Garnethill (Denise Mina) Chapters 1-8

The history behind this book is interesting.  The author, coming from a low socio-economic stratum of Glasgow, Scotland, passed the exams to get into the Law School at Glasgow University, and received a grant to research a PhD thesis at Strathclyde University, but “misused” the grant, staying home to write her first novel, “Garnethill.”  The novel won the John Creasey Award for Best First Crime Novel.  It’s easy to see why.

Another example of one of my favorite genres, the “Tartan Noir” novels – “dark” crime novels by Scottish writers set in Scottish cities – this one is different from others I’ve admired in several ways.  The protagonist, instead of being a detective or crime researcher, is a young lady much like the author, who works at a movie-house and has a past history as a psychiatric patient and survivor of sexual abuse at the hands, etc. of her father.  (Did I mention this novel was “dark”?)  Scottish writers tend to use Scottish colloquialisms and slang, often without seeming to be aware that American readers might be thrown off a little (or, “a wee bit”).   Denise Mina’s use of “Scottishisms” is more extreme than some, but rarely to the point of confusing the reader.  In fact it adds a wee bit to the fun of reading a story set in a foreign country.

The writing style, the characters, and the plotting are all very direct.  After being introduced to the protagonist Maureen, and a couple of her friends in Chapter 1, we are immediately plunged into the crime scene in Chapter 2, which begins, ‘Douglas was tied into the blue kitchen chair with several strands of rope.  His throat had been cut clean across, right back to the vertebrae. . .’  Yep, it’s a murder mystery all right!  The important characters are all given enough depth to come across as much more than caricatures or stereotypes right down to the supporting role police office types who hover in the background.

Again, local color is added through the use of colloquialisms and slang:  a man is seen “havering around in the lobby,” a plainclothes policeman at the crime scene ‘ “You lot,” he said tetchily to the assembled neighbors…’ and Maureen says, ‘ “Would either of you have a cigarette I could blag?” and ‘ “I’ll be back by half-one” ‘ meaning either half past one or half an hour before one.  “Auch” is used as a mild expletive to indicate frustration at the beginning of a sentence.  I have previously mentioned a Scottish writer overusing the term “pulling a face” and we find it used once in the first quarter of this book as well.  There are Scottish writers who have written stories in which the Scottish brogue is presented as faithfully as possible, making for very difficult reading for Americans and English readers as well I gather.  Even Sir Walter Scott would give some of his more “backward” characters barely comprehensible lines.

The story follows Maureen through the realistically random events of the next few days after the murder of her married boyfriend, as the police question her and everyone she is close to, with apparently no suspects higher on the list than Maureen herself.  In the process, we get a glimpse of what life might be like for a typical young Glaswegian (that’s right: a person from Glasgow is a “Glaswegian” – go figure) as well as a not-so-typical girl with some major psychological baggage to contend with.  It’s not clear just how much that past is going to haunt her, but the Cupboard where she was found after an episode is already a factor.

Next Week:  Chapters 9-20

Week 3:  Chapters 21-27
Week 4:  Chapters 28-38