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Garnethill #3
Resolution
Blending suspense, compassion, raw instinct, and grim wit, Denise Mina's Resolution completes her compelling Garnethill trilogy (which includes two New York Times Book Review Notable Books of the Year) that Val McDermid, author of A Place of Execution, calls "head and shoulders above much of contemporary crime fiction." In her gripping new crime novel, Mina returns once more to the seamier precincts of Glasgow and the untidy world of the hapless but resolute Maureen O'Donnell. Maureen's abusive father has shown up again in Glasgow; and Angus Farrell, the psychologist who so gruesomely murdered her therapist-boyfriend, is going on trial—with Maureen as the star witness. Meanwhile, she's embroiled in another hard-bitten family's feud when Ella McGee, an elderly stallholder at the flea market where Maureen sells illegally imported cigarettes, decides to take her son to small-claims court over unpaid wages and then turns up beaten brutally in Albert Hospital. Violence hovers in the most familiar precincts of Maureen's Garnethill, and Denise Mina once again proves herself to be an award-winning writer.
368 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2001
245 people are currently reading
1362 people want to read
About the author
Denise Mina
126 books2,479 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 241 reviews
September 10, 2020
A fitting and satisfying ending to the Garnethill Trilogy
If you like your mysteries, realistic and gritty, you will love the Garnethill Trilogy. Maureen is a mess. She tries to do the right thing, but ends up, mucking everything up again and again. Her life is especially messy right now, as her rapist father is back in town, the trial of her murderous doctor is imminent and her reliance on booze is taking over her life.
Just when you think things can't get any worse, they do. Maureen does have two things going for her though: her own sense of right and her family and friends. They will stick by her no matter what comes.
If you like your mysteries, realistic and gritty, you will love the Garnethill Trilogy. Maureen is a mess. She tries to do the right thing, but ends up, mucking everything up again and again. Her life is especially messy right now, as her rapist father is back in town, the trial of her murderous doctor is imminent and her reliance on booze is taking over her life.
Just when you think things can't get any worse, they do. Maureen does have two things going for her though: her own sense of right and her family and friends. They will stick by her no matter what comes.
October 20, 2011
An excellent conclusion to the Garnethill trilogy. Some of the best writing I have come across in crime fiction. The plots were believable, the characters almost too real, and the Glasgow setting endlessly fascinating.
April 6, 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. Nevertheless, I had some hope for Resolution. There was the promise of everything coming together well, of the final book winning me over.
Sadly, it was not meant to be.
I really did try with this one. There were so many things I was excited to see, so many elements I was hoping would come together and blow my mind. Yet I could not get into this one. It took me forever to work through this one, I kept putting it down and could not bring myself to pick it back up. There was the potential for so much, yet things seemed to move along at an incredibly slow pace and very little seemed to happen – even when things were happening, I wasn’t at all interested.
Don’t get me wrong, aspects from the prior book were brought together in this one quite well. The trilogy is brought to a solid conclusion, all the elements being pulled together, but I just didn’t care. I had to continue reading, as I wanted to know how it ended, but I did not care what happened on the journey. With the prior two books there came a point where I was sucked in and intrigued, yet such did not happen with this one.
At least I can now say I have finished this trilogy. In truth, I doubt I will be reading more Denise Mina in the future. I do own one other Denise Mina book – it came with this trilogy when I brought them – but it is unlikely that I will pick it up at any point in the foreseeable future. I fear it may be a book to sit and gather dust, a rarity for me. I may try it at some point, but I cannot see it happening for a very long time – if at all.
Sadly, it was not meant to be.
I really did try with this one. There were so many things I was excited to see, so many elements I was hoping would come together and blow my mind. Yet I could not get into this one. It took me forever to work through this one, I kept putting it down and could not bring myself to pick it back up. There was the potential for so much, yet things seemed to move along at an incredibly slow pace and very little seemed to happen – even when things were happening, I wasn’t at all interested.
Don’t get me wrong, aspects from the prior book were brought together in this one quite well. The trilogy is brought to a solid conclusion, all the elements being pulled together, but I just didn’t care. I had to continue reading, as I wanted to know how it ended, but I did not care what happened on the journey. With the prior two books there came a point where I was sucked in and intrigued, yet such did not happen with this one.
At least I can now say I have finished this trilogy. In truth, I doubt I will be reading more Denise Mina in the future. I do own one other Denise Mina book – it came with this trilogy when I brought them – but it is unlikely that I will pick it up at any point in the foreseeable future. I fear it may be a book to sit and gather dust, a rarity for me. I may try it at some point, but I cannot see it happening for a very long time – if at all.
March 10, 2017
The struggle was real with this one.
