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Garnethill #2
Exile
A BODY IS FOUND ON THE BANKS OF THE THAMES.MAUREEN O'DONNELL NOW HAS TWELVE HOURS TO CATCH A KILLER... The last time Maureen O'Donnell saw Ann Harris, she was staying in the Glasgow Women's Shelter, drunk and with two broken ribs. A month later, Ann's mutilated body is washed up on the banks of the Thames. No one seems to care what happened to her, and Maureen is the only person who thinks Ann's husband is innocent. With her personal life in turmoil, she runs away to London and starts to piece together Ann's final days. But time is not on her side. Maureen needs twelve hours to put things right, and she doesn't care what it costs...'Confirms Mina's place in the premier division...Atmospheric [and] intense' Guardian*Don't miss Denise Mina's most recent thriller, the Costa 2020 shortlisted, THE LESS DEAD*
434 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2001
325 people are currently reading
2112 people want to read
About the author
Denise Mina
109 books2,527 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 293 reviews
July 29, 2020
Part 2 in the Garnethill series doesn't disappoint
Broken and bruised from the murder of her boyfriend, Maureen needs her best friend more than ever, but Leslie is in love for the first time. Leslie ignores Maureen and shuts her out and Mauri is hurt and bewildered. Liam, her brother, reassures her that it's only temporary, as it's the honeymoon phase of their relationship.
Needing something to fill the gap of friendship, Maureen takes interest in the plight of Leslie's cousin, a poor, downtrodden bloke who is raising four little boys on his own. He has been accused of the murder and torture of his wife, Ann, found stuffed in a mattress. Maureen goes to meet the wretched man and while revolted by his physical ugliness, she is filled with pity for the horrible life he leads. He's trying to raise his "weens" on his own with no money in a nasty apartment and in a "crap" neighborhood.
After meeting the passive father, Mauri realizes he could never have tortured and killed anyone, let alone his wife. She decides to find out what really happened. This is more brutal and seedy than the first installment, so hang on its a bumpy ride, but what a ride.
Broken and bruised from the murder of her boyfriend, Maureen needs her best friend more than ever, but Leslie is in love for the first time. Leslie ignores Maureen and shuts her out and Mauri is hurt and bewildered. Liam, her brother, reassures her that it's only temporary, as it's the honeymoon phase of their relationship.
Needing something to fill the gap of friendship, Maureen takes interest in the plight of Leslie's cousin, a poor, downtrodden bloke who is raising four little boys on his own. He has been accused of the murder and torture of his wife, Ann, found stuffed in a mattress. Maureen goes to meet the wretched man and while revolted by his physical ugliness, she is filled with pity for the horrible life he leads. He's trying to raise his "weens" on his own with no money in a nasty apartment and in a "crap" neighborhood.
After meeting the passive father, Mauri realizes he could never have tortured and killed anyone, let alone his wife. She decides to find out what really happened. This is more brutal and seedy than the first installment, so hang on its a bumpy ride, but what a ride.
October 22, 2010
I really like these books, and the fact that they're so dialogue-heavy makes them quick reads. The one problem I have with them is going to sound petty, and to be honest it might just be something I have to get over if I'm going to like mystery novels. Here's the thing: I'm smart; I'm reading about the case from 3 or 4 different points of view; I'm trying to think several steps ahead and examining each character as a likely suspect. Maureen O'Donnell is drinking herself sick morning, noon, and night, making every possible wrong move, almost getting herself killed, walking into danger and ignoring good advice, and generally being a lovable fuckup. And in a flash of insight she solves the mystery and I'm left scratching my head. What? With the amount of liquor she's belting back, she should barely be able to comprehend a bus map, let alone crack the case while my sober and crafty self is sitting in the dark.
Wow, after reading that back, I can see that I really am petty.
Wow, after reading that back, I can see that I really am petty.
January 3, 2012
I love Denise Mina. She writes mysteries wrapped in squalor and drama and tied up with a little crazy bow. They're usually set in Scotland, which furthers my delight (I'm SUCH an Anglophile...). And if you like that sort of thing, Exile is even more bleak and psychological than the first book in this particular series.
Maureen, our heroine, is recovering from the death of her psychologist/lover, the return of her child-rapist father to Glasgow, her family's unwillingness to accept her hatred and fear of her father, and also her last encounter with a psychopath now safe(ish)ly locked away in jail. She's at a very low point, crying all the time with no prompting and contemplating suicide, so when her friend Leslie asks for her help in investigating the disappearance of a woman from the battered women's shelter Leslie manages, Maureen is actually kind of grateful for the distraction. Her investigation leads her all over Glasgow and London as she puts herself in ever-more-dangerous situations - purportedly to try and find the truth, but clearly also engaging in self-destructive behavior. In the end, she's rewarded with a little bit of peace and a renewed friendship with Leslie. There's one more book in this series, and while I may need some time to recover from the utter bleakness and depression in this book, I won't be able to stay away in the end. Because Mina just writes so well and so true...and because I'm a sucker for a damaged soul.
Maureen, our heroine, is recovering from the death of her psychologist/lover, the return of her child-rapist father to Glasgow, her family's unwillingness to accept her hatred and fear of her father, and also her last encounter with a psychopath now safe(ish)ly locked away in jail. She's at a very low point, crying all the time with no prompting and contemplating suicide, so when her friend Leslie asks for her help in investigating the disappearance of a woman from the battered women's shelter Leslie manages, Maureen is actually kind of grateful for the distraction. Her investigation leads her all over Glasgow and London as she puts herself in ever-more-dangerous situations - purportedly to try and find the truth, but clearly also engaging in self-destructive behavior. In the end, she's rewarded with a little bit of peace and a renewed friendship with Leslie. There's one more book in this series, and while I may need some time to recover from the utter bleakness and depression in this book, I won't be able to stay away in the end. Because Mina just writes so well and so true...and because I'm a sucker for a damaged soul.
July 26, 2019
Twenty-something Maureen O'Donnell continues to be plagued mentally and emotionally by two major life events: The sexual molestation as a young girl at the hand of her father and the vicious murder of her boyfriend six months earlier. The molestation in itself was devastating enough, but Maureen's ability to deal with the aftermath is seriously affected by her mother and sisters' disbelief that Maureen is telling the truth.
