An extremely satisfying conclusion to the Maureen O'Donnell trilogy. I've spent so much time with Maureen and her dysfunctional friends and family over the last week or two that I'm going to miss them. ( )

An unusual crime novel as the protagonist is not a cop or detective or lawyer. The resolution was satisfying with a good twist. Good reading. ( )

Third in the [Garnethill] trilogy, a mystery that takes place in Glasgow. First of all, it was the characters themselves who kept me reading, flawed, courageous (sometimes accidentally so), loving, angry, violent, realistic and, ultimately, inspiring. Secondly, I know very little about Scotland and it was fun learning so much. Every time I picked up one of these books I found myself looking up a meaning for something, from architecture to food to pubs to politics and law. I am still amazed at the differences in the English language used in different countries, although really I don't know why because the English used in different states in the U.S. is often very different. However, for that I don't usually have to run to the dictionary.

There were a zillion twists and turns in this book and trilogy and I never knew what was going to happen. The stories play out on multiple levels. Highly recommended.

Five stars. ( )

In the conclusion of Mina's Garnethill trilogy, Maureen is forced to confront several of her demons at the same time. The trial of the man who gruesomely killed her lover in her apartment is about to start and she has to testify at it, the father who abused her as a child is back in town, and her sister is about to have a baby, frightening her about what her father might do to the baby. Then, because of a good deed she does for a strange old woman who also works in the down-at-the-heels market where Maureen and her friend Leslie are selling illegal cigarettes, she uncovers what is really going on at a brothel. Fortunately for Maureen, because a lot of creepy things are happening, her friendship with Leslie has been repaired, she has her new friend Kilty, and her brother Liam still is her only connection to her family, although her newly sober mother keeps calling her.

As with the earlier novels in this trilogy, the strengths of this one are the characters, the portrayal of the underside of Glasgow, and the pacing. The plot was interesting enough to keep me reading although, especially at the end, some of it strained my credulity, including the impact of various plot developments on Maureen. But I will read more Mina.

Spoiler(?):
The most shocking twist was the happy ending.

Favorite lines:
"His chin was so weak it looked as if he was recoiling from the world in disgust."

"The soft breeze caressed her face, brushing her hair back like a kind mother..."

"'Oh, for fuck's sake, Leslie,' snapped Maureen, 'being humiliated doesn't mean you've done anything special, it just means you got out of bed. Life's humiliating.'" ( )