I've been a fan girl of Scottish mystery writer Denise Mina for a while now. I've loved the other two books in the Garnethill trilogy (Garnethill and Exile, respectively) and what I've read of her Paddy Meehan trilogy. I've even read the Hellblazer comics she has authored. I liked this trilogy so much, I put off reading this entry because I didn't want it to end. So I was surprised when I found the conclusion of this story just OK.
( I haven't been as thrilled with her Alex Morrow books, but I've only read the first one.)
Admittedly, part of the problem is I probably waited too long between the second and third books. I forgot some plot details. I forgot some characters. And Mina does a spotty job catching the reader up; sometimes she backtracks and explains, sometimes she does not. This book is aptly named, as it is the resolution of the Maureen O'Donnell storyline. Maureen, the child of alcoholics and a sexual abuse survivor, is dealing with the trial of the man who murdered her therapist boyfriend Douglas in the first book. Additionally, her abusive father Michael has resurfaced in Glasgow, and her very pregnant sister is eager to ignore the stories about abuse and encourage a relationship between him and her imminent baby. There's also a sexual trafficking subplot. And it's pretty clear Maureen is teetering over the boundary of alcoholism. There's a lot going on. Maybe too much.
Despite this, the narrative has a very meandering, watery quality. The book is for starters around 100 pages too long. Maureen and her friends spend too many pages just dithering about what they're going to do about everything: Maureen's drinking, Michael's return, Leslie's shite boyfriend, whether the trafficking story is true or Maureen is just chasing whiskey-tinted vapors to avoid her real problems. The story really got to be a grind around the midpoint.
It does pick up in the last 100 pages or so, and yet without giving anything away, I didn't find the resolution of Resolution particularly satisfying. Maureen and her friends know a lot of people. When you read a mystery novel you have to accept a certain amount of serendipity (this is why at least one person I know can't read mystery novels), but the delicate balance just tipped over the edge for me. Whether she needs to plot a murder, plant incriminating evidence, or investigate an international sex ring, Maureen's got a guy (so to speak.) I'd be willing to let this go if everything fit together perfectly, but it didn't. Character motivations don't make any sense. Bad guys are inexplicably patient and chatty in their conversations with Maureen and company. Maureen provides an alibi to her suspicious brother late in the story, it makes no sense at all, he accepts it, and the subject is dropped. It's the failure of these pivotal wrap-up scenes in general that sunk the book a bit for me. Good ideas got lost or indistinct in the haze.
As to what I did like, I continue to love the plucky, foul-mouthed Maureen, and Mina's descriptions of Glasgow. Where Mina shines the most, however, is when she writes about the allure of alcohol. Her description of the stinging rush of whiskey as it greets your gums made me want to pour out a shot, and I think whiskey is vile. I'd almost go so far as to say someone with a drinking problem shouldn't read this book. That's probably true of mystery novels in general though. The genre not only is loaded with serendipity, there's plenty of dirty shot glasses and cigarettes too.
Kind of disappointed overall, but I'm glad I finished the trilogy.
I've been a fan girl of Scottish mystery writer Denise Mina for a while now. I've loved the other two books in the Garnethill trilogy (Garnethill and Exile, respectively) and what I've read of her Paddy Meehan trilogy. I've even read the Hellblazer comics she has authored. I liked this trilogy so much, I put off reading this entry because I didn't want it to end. So I was surprised when I found the conclusion of this story just OK.
( I haven't been as thrilled with her Alex Morrow books, but I've only read the first one.)
Admittedly, part of the problem is I probably waited too long between the second and third books. I forgot some plot details. I forgot some characters. And Mina does a spotty job catching the reader up; sometimes she backtracks and explains, sometimes she does not. This book is aptly named, as it is the resolution of the Maureen O'Donnell storyline. Maureen, the child of alcoholics and a sexual abuse survivor, is dealing with the trial of the man who murdered her therapist boyfriend Douglas in the first book. Additionally, her abusive father Michael has resurfaced in Glasgow, and her very pregnant sister is eager to ignore the stories about abuse and encourage a relationship between him and her imminent baby. There's also a sexual trafficking subplot. And it's pretty clear Maureen is teetering over the boundary of alcoholism. There's a lot going on. Maybe too much.
Despite this, the narrative has a very meandering, watery quality. The book is for starters around 100 pages too long. Maureen and her friends spend too many pages just dithering about what they're going to do about everything: Maureen's drinking, Michael's return, Leslie's shite boyfriend, whether the trafficking story is true or Maureen is just chasing whiskey-tinted vapors to avoid her real problems. The story really got to be a grind around the midpoint.
