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Garnethill #1
Garnethill
Maureen O'Donnell wakes up one morning to find her therapist boyfriend murdered in the middle of her living room and herself a prime suspect in a murder case. Determined to clear her name, Maureen undertakes her own investigation and learns of a similar murder at a local psychiatric hospital.
She soon uncovers a trail of deception and repressed scandal that could clear her name - or make her the next victim.
She soon uncovers a trail of deception and repressed scandal that could clear her name - or make her the next victim.
Paperback
First published May 1, 1998
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About the author
Denise Mina
109 books2,518 followersDenise Mina was born in Glasgow in 1966. Because of her father's job as an Engineer, the family followed the north sea oil boom of the seventies around Europe
She left school at sixteen and did a number of poorly paid jobs, including working in a meat factory, as a bar maid, kitchen porter and cook.
Eventually she settled in auxiliary nursing for geriatric and terminal care patients.
At twenty one she passed exams, got into study Law at Glasgow University and went on to research a PhD thesis at Strathclyde University on the ascription of mental illness to female offenders, teaching criminology and criminal law in the mean time.
Misusing her grant she stayed at home and wrote a novel, 'Garnethill' when she was supposed to be studying instead.
She left school at sixteen and did a number of poorly paid jobs, including working in a meat factory, as a bar maid, kitchen porter and cook.
Eventually she settled in auxiliary nursing for geriatric and terminal care patients.
At twenty one she passed exams, got into study Law at Glasgow University and went on to research a PhD thesis at Strathclyde University on the ascription of mental illness to female offenders, teaching criminology and criminal law in the mean time.
Misusing her grant she stayed at home and wrote a novel, 'Garnethill' when she was supposed to be studying instead.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 743 reviews
July 16, 2020
This mystery starts with a bang and never lets up. Maureen finds her boyfriend, Douglas, murdered in her apartment when she wakes up from a night of pass-out drinking.
Hungover, and nauseated and sickened from his brutal slaying, she must navigate the police, her family, friends and work. Douglas and Mauri were on the outs lately, since Mauri discovered that he was married. Douglas was a decent man though and Mauri needs to know what happened. Her own mother, Winnie thinks Maureen did it, but forgot, because she's "mental". Winnie is a nasty piece, as the reader soon discovers.
Whip smart and tenacious and not backing down from the police or Winnie, Maureen decided to solve this on her own.
Hungover, and nauseated and sickened from his brutal slaying, she must navigate the police, her family, friends and work. Douglas and Mauri were on the outs lately, since Mauri discovered that he was married. Douglas was a decent man though and Mauri needs to know what happened. Her own mother, Winnie thinks Maureen did it, but forgot, because she's "mental". Winnie is a nasty piece, as the reader soon discovers.
Whip smart and tenacious and not backing down from the police or Winnie, Maureen decided to solve this on her own.
November 15, 2013
This is the book that made me fall in love with Denise Mina. She's a terrific social commentator and does all the things good crime fiction should always do: talk about characters and how their lives are changed for the better or worse by acts of violence.
July 5, 2016
Wow. Just wow. This is enough to make you use some silly acronym like WTF when you’re rather more someone who would just like to use the explicit phrase. It was all going so well, I was thinking Wow just wow in an awesome way & then I got to the literal last page of this book & my head kind of exploded.
If you're not into spoilers for this book, I am going to tell you what the last page says, so you know, consider yourself warned if you continue reading my fist-shaking fury.
“’Far be it from me to say this,’ said Leslie, ‘but Siobhain’s a prick.’ Maureen scratched her head miserably. ‘Leslie,’ she said ‘You’re right.’
‘To be honest,’ said Leslie ‘I liked her better when she was scared shitless & couldn’t talk.’
‘She thinks we’re big mates now. She said she knew she’d be safe because she’s got us to look after her.’
‘Oh fuck,’ said Leslie & bit her lip. Maureen sighed. ‘I wanted to make a single heroic gesture. I didn’t want to be her mum.’”
Wow.
The setup here is that Maureen is an incest survivor who’s got a history of psychiatric hospitalization. Her boyfriend has been murdered in her house, so, intrepid little egg that she is, she’s trying to investigate these crimes herself. Leslie is her friend who works in a battered women’s shelter & is all for women taking it back for themselves, saying lovely explicit things like, “‘Just that when we act so powerless, like there’s nothing we can do, they smack us and we say please stop, they smack us and we say please stop. We should smack them fucking back.’” Siobhain is a victim of sexual abuse perpetrated by her psychiatrist in the same mental hospital that Maureen was in, a woman who was already mentally damaged & then betrayed in the absolute worst way by a person she was supposed to be able to trust implicitly.
Now I ask you, is it actually possible for a woman who works in a battered women’s shelter to actually say about another woman, “I liked her better when she was scared shitless & couldn’t talk.”? What the hell happened here? In the course of the story, Maureen goes to visit Siobhain several times in her day care center & watches tv with her while she brushes her hair. When Siobhain is actually so traumatized by having to discuss her rape with the police that she can’t speak, Leslie muses how she wishes she could hear Siobhain’s voice & Maureen say it’s “lovely.” The two friends stay with Siobhain in her house & then in Leslie’s for several days so they can keep her safe when her rapist doctor starts coming after her again. Then Maureen does something absolutely excellent to the killer (her "single heroic gesture"), Siobhain is safe, and all of sudden it’s “’. . . an effective technique for dealing with needy people like that . . . tell them to fuck off.’” I had the second book on this series on hold & I was really looking forward to reading it because up until this the book was quite good & Maureen was a wonderful protagonist & I was calling everyone “hen” and thinking in a Scottish accent after I set it down, but now? No fucking way.
If you're not into spoilers for this book, I am going to tell you what the last page says, so you know, consider yourself warned if you continue reading my fist-shaking fury.