Fortunately, though, Maureen's brother and her friend, Leslie, are solidly behind her. Well, Leslie has been until recently, ever since she's been involved with a man in her life.
Maureen deals with her depression and anxiety by seeking solace in her apartment, enjoying being on her own. When her thoughts encroach too heavily, Maureen turns to alcohol, often to excess.
It is into this backdrop that a woman goes missing from the domestic abuse shelter where Leslie works. It's not unusual for women to leave such places, but for reasons Leslie isn't sharing with Maureen, this woman's disappearance is different -- and personal. Leslie asks Maureen's help to find Ann Harris, the missing woman who is mother to four young children and wife to Jimmy Harris.
What ensues is a vigilante investigation by the two women, with Maureen going alone to London to follow the clues wherever they lead her.
It's a well-written story with interesting and believable characters and suspense that builds and builds until it seems there will be no end.
Fortunately, though, Maureen's brother and her friend, Leslie, are solidly behind her. Well, Leslie has been until recently, ever since she's been involved with a man in her life.
Maureen deals with her depression and anxiety by seeking solace in her apartment, enjoying being on her own. When her thoughts encroach too heavily, Maureen turns to alcohol, often to excess.
It is into this backdrop that a woman goes missing from the domestic abuse shelter where Leslie works. It's not unusual for women to leave such places, but for reasons Leslie isn't sharing with Maureen, this woman's disappearance is different -- and personal. Leslie asks Maureen's help to find Ann Harris, the missing woman who is mother to four young children and wife to Jimmy Harris.
What ensues is a vigilante investigation by the two women, with Maureen going alone to London to follow the clues wherever they lead her.
It's a well-written story with interesting and believable characters and suspense that builds and builds until it seems there will be no end.
November 20, 2014
I don’t know quite how I feel about this. Maureen O’Donnell broke my heart on the very last page of Garnethill. The things she & Leslie said about Siobhan were so bizarrely out of character & nonsensically cruel, I don’t think I’m ever going to get over how much I loathed the end of that book, but I remember really loving everything else about it up until that point & I had a hankering for a Scottish mystery novel where everybody says “wee hen” all the time. So here we are, with mixed results.
The mystery here is quite a bit more excellent than the last one & this gets three stars just for that, with special kudos for the beautiful little twist. I enjoyed the hell out of Maureen’s incessant whiskey drinking & endless smoking on her quest into the seedy, horrible underworld of London in order to figure out who killed Ann, but there’s something off about the tone which makes this strangely tiring to read. I was actually quite surprised to see that Maureen & Leslie both purport to hang out with Siobhan all the time, since they were both so keen to tell “needy people” – or you know, mentally damaged/sexually assaulted people, like her to “fuck off” (I’m never going to get over this). Although there’s nothing here that’s on par with that, Mina writes some strange & inconsistent characterizations, like the British police detective who is well-liked & great to work with specifically because she doesn’t make fun of her Scottish partner, then unexpectedly starts talking up all sorts of silly prejudicial stuff when she’s in Glasgow. I could have done without the detective angle altogether, to be frank. Most of the story is told from Maureen’s perspective, but there are a lot of abrupt shifts to someone else’s thoughts for one line before going back to Maureen, stuff that seems like it should’ve been (here’s my favorite word!) edited differently. Most of all, I can’t understand why there's so much intense, mutual distaste in Maureen’s circle of friends. The mystery is solved, Siobhan gets called a prick again, everyone hates Leslie’s boyfriend including Leslie, and I don’t know why any of these people bother hanging out together. Maybe in another two years I’ll have another hankering powerful enough to get me to read the last book in the series.
The mystery here is quite a bit more excellent than the last one & this gets three stars just for that, with special kudos for the beautiful little twist. I enjoyed the hell out of Maureen’s incessant whiskey drinking & endless smoking on her quest into the seedy, horrible underworld of London in order to figure out who killed Ann, but there’s something off about the tone which makes this strangely tiring to read. I was actually quite surprised to see that Maureen & Leslie both purport to hang out with Siobhan all the time, since they were both so keen to tell “needy people” – or you know, mentally damaged/sexually assaulted people, like her to “fuck off” (I’m never going to get over this). Although there’s nothing here that’s on par with that, Mina writes some strange & inconsistent characterizations, like the British police detective who is well-liked & great to work with specifically because she doesn’t make fun of her Scottish partner, then unexpectedly starts talking up all sorts of silly prejudicial stuff when she’s in Glasgow. I could have done without the detective angle altogether, to be frank. Most of the story is told from Maureen’s perspective, but there are a lot of abrupt shifts to someone else’s thoughts for one line before going back to Maureen, stuff that seems like it should’ve been (here’s my favorite word!) edited differently. Most of all, I can’t understand why there's so much intense, mutual distaste in Maureen’s circle of friends. The mystery is solved, Siobhan gets called a prick again, everyone hates Leslie’s boyfriend including Leslie, and I don’t know why any of these people bother hanging out together. Maybe in another two years I’ll have another hankering powerful enough to get me to read the last book in the series.
March 25, 2018
Upon finishing Garnethill, I wasn’t overly crazy about continuing this trilogy. I was interested in seeing where things went, but it wasn’t an intense desire. In fact, if I had not brought the trilogy as a collection, I would not have been continuing. However, being a glutton for punishment, I dove into Exile with the hope of improvement – after all, so many people seem to enjoy Denise Mina as an author and I was hoping to find a spark to create such a view within myself.
Unfortunately, my feelings towards Exile were much the same as my feelings towards Garnethill – I wasn’t won over by this one. Like the prior book, I found this one very difficult to get into. It wasn’t quite as hard as the prior book, as there was setup in place for the characters and we had some background information, but I still found it difficult. More difficult than I would imagine a second book in a trilogy ever needs to be.
As with the first book, it was a case of needing to continue reading. It takes a while, but as you get deeper into the book, things get better. My mind was never blown, but the elements of the crime come together and grow more intriguing. As we work through the story, enough happens to keep you interested, curious to see how everything comes together.
Overall, this was an okay second book. I’m hoping the final book will blow me away, will give me a great conclusion to Maureen O’Donnell’s story, but I’m not going to hold out hope. It is curiosity that has me reading the final book, rather than a deep love for the story.