It does pick up in the last 100 pages or so, and yet without giving anything away, I didn't find the resolution of Resolution particularly satisfying. Maureen and her friends know a lot of people. When you read a mystery novel you have to accept a certain amount of serendipity (this is why at least one person I know can't read mystery novels), but the delicate balance just tipped over the edge for me. Whether she needs to plot a murder, plant incriminating evidence, or investigate an international sex ring, Maureen's got a guy (so to speak.) I'd be willing to let this go if everything fit together perfectly, but it didn't. Character motivations don't make any sense. Bad guys are inexplicably patient and chatty in their conversations with Maureen and company. Maureen provides an alibi to her suspicious brother late in the story, it makes no sense at all, he accepts it, and the subject is dropped. It's the failure of these pivotal wrap-up scenes in general that sunk the book a bit for me. Good ideas got lost or indistinct in the haze.
As to what I did like, I continue to love the plucky, foul-mouthed Maureen, and Mina's descriptions of Glasgow. Where Mina shines the most, however, is when she writes about the allure of alcohol. Her description of the stinging rush of whiskey as it greets your gums made me want to pour out a shot, and I think whiskey is vile. I'd almost go so far as to say someone with a drinking problem shouldn't read this book. That's probably true of mystery novels in general though. The genre not only is loaded with serendipity, there's plenty of dirty shot glasses and cigarettes too.
Kind of disappointed overall, but I'm glad I finished the trilogy.
October 25, 2019
Whether reading this novel was enhanced by being in Glasgow at the time, or whether being better able to picture places described in the book that I was 'in' helped my enjoyment of my visit to the city, I'm not completely sure - but it was welcome synergy. I have read, enjoyed and admired many of Denise Mina's books, including the preceding two in this trilogy, so I guess there was a high bar set - to me however this fell very slightly below the level which others of the author's have reached.
I suspect this was a consequence of wanting/needing to 'tie up' loose ends from the preceding two books. All the powerful characterisation, the evocative description, the wit and intelligence was there as usual, but for me I found the denouement slightly inconceivable. It was if four fifths of the book was the taught, tense, building, chaotic and dour, slightly stumbling narrative I have come to enjoy from this author, and the final few chapters saw everything work out in a manner which seemed a little at odds with how messy the lives of the characters had appeared for the majority of the book.
Nevertheless, still one of my favourite authors, and still a high quality and compelling read.
I suspect this was a consequence of wanting/needing to 'tie up' loose ends from the preceding two books. All the powerful characterisation, the evocative description, the wit and intelligence was there as usual, but for me I found the denouement slightly inconceivable. It was if four fifths of the book was the taught, tense, building, chaotic and dour, slightly stumbling narrative I have come to enjoy from this author, and the final few chapters saw everything work out in a manner which seemed a little at odds with how messy the lives of the characters had appeared for the majority of the book.
Nevertheless, still one of my favourite authors, and still a high quality and compelling read.
September 25, 2007
Grim and gritty Glasgow--hard-drinking down-and-outers--kind of the opposite of Scott's Scotland. Denise Mina's books concern sexual abuse and gender politics, and avoid the usual formulas of the police procedural; instead, they're told from the point of view of women and victims. In this trilogy, the central character Maureen O'Donnell requires effort sometimes to like but is hard to resist: she's an alky, she makes crap decisions, and she's no romantic, yet she's brave, loyal, and pissed off at injustice. Start with Garnet Hill then Exile, though, since there is a dramatic arc to the trilogy.
July 24, 2017
Resolution completes the trilogy featuring Maureen O'Donnell of Glasgow, Scotland. She's emotionally fragile, having survived childhood incest pepetrated by her father Michael and the recent murder of her married lover Douglas. Now Douglas's accused murderer is going on trial, but he may be trying to set himself up for an insanity defense by driving her crazy. Maureen has been living off money that Douglas gave her before his death, but that has pretty much run out. She and her best friend Leslie -- fired from her job at the women's shelter -- run a stall in a flea market selling illegal cigarettes. They meet another stallholder, Ella McGee, who has been a prostitute in her youth. Ella's two adult children, Simon and Margaret, have thrived through criminal pursuits; and she works for them part-time in a high-end brothel they own. The reader knows about her sinister family life, but Maureen is in the dark until Ella ends up in the hospital, the victim of a savage beating, where she dies unexpectedly. Immediately, Maureen suspects Ella's son, and with good reason. Resolution reveals that Maureen's alcohol abuse has worsened, but she's still hanging on, searching for answers to Ella's death and preparing for the trial of psychotherapist Angus Farrell. In the process Maureen, Leslie, and Kilty discover the secrets behind Simon's business. And there's some happy news for Maureen. She seems to be reconnecting with her boyfriend from Exile, Vikram.
