The Recurring Cast
Character guide · 13 books · 1998 to 2022 · Mostly set in Glasgow

Denise Mina

Crime and mysteryPolice proceduralAmateur sleuthNoir and hardboiled

Glasgow is the city of all Mina’s series: Maureen O’Donnell in the Garnethill trilogy, trainee journalist Paddy Meehan in the 1980s, Detective Inspector Alex Morrow, and true-crime podcast fan Anna McDonald.

Best estimate, compiled from series guides, publisher descriptions and reviews where available, and from memory otherwise. Book level only, not chapter level. Minor includes cameos and brief references. Each book carries a confidence rating in its tooltip. Standalones are left out.

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Who appears in which book

Click a name to follow that character from book to book, or a book title to see its cast.

LLeadMMajor·MinorHas a note
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Denise Mina books in order

Each series in publication order, with its lead characters. Where the story runs in a different order, switch to Story order. Crossover books are marked and listed under their main series. Use My books to track what you have read.

Garnethill

3 books · Set in GlasgowNoir and hardboiled
  1. 1Garnethill1998With Maureen O’DonnellBuy on Amazon
  2. 2Exile2000With Maureen O’DonnellBuy on Amazon
  3. 3Resolution2001With Maureen O’DonnellBuy on Amazon

Paddy Meehan

3 books · Set in GlasgowNoir and hardboiled
  1. 1The Field of Blood2005With Paddy MeehanBuy on Amazon
  2. 2The Dead Hour2006With Paddy MeehanBuy on Amazon
  3. 3The Last Breath2007With Paddy MeehanBuy on Amazon

Alex Morrow

5 books · Set in GlasgowPolice procedural
  1. 1Still Midnight2009With Alex MorrowBuy on Amazon
  2. 2The End of the Wasp Season2011With Alex MorrowBuy on Amazon
  3. 3Gods and Beasts2012With Alex MorrowBuy on Amazon
  4. 4The Red Road2013With Alex MorrowBuy on Amazon
  5. 5Blood, Salt, Water2015With Alex MorrowBuy on Amazon

Anna and Fin

2 books · Set in various placesAmateur sleuth
  1. 1Conviction2019With Anna McDonaldBuy on Amazon
  2. 2Confidence2022With Anna McDonaldBuy on Amazon

Characters

6 recurring and key characters, with the book each one first appears in.

Glasgow