is dealing with a strange sort of perp. The attacks don’t appear overtly sexual but someone is clearly intent on humiliating the victims.Second guessing their target’s next move, Girvin’s team lies in wait for them. But even with heightened security, their quarry gets away with attacks right under their noses. And now he has Girvin herself in his sights.Not one to back down, Girvin is more motivated than ever. She’ll get to the bottom of this case, even though the personal risk is high, and wipe the smile right off a dangerous villain’s face.NOTHING BUT SMILES is the seventh book by Linda Hagan in this Northern Irish crime series. The full list of books, all available on Kindle and in paperback, is as THE PERFUME KILLER2. MURDER SKY HIGH3. A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH4. KILLING THE VIBE5. THAT MUCH SHE KNEW6. MURDER ON THE TABLE7. NOTHING BUT SMILESAll FREE with Kindle Unlimited!If you like fiction by J.D. Robb, James Patterson, LJ Ross and Simon McCleave you'll love these books.

Genres: Procedural, Crime

293 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 23, 2023

About the author

Linda Hagan was born in Belfast. but for many years has lived in the town of Carrickfergus on the shores of Belfast Lough and overlooked by the magnificent Norman castle.
After a career in education and academic research, retirement has enabled her to indulge her passion for crime fiction. A lifelong reader of the genre, she has now turned writer and her first two novels, 'The Perfume Killer' and 'Murder Sky High' were well-received leading to a further six novels in the series .
The central character of all her novels is DCI Gawn Girvin, ex-army and now PSNI officer with the nickname "The Ice Queen". Gawn often battles her own demons from her past as well as the criminals she is investigating and her sense of duty can often lead her into dangerous situations.
When not reading or writing crime, Linda enjoys Formula 1, researching her family history and spending time with her grandchildren.

Reviews

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick review of this one folks as I’m pretty unwell just now.

I found this an easy read. Not complicated and held my interest. I enjoyed the Authors style and really liked the main character, DCI Gawn Girvan (I kept reading her name as Dawn). There were parts of the plot I thought were a bit unrealistic but it was entertaining regardless. It’s easy to follow all the characters and plot.

The highlight on the issues surrounding the fear of reporting attacks, especially sexual assault was featured and I felt that was a really good thing to include, it reflects the sad reality.

It can certainly be read as a stand alone novel with no issues. It doesn’t matter if you’ve not read any of the prior books in the series.

I liked that the DCI is somewhat damaged and goes outside the box. I’d definitely read other books from this Author. It’s one of those books I read quickly but didn’t pop out as a 5 star read. 3 solid stars as I did enjoy it overall.

Many thanks to THE BOOK FOLKS for my review copy from NetGalley.

Thanks so much for reading my review of this book. Join me as a friend or follower and feel free to browse my shelves for your next great book! I love to connect with other readers.

[Mads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 7th book in the series, written by Linda Hagan. With this being the first one of her book I have read, I thought I would be lost/confused with the characters or story line but was surprised when I realised that It did not impact this book.

We meet DCI Gawn who is approached by a journalist and tells her that she has been assaulted after a night out she wakes out the front of her home disorientated and later finds a smiley face on her abdomen. After some research they find that 4 other women have had similar things happen to them.

Gawn is a determined and strong character - whom I also find highly likeable and relatable - and sets out to find out what has been happening and to try and catch the culprit as they seem to escalate.

I find Linda Hagan writing very easy to follow, making the book fast past and a quick read. I managed to finish this in a day! There is also a strong story line, which managed to just suck me in from the beginning, I could not put it down!

I would 100% recommend and will definitely have to get the other book in the series, and will most likely end up bingeing them all.

Thank you to NetGalley, Linda Hagan and the publishers for allowing me a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this an easy read. Not complicated and held my interest. I enjoyed the Authors style and really liked the main character. There were parts of the plot I thought were a bit silly and unrealistic but it was entertaining regardless. It can certainly be read as a stand alone novel with no issues.

I liked that the main Detective is somewhat damaged and goes outside the box. I’d definitely read other books from this Author. It’s one of those books I read quickly but didn’t pop out as a 5 star read. 3 solid stars as I did enjoy it overall.

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[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a terrific police procedural with a gripping plot, believable characters, and a boldness to the narrative that drew me in and had my attention throughout. It’s the perfect blend of mystery, action and suspense making for a tense crime thriller read.

I thoroughly enjoyed the writing, it’s razor-sharp, and the story flows at a great pace with its crisp and highly engaging chapters.

DCI Gawn Girvin heads a task force looking into a series of attacks on women with similar MO. The perpetrator seems to be escalating and Gawn is facing intense media and internal pressures to get results. Evidence is thin on the ground, she needs to follow her instincts and get into the psyche of the perpetrator. Who can she trust? Could she be the next target?

