Garnethill Trilogy Series

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.
Desperate to clear her name and to get at the truth, Maureen traces rumors about a similar murder at a local psychiatric hospital, uncovering a trail of deception and repressed scandal that could exonerate her - or make her the next victim.
"A shattering first novel... You can't look away from it."-New York Times Book Review

"I can't think of a more interesting - and less likely - crime hero than Maureen O'Donnell, the damaged but determined center of Denise Mina's marvelous debut mystery. . . . The book bristles with angry energy and the spare urban poetry of its unique language." -Chicago Tribune

"A groundbreaking book . . . its emotional rawness and visceral honesty pack a punch more potent than any boxer-turned-PI could provide."-Washington Post Book World

"This raw, powerful story is an exceptional debut." -Kansas City Star

"A compelling story. . . . This is the reason we read mysteries." -Rocky Mountain News

Resolution

by Denise Mina

Published 1 November 2001

Maureen O'Donnell, ex-psychiatric patient and survivor of sexual abuse, is facing the darkest episode in her life. Her abuser has arrived back in Glasgow in time for the birth of her sister's new baby; she owes more than she makes in a year in back taxes; and Angus Farrell, the psychologist who murdered her boyfriend is up for trial, with Maureen as the reluctant star witness. On top of it all, she has managed to become embroiled in someone else's family feud. Ella McGee, an elderly stall holder at the flea market where Maureen and Leslie are selling illegally imported cigarettes, is bringing a case against her son in the small claims court. When Ella dies in hospital after a brutal beating Maureen, who identifies all too readily with the underdogs of this world, can't stop herself from becoming involved. Soon Maureen too is under threat, and this time she has very few protectors. Denise Mina, the queen of Tartan Noir, is at the top of her form. With her talent for creating intensely believable and sympathetic central characters, and her unique and irresistible blend of suspense, compassion and with, Resolution with be THE crime novel of 2002.

Exile

by Denise Mina

Published 3 August 2000

Travelling down from Glasgow to London to investigate the murder of one of the former patients at the Glasgow Women's Shelter, Maureen O'Donnell quickly finds herself out of her depth and in danger of suffering a similar fate.