“’Far be it from me to say this,’ said Leslie, ‘but Siobhain’s a prick.’ Maureen scratched her head miserably. ‘Leslie,’ she said ‘You’re right.’
‘To be honest,’ said Leslie ‘I liked her better when she was scared shitless & couldn’t talk.’
‘She thinks we’re big mates now. She said she knew she’d be safe because she’s got us to look after her.’
‘Oh fuck,’ said Leslie & bit her lip. Maureen sighed. ‘I wanted to make a single heroic gesture. I didn’t want to be her mum.’”
Wow.
The setup here is that Maureen is an incest survivor who’s got a history of psychiatric hospitalization. Her boyfriend has been murdered in her house, so, intrepid little egg that she is, she’s trying to investigate these crimes herself. Leslie is her friend who works in a battered women’s shelter & is all for women taking it back for themselves, saying lovely explicit things like, “‘Just that when we act so powerless, like there’s nothing we can do, they smack us and we say please stop, they smack us and we say please stop. We should smack them fucking back.’” Siobhain is a victim of sexual abuse perpetrated by her psychiatrist in the same mental hospital that Maureen was in, a woman who was already mentally damaged & then betrayed in the absolute worst way by a person she was supposed to be able to trust implicitly.
Now I ask you, is it actually possible for a woman who works in a battered women’s shelter to actually say about another woman, “I liked her better when she was scared shitless & couldn’t talk.”? What the hell happened here? In the course of the story, Maureen goes to visit Siobhain several times in her day care center & watches tv with her while she brushes her hair. When Siobhain is actually so traumatized by having to discuss her rape with the police that she can’t speak, Leslie muses how she wishes she could hear Siobhain’s voice & Maureen say it’s “lovely.” The two friends stay with Siobhain in her house & then in Leslie’s for several days so they can keep her safe when her rapist doctor starts coming after her again. Then Maureen does something absolutely excellent to the killer (her "single heroic gesture"), Siobhain is safe, and all of sudden it’s “’. . . an effective technique for dealing with needy people like that . . . tell them to fuck off.’” I had the second book on this series on hold & I was really looking forward to reading it because up until this the book was quite good & Maureen was a wonderful protagonist & I was calling everyone “hen” and thinking in a Scottish accent after I set it down, but now? No fucking way.
May 7, 2012
I had mixed feelings about Garnethill. Mina is clearly a skilled writer and the story is well plotted, with some nice twists and tension points, and is particularly strong on characterization. It also has a nice sense of place and contextualisation with respect to incest, abuse, family feuds, friendship and mental health issues. The full complexity of Maureen as a character shines through. My problem was with Maureen, however. If there is a difficult path, she seems to take it. The story is set up so that you’re meant to feel sympathy and empathy for her in opposition to the characters that oppose her, in particular her mother and Joe McEwan, the policeman in charge of the investigation into Douglas’ death. My problem was that I often identified with McEwan more than Maureen, especially as the book progressed. In her obsession to exact a retributive justice, she actively misleads the police and brings people into real danger and harm, including herself. And the end is quite callous in many ways as she rejects someone she’s being trying to protect. It might be realistic in many ways, but I found it a little frustrating and tiring. Overall then, a book that has a lot of pluses, but which didn’t resonate with me personally as much as I hoped it might.
November 18, 2011
Maureen O'Donnell, the daughter of a severely dysfunctional family, has recently left the psychiatric hospital where she has been treated as a victim of sexual abuse. She lives in Garnethill, a suburb of Glasgow, and begins an affair with one of the therapists at the hospital, Douglas Brady.
One night after working at her dead-end job, Maureen goes out with a girlfriend and gets seriously drunk. She stumbles home and falls into bed, failing to notice that her boyfriend, Douglas, has been brutally murdered in her living room. She discovers the horrible scene the next morning. Even worse, Maureen discovers that the killer has taken a number of steps to point the finger of guilt directly at her.
The police do not have enough evidence to charge her, at least not at the moment, and Maureen launches her own investigation to discover the truth and clear her own name. In the meantime, she also has to contend with the seriously flawed characters that constitute her family, some of whom doubt that she really was the victim of sexual abuse, and some of whom suspect that she may be guilty of the murder.
This is the first book in Denise Mina's Garnethill trilogy and it's an excellent debut novel with interesting, sharply drawn characters. It also provides a chilling window into the world of sexual abuse.
One night after working at her dead-end job, Maureen goes out with a girlfriend and gets seriously drunk. She stumbles home and falls into bed, failing to notice that her boyfriend, Douglas, has been brutally murdered in her living room. She discovers the horrible scene the next morning. Even worse, Maureen discovers that the killer has taken a number of steps to point the finger of guilt directly at her.
The police do not have enough evidence to charge her, at least not at the moment, and Maureen launches her own investigation to discover the truth and clear her own name. In the meantime, she also has to contend with the seriously flawed characters that constitute her family, some of whom doubt that she really was the victim of sexual abuse, and some of whom suspect that she may be guilty of the murder.
This is the first book in Denise Mina's Garnethill trilogy and it's an excellent debut novel with interesting, sharply drawn characters. It also provides a chilling window into the world of sexual abuse.
September 18, 2015
A Solid First Effort - 3 Stars
Having read some of Denise Mina's later works, I know her a good writer with vibrant characters. Knowing this was her first novel, I lowered my expectation. While I thought it was a good novel, it was by no means great. The story had sturdy bones but it was not always well fleshed out.
Plot Summary
After a drunken night with a friend, Maureen O'Donnell stumbles home and passes out on her bed. In the morning, she awakes to find her boyfriend, dead and tied up in her living room. While she is immediately seen as the prime suspects, Maureen follows a trail of evidence and murders to exposes a web of secrets, shame and abuse.