Resolution brings the series to a satisfying conclusion. No spoiler alerts, but after a lot of extreme violence and dangerous situations, Maureen seems to be getting her life back on track. And a lot of bad people get their comeuppance. Mina has mastered gritty storytelling, set in drab working class neighborhoods, and populated with some very unsavory characters. But she also finds humanity and kindness in unexpected places. I read this book slowly, wanting to prolong my relationship with Maureen, but in the end Mina brought all of the plot threads together and I was ready for it to end. It was time to send Maureen on her way. I hope that she's out there somewhere, doing just fine. I like to think so.
Resolution brings the series to a satisfying conclusion. No spoiler alerts, but after a lot of extreme violence and dangerous situations, Maureen seems to be getting her life back on track. And a lot of bad people get their comeuppance. Mina has mastered gritty storytelling, set in drab working class neighborhoods, and populated with some very unsavory characters. But she also finds humanity and kindness in unexpected places. I read this book slowly, wanting to prolong my relationship with Maureen, but in the end Mina brought all of the plot threads together and I was ready for it to end. It was time to send Maureen on her way. I hope that she's out there somewhere, doing just fine. I like to think so.
November 10, 2012
Okay! Farewell Maureen. I'll miss you.
All the things that are good about this trilogy are good about this book. Namely:
- good writing, like in the basic stuff of what people say and how feelings and sensory stuff is described
- great evocation of setting (Glasgow again, thankfully)
- engaging characters
- satisfying overarching journey for the protagonist, that - natch - resolves in this one.
Spoiler alerts! Here's what I felt was a little less good.
- overly tidy plotting; the emotional lives are suitably messy, but how it all cleans up felt too clean
- relatedly, in one very crucial plot twist a character not particularly defined by her physical strengh -- never mind her athletic murderousness -- athletically murders someone who is himself a professional and athletic murderer and psychopath, thus helping to assure that tidy ending. It's too much.
- relatedly, Mina does that annoying thing where she keeps us "in suspense" about what's happened for pages and pages and pushes us in the wrong direction but it's of course transparent and I don't know why she does this
- As in the last book, the thriller plot that is OUTSIDE Maureen's life -- the "case" that she stumbles into -- feels necessitated by genre and form rather than organically connected to the main plot.
I'm critiquing a lot because I enjoyed sitting in these books. Mina is a terrific writer, and they have a ton to recommend them for pleasant lived-in setting/character novel-ness. But I think the plotting isn't as ambiguous and interesting, for me, as the other elements. Still recommended. A rewarding and engaging read.
All the things that are good about this trilogy are good about this book. Namely:
- good writing, like in the basic stuff of what people say and how feelings and sensory stuff is described
- great evocation of setting (Glasgow again, thankfully)
- engaging characters
- satisfying overarching journey for the protagonist, that - natch - resolves in this one.
Spoiler alerts! Here's what I felt was a little less good.
- overly tidy plotting; the emotional lives are suitably messy, but how it all cleans up felt too clean
- relatedly, in one very crucial plot twist a character not particularly defined by her physical strengh -- never mind her athletic murderousness -- athletically murders someone who is himself a professional and athletic murderer and psychopath, thus helping to assure that tidy ending. It's too much.
- relatedly, Mina does that annoying thing where she keeps us "in suspense" about what's happened for pages and pages and pushes us in the wrong direction but it's of course transparent and I don't know why she does this
- As in the last book, the thriller plot that is OUTSIDE Maureen's life -- the "case" that she stumbles into -- feels necessitated by genre and form rather than organically connected to the main plot.
I'm critiquing a lot because I enjoyed sitting in these books. Mina is a terrific writer, and they have a ton to recommend them for pleasant lived-in setting/character novel-ness. But I think the plotting isn't as ambiguous and interesting, for me, as the other elements. Still recommended. A rewarding and engaging read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2012
Mina was not joking around when she entitled this one, "Resolution." Want Mauri to address and resolve her personal issues? Done. Want her to take on an only tangentially-related murder-mystery and thereby aid all sorts of anonymous but oppressed women? No problem. Think her family needs to get its act together? Sure thing. Been worrying about justice for Pauline? Don't worry no more. How about Siobhan? Solved. It's a wonder what a few support groups, the love of a good man, and gardening can do for the psyche!
In all seriousness, I think this was the best written book of the trilogy - the plot moved along quickly and Mina covered the material of the previous two books a bit more skillfully than she had introduced it in the last one. Even all the resolutions felt really great . . . at first. It wasn't until about half an hour after I closed the book that I started to feel a little cheapened by it all -- these are some seriously disturbed characters and they are disturbed for many good reasons that, imho, would require extensive and prolonged therapy to resolve. It does the characters and the underlying point of all the books - about the damage that exists in society - a fundamental disservice to pretend that everything can be resolved by just not being "bitter" and focusing on the "happy."