Unfortunately, my feelings towards Exile were much the same as my feelings towards Garnethill – I wasn’t won over by this one. Like the prior book, I found this one very difficult to get into. It wasn’t quite as hard as the prior book, as there was setup in place for the characters and we had some background information, but I still found it difficult. More difficult than I would imagine a second book in a trilogy ever needs to be.
As with the first book, it was a case of needing to continue reading. It takes a while, but as you get deeper into the book, things get better. My mind was never blown, but the elements of the crime come together and grow more intriguing. As we work through the story, enough happens to keep you interested, curious to see how everything comes together.
Overall, this was an okay second book. I’m hoping the final book will blow me away, will give me a great conclusion to Maureen O’Donnell’s story, but I’m not going to hold out hope. It is curiosity that has me reading the final book, rather than a deep love for the story.
August 25, 2018
I did try and read this a year or two previously, but gave up after fifty or so pages as I wasn't in the mood. Finishing it on this second attempt, what struck me was the high quality of the writing - as compared to a number of crime novels I have read recently with 'functional but no more' prose, Mina really impresses and amuses with her stunningly evocative descriptions and wry humour. I have two or three other books by the same author on my shelf waiting to be read, I will space them out and ration the pleasure.
The only issue was the fact I didn't completely 'enjoy' the novel, for all the high level of merit. The grim events, depressing family dynamics, poverty, addiction, mental illness.. it was at times a little relentless and made for a conflict between wanting to put the book down and walk away (which is unusual for me), and wanting to carry on reading as you need to know what happens next. Even expecting this from Denise Mina, I felt this was a little harder to take than a couple of the other series' by the same author.
The only issue was the fact I didn't completely 'enjoy' the novel, for all the high level of merit. The grim events, depressing family dynamics, poverty, addiction, mental illness.. it was at times a little relentless and made for a conflict between wanting to put the book down and walk away (which is unusual for me), and wanting to carry on reading as you need to know what happens next. Even expecting this from Denise Mina, I felt this was a little harder to take than a couple of the other series' by the same author.
December 13, 2023
Setting: Glasgow and London; 1990's.
This is the second book in the Garnethill series and featuring former psychiatric hospital patient Maureen O'Donnell. Maureen is now working in the offices of a shelter for abused women. When one of the residents, Ann, goes missing, Maureen sets out to discover what has happened to her. The shelter had photographs of the severe beating that Ann had suffered, which she said had been done by her husband - but then Ann receives a card at the shelter and goes missing. Maureen goes in search of Ann and visits her husband, thinking she may have returned to him - but Ann isn't there and Maureen is convinced that the husband had not beaten her. Maureen's enquiries take her into the world of drugs, poverty and violence in Glasgow, and then in London where Ann has a sister. Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police are investigating the discovery of a body found stuffed in a mattress and floating in the Thames.....
Looking back at my review of the first in this series, I noted that I wasn't very keen on the characters - and I'm sorry to say that I felt similarly with this one! I don't really know what it is I don't like but I just don't feel drawn towards them or care particularly what happens to them, despite the great descriptions of the gritty and poverty-ridden areas of Glasgow and London. Perhaps it is Maureen's uncanny ability to make the wrong decisions or get herself into dangerous situations, or perhaps that she just sets about an investigation with no apparent motive to do so.
As with the previous book, there were some great twists and reveals, including a major one at the end, but by that stage I was just glad I was getting to the end so only a 3-star read for me - 6.5/10.
This is the second book in the Garnethill series and featuring former psychiatric hospital patient Maureen O'Donnell. Maureen is now working in the offices of a shelter for abused women. When one of the residents, Ann, goes missing, Maureen sets out to discover what has happened to her. The shelter had photographs of the severe beating that Ann had suffered, which she said had been done by her husband - but then Ann receives a card at the shelter and goes missing. Maureen goes in search of Ann and visits her husband, thinking she may have returned to him - but Ann isn't there and Maureen is convinced that the husband had not beaten her. Maureen's enquiries take her into the world of drugs, poverty and violence in Glasgow, and then in London where Ann has a sister. Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police are investigating the discovery of a body found stuffed in a mattress and floating in the Thames.....
Looking back at my review of the first in this series, I noted that I wasn't very keen on the characters - and I'm sorry to say that I felt similarly with this one! I don't really know what it is I don't like but I just don't feel drawn towards them or care particularly what happens to them, despite the great descriptions of the gritty and poverty-ridden areas of Glasgow and London. Perhaps it is Maureen's uncanny ability to make the wrong decisions or get herself into dangerous situations, or perhaps that she just sets about an investigation with no apparent motive to do so.
As with the previous book, there were some great twists and reveals, including a major one at the end, but by that stage I was just glad I was getting to the end so only a 3-star read for me - 6.5/10.
September 21, 2015
"This is her second book and there is no surprise that Denise Mina is a very well-liked author. Beautifully written, riveting story. Unrelenting, strong and ruthless, almost a "Seven"-like feeling at times."
July 20, 2017
"She was going home to Glasgow and for the first time remembered that she had a life beyond her present troubles. She loved the colours of the city, she had a place and history there, she understood the obscure kindness of the people and the rationale behind the brutal weather."
Book 2 in the Garnethill series, Exile is equally dark -- and maybe even more so -- as Garnethill. Set in the same working class neighborhoods of Glasgow, with problems of alcoholism, drug abuse, crime, and unemployment, the book begins with the disappearance of Ann. A body, which seems to be Ann's, has been found in London, and Maureen O'Donnell, the protagonist from Garnethill decides to travel to London to investigate. This book reveals more of Maureen's background and the circumstances surrounding her psychiatric hospitalization for a "nervous breakdown" related to her sexual abuse many years earlier. She is also grieving for her boyfriend who was murdered in the first book. It doesn't seem like a good idea to go searching for clues to Ann's disappearance and death in London, but Maureen is drinking more heavily and searching for meaning, in more ways than one.