My Take
For me, the biggest impediment in the novel, was the pace of the story. From beginning to end, it felt as if the story was stuttering and I was continually reorienting myself. In small part, this was due to Scottish slang and cadence of the dialogue. I generally find that it takes longer for me to become comfortable with dialogue in Scottish novels. Unfortunately, once I acclimated to the dialogue, the novel was still jarring. It was not always clear who was speaking and the author did not do enough to orient you to the speaker. In addition to that, scenes often ended abruptly. Many times throughout the story, a character would be moving here or there, completing some project and suddenly that was over and they were else where doing something else. It felt as if the book was missing some words and continually failed to complete sentences.
I am sucker for a feisty, female protagonist. Maureen was at times feisty and at times timid. Initially, she would suddenly switch from timid to feisty leaving me confused as to why. Eventually, as the character developed, I came to understand her occasionally odd behavior. Her character was well developed and she was surrounded by a series of vivid and interesting characters. I am still on the fence as to how I feel about the character of Maureen but look forward to seeing how the author develops her.
I think the area around Garnethill is supposed to be seedy but I am not sure. Although the title of the book is a place name, the setting did not stand out nor did it add to the story. Fortunately, the story was able to stand on its own. Despite some bumps and bruises, the overall plot was entertaining and engaging. I especially enjoyed that the plot was exposed by Maureen obtaining information from some unreliable witness that she could relate and witnesses to which the police would be hard pressed to obtain useful information.
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed the book enough to read the second one. If I can find an audio copy for the next installment, I may do that. It may be just me, but I find the acclimation time is much shorter when listening to Scottish to dialogue as opposed to reading. Regardless, full marks for writing (in what I assume) is a realistic dialogue from the area. I much prefer taking the time to understand the speech than reading a dumbed down North American version.
Having read some of Denise Mina's later works, I know her a good writer with vibrant characters. Knowing this was her first novel, I lowered my expectation. While I thought it was a good novel, it was by no means great. The story had sturdy bones but it was not always well fleshed out.
Plot Summary
After a drunken night with a friend, Maureen O'Donnell stumbles home and passes out on her bed. In the morning, she awakes to find her boyfriend, dead and tied up in her living room. While she is immediately seen as the prime suspects, Maureen follows a trail of evidence and murders to exposes a web of secrets, shame and abuse.
My Take
For me, the biggest impediment in the novel, was the pace of the story. From beginning to end, it felt as if the story was stuttering and I was continually reorienting myself. In small part, this was due to Scottish slang and cadence of the dialogue. I generally find that it takes longer for me to become comfortable with dialogue in Scottish novels. Unfortunately, once I acclimated to the dialogue, the novel was still jarring. It was not always clear who was speaking and the author did not do enough to orient you to the speaker. In addition to that, scenes often ended abruptly. Many times throughout the story, a character would be moving here or there, completing some project and suddenly that was over and they were else where doing something else. It felt as if the book was missing some words and continually failed to complete sentences.
I am sucker for a feisty, female protagonist. Maureen was at times feisty and at times timid. Initially, she would suddenly switch from timid to feisty leaving me confused as to why. Eventually, as the character developed, I came to understand her occasionally odd behavior. Her character was well developed and she was surrounded by a series of vivid and interesting characters. I am still on the fence as to how I feel about the character of Maureen but look forward to seeing how the author develops her.
I think the area around Garnethill is supposed to be seedy but I am not sure. Although the title of the book is a place name, the setting did not stand out nor did it add to the story. Fortunately, the story was able to stand on its own. Despite some bumps and bruises, the overall plot was entertaining and engaging. I especially enjoyed that the plot was exposed by Maureen obtaining information from some unreliable witness that she could relate and witnesses to which the police would be hard pressed to obtain useful information.
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed the book enough to read the second one. If I can find an audio copy for the next installment, I may do that. It may be just me, but I find the acclimation time is much shorter when listening to Scottish to dialogue as opposed to reading. Regardless, full marks for writing (in what I assume) is a realistic dialogue from the area. I much prefer taking the time to understand the speech than reading a dumbed down North American version.
December 7, 2009
Garnethill is a good example of a first novel in series that works and works well.
The main character in this story is a young woman, Maureen O'Donnell. Set in Glasgow, Scotland, the back story finds Maureen in a mental hospital for a nervous breakdown (for reasons explained but which I will not go into here), and as this story opens, she's home again, with a job and in an affair with a married therapist named Douglas. Maureen didn't know he was married until just recently, and has decided to break it off. Off with a friend she goes for a few drinks, comes home blotto and passes out in her bed. The next morning, however, she wakes up, and finds Douglas dead, sitting tied to a chair with his throat slit from one end to the other. After a panic attack, Maureen calls the police, but it becomes painfully obvious to her that they think she's the killer. So in order to clear her name, she needs to find out why Douglas was murdered, why it happened in her apartment, and becomes embroiled in a situation where her very life is at stake. And, as if all of this isn't enough, she's got an extremely dysfunctional family to deal with, some of whom think she's probably guilty.
Normally, I'm not a reader of stories involving dysfunctional families, but this one really works. Although the subject matter is serious, the author's characterizations are nearly perfect, and at times I found myself actually laughing out loud. It's a very well-balanced book, a very good mystery, and I loved Maureen O'Donnell. I've already bought Exile, the second book because this one was so good. It's not really a hard-boiled crime novel, nor is it a police procedural, and it's not a cozy by any stretch of the imagination. However, it is well worth the reading time, and I can highly recommend it.
