Eight gripping Northern Irish mysteries packed with wry humour, dark secrets — and a detective who doesn’t flinch when facing some of Belfast’s worst criminals.

DCI Gawn Girvin doesn’t do small talk. She doesn’t play office politics. And she definitely doesn’t share what’s going on behind that steely gaze — even with the husband who writes bestselling thrillers inspired by her life.

Whether it’s a man murdered mid-flight or a young woman found dead in a church with the word SORRY carved into her skin, it’s Gawn the PSNI turn to. With a tight-knit team at her side, she peels back layers of lies to expose trauma buried deep in Belfast’s past — and its uneasy present.

Each case brings her closer to a reckoning of her own — the trauma she carries, the choices she questions, the scars no one else can see.

Dark, atmospheric, and deeply human, these page-turning procedurals are full of action — and reveal a Belfast few outsiders ever truly understand.

Perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, Jane Casey, Dervla McTiernan, Val McDermid, and Denise Mina — readers who love smart, character-driven crime fiction with atmosphere, depth, and emotional punch.
Includes:

1. The Perfume Killer
2. Mid-Air Murder
3. False Appearances
4. The Funeral Murder
5. The Dark Staircase
6. The Hidden Past
7. The Burning Secrets
8. The Station Murder

DETECTIVE PROFILE
Detective Chief Inspector Gawn Girvin is everything a Belfast copper needs to be: composed under pressure, dogged in pursuit, and quietly subversive in the face of bureaucracy. Before joining the force, she served in the British Army, two tours of Afghanistan — an experience that left her unflinching in a crisis. She doesn't suffer fools or sentiment, but beneath the armour is someone shaped by pain.
Gawn is married to Sebastian York, a famous crime writer whose books borrow a little too freely from her cases. Their marriage is a puzzle — part affection, part friction — but it works. Just.
She trusts her small team. Keeps her enemies close. Haunted by her past, managing PTSD, and now facing the realities of impending motherhood, Gawn is a woman constantly pulled between duty and self-preservation.

SETTING
Belfast — sharp-edged, shifting, and never quite settled.
These novels move through all layers of the city: grand homes, grim tower blocks, country roads, empty warehouses. It’s a place where old wounds still throb under new glass facades, and where memory can be as dangerous as motive.
Linda Hagan’s Belfast feels lived-in — not just gritty but human, full of dry wit, political tension, and emotional depth. Every murder unearths more than just a killer.

⭐ THE BOOKS HAVE 100s OF FIVE STAR REVIEWS
★★★★★ “DCI Gawn Girvin is an interesting and believable lead character and this plot firmly connects her to all the action. Your imagination is gripped on every page.” — Sue Brooks
★★★★★ “A riveting crime novel that masterfully blends suspense, intricate plotting, and character exploration. A must-read for anyone who loves a well-crafted, suspenseful journey.” — BC
★★★★★ “10 out of 10. Keeps you guessing until the end. Love the whole series and the use of local area.” — Barbs
★★★★★ “Eighth book in the series and gets better with every book. I’m loving the more understanding Gawn… Hope there is more to come.” — B. Galbraith
★★★★★ “As fast-paced, as exciting, as intriguing and as riveting as the others. A page turner from start to finish.” — Kindle Customer