Maureen has been volunteering at a women's shelter, where she met Ann, who had been beaten and claimed that the perpetrator was her husband Jimmy. It turns out that Jimmy is a cousin of Leslie, Maureen's best friend and an employee at the women's shelter. Anyone who knows Jimmy cannot believe that he would have hurt Ann. Jimmy is living in a hovel with his three young children, including two in diapers. The situation is desperate and because Ann has accused him of battery, Jimmy is the prime suspect in first Ann's disappearance and then her murder. All along is seems completely far-fetched that Jimmy would have had anything to do with Ann's death. Despite her many flaws, Jimmy seems to love her and truly miss her. That doesn't mean that he didn't batter and eventually kill her but Leslie, who has had years of experience with battered women and the men who have battered them, is sceptical. Mina introduces a cast of more plausible suspects and Maureen sets off in pursuit of the truth. Of course, she's in way over her head and the danger is palpable.
This book introduces some new characters, including a social worker named Kilty. She one becomes of the three women who, along with Maureen and Leslie, work together in this book and the next --Resolution -- to bring about justice for some of the many women of Glasgow who have been victimized in one way or the other. Physical and sexual abuse, including incest, lie at the heart of these books and the stories of women. This is grim material, but Mina seems to know this world well. Her bio says that she worked in healthcare and criminal justice. Exile is complicated, with shifting loyalties and multiple suspects. More tightly plotted than Garnethill, Mina drops tantalizing hints about the resolution of the crime and the truth behind it. Mina is a master of keeping the reader interested in unlikeable characters. She even hooked me on the gloomy streets of Glasgow.
Like Garnethill, Exile ends on a downbeat, but I couldn't wait to start the final book in the trilogy. I read because of Maureen. She's a mess and her drinking is getting worse. She longs to get drunk at 9:45 in the morning -- and stay that way all day. She's trying to save herself by saving others. She pushes an envelope with money through the mailslot of Jimmy's apartment door, to help him and his children. When he asks why, Mina writes: "She was doing it because she pitied him, because he was the sorriest, saddest, most unsympathetic person she'd ever met, in or out of psychiatric hospital, because if life was any more cruel to Jimmy then Michael [Maureen sexually abusive father] would live to a ripe old age surrounded by family and friends and she'd die soon. 'I've been stuck myself,' she said" (182). That's Maureen in a nutshell. Honestly, I finished these books weeks ago and I can't stop thinking about her.
Book 2 in the Garnethill series, Exile is equally dark -- and maybe even more so -- as Garnethill. Set in the same working class neighborhoods of Glasgow, with problems of alcoholism, drug abuse, crime, and unemployment, the book begins with the disappearance of Ann. A body, which seems to be Ann's, has been found in London, and Maureen O'Donnell, the protagonist from Garnethill decides to travel to London to investigate. This book reveals more of Maureen's background and the circumstances surrounding her psychiatric hospitalization for a "nervous breakdown" related to her sexual abuse many years earlier. She is also grieving for her boyfriend who was murdered in the first book. It doesn't seem like a good idea to go searching for clues to Ann's disappearance and death in London, but Maureen is drinking more heavily and searching for meaning, in more ways than one.
Maureen has been volunteering at a women's shelter, where she met Ann, who had been beaten and claimed that the perpetrator was her husband Jimmy. It turns out that Jimmy is a cousin of Leslie, Maureen's best friend and an employee at the women's shelter. Anyone who knows Jimmy cannot believe that he would have hurt Ann. Jimmy is living in a hovel with his three young children, including two in diapers. The situation is desperate and because Ann has accused him of battery, Jimmy is the prime suspect in first Ann's disappearance and then her murder. All along is seems completely far-fetched that Jimmy would have had anything to do with Ann's death. Despite her many flaws, Jimmy seems to love her and truly miss her. That doesn't mean that he didn't batter and eventually kill her but Leslie, who has had years of experience with battered women and the men who have battered them, is sceptical. Mina introduces a cast of more plausible suspects and Maureen sets off in pursuit of the truth. Of course, she's in way over her head and the danger is palpable.
This book introduces some new characters, including a social worker named Kilty. She one becomes of the three women who, along with Maureen and Leslie, work together in this book and the next --Resolution -- to bring about justice for some of the many women of Glasgow who have been victimized in one way or the other. Physical and sexual abuse, including incest, lie at the heart of these books and the stories of women. This is grim material, but Mina seems to know this world well. Her bio says that she worked in healthcare and criminal justice. Exile is complicated, with shifting loyalties and multiple suspects. More tightly plotted than Garnethill, Mina drops tantalizing hints about the resolution of the crime and the truth behind it. Mina is a master of keeping the reader interested in unlikeable characters. She even hooked me on the gloomy streets of Glasgow.
Like Garnethill, Exile ends on a downbeat, but I couldn't wait to start the final book in the trilogy. I read because of Maureen. She's a mess and her drinking is getting worse. She longs to get drunk at 9:45 in the morning -- and stay that way all day. She's trying to save herself by saving others. She pushes an envelope with money through the mailslot of Jimmy's apartment door, to help him and his children. When he asks why, Mina writes: "She was doing it because she pitied him, because he was the sorriest, saddest, most unsympathetic person she'd ever met, in or out of psychiatric hospital, because if life was any more cruel to Jimmy then Michael [Maureen sexually abusive father] would live to a ripe old age surrounded by family and friends and she'd die soon. 'I've been stuck myself,' she said" (182). That's Maureen in a nutshell. Honestly, I finished these books weeks ago and I can't stop thinking about her.
November 12, 2010
This is the second in Denise Mina's Garnethill trilogy. Mina does a good job of catching you up if it's been a while since you read the first one. If you haven't read the first one though, I'd definitely recommend starting there.
This one picks up a few months after Garnethill. Maureen is sad and knows it's not just clinical depression this time. Her boyfriend Douglas' violent death is sinking in. His killer is sending her threatening letters from prison and she can't tell the police or she'll bring even more trouble down on herself. The police in turn are hassling her about the events in the first book. Her best friend Leslie has a new boyfriend and they aren't getting along. And her Dad, who molested her as a child, has resurfaced in Glasgow and she is tormented by nightmares about him. When a client of the battered women's shelter where Maureen and Leslie work is found murdered in London, Leslie asks Maureen to help her investigate. Leslie is clearly lying about her connection to the woman which further strains their relationship but Maureen ends up getting involved anyways when things don't really add up. But Maureen's chief motivation is this is something that will distract her from her own considerable troubles.