The main character in this story is a young woman, Maureen O'Donnell. Set in Glasgow, Scotland, the back story finds Maureen in a mental hospital for a nervous breakdown (for reasons explained but which I will not go into here), and as this story opens, she's home again, with a job and in an affair with a married therapist named Douglas. Maureen didn't know he was married until just recently, and has decided to break it off. Off with a friend she goes for a few drinks, comes home blotto and passes out in her bed. The next morning, however, she wakes up, and finds Douglas dead, sitting tied to a chair with his throat slit from one end to the other. After a panic attack, Maureen calls the police, but it becomes painfully obvious to her that they think she's the killer. So in order to clear her name, she needs to find out why Douglas was murdered, why it happened in her apartment, and becomes embroiled in a situation where her very life is at stake. And, as if all of this isn't enough, she's got an extremely dysfunctional family to deal with, some of whom think she's probably guilty.
Normally, I'm not a reader of stories involving dysfunctional families, but this one really works. Although the subject matter is serious, the author's characterizations are nearly perfect, and at times I found myself actually laughing out loud. It's a very well-balanced book, a very good mystery, and I loved Maureen O'Donnell. I've already bought Exile, the second book because this one was so good. It's not really a hard-boiled crime novel, nor is it a police procedural, and it's not a cozy by any stretch of the imagination. However, it is well worth the reading time, and I can highly recommend it.
April 10, 2014
Garnet Hill is the first book in a trilogy, it won the John Creasey Award for Best First Crime Novel. The story is set in Glasgow and Millport, Scotland. A woman named Maureen O'Donnell finds a body in her living room, it is Douglas Brady, her married boyfriend. Maureen is a child abuse survivor and had spent time in a psychiatric hospital. The police suspect her and her drug dealing brother; Liam. Maureen launches her own investigation to clear her name and begins to question who her real friends are and the kind of man Douglas was.
I really liked this book, the writing style drew me and kept me interested. The pacing was excellent. The author left many threads in the first 25% of the book, and then took the story in a different direction. In the end, was able to bring all the threads together and wrap up nicely. I guessed wrong who the perpetrator was , it was not until the last 25 pages that I got it right. The character of Maureen O'Donnell was smart, believable and made you care about the outcome. I enjoyed this book more the Field of Blood, book 1 in the Paddy Meehan series. Both books had a strong, female character who took on the "system". The other characters in the book were better drawn as well.
This book was similar in some ways to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. Maureen and Lisbeth were both abuse survivors and were institutionalized. They were outsiders who were able to solve a crime before the police force. Both had sex, violence and profanity. This is not a police procedural or cozy mystery.
My only negative comment is interactions with the police force. The whole story is narrated by Maureen and we only witness her interviews with police and her thoughts about the police investigation. Some of the interactions with the police seemed unreal. The author presents the police as either incompetent or corrupt. She used the same technique with the Paddy Meehan series. At times I had to suspend belief.
I recommended this book if you like a book were an outsider takes on the system and are not deterred by violence and profanity. Read this book if you had read either the Paddy Meehan series or the Alex Morrow series by the same author. Many similar themes are explored.
I really liked this book, the writing style drew me and kept me interested. The pacing was excellent. The author left many threads in the first 25% of the book, and then took the story in a different direction. In the end, was able to bring all the threads together and wrap up nicely. I guessed wrong who the perpetrator was , it was not until the last 25 pages that I got it right. The character of Maureen O'Donnell was smart, believable and made you care about the outcome. I enjoyed this book more the Field of Blood, book 1 in the Paddy Meehan series. Both books had a strong, female character who took on the "system". The other characters in the book were better drawn as well.
This book was similar in some ways to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. Maureen and Lisbeth were both abuse survivors and were institutionalized. They were outsiders who were able to solve a crime before the police force. Both had sex, violence and profanity. This is not a police procedural or cozy mystery.
My only negative comment is interactions with the police force. The whole story is narrated by Maureen and we only witness her interviews with police and her thoughts about the police investigation. Some of the interactions with the police seemed unreal. The author presents the police as either incompetent or corrupt. She used the same technique with the Paddy Meehan series. At times I had to suspend belief.
I recommended this book if you like a book were an outsider takes on the system and are not deterred by violence and profanity. Read this book if you had read either the Paddy Meehan series or the Alex Morrow series by the same author. Many similar themes are explored.
March 18, 2018
Denise Mina is an author I’ve been meaning to read for quite some time. As a fan of British crime thrillers, I’m always looking for new authors to try, and Denise Mina is an author to have been mentioned many times in the past. Thus, I decided to dive in with the Garnethill trilogy.
I’ll be completely honest and say I wasn’t won over by this one. I found this one very difficult to get into, and spent the start of the book forcing myself to work my way through it. In truth, the first half of the book had me convinced I would be handing out a two-star rating. It was as we worked deeper into the story that I became more intrigued, more willing to turn the page.
Don’t get me wrong, this one didn’t wow me. However, it did win me over in the end. There were plenty of elements added to this one, many things that left me curious. I wasn’t crazy about everything, but I was interested in seeing how everything came together. Due to that, I am interested in picking up the other two books to see how Maureen O’Donnell’s story ends. My fingers are crossed the next two books will be more enjoyable, and that they will build solidly upon the foundation set out in Garnethill.
Overall, Garnethill was not what I had been hoping for but I will be picking up Exile and Resolution to get some answers.
I’ll be completely honest and say I wasn’t won over by this one. I found this one very difficult to get into, and spent the start of the book forcing myself to work my way through it. In truth, the first half of the book had me convinced I would be handing out a two-star rating. It was as we worked deeper into the story that I became more intrigued, more willing to turn the page.
Don’t get me wrong, this one didn’t wow me. However, it did win me over in the end. There were plenty of elements added to this one, many things that left me curious. I wasn’t crazy about everything, but I was interested in seeing how everything came together. Due to that, I am interested in picking up the other two books to see how Maureen O’Donnell’s story ends. My fingers are crossed the next two books will be more enjoyable, and that they will build solidly upon the foundation set out in Garnethill.