In all seriousness, I think this was the best written book of the trilogy - the plot moved along quickly and Mina covered the material of the previous two books a bit more skillfully than she had introduced it in the last one. Even all the resolutions felt really great . . . at first. It wasn't until about half an hour after I closed the book that I started to feel a little cheapened by it all -- these are some seriously disturbed characters and they are disturbed for many good reasons that, imho, would require extensive and prolonged therapy to resolve. It does the characters and the underlying point of all the books - about the damage that exists in society - a fundamental disservice to pretend that everything can be resolved by just not being "bitter" and focusing on the "happy."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2012
a superb series. full of strong, believable women, all of whom are survivors and not victims.
January 14, 2016
Recension: ZellysBokhylla
September 19, 2017
Denise Mina's work is dark. Very dark. Her characters struggle with life, in seamy situations, following impossibly painful experiences. For instance, Maureen O'Donnell, works to make a life of some sort, as a survivor of childhood incest/rape and the recent murder of her [married] therapist/boyfriend. She drinks a bit. She wants to protect her sister's soon-to-be-born child from her father, even though most of her family paints her as the problem, not her father/rapist. If that weren't enough, she gets caught up in the life and death of Ella, a rather nasty old woman, who has a stall near her own in a market. The deeper Maureen gets into Ella's situation, the more dangerous things become for Maureen and the more she has to continue to dig.
Any reader in her right mind keeps telling Maureen that she is following the wrong path, to, if not let it go, at least find some other way to manage things. But Maureen can only do what she must, even though it can't lead anywhere good. Along the way, she remembers the dreams she had as a younger woman, the things she wanted out of life. This is bittersweet, as she realizes she will never achieve them.
If you aren't in a dark frame of mind when you begin reading this book, rest assured, soon you will be. Keep reading anyhow. It is well worth the pain. There are some unexpected twists in the novel, so things don't always go where you expect them to go. Mina is fantastic!
Any reader in her right mind keeps telling Maureen that she is following the wrong path, to, if not let it go, at least find some other way to manage things. But Maureen can only do what she must, even though it can't lead anywhere good. Along the way, she remembers the dreams she had as a younger woman, the things she wanted out of life. This is bittersweet, as she realizes she will never achieve them.
If you aren't in a dark frame of mind when you begin reading this book, rest assured, soon you will be. Keep reading anyhow. It is well worth the pain. There are some unexpected twists in the novel, so things don't always go where you expect them to go. Mina is fantastic!
April 30, 2024
Sad to be finished with the 'Garnethill' trilogy but it has been an excellent ride! Mina is a very talented writer and I have really fallen in love with Maureen, Leslie, Liam and all of the other crazy characters in this series. 'Resolution' is a little different from the other two books as it tries to tie many different strings up at the same time but overall it was an excellent finale.
The crime plot of 'Resolution' almost didn't have to be here, it seemed in a way like Mina felt as though she had to include a new mystery for Maureen to solve because that is the convention of the genre, and the template of the previous two novels. I did find it interesting and I liked meeting the new characters that it introduced, but it all got tied up and thrown to the side rather quickly. Clearly Mina wanted to focus more on Maureen's personal life and at this stage, in book three, so did I as a reader.
Everything that has built up over all three books for Maureen comes to an end and I think it was all done in a satisfying way. There was some darkness and some struggle but I left 'Resolution' feeling as though everything was indeed resolved. I will miss this cast of characters and I can definitely see myself returning to this series in the future, it is the type of crime-fiction that would still be just as entertaining even though you know the ending. Mina is just that good a writer.
The crime plot of 'Resolution' almost didn't have to be here, it seemed in a way like Mina felt as though she had to include a new mystery for Maureen to solve because that is the convention of the genre, and the template of the previous two novels. I did find it interesting and I liked meeting the new characters that it introduced, but it all got tied up and thrown to the side rather quickly. Clearly Mina wanted to focus more on Maureen's personal life and at this stage, in book three, so did I as a reader.
Everything that has built up over all three books for Maureen comes to an end and I think it was all done in a satisfying way. There was some darkness and some struggle but I left 'Resolution' feeling as though everything was indeed resolved. I will miss this cast of characters and I can definitely see myself returning to this series in the future, it is the type of crime-fiction that would still be just as entertaining even though you know the ending. Mina is just that good a writer.
February 28, 2020
A satisfying yet open-ended conclusion to the trilogy starring Maureen O'Donnell, varsity alcoholic,incest survivor, vigilante and all-around fun Glasgow girl and her posse of friends. Looking forward to sampling other books by Mina.