It’s an atmospheric and absorbing read as Gawn starts to put the disjointed pieces together. The investigation heads in an unexpected direction and the danger levels rise as the team try to draw out the perpetrator using the means they have at their disposal.

The intense final chapters had me on edge! A shocking turn of events ensue as the team unravel the sinister truth.

The story also explores the culture around reporting these types of crimes and the large number that go unreported. This is a timely issue as the fear of not being believed prevails – the system fails to handle complaints in a meaningful way causing injustice and wider societal implications. It was good to see a spotlight being shined on these important issues.

Looking forward to reading more by this author.

This is book 7 in the DCI Gawn Girvin series, although it reads well as a standalone.

If you like J.D. Robb, James Patterson, LJ Ross and Simon McCleave you will love this series.

With thanks to @thebookfolks and @BookwormElim for my gifted copy and place on the Tour.

[Renko Dekker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by Linda Hagan in the Northern Irish crime series. There are six more books in this series but the first I have read. I received it from The Book Folks via Netgalley and it came out on the 24th of July.

DCI Gawn Girvin is approached by a journalist who has quite the story for her. She claims to have been a victim with a horrible story. What she can remember about it is that there is a smiley face emoji drawn on her abdomen. By her own investigation she found more victims having had the same experience. DCI Gawn Girvin starts to investigate but is initially unable to get anywhere. The perpetrator even gets away with an attack right under their noses. She herdelf becomes a target and now she is more motivated than ever to find out who the perpetrator is.

For me, it did not matter that this was book 7 in the series. I had no difficulty in understanding the storyline in combination with the characters. Because it's already book seven in the series, the characters are worked out quite well of course and the story itself was an interesting one with lots of action and it is rather fast paced so you don't have to keep guessing too long because you just want to keep on reading. Sometimes the actions taken by the characters are a bit far-fetched but you get used to it when you read on. The character of Gawn was quite likeable and you really understood her motivation for her actions.

All in all, a decent police thriller you will like.

4/5⭐

[karla_bookishlife · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is little to smile about on the streets of Belfast following an increasing number of attacks on women in the area. When a journalist falls prey to an attack, she responds in fight mode by gathering information on a number of other victims, then penning a sensational story to expose the perpetrator, and enlisting the help of policewoman Gawn Girvan to track them down. Each of the women have been marked with a smiling sunglasses emoji, and, while the attacks don't appear to be, sexual, there does seem to be a dominance and control attempt and a wish to humiliate. Worryingly, the attacker is growing in confidence, and even murder isn't off the cards. It isn't long before Gawn herself attracts the attention of the attacker. Heading up the task force, she has the eyes of the police department, the media, and all of Belfast watching her, but worse than that, the eyes of a dangerous attacker. Despite being the 7th in this Northern Irish Crime series ,this was the first I had read and was easily able to pick up on the storyline and read as a standalone. It is an atmospheric read and kept me guessing until the dramatic conclusion. I will definitely return to the series now and read the other books. #nothingbutsmiles #lindahagan #thebookfolks #crimefiction #Northernirishfiction

[E Dod · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the seventh in a series of books, written by author Linda Hagan - having never read any of the previous six novels I thought I may be at a loss with the characters/story line but was happily surprised when I realised that I did not need to know any back story.

We meet DCI Gawn who is approached by someone who is a journalist and tells her that she has been assaulted - after a night out she wakes to feel strange and a smiley face on her abdomen. After some research they find that other women have found themselves in the same predicament but hit a block wall whilst trying to seek out some help.

Gawn is a determined and strong character so she sets out to find out what and who has been doing this heinous crime to these women.

I find the way author Linda Hagan writes easy to follow and with a strong story line such as this, Nothing but Smiles had me gripped from page one. A great read and I will ensure to get the other novels in this series.

Thanks to NetGalley, Linda Hagan and the publishers for allowing me a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so good, I read it in one sitting - there was no way I could concentrate on anything else until I knew how it all wrapped up!
Although this is book seven in the series, it was the first one I’ve read and you definitely don’t need to have read previous ones to get full enjoyment out of the story…but you’ll probably want to read the rest of them afterwards, to find out more about Gawn Girvin and her cases.
The crimes being investigated are truly terrifying - women are waking up with no memory of the previous few hours, missing their underwear and with a smiley face drawn on their stomach. The depressing reality of how difficult it is for these women to firstly take the decision to report this, and secondly to endure what follows as they engage with the police, having to re-live it and be judged, is shown in an unflinching way. DCI Girvin is determined to catch this quickly escalating monster and I was rooting for her from the start. She’s a believable and relatable character, not particularly interested in rising through the ranks. She just wants to take bad people off the streets of Belfast. There are enough references to her background to further pique my interest in reading more of the series.
The pace and quality of the writing pulls you in and the action-packed storyline keeps you compulsively turning pages…and looking over your shoulder.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in Northern Ireland approaching Christmas, Nothing But Smiles (2023) by Linda Hagan is a fine police procedural. Belfast DCI Gawn Girvin gets promoted to Acting Detective Inspector when she is appointed to head up a crime task force. The newspaper scoop on a person drugging women and leaving a painted smiley face is news to Police Headquarters and requires decisive action. Gawn investigates as various suspects are vetted but there is no helpful forensic evidence to assist the investigation. When an operation fails to capture the suspect, the pressure mounts as the police hierarchy want a resolution despite the escalating attacks. This is a standalone review of the seventh book in the series, which makes for an enjoyable crime mystery with three and a half stars read rating. With thanks to The Book Folks and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.