Overall, Garnethill was not what I had been hoping for but I will be picking up Exile and Resolution to get some answers.
June 8, 2021
Volim te njene junakinje, koje trče svoju trku bežeći od prošlosti, teškog ili drugačijeg detinjstva, predrasuda, opterećenja i neispunjenih očekivanja. Hrabro kreću u kišno jutro, ne obaziru se na to šta drugi misle, ne trude se da se dopadnu, ne plaše se sukoba. Slabosti im nisu strane. Greše i brljaju a ipak se na kraju dočekaju na noge i mogu sebe da pogledaju u oči. Ne toliko zaplet koliko atmosfera i karakteri. Veoma dobro!
July 3, 2017
Intense, taut psychological thriller; many wounded, twisted characters with the desire to survive past and present tragedies. This book is well written and presents a very believable, gritty protagonist named Maureen; a victim of familial abuse that haunt her past and ignite her current lifestyle. Engrossing, hard to put down, but very disturbing in content.
October 29, 2022
My first introduction to Denise Mina. I was not impressed by this book. It was only mediocre in my opinion. I hope Conviction is better since I bought it before reading this one.
July 24, 2021
Very well done. Certainly not a cheery book, but I was easily drawn into the story and enjoyed it. I always like it when an author isn't afraid to show characters with all their imperfections.
March 3, 2021
Maureen O’Donnell is involved in an unsatisfactory relationship with her boyfriend. Maureen was a victim of incest as a child and she had recently been discharged from a psychiatric hospital after suffering a breakdown. Her boyfriend, Douglas, was a therapist at the hospital. Having decided to end this relationship, Maureen has a girls night out that is fueled with alcohol. She staggers home and collapses into an alcohol induced slumber. When she wakes up in the morning, she discovers her boyfriend tied to a chair in her living room with his throat slashed. This compromising circumstance makes Maureen a prime suspect. Although there is not enough evidence to charge her, Maureen remains a strong person of interest. She therefore decides to initiate her own inquiries to exonerate herself.
From this plot point, Denise Mina launches a story that explores dysfunctional families, sexual abuse and mental health.Her descriptions of the gritty streets of Glasgow enhance the narrative. Furthermore, the depiction of the secondary characters is first rate as she captures the rhythms of their dialogue.
Maureen is a well drawn character who approaches life with aplomb and wit. Coming from a dysfunctional family, these qualities stand her in good stead.Her life choices are not always well thought out and she struggles at times with self doubt. Her navigation through her difficulties shows her to be an evolving if sometimes intemperate person.Through her journey, the author delivers a thought provoking portrait of familial relations, self image and perseverance.
I had previously read and admired all of Denise Mina’s novels with the exception of her debut efforts in the Garnethill Trilogy. I am looking forward to reading the next two books in the series,hoping they have the same exceptional characterization and societal dynamics.
From this plot point, Denise Mina launches a story that explores dysfunctional families, sexual abuse and mental health.Her descriptions of the gritty streets of Glasgow enhance the narrative. Furthermore, the depiction of the secondary characters is first rate as she captures the rhythms of their dialogue.
Maureen is a well drawn character who approaches life with aplomb and wit. Coming from a dysfunctional family, these qualities stand her in good stead.Her life choices are not always well thought out and she struggles at times with self doubt. Her navigation through her difficulties shows her to be an evolving if sometimes intemperate person.Through her journey, the author delivers a thought provoking portrait of familial relations, self image and perseverance.
I had previously read and admired all of Denise Mina’s novels with the exception of her debut efforts in the Garnethill Trilogy. I am looking forward to reading the next two books in the series,hoping they have the same exceptional characterization and societal dynamics.
April 30, 2010
Denise Mina is a true treasure of a discovery. Her books are primarily set in or around Glasgow, and remind me very much of Ian Rankin's Rebus series. Her protagonists are all female, most of them of the Irish minority in Glasgow, poor, and heavy drinkers. They do seem to have a gift for finding themselves in incredibly awkward situations. But Mina has an wonderful gift for characterization. Every person in these books lives and breathes authenticity. I do love these books!!
May 4, 2012
I came upon the Garnethill series by Denise Mina as a suggestion from my carpool buddy. I had just finished reading Tana French's trilogy starting with In the Woods (fantastic!). I'm not typically a mystery/crime drama fan, but the Garnethill Series books are FANTASTIC! So good, and enjoyed my reading experience so much, I am working my way through ALL of Denise Mina's books (currently reading The Dead Hour).
What the heck is going on in Glasgow?! I want to go there, visit so badly, but I'm afraid I will be immediately killed. ha ha ha! My goodness, some of the things that are written in these books are UNBELIEVABLE. and hilarious. and incredibly heartbreaking. incredibly heartbreaking. The Garnethill trilogy books are written with a female perspective, a female who is an incest survivor. It's written from a victim's perspective, a victim, who is a hero, but deeply deeply f'ed up too. And poverty. The crushing poverty and terrible crimes and addiction. dead poor. and you, as a reader, are swept well into her decline.
Written from an interesting and intriguing perspective, the Garnethill series is a great read. It's dark, it's funny, it's horrifying, it's edge of your seat reading. highly recommend!
I'm reading mostly on electronic devices these days, but I bought the paperback versions. Mary/Ana/anyone, if you want to read, I'm happy to pass along.
What the heck is going on in Glasgow?! I want to go there, visit so badly, but I'm afraid I will be immediately killed. ha ha ha! My goodness, some of the things that are written in these books are UNBELIEVABLE. and hilarious. and incredibly heartbreaking. incredibly heartbreaking. The Garnethill trilogy books are written with a female perspective, a female who is an incest survivor. It's written from a victim's perspective, a victim, who is a hero, but deeply deeply f'ed up too. And poverty. The crushing poverty and terrible crimes and addiction. dead poor. and you, as a reader, are swept well into her decline.