July 27, 2022
Raw an wild wrap up. Usually a series Pete’s a out a little but this one kept building. Such an awesome flawed set of characters. A wider scope than the first two, this was a very fast and furious read. I hope there will be more.
March 30, 2025
This was missing all of the coppers. All that intensity of the first one was gone. There was no rush, no strong emotion, everything felt like it had already been dealt with in the first one and this was a retelling.
June 28, 2021
Absolutely loved reading this trilogy from Denise Mina.
The character of Maureen was fantastic and with each book and turn of the page you got to know her and love her a little bit more. The plot and story was addictive and page turning and the end was a fitting finale to a trilogy that will stay with me for some time to come.
I highly recommend these books.
The character of Maureen was fantastic and with each book and turn of the page you got to know her and love her a little bit more. The plot and story was addictive and page turning and the end was a fitting finale to a trilogy that will stay with me for some time to come.
I highly recommend these books.
July 9, 2014
Resolution is the third book in the Garnethill trilogy by Denise Mina. I would highly recommend reading this series in order…or you will be completely lost.
It is hard to discuss too much about this book without giving away spoilers to the first two in the series, because this plot wraps up events from those books. On the whole this is a dark, gritty, violent series. It covers a gamut of issues from childhood sexual abuse, alcoholism, family dysfunction, infidelity, drug abuse, rape and of course murder. The protagonist, Maureen, as a drunken, self destructive incest survivor drives this whole trilogy. The closest character I can compare her to is Lisbeth Salander of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo fame.
The negatives with the books, all of them, for me occur whenever Maureen interacts with the police officers. Those scenes seem to range from unrealistic to cartoonlike, especially by book 3 in the series. Has Maureen learned nothing about the criminal justice system and dealing with police by that time?? Overall, a good trilogy with character development and growth over the course of the arc, an excellent sense of place, and a nicely woven plot, if perhaps a little too neatly tied up in the end.
It is hard to discuss too much about this book without giving away spoilers to the first two in the series, because this plot wraps up events from those books. On the whole this is a dark, gritty, violent series. It covers a gamut of issues from childhood sexual abuse, alcoholism, family dysfunction, infidelity, drug abuse, rape and of course murder. The protagonist, Maureen, as a drunken, self destructive incest survivor drives this whole trilogy. The closest character I can compare her to is Lisbeth Salander of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo fame.
The negatives with the books, all of them, for me occur whenever Maureen interacts with the police officers. Those scenes seem to range from unrealistic to cartoonlike, especially by book 3 in the series. Has Maureen learned nothing about the criminal justice system and dealing with police by that time?? Overall, a good trilogy with character development and growth over the course of the arc, an excellent sense of place, and a nicely woven plot, if perhaps a little too neatly tied up in the end.
April 3, 2020
I didn't think it was possible, but this book is even more terrifying and graphic than the first two. Her ability to describe minute details of a scene adds to both the drama and the repulsion, but I found myself unable to put it down as the story hurtled to its very satisfying, yet completely surprising denouement.
There were essentially six resolutions in this book:
her father, Michael
Angus Farrell (the man who murdered her boyfriend),
Siobhain (one of Angus' victims)
Si McGraw and his sister, Tonsa
Maureen
Maureen's family
That alone was impressive, but even more so when they were all resolved in out-of-left-field creative and yet believable ways. There were even some minor plot threads tied up. I didn't feel that anything was left to the imagination, but nothing was cliche or carelessly handled. Denise Mina is an immensely talented, gifted writer. I'm so glad I discovered her.
There were essentially six resolutions in this book:
her father, Michael
Angus Farrell (the man who murdered her boyfriend),
Siobhain (one of Angus' victims)
Si McGraw and his sister, Tonsa
Maureen
Maureen's family
That alone was impressive, but even more so when they were all resolved in out-of-left-field creative and yet believable ways. There were even some minor plot threads tied up. I didn't feel that anything was left to the imagination, but nothing was cliche or carelessly handled. Denise Mina is an immensely talented, gifted writer. I'm so glad I discovered her.
July 11, 2017
Truly disappointing when compared to the first book in the Garnethill trilogy. The main characters,
Maureen and Leslie seemed to have switched personalities. I was most interested in the murder trial and it was only a very small portion of the end of the book. I had to force myself to finish it just
to find out what happened at the trial.
Most of the story revolved around Maureen poking into the death of a woman who was barely an acquaintance and stumbling across a much larger criminal enterprise. It seemed too unbelievable. Other events in her family life happened and issues were resolved, which could have played a larger part of the story. If the author had stuck to that, I think it would have been a much better book.
Maureen and Leslie seemed to have switched personalities. I was most interested in the murder trial and it was only a very small portion of the end of the book. I had to force myself to finish it just
to find out what happened at the trial.