I did like this book very much by the end and I loved the setup for the third book but there is a frustrating section during the midsection which seems to drag a bit. I continue to love Maureen and I know she's depressed and not a professional sleuth and drinking heavily but she does a few really stupid things in this story that made me want to grab her and shake her and say "Did you not just read the last paragraph? Don't tell that drug dealer/possible murderer your real name!" Mina is however a fantastic prose writer and I love the depth she gives her characters. Maureen is a unique protagonist and I continue to admire the way Mina can find pathos and humor in mental illness without ever being mocking or condescending. I'm going to be sad when this series is over and since Mina sticks to trilogies, I only have one Maureen book left. Sigh. I've read Mina's latest with her new character, Alex Morrow, and one of the Paddy Meehan books but this series continues to be my favorite of hers.
I love this writer at any rate and I intend to plow through her entire oeuvre even when I'm done with my beloved Maureen O'Donnell.
This one picks up a few months after Garnethill. Maureen is sad and knows it's not just clinical depression this time. Her boyfriend Douglas' violent death is sinking in. His killer is sending her threatening letters from prison and she can't tell the police or she'll bring even more trouble down on herself. The police in turn are hassling her about the events in the first book. Her best friend Leslie has a new boyfriend and they aren't getting along. And her Dad, who molested her as a child, has resurfaced in Glasgow and she is tormented by nightmares about him. When a client of the battered women's shelter where Maureen and Leslie work is found murdered in London, Leslie asks Maureen to help her investigate. Leslie is clearly lying about her connection to the woman which further strains their relationship but Maureen ends up getting involved anyways when things don't really add up. But Maureen's chief motivation is this is something that will distract her from her own considerable troubles.
I did like this book very much by the end and I loved the setup for the third book but there is a frustrating section during the midsection which seems to drag a bit. I continue to love Maureen and I know she's depressed and not a professional sleuth and drinking heavily but she does a few really stupid things in this story that made me want to grab her and shake her and say "Did you not just read the last paragraph? Don't tell that drug dealer/possible murderer your real name!" Mina is however a fantastic prose writer and I love the depth she gives her characters. Maureen is a unique protagonist and I continue to admire the way Mina can find pathos and humor in mental illness without ever being mocking or condescending. I'm going to be sad when this series is over and since Mina sticks to trilogies, I only have one Maureen book left. Sigh. I've read Mina's latest with her new character, Alex Morrow, and one of the Paddy Meehan books but this series continues to be my favorite of hers.
I love this writer at any rate and I intend to plow through her entire oeuvre even when I'm done with my beloved Maureen O'Donnell.
January 4, 2010
Exile is the second installment of Denise Mina’s Garnethill trilogy, which begins with Garnethill and ends with Resolution (which I have not yet read). If you do not read Garnethill prior to this book, you will be a bit lost, both in terms of characters, and in terms of the main character’s (Maureen O’Donnell) background. And this is critical.
As the action begins, Maureen, who works at a battered women’s shelter, is drawn into the disappearance of Ann Harris, a resident of the place, who told everyone that her husband Jimmy constantly beat and abused her. Quickly she learns that the London police have discovered a disfigured body wearing a piece of Ann's jewelry, and that they are out to find her killer. Maureen meets up with Jimmy and realizes that he’s just a quiet man trying to take care of four small children and wasn’t involved in Ann’s disappearance. However, if she doesn’t figure out what happened to Ann, more than likely it will be Jimmy that’s off to prison. Her desire to help Jimmy sets her on a very dangerous path where she will meet up with some very rough characters who aren’t so happy that a foreigner has come asking questions.
But aside from the crime element, Maureen as a person is worth the reading time alone. She’s got a lot on her shoulders and struggles inwardly with her past as well as her extremely dysfunctional family. Now she’s got new worries that pick up where the first book (Garnethill) left off. I really enjoy her character and I’m really sad there are only three books about her. I also enjoy Denise Mina’s writing…it is excellent, and not just in the sense that she’s a good writer of crime fiction. She can write, and after I finish this trilogy I will be reading anything I can of hers.
Highly recommended, but as noted above, please do start with the first in the series. On to the third book, and very soon. If you like UK crime fiction and strong women characters, you will really like this book. This is no ordinary “mystery” series by any stretch of the imagination.
As the action begins, Maureen, who works at a battered women’s shelter, is drawn into the disappearance of Ann Harris, a resident of the place, who told everyone that her husband Jimmy constantly beat and abused her. Quickly she learns that the London police have discovered a disfigured body wearing a piece of Ann's jewelry, and that they are out to find her killer. Maureen meets up with Jimmy and realizes that he’s just a quiet man trying to take care of four small children and wasn’t involved in Ann’s disappearance. However, if she doesn’t figure out what happened to Ann, more than likely it will be Jimmy that’s off to prison. Her desire to help Jimmy sets her on a very dangerous path where she will meet up with some very rough characters who aren’t so happy that a foreigner has come asking questions.
But aside from the crime element, Maureen as a person is worth the reading time alone. She’s got a lot on her shoulders and struggles inwardly with her past as well as her extremely dysfunctional family. Now she’s got new worries that pick up where the first book (Garnethill) left off. I really enjoy her character and I’m really sad there are only three books about her. I also enjoy Denise Mina’s writing…it is excellent, and not just in the sense that she’s a good writer of crime fiction. She can write, and after I finish this trilogy I will be reading anything I can of hers.
Highly recommended, but as noted above, please do start with the first in the series. On to the third book, and very soon. If you like UK crime fiction and strong women characters, you will really like this book. This is no ordinary “mystery” series by any stretch of the imagination.
April 14, 2014
Just finished Denise Mina’s , Exile, book 2 in the Garnethill Trilogy. I did enjoy book 1, Garnethill, however this book was much better! Maureen’s character is in a self-destructive post-traumatic stress downward spiral fueled mainly by alcohol. She is investigating a murder at the request of her friend Leslie, who is not much less of a mess. A woman has been brutally tortured and murdered with her body dumped. She was recently a resident at a battered woman’s shelter, so all fingers point toward the husband, Jimmy, who is the only surviving parent for their 4 small boys. Only things are not what they seem and Maureen through her alcohol induced haze and her desire to maintain her friendship with Leslie seeks to prove that Jimmy didn’t kill his wife.