Written from an interesting and intriguing perspective, the Garnethill series is a great read. It's dark, it's funny, it's horrifying, it's edge of your seat reading. highly recommend!
I'm reading mostly on electronic devices these days, but I bought the paperback versions. Mary/Ana/anyone, if you want to read, I'm happy to pass along.
July 30, 2020
Well I wanted to try this series, and I did...
A young Scottish woman from a severely dysfunctional background becomes involved in a murder which leads to the discovery that someone is abusing - mentally, physically and sexually - a group of very vulnerable woman in a 'care home.' Yes, Maureen - or Mauri - wakes up after a night of drinking to find her boyfriend - a therapist - murdered, tied to a chair in her apartment with his throat cut. She has a low-level job, and was recently released from a psychiatric institution, so yep, she did it - probably - according to the police.
This is a greatly-tangled story with leads going every which way. Maureen has few sympathetic family members and really, some of them read as multiple copies of relatives I have, too. The know-it-alls, the ones who talk behind your back, the ones who know 'what's best' for you. Yep, seen it, heard it, done it. She also has a sympathetic friend - Leslie, who was great - who helps her out when she needs it. Leslie is tough, smart, rides a motorbike - every person needs a Leslie in their life. So this part of the story reads very true, however...
This is also the kind of novel where you see and hear (and smell and feel) every move Maureen makes, which is good and often makes a compelling tale in the hands of a really good writer. If Maureen sees something, learns something, thinks something - the reader knows it. Until...
That's where it all broke down for me, when suddenly Maureen is going here, and there, and talking to this one and that, and then gets a lot of 'materials' together to do 'something' and yikes, the reader hasn't a single clue as to what's going on. The writing is often exemplary; the dialogue true to the region and description is well-done, too. But I felt the whole tenor of the story just changed the moment I hadn't a clue as to what she was doing - or why.
So just three stars. I'll prob. continue the series on the strength of the writing, the setting, and if Maureen is in the next book, but I did not like the turn it took about two-thirds in. I mean, don't let me live inside a character so fully, then suddenly decide to make every move she makes a big mystery. Come on!
Three stars.
A young Scottish woman from a severely dysfunctional background becomes involved in a murder which leads to the discovery that someone is abusing - mentally, physically and sexually - a group of very vulnerable woman in a 'care home.' Yes, Maureen - or Mauri - wakes up after a night of drinking to find her boyfriend - a therapist - murdered, tied to a chair in her apartment with his throat cut. She has a low-level job, and was recently released from a psychiatric institution, so yep, she did it - probably - according to the police.
This is a greatly-tangled story with leads going every which way. Maureen has few sympathetic family members and really, some of them read as multiple copies of relatives I have, too. The know-it-alls, the ones who talk behind your back, the ones who know 'what's best' for you. Yep, seen it, heard it, done it. She also has a sympathetic friend - Leslie, who was great - who helps her out when she needs it. Leslie is tough, smart, rides a motorbike - every person needs a Leslie in their life. So this part of the story reads very true, however...
This is also the kind of novel where you see and hear (and smell and feel) every move Maureen makes, which is good and often makes a compelling tale in the hands of a really good writer. If Maureen sees something, learns something, thinks something - the reader knows it. Until...
That's where it all broke down for me, when suddenly Maureen is going here, and there, and talking to this one and that, and then gets a lot of 'materials' together to do 'something' and yikes, the reader hasn't a single clue as to what's going on. The writing is often exemplary; the dialogue true to the region and description is well-done, too. But I felt the whole tenor of the story just changed the moment I hadn't a clue as to what she was doing - or why.
So just three stars. I'll prob. continue the series on the strength of the writing, the setting, and if Maureen is in the next book, but I did not like the turn it took about two-thirds in. I mean, don't let me live inside a character so fully, then suddenly decide to make every move she makes a big mystery. Come on!
Three stars.
March 18, 2024
This book is Tartan Noir at its best and my introduction to Denise Mina via her first book. The book has been sitting on my TBR pile for more than five years, then I decided to try and challenge myself to clean up my endless mountains of books and decided to give it a go. What a great surprise!
The book was written in 1998, the plot is slower but her rich and multilayered characters won me over. It is sad, it deals with tough issues, rape, incest, mental health, alcoholism well the list can go on and on. Maureen will live with me for a long time, a memorable, sweet and feisty character.
Mina is a superb writer, I cannot wait to read another one of her books.
The book was written in 1998, the plot is slower but her rich and multilayered characters won me over. It is sad, it deals with tough issues, rape, incest, mental health, alcoholism well the list can go on and on. Maureen will live with me for a long time, a memorable, sweet and feisty character.
Mina is a superb writer, I cannot wait to read another one of her books.
March 8, 2022
I’m so glad this book is over. I couldn’t quit after I had read 2/3s of it. But I wish I had.
I picked this one up after I read Conviction. THAT was an awesome book. I was so happy to find a mystery writer that had multiple books and such a unique way of writing. So I next read Still Midnight. It was a drudge to get through. But I didn’t give up! Hoping that I could relive the wonderful experience with Conviction.......I tried Garnethill. Another disappointment. But I would definitely recommend Conviction.
I disliked so many things about this book. I’m not sure if Mina meant this to happen or if it was the publishing company, but I had a hard time figuring out who was speaking. The sentences ran together even though 2 people were speaking. It was annoying as this occurred during the whole book. I was always reading back to figure out who was speaking. Also, the character Maureen was all over the place, grieving friend, mental patient, sexual abuse, clever vigilante.....none of it made much sense. And WAY too many side stories. I understand that authors use those to give out red herrings, but it just made the whole story feel messy and left unanswered questions.