Most of the story revolved around Maureen poking into the death of a woman who was barely an acquaintance and stumbling across a much larger criminal enterprise. It seemed too unbelievable. Other events in her family life happened and issues were resolved, which could have played a larger part of the story. If the author had stuck to that, I think it would have been a much better book.
January 24, 2016
I liked this book, though not as much as other Denise Mina books. For me, the problem, or maybe annoyance, is also that of most contemporary whodunit writers who know detectives through TV and the movies, and of course other books, often written a long while ago. In her first trilogy, Mina's mystery unraveler is a reporter--a good guise and rationale for uncovering moral or ethical shmutz, as well as murder. In the Garnethill trilogy, of which this book is #3, I don't know what the protagonist is. Perhaps a busybody former mental patient, or just someone who can't help involving herself in her friends', her own, and the occcasional stranger's in need for empathy.
February 6, 2010
I love that Glasgow setting of these Maureen O'Donnell books. I've learned so much about Glasgow, and I really have a picture of the city in my head. The writing is wonderful, so vivid. It's just a tad too gritty for me, though, and I think I'll take a break from "hard-boiled" mysteries for a while.
June 3, 2012
Looking for the blueprint to Stieg Larsson's "Millennium" trilogy? Look no further than Denise Mina's "Garnethill" trilogy. These books could easily have been called "Men Who Hate Women." And, make Maureen O'Donnell a little younger and skinnier, give her some tattoos and body piercings, and make her a kick-ass computer hacker and what have you got? A Glaswegian Lisbeth Salander.
June 10, 2013
I'm beginning to care a little more about Maureen and Leslie, but just barely. It's good background about life in Glasgow in the modern era, but the plot is a little thin to stretch over three books. And the end of the monster is interesting if abrupt. I might read more by Denise Mina. I give the whole trilogy a 3.5 with a bullet.
November 29, 2014
Tredje och sista delen i serien om Maureen O'Donnell var jag egentligen inte alls lockad att läsa, eftersom jag inte gillat de två första speciellt mycket. Läs mer på http://bokslut.blogspot.se/2014/11/de...
December 28, 2007
Finishing the trilogy in style, with the perfect mix of anger, class consciousness, feminism, scottishness, morbidity, and wit. Read all 3 now, and I mean that.
July 4, 2021
This final book of Denise Mina’s Garnethill saga starts off with Maureen enrolled in a support group for survivors of incest. In addition to dealing with the new information that her sisters did not believe her, they have paid to move her destitute father back to Glasgow. She grew up with crippling anxiety and fears and frequent panic attacks.
Also, she may have to testify in the murder trial of the imprisoned doctor who worked in the mental hospital where she briefly was in treatment. He murdered her boyfriend in her apartment. He also committed numerous rapes of patients. He has vowed to kill Maureen because she gave him LSD, facilitating his mental breakdown and incarceration in an institution.
New wrinkle: Michael, Maureen’s father, is with her estranged sister Una and Una’s new baby daughter, who she named Maureen because there was no longer anyone in the family with that name, having disowned Maureen. Maureen wants to find a way to protect the baby, particularly since her family does not believe there was any abuse, and to prove it they are leaving the baby with Michael.
And if this isn’t enough, she has been subpoenaed in a murder trial, about the same time a friend dies and she suspects murder…
Suddenly, more than one person is trying to kill her. And she must locate and destroy a pedophile ring.
She is also breaking up a prostitution ring.
Remember: “Bitterness is a terrible thing. Sucks the good out of everything.” And: Anger’s a good thing. It makes us challenge things that aren’t fair.” That’s what keeps Maureen motivated.
The characters are fully flushed out, flawed and complicated. There are many plot lines to decipher and follow. It has been an interesting and intricate series, but does require a lot of time and energy to digest.
Also, she may have to testify in the murder trial of the imprisoned doctor who worked in the mental hospital where she briefly was in treatment. He murdered her boyfriend in her apartment. He also committed numerous rapes of patients. He has vowed to kill Maureen because she gave him LSD, facilitating his mental breakdown and incarceration in an institution.
New wrinkle: Michael, Maureen’s father, is with her estranged sister Una and Una’s new baby daughter, who she named Maureen because there was no longer anyone in the family with that name, having disowned Maureen. Maureen wants to find a way to protect the baby, particularly since her family does not believe there was any abuse, and to prove it they are leaving the baby with Michael.
And if this isn’t enough, she has been subpoenaed in a murder trial, about the same time a friend dies and she suspects murder…
Suddenly, more than one person is trying to kill her. And she must locate and destroy a pedophile ring.
She is also breaking up a prostitution ring.