The characters are what makes this work stand out. Denise Mina has crafted incredibly human characters with all the dirt and despair that one could stand to read. Maureen is a walking train wreck, yet in this book she comes across as more intelligent, not just crafty in the way of many street survivors, but also analytical. Jimmy is a portrait of despair and a born victim. Even Winnie, in her own alcohol fueled rages, is a fully developed character.
Liam and Vik are some of the only positive characters in the book. Liam has made great strides to pull himself out of his past. Vik is strong enough to insist that he deserves to be treated right by Maureen. There are still differences between these two: Liam wants to save or protect Maureen, while Vik wants her to save herself. After the ending of this book, I will be interested to see what happens here.
The mystery is well done with great twists and turns and an ending that I did not see coming. There is a great sense of place in this book, even though most of the places are nowhere the reader would want to be.
Great read! I can’t wait to read the third one.
The characters are what makes this work stand out. Denise Mina has crafted incredibly human characters with all the dirt and despair that one could stand to read. Maureen is a walking train wreck, yet in this book she comes across as more intelligent, not just crafty in the way of many street survivors, but also analytical. Jimmy is a portrait of despair and a born victim. Even Winnie, in her own alcohol fueled rages, is a fully developed character.
Liam and Vik are some of the only positive characters in the book. Liam has made great strides to pull himself out of his past. Vik is strong enough to insist that he deserves to be treated right by Maureen. There are still differences between these two: Liam wants to save or protect Maureen, while Vik wants her to save herself. After the ending of this book, I will be interested to see what happens here.
The mystery is well done with great twists and turns and an ending that I did not see coming. There is a great sense of place in this book, even though most of the places are nowhere the reader would want to be.
Great read! I can’t wait to read the third one.
April 29, 2014
Exile is the second book in the Garnet Hill trilogy. This is not a stand alone book, you must read the first book Garnet Hill, where all of the characters and storylines are introduced. The book is set in Glasgow, Scotland and London, England in 1980.
This books picks up a few months after the previous book. The main character Maureen O'Donnell is still dealing with the aftermath of the violent death of her boyfriend Douglas and friend Martin. As well as her role in bringing the perpetrator to justice. Also, she continues to deal with her history as a child abuse survivor.
All of these events have caused her to be estranged from friends and family. While volunteering in women's shelter she learns that a women named Ann has gone missing and tries to locate her. Her body turns up dead in East End London. Maureen decides a trip to London and a case are what she needs to help deal with her estrangement.
While in London, she stumbles on a broader conspiracy, which put her into danger. I enjoyed this book more than the first book. Since the characters and interwoven storylines are set, the story just takes off and has great pacing and intensity. The outward journey that Maureen is on mirrors her inner journey and also acts as a catalyst.
It is a great psychological thriller, with many twists and turns.
There were a few parts where you had to suspend belief and just go along with the ride. The interactions with law enforcement strained credibility. There was also, profanity and violence. I look forward to reading the third story Resolution.
This books picks up a few months after the previous book. The main character Maureen O'Donnell is still dealing with the aftermath of the violent death of her boyfriend Douglas and friend Martin. As well as her role in bringing the perpetrator to justice. Also, she continues to deal with her history as a child abuse survivor.
All of these events have caused her to be estranged from friends and family. While volunteering in women's shelter she learns that a women named Ann has gone missing and tries to locate her. Her body turns up dead in East End London. Maureen decides a trip to London and a case are what she needs to help deal with her estrangement.
While in London, she stumbles on a broader conspiracy, which put her into danger. I enjoyed this book more than the first book. Since the characters and interwoven storylines are set, the story just takes off and has great pacing and intensity. The outward journey that Maureen is on mirrors her inner journey and also acts as a catalyst.
It is a great psychological thriller, with many twists and turns.
There were a few parts where you had to suspend belief and just go along with the ride. The interactions with law enforcement strained credibility. There was also, profanity and violence. I look forward to reading the third story Resolution.
March 19, 2018
Quite an interesting book, especially after reading the interview with the author at the end. Mina's protagonist is a woman and, based on the interview, was written to show that women can be strong and endure. Mina even calls out some of the the more prolific authors in the "women as protagonist" genre . . . rightly pointing out that they're parodies of how a woman would actually behave.
I nearly stopped reading, as Mina introduced what seemed to about a dozen characters in the first fourteen pages (I had to keep flipping back to see who the heck she was writing about). But once introduced, the story took off. . . and the character development began. Most of the characters have several depths - strengths, weaknesses, good, bad. They're written like people I know . . . sometimes you can read their intentions, other times you just wonder what they're thinking.
The story became secondary for me . . . I just enjoyed reading well written characters doing interesting things. I wasn't enamored with the ending, but it wasn't rife with ridiculous leaps of logic and was fairly believable. This book was more about the journey than the destination (although I read it to learn more about Glasgow and Scottish culture, coincidentally).
I nearly stopped reading, as Mina introduced what seemed to about a dozen characters in the first fourteen pages (I had to keep flipping back to see who the heck she was writing about). But once introduced, the story took off. . . and the character development began. Most of the characters have several depths - strengths, weaknesses, good, bad. They're written like people I know . . . sometimes you can read their intentions, other times you just wonder what they're thinking.
The story became secondary for me . . . I just enjoyed reading well written characters doing interesting things. I wasn't enamored with the ending, but it wasn't rife with ridiculous leaps of logic and was fairly believable. This book was more about the journey than the destination (although I read it to learn more about Glasgow and Scottish culture, coincidentally).
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September 6, 2011Ho molto apprezzato Nubi di pioggia sia per l'originalità che per il realismo dei contenuti. L'autrice non risparmia dunque descrizioni molto forti e, attraverso un libro noir molto intenso ed appassionante, affronta temi difficili come la violenza sulle donne così come i numerosi limiti del "welfare" sociale. Infatti, nei casamenti popolari di Glasgow sono estremamente numerose le madri di famiglia alcolizzare e volontariamente disoccupate che non si fanno scrupoli ad utilizzare gli assegni elargiti dallo stato per il mantenimento loro figli come moneta di scambio per procurarsi da bere...