Not my cup of tea!
I picked this one up after I read Conviction. THAT was an awesome book. I was so happy to find a mystery writer that had multiple books and such a unique way of writing. So I next read Still Midnight. It was a drudge to get through. But I didn’t give up! Hoping that I could relive the wonderful experience with Conviction.......I tried Garnethill. Another disappointment. But I would definitely recommend Conviction.
I disliked so many things about this book. I’m not sure if Mina meant this to happen or if it was the publishing company, but I had a hard time figuring out who was speaking. The sentences ran together even though 2 people were speaking. It was annoying as this occurred during the whole book. I was always reading back to figure out who was speaking. Also, the character Maureen was all over the place, grieving friend, mental patient, sexual abuse, clever vigilante.....none of it made much sense. And WAY too many side stories. I understand that authors use those to give out red herrings, but it just made the whole story feel messy and left unanswered questions.
Not my cup of tea!
August 6, 2013
Wow.
I could not put this book down.
Denise Mina's first book is wonderfully dark, has all the grittiness of a Glasgow alleyway, ties in a dysfunctional and abusive family dynamic that plays into the story effectively and adds tension. Maureen is a tremendously likeable character, flawed and damaged but good at heart, and we are cheering for her throughout the book, hoping against hope things work out and she figures out the crime before she gets locked away.
My heart broke a bit at the end, as the family acted as families often do, but I knew Maureen would somehow be okay.
Warning: may be triggering for some who have experienced family sexual abuse
I could not put this book down.
Denise Mina's first book is wonderfully dark, has all the grittiness of a Glasgow alleyway, ties in a dysfunctional and abusive family dynamic that plays into the story effectively and adds tension. Maureen is a tremendously likeable character, flawed and damaged but good at heart, and we are cheering for her throughout the book, hoping against hope things work out and she figures out the crime before she gets locked away.
My heart broke a bit at the end, as the family acted as families often do, but I knew Maureen would somehow be okay.
Warning: may be triggering for some who have experienced family sexual abuse
August 28, 2021
I'm not one to shy away from dark stories, but sheesh!--this one really went over the top in bleakness. Every character is either a drunk, mentally ill, or a sex abuser (or some combination of the three). It rains every day. Every sink is full of dishes, every bed unmade. The characters subsist on chips, whiskey, and badly brewed tea and coffee. Although there are flashes of witty writing, I got so bogged down by the unremitting dreariness that I skipped ahead to read the final chapters just to see how it ended (bleakly). Then I ate a salad, went for a walk in the sunshine, and hosed down my kitchen. No more Denise Mina for me.
April 30, 2008
This book proved to me that my newly found love for Denise Mina's books is not just because I fell in love with the Paddy meehan" character in the first book of mina's I discovered.
Again, Mina created true, strong characters we care about. The number of main and supporting characters she's able to not only create and involve in the story but is also able to capture our emotion for is impressive. Another strong female lead in this series. Looking forward to the next 2 books.
Again, Mina created true, strong characters we care about. The number of main and supporting characters she's able to not only create and involve in the story but is also able to capture our emotion for is impressive. Another strong female lead in this series. Looking forward to the next 2 books.
August 30, 2013
I had heard a lot about Denise Mina, all excellent reviews so I had high hopes for Garnet Hill. I did like the book and would give it a rating of 3.5 stars. Not a book to blow off your socks, but a pleasant diversion nonetheless. The murderer is easy to deduce, but having said that, I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
July 10, 2010
An interesting book, but I found I had very little empathy for the main character Maureen. Mostly because I was constantly saying " For pete's sake don't do that!". My main problem is that she basically lies to the police all the time while she does her own investigation. Her rationale is to keep traumatized rape victims from being further traumatized by police questioning, but the end result is dead people that should have lived, and a crappy "revenge". A real mess.
The general milieu is pretty depressing - alcoholic parents, incest, rape by doctors and therapists, cops as non-entities, everyone pretty much a self absorbed SOB. Sure they cry about it and say they are sorry, but then do it all over again. When someone does break out of the mental ghetto, they end up becoming empty materialists and careerists. Not a very warm view on the human condition. Good to read about, crappy to experience. That is why I love books.
The general milieu is pretty depressing - alcoholic parents, incest, rape by doctors and therapists, cops as non-entities, everyone pretty much a self absorbed SOB. Sure they cry about it and say they are sorry, but then do it all over again. When someone does break out of the mental ghetto, they end up becoming empty materialists and careerists. Not a very warm view on the human condition. Good to read about, crappy to experience. That is why I love books.
March 14, 2008
I read this one back in '98 when it first came out and it was my favorite mystery of the year. Gritty and realistic and set in Glasgow, Scotland. I just re-read this for a book group and found new things to appreciate. Very solid mystery with all the clues laid out and an appealing, if very flawed, protagonist in Maureen.
January 9, 2020
I was trolling articles featuring female detectives, and this author comes highly praised in article garnered from Guardian. This book did not win me over and I did not finish it. Clearly others on this site did enjoy it.
Library Loan
Library Loan
March 20, 2015
One of the best books I have read in recent years. Great writing. Great plot. Great depth of observation of mental illness. I will review is some depth when I reread the book.
April 10, 2023
Das Jahr 1998 war der Beginn der Karriere einer jungen schottischen Schriftstellerin. Denise Mina, Juristin mit einem Lehrauftrag für Kriminologie veröffentlichte mit Garnethill ihren ersten Kriminalroman und erhielt dafür direkt den „Dagger“ für den besten Debütroman. Mit ihrem ersten Roman der Garnethill-Trilogie knüpft sie auch an einen persönlichen Interessenschwerpunkt an: Der Umgang mit Frauen im Strafvollzug, Forensik und Psychiatrie.