[Andy Wormald · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of, Nothing But Smiles is a most satysfying read, a Police thriller with more than a Noir feel about it, I found it to be an atmospheric read which drips in suspense and drama. It also carries a strong message

Whilst this is the seventh in a series, it easily reads as a standalone. A wonderfully constructed plot, executed with aplomb on the page, a strong story line, certainly tackles a subject matter that you don’t often read about in crime fiction, the characters are written with a sensitivity which shows the horrors of the crimes they have endured, it also highlights that for some going to the Police is not an option that they feel open to them.

Investigating is not an easy task for DCI Gawn Girvin, however she comes across as a dogged person with a determination to uncover the truth. I liked the way that she is written, there is a gritiness to her character. In fact with all the characters you get a tremendous sense of who they are

The setting and landscape also played their part and the author really brought this to the fore, giving a real sense of place

I found the story flowed and moved at a pace which befitted the investigation, it twists with plenty of surprises along the way, there is a certain satisfaction to the conclusion of the book which still adds more twists and reveals. The author manages to create a real air of tension through the narrative, there is a quality to the writing which draws you in

Overall this is a wonderful read with a great mix of plot and character, it is wonderfully gritty read, one which captured my attention from the opening pages until the reveal at the end

5* one to watch out for, I will be going back to read the previous books in the series

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this for free, to review as part of a book tour with The Book Folks.

I read a lot of cosy mysteries, and for me, this didn't feel like a cosy mystery, as I felt some of the themes were quite delicate. Having said that, it was a good detective story.

After reading just a few pages of this, my first impression was that the author created just the right amount of suspense. Just enough to spark my interest.

The whole time I was reading, I felt that I cared deeply about the characters - the author presented them in a way that made me feel inclined to care. I knew there was an antagonist in this story, and I kept on reading, to see if this antagonist could be brought to justice.

Thank you to The Book Folks, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

[T H Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant read

I stumbled over Linda Hagans series like some her char's stumple over bodies!
Looking for something to read I was intrigued by a book set in my home town. So precise was her description of the streets were I live that I started to wonder did I know the author!

Interest quickly turned to admiration and then respect, so much so that I have read the whole series of 7 books.

This one is put downable! Give yourself a treat and introduce yourself to a great series of crime novels . Read this one or start at the beginning and you will never regret it and like myself cant wait for the next book

Houston Marshall

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a really intriguing plot and although it’s later in the series it reads as a standalone. I really enjoyed the characters and the concept of the mystery it’s not a read for the faint hearted but this author is being added to my ones to watch 5* from me

[Liz Irvine · Rating 5 out of 5]

keeps delivering

Really enjoyed this book having read all in this series it’s great to have a believable series set in my home town.Highly recommend

[Sandass · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one kept me guessing til the arrests were made. Well done by an author who is new to me.
Lots of misdirection keep you wondering, "What next?"

[Larz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me a wee bit to get into this but a good read once I got into it.
Great characters and good plot.

[Janaya Kabamba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This had every hair on end and I was checking the locks at night. This wad the 1st I'd read out the series but didn't feel I was missing anything having not had more of the backstop. The writing style is easy and I was so completely absorbed in this from the start. It is literally every womans worst nightmare and so close to home for most of us. It's well written and has an eerie and tense atmosphere. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series now! The plot line was original and just so realistic. Such a good book!!

[Sue Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing but smiles by Linda Hagan.
DCI Gawn Girvin book 7.
Women in Belfast are waking up after a night out with no recollection of their return home. Not too unusual an occurrence, except there is a sign something is seriously amiss: a smiley-face emoji daubed on their abdomens.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved Gawn. Wasn't who I thought it was. I hope there is more to come. 5*.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing but smiles by Linda Hagan.
DCI Gawn Girvin book 7.
Women in Belfast are waking up after a night out with no recollection of their return home. Not too unusual an occurrence, except there is a sign something is seriously amiss: a smiley-face emoji daubed on their abdomens.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved Gawn. Wasn't who I thought it was. I hope there is more to come. 5*.