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February 26, 2020
More Glaswegian grit and gumption from Denise Mina, my latest fave in the crime/mystery genre. Her heroine is a mess, her baddies are revolting, but she writes lyrically about the city itself.
March 28, 2021
I need to make a new Goodreads category called “frustrating protagonists.” But there’s something that keeps me coming back to this series!
March 1, 2025
Not as good as the first one as there wasn't enough of them coppers for my taste.
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December 7, 2010Garnethill was so good, just about the best book I read last year, that I've put off reading this for fear of being disappointed by it. The first book, which featured Glaswegian Maureen O'Donnell defending herself against accusations of being a murderer, would have been wonderful as a standalone but I couldn't see it as the start of a series. That would have defeated the realism that was an intrinsic part of its attraction. I've learned since that Mina is keeping this series as a trilogy and that understanding gave me more faith that the followup books would be as good as the first, and in this case at least, I was right.
I expected to see more continuity between the investigation in Garnethill and the investigation in Exile than there was. I suppose the third volume, because of it's title: Resolution, will deal more with wrapping up the Garnethill case. Threads from the first book run through this book but don't really get tied up, they are just in the background linking (I presume) books one and three.
This was another fantastic book though with a great bleak story and some fine dark humour. Once again everything is going wrong for these characters but the darkness is lifted by the sense of hope. Some things have definitely got better since Garnethill, things are running smoother in some ways for Maureen and her family but nothing is easy and it all feels real.
In short, it's as good a followup novel as I've read and I'm really glad it is. I'm very much looking forward to Resolution.
December 25, 2010
#2 of the Garnethill trilogy featuring Maureen O'Donnell, a troubled young Glaswegian woman. Still struggling to overcome her past, filled with abuse, drugs and alcohol, Maureen is up in arms trying to deal with the fact that her abusive father is once again back in town. Looking for something to take her mind off her nightmares, she once again gets involved in a murder case when a woman who had been staying at the women's shelter where she works turns up beaten to death in London, stuffed in a mattress and chucked in the river.
The natural suspect is the woman's husband, but Maureen has met Jimmy, who is now trying to raise their four children by himself--her friend Leslie asked her to check him out as he is actually her cousin--and doesn't believe he's guilty. So she begins poking her nose in, takes the bus to London to try to retrace Ann's steps to see who she was hooked up with down there, and of course meets plenty of violent and other sundry unsavory characters along the way as well.
Bleak and at times painful to read, I nevertheless love this character and the author's writing style. Looking forward to the conclusion of the series in the third book, aptly titled Resolution. I like to think that despite her problems, Maureen is going to be all right. We shall see!
The natural suspect is the woman's husband, but Maureen has met Jimmy, who is now trying to raise their four children by himself--her friend Leslie asked her to check him out as he is actually her cousin--and doesn't believe he's guilty. So she begins poking her nose in, takes the bus to London to try to retrace Ann's steps to see who she was hooked up with down there, and of course meets plenty of violent and other sundry unsavory characters along the way as well.
Bleak and at times painful to read, I nevertheless love this character and the author's writing style. Looking forward to the conclusion of the series in the third book, aptly titled Resolution. I like to think that despite her problems, Maureen is going to be all right. We shall see!
August 6, 2017
This is the first Denise Mina I've read, and I didn't realise it was the second in the series. I'm not sure how much difference that made.
I had mixed feelings about this book. I really liked the opening chapters, which dealt mainly with the relationship between Maureen and Leslie. Not a lot happens, but their relationship was really well drawn, and they started to come to life for me as characters. But then it seemed to change track and become much more plot driven, with everyone racing around, and more and more characters being introduced. I started to get the thinly drawn extras muddled up, and lost interest in the plot. It all seemed a bit random. Maureen's insistence on doing whatever the last person she spoke to advised her was life-threateningly dangerous seemed to be the main thing driving the plot, and this became a bit tedious. I read it right to the end, but started to skip bits and was pleased when I'd finished it and could get on to something else.
But.....I did really like the beginning, Mina can clearly write well and create great characters. Not quite sure what then happened!
I had mixed feelings about this book. I really liked the opening chapters, which dealt mainly with the relationship between Maureen and Leslie. Not a lot happens, but their relationship was really well drawn, and they started to come to life for me as characters. But then it seemed to change track and become much more plot driven, with everyone racing around, and more and more characters being introduced. I started to get the thinly drawn extras muddled up, and lost interest in the plot. It all seemed a bit random. Maureen's insistence on doing whatever the last person she spoke to advised her was life-threateningly dangerous seemed to be the main thing driving the plot, and this became a bit tedious. I read it right to the end, but started to skip bits and was pleased when I'd finished it and could get on to something else.
But.....I did really like the beginning, Mina can clearly write well and create great characters. Not quite sure what then happened!
August 7, 2022
The aftermath of a violent death is different from normal grief. There is none of the usual tidying up, pumping the veins full of glue, dressing the corpse for a dinner dance, pretending that it all makes perfect sense and God will care for him now. There's blood and s*** and matter everywhere, faces ripped off, limbs missing and the realization that life is brutal and meaningless, that everyone is only a split skin from spilling into death. - page 80
This is the type of crime fiction that fits right up my alley. I love the dark, grittiness of the Scottish background and the harsh reality of the people living within this world. its real and honest. As it often is, our protagonist is haunted by a disturbing childhood, but there's an undertone of warmth when it comes to friends, people needing each other, that goes along with the sad.
I didn't care much about the murder or the perpetrator(s). For me it was just about spending time time with the characters in this bleak Scottish setting (which I found to be beautiful). It's wintertime where I live, so I was shivering right along with them.
This is the type of crime fiction that fits right up my alley. I love the dark, grittiness of the Scottish background and the harsh reality of the people living within this world. its real and honest. As it often is, our protagonist is haunted by a disturbing childhood, but there's an undertone of warmth when it comes to friends, people needing each other, that goes along with the sad.
I didn't care much about the murder or the perpetrator(s). For me it was just about spending time time with the characters in this bleak Scottish setting (which I found to be beautiful). It's wintertime where I live, so I was shivering right along with them.