Remember: “Bitterness is a terrible thing. Sucks the good out of everything.” And: Anger’s a good thing. It makes us challenge things that aren’t fair.” That’s what keeps Maureen motivated.
The characters are fully flushed out, flawed and complicated. There are many plot lines to decipher and follow. It has been an interesting and intricate series, but does require a lot of time and energy to digest.
July 24, 2023
Very glad I read this trilogy!
resolution - a firm decision to either do or not do something; quality of beng resolute
hoick - v. lift or pull abruptly or with effort. n. an abrupt pull
spiv - a man, typically characterized by flashy dress, who makes a living by disreputable dealings.
bodhran - a frame drum used in Irish music
brae - a steep bank or hillside. "a figure was spied struggling up the brae"
lumber - move in a slow, heavy, awkward way.
descant - n. an independent treble melody usually sung or played above a basic melody. v. talk tediously at length.
gee - verb: to command to a horse to go faster.
chancer - an unscrupulous or dishonest opportunist who is prepared to try any dubious scheme for making money or furthering his or her own ends.
shoogly - shaky, giddy, unsteady, rickety
uplighters - lights placed to throw illumination upward
rostrum - a raised platform on which a person makes a speech
louche - sordid or disreputable in an appealing way
smirr - A Scottish word to describe a fine, drifting rain or drizzle. A smirr (or smur in parts of England) is so light it seems like a mist or smoke
automatism - an act committed during a state of unconsciousness or grossly impaired consciousness. Such an act lacks mens rea or a guilty mind.
resolution - a firm decision to either do or not do something; quality of beng resolute
hoick - v. lift or pull abruptly or with effort. n. an abrupt pull
spiv - a man, typically characterized by flashy dress, who makes a living by disreputable dealings.
bodhran - a frame drum used in Irish music
brae - a steep bank or hillside. "a figure was spied struggling up the brae"
lumber - move in a slow, heavy, awkward way.
descant - n. an independent treble melody usually sung or played above a basic melody. v. talk tediously at length.
gee - verb: to command to a horse to go faster.
chancer - an unscrupulous or dishonest opportunist who is prepared to try any dubious scheme for making money or furthering his or her own ends.
shoogly - shaky, giddy, unsteady, rickety
uplighters - lights placed to throw illumination upward
rostrum - a raised platform on which a person makes a speech
louche - sordid or disreputable in an appealing way
smirr - A Scottish word to describe a fine, drifting rain or drizzle. A smirr (or smur in parts of England) is so light it seems like a mist or smoke
automatism - an act committed during a state of unconsciousness or grossly impaired consciousness. Such an act lacks mens rea or a guilty mind.
May 2, 2018
Enjoyable isn’t the right word for this book, or this series. Maureen and her family and friends are hard work, the way people in the real world are hard work. They drink too much and snipe each other and run around after inappropriate people and refuse to get their shit together. They’re complicated and though this is a buzzword usually directed at solely at women, unlikable. I don’t think I liked anyone in the three books (except maybe Kilty who was a very welcome addition to the crew, lightening up the murky frenemy vibe between Maureen and Leslie) but that’s not a bad thing. I smashed these books within a single week and have been thinking about them constantly ever since. They were poetic and interesting and when Leslie said “There’s not a man born who can raise a fist to me” and punched Kevin out, I laughed myself stupid. I cared about this story. At times I felt like I was in a city I’ve never visited and I drank so much sympathy coffee, tea and whiskey and even smoked some sympathy cigarettes because reading this made me want one so much (even though, like Kilty, I’m garbage at smoking properly.) I really rate these books and have so much admiration for Denise Mina’s talent.
November 21, 2019
This is a weird one! Mina’s writing about relationships is SO deft—there’s a scene in the first book where she shows Maureen’s fondness for her neighbour Jim blooming in response to a kind message and then abruptly fading as she actually spends time in his presence, and you and she both slowly realise the fondness was actually for a chimerical Jim generated by Maureen’s mind, and it is so well done I keep thinking about it two books later. And this book has that deftness but also a ridiculous technicolor fairy-tale ending and I don’t know how I feel about the combination! I find it hard to accept that Maureen would be able to take Doyle by surprise, stab him to death, and leave matters such that her father was convicted of the murder and there was no evidence of her presence. It felt very wish-fulfilmenty, in a similar way I suppose to the ending of book 1 but dialed ALL the way up to 11.
I also don’t love the epilogue, which struck me as very Harry Potter “happiness is a heterosexual relationship”. But I really enjoyed the trilogy and I did like this book.
I also don’t love the epilogue, which struck me as very Harry Potter “happiness is a heterosexual relationship”. But I really enjoyed the trilogy and I did like this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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