Maureen O’Donnell lebt im Stadtteil Garnethill in Glasgow. Die junge Frau hat aufgrund eines sexuellen Missbrauchs durch ihren Vater psychische Probleme und ist in Behandlung. Sie lebt in einer undefinierten Beziehung mit Douglas, ein Therapeut (nicht ihr Therapeut) aus einer Klinik, in der sie war. Allerdings zweifelt Maureen an der Sinnhaftigkeit der Beziehung und erhält schließich Gewissheit, dass Douglas ihr verschwiegen hat, dass er verheiratet ist. Am selben Abend nach dieser Information lässt sich Maureen mit ihrer Freindin Leslie vollaufen, kommt irgendwann spät nach Hause und stürzt nur noch betrunken ins Bett. Am nächsten Morgen findet sie Douglas in ihrem Wohnzimmer – an einen Stuhl gefesselt und brutal ermordet. Relativ klar, wen die Polizei und die Presse als Hauptverdächtige einstuft.
Der Roman erhält seinen besonderen Reiz dadurch, dass über lange Zeit Maureen selbst bzw. ihr Bruder Liam als Verdächtige gelten. Maureen stellt daraufhin eigene Nachforschungen an und stösst auf einen Abgrund von sexuellem Missbrauch in einer psychiatrischen Einrichtung. Traumatisierte Frauen, voller Ängste, die in einer vermeintlich sicheren Umgebung erneut Gewalt und Missbrauch ausgesetzt sind. Schon in ihrem ersten Roman spielt Denise Mina ihre Fähigkeiten aus, die auch in der Folgezeit in ihren Romanen beeindrucken: Ausgefeilte Psychogramme, das Analysen von Beziehungen und Familienkonstellationen und lebensnahe, auch durchaus unbequeme Figuren. Ein empfehlenswertes Debüt.
Maureen O’Donnell lebt im Stadtteil Garnethill in Glasgow. Die junge Frau hat aufgrund eines sexuellen Missbrauchs durch ihren Vater psychische Probleme und ist in Behandlung. Sie lebt in einer undefinierten Beziehung mit Douglas, ein Therapeut (nicht ihr Therapeut) aus einer Klinik, in der sie war. Allerdings zweifelt Maureen an der Sinnhaftigkeit der Beziehung und erhält schließich Gewissheit, dass Douglas ihr verschwiegen hat, dass er verheiratet ist. Am selben Abend nach dieser Information lässt sich Maureen mit ihrer Freindin Leslie vollaufen, kommt irgendwann spät nach Hause und stürzt nur noch betrunken ins Bett. Am nächsten Morgen findet sie Douglas in ihrem Wohnzimmer – an einen Stuhl gefesselt und brutal ermordet. Relativ klar, wen die Polizei und die Presse als Hauptverdächtige einstuft.
Der Roman erhält seinen besonderen Reiz dadurch, dass über lange Zeit Maureen selbst bzw. ihr Bruder Liam als Verdächtige gelten. Maureen stellt daraufhin eigene Nachforschungen an und stösst auf einen Abgrund von sexuellem Missbrauch in einer psychiatrischen Einrichtung. Traumatisierte Frauen, voller Ängste, die in einer vermeintlich sicheren Umgebung erneut Gewalt und Missbrauch ausgesetzt sind. Schon in ihrem ersten Roman spielt Denise Mina ihre Fähigkeiten aus, die auch in der Folgezeit in ihren Romanen beeindrucken: Ausgefeilte Psychogramme, das Analysen von Beziehungen und Familienkonstellationen und lebensnahe, auch durchaus unbequeme Figuren. Ein empfehlenswertes Debüt.
February 9, 2011
I found this book and the main character really engaging. I was turned onto it from an NPR interview with the author, where she talks about using Glasgow as an inspiration for her work.
This is a straight forward murder mystery with a unique protagonist- an ex-mental patient. She has suffered sexual abuse at the hands of her father, and some members of her family, specifically her mother and a sister, refuse to believe her and that sets off a breakdown. It also throws all of her future dealings with people into suspicion since they can always doubt that she understands truth from reality.
I was a bit unhappy with the climax of the book, as I felt it was a bit choppy. And unless this is the beginning of a series, I was left with a lot of questions that I feel should have been addressed.
For a first novel, I think it was a tremendous effort, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries.
This is a straight forward murder mystery with a unique protagonist- an ex-mental patient. She has suffered sexual abuse at the hands of her father, and some members of her family, specifically her mother and a sister, refuse to believe her and that sets off a breakdown. It also throws all of her future dealings with people into suspicion since they can always doubt that she understands truth from reality.
I was a bit unhappy with the climax of the book, as I felt it was a bit choppy. And unless this is the beginning of a series, I was left with a lot of questions that I feel should have been addressed.
For a first novel, I think it was a tremendous effort, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries.
April 7, 2013
A different book actually. Yes it is a murder mystery with twists and turns, but I found it a bit hard to get into at first. Once I got the gist of the dialogue and the storyline, I got into it.
I use to be so proud of my Scottish roots, but geesh every book I've read lately that has been based in Scotland has sure changed my opinion! Hard drinkers, hard smokers, foul mouths - I just don't know.
Anyways, I give this book 3 stars - would I recommend it to others, yes but with caution. Will I read the other 2 in the trilogy - yes, but I'm going to take a break from them for now.
I use to be so proud of my Scottish roots, but geesh every book I've read lately that has been based in Scotland has sure changed my opinion! Hard drinkers, hard smokers, foul mouths - I just don't know.
Anyways, I give this book 3 stars - would I recommend it to others, yes but with caution. Will I read the other 2 in the trilogy - yes, but I'm going to take a break from them for now.
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