September 22, 2017
I rated this book as four stars at first, but having slept on it, I am reducing it to 3.
The book was pacey and a quick read, and it tackled many important topics, but it was uneven and I found it hard to believe some of the important aspects of the narrative. However, the biggest issue for me, is a major spoiler. .
I borrowed the first book, but bought a copy of the second one because I felt the author deserved my money. I'll probably finish the series at some point, but I'll get it from the library.
The book was pacey and a quick read, and it tackled many important topics, but it was uneven and I found it hard to believe some of the important aspects of the narrative. However, the biggest issue for me, is a major spoiler. .
I borrowed the first book, but bought a copy of the second one because I felt the author deserved my money. I'll probably finish the series at some point, but I'll get it from the library.
January 25, 2019
PROTAGONIST: Maureen O’Donnell
SETTING: Glasgow, Scotland
SERIES: #2
RATING: 3.75
WHY: Exile is the second book in the Garnethill trilogy. Maureen O’Donnell is out of the mental hospital and fighting to forge her way in a world that is difficult for her. She doesn’t treat her nice lover well, and she is terrified that her stepfather is out of jail. While working in a women’s shelter, she meets Ann Harris, a drunk and who was supposedly badly beaten by her husband, Jimmy. When Ann is brutally murdered, Maureen takes it upon herself to find the perpetrator. She doesn’t believe that Jimmy, a meek man raising 4 children on his own in deep poverty, did it. It doesn’t seem that Maureen is the best person for the job. When I read the first book in the series, Garnethill, I gave it my highest rating. However, Exile didn’t measure up. Mina’s writing is excellent, but between the confusing plot and the fact that every character in the book had a lot of issues, I didn’t like it as well.
SETTING: Glasgow, Scotland
SERIES: #2
RATING: 3.75
WHY: Exile is the second book in the Garnethill trilogy. Maureen O’Donnell is out of the mental hospital and fighting to forge her way in a world that is difficult for her. She doesn’t treat her nice lover well, and she is terrified that her stepfather is out of jail. While working in a women’s shelter, she meets Ann Harris, a drunk and who was supposedly badly beaten by her husband, Jimmy. When Ann is brutally murdered, Maureen takes it upon herself to find the perpetrator. She doesn’t believe that Jimmy, a meek man raising 4 children on his own in deep poverty, did it. It doesn’t seem that Maureen is the best person for the job. When I read the first book in the series, Garnethill, I gave it my highest rating. However, Exile didn’t measure up. Mina’s writing is excellent, but between the confusing plot and the fact that every character in the book had a lot of issues, I didn’t like it as well.
April 27, 2012
Denise Mina continues her fine work for the Glaswegian tourist board with this follow-up to Garnethill. I didn't think it would be possible but Exile is perhaps even murkier, darker and more troubled than its predecessor, following reluctant heroine Maureen O'Donnell as she attempts to unravel the mystery behind a battered woman's death. The mystery really does take some unravelling and the book loses its way slightly in the central section, but it hurtles toward a totally believable and liberating conclusion whilst neatly managing to set up a sequel. If you're looking for sweetness and light, avoid this novel - pretty much every incidental character is a festering cesspit of boils verged on the point of erupting, scabby skin, bad teeth, bad hair, bad habits - but for the strong of stomach, it really is worth your time.
February 29, 2008
This book is the 2nd that Denise Mina wrote and picks up shortly after the conclusion of her first book, Garnethill.
Mina is a tremendous writer with an amazing ability to convey the gritty, cold scenery of Glasgow with small details. the words are a pleasure to read, but the subject matter is a bit tough...at least for a guy. these first two novels focus completely on abused women in a male dominated Scottish society, so there are very few appealing male characters. in fact the sheer despair of many of the characters can take some of the enjoyment out of reading the story. however, in the end Mina fashions an excellent murder mystery...she is such an excellent writer that i will definitely continue to read more of her books.
Mina is a tremendous writer with an amazing ability to convey the gritty, cold scenery of Glasgow with small details. the words are a pleasure to read, but the subject matter is a bit tough...at least for a guy. these first two novels focus completely on abused women in a male dominated Scottish society, so there are very few appealing male characters. in fact the sheer despair of many of the characters can take some of the enjoyment out of reading the story. however, in the end Mina fashions an excellent murder mystery...she is such an excellent writer that i will definitely continue to read more of her books.
April 30, 2008
As her brother says towards the end of the book, it's near mathimatically impossible that one person would end up know 2 people murdered with a six-month period...but yet that wasn't an issue for me when reading this book. It was logical and compelling in its own way, not relying on the Garnet Hill starter of this trilogy. The storyline was believable and once more Mina captures the essence of the loaction and its people. I've always had a liking for regional authors who can take a piece of the world and make you feel you know it and its inhabitants as well as you do your own neighbourhood. Mina succeeds at this in this and her other books.
Can't wait to start the next book!
Can't wait to start the next book!
May 3, 2019
Dette er bøker fra det mørke Glasgow, fra det stedet hvor mennesker ikke har råd til å bo og leve. Hvor kvinner havner på krisesenter. Hvor du finner de mørkeste pubene med de skumleste fyrene. Hvor de sykeste på det psykiatriske sykehuset blir mishandlet og hvor det skorter på mennesker som bryr seg. På den måten er Maureen en solstråle i alt det mørke. Hun ser det bare ikke fordi hun har sunket så dypt ned i selv-ødeleggelse som mulig.
Hele min omtale finner du på bloggen min Betraktninger
Hele min omtale finner du på bloggen min Betraktninger
June 18, 2021
This is the second book in Denise Mina’s Garnethill trilogy. Maureen is still smoking and drinking too much…and getting into enough trouble to get the Glasgow police detective interested in pursuing her for a murder. She introduces us to the dangerous and vicious world of big time drug dealers in London, while trying to find the murderer of her best friend’s cousin’s wife. It is a dizzying trek made infinitely worse by her dogged determination and her unfailing tendency to drink to excess.
Constant danger. constant tension, and an amazing number of physical attacks…but you can’t help but admire this gutsy hero.
Constant danger. constant tension, and an amazing number of physical attacks…but you can’t help but admire this gutsy hero.
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