Irish Fiction Books of the Year (So Far!)

by John Boyne

€15.59

'An exhilarating read' Spectator 'Unsettling and utterly compelling' Woman and Home 'incredibly well-written' Good Housekeeping 'Hypnotically clean, clear prose... powerful and memorable' Irish Times 'You will hurtle through the book, because it is such a compelling story' Irish Examiner From internationally bestselling author John Boyne, a challenging and visceral narrative that asks the question: can one cataclysmic moment turn someone into a monster? On the face of it, Freya lives a gilded existence, dancing solely to her own tune. She has all the trappings of wealth and privilege, a responsible job as a surgeon specialising in skin grafts, a beautiful flat in a sought-after development, and a flash car. But it wasn't always like this. Hers is a life founded on darkness. Did what happened to Freya as a child one fateful summer influence the adult she would become - or was she always destined to be that person? Was she born with cruelty in her heart or did something force it into being? In Fire , John Boyne takes the reader on a chilling, uncomfortable but utterly compelling psychological journey to the epicentre of the human condition, asking the age-old question: nurture - or nature?  Praise for John Boyne 'One of the greatest craftsmen in contemporary literature' Colum McCann 'Among the world's greatest storytellers' Donal Ryan 'One of the most assured novelists of his generation' Observer Irish Times bestseller, May 2024

by Kevin Barry

€16.99

Butte, Montana, October 1891, and a hard winter approaches across the Rocky Mountains. The city is rich on copper mines and rampant with vice and debauchery among a hard-living crowd of immigrant Irish workers. Here we find Tom Rourke, a young poet and balladmaker of the town, but also a doper, a drinker, and a fearsome degenerate. Just as he feels his life is heading nowhere fast, Polly Gillespie arrives in town as the new bride of the extremely devout mine captain Long Anthony Harrington. Athunderbolt love affair takes spark between Tom and Polly and they strike out west on a stolen horse, moving through the bad-lands of Montana and Idaho, and briefly an idyll of wild romance perfects itself. But a posse of deranged Cornish gunsmen are soon in hot pursuit of the lovers, and closing in fast...

by Martina Devlin

€16.95

   Charlotte Brontë dazzled the world with some of literature's most vital, richly-drawn characters. She spent her brief but extraordinary life in search of love - and eventually found it with Arthur Bell Nicholls, her father's curate, a reserved yet passionate Irishman. The pair honeymooned in Ireland, though their joy was quenched nine months later when Charlotte died in March 1855. The aura of mystery surrounding the enigmatic author was only to intensify after her death. Charlotte is the story of two marriages and three lives irrevocably intertwined, told by the woman who went on to wed Brontë's widower. Theirs was a love triangle of devotion and heartache, friendship and deception, passion and obsession. Martina Devlin's enthralling novel re-envisions Charlotte's pivotal time in Ireland, weaving back and forth through the novelist's life and afterlife. It reflects upon the myths built up by those who knew her, those who thought they did, and those who longed to.   'I was utterly enthralled by this fictional rendering of Charlotte Brontë's life-and its aftermath-as viewed through the eyes of her husband's second wife. This is a powerful and compelling novel that expertly imagines the lives and times of those closest to Brontë, and captivates the reader with its cleverness and eloquence.' Mary Costello   'In Charlotte, the raw gold of Charlotte Brontë's marriage to Arthur Nicholls has been wrought in a wonderful artefact; this is a beautiful novel full of mystery, intrigue and story.' Carlo Gébler  

by Emily Hourican

€15.99

When Kathleen 'Kick' Kennedy left London four years ago, Europe was facing war and Billy Cavendish, the man she loved, had told her he could never marry her. Now, as London stands a shell of its former self, Kick returns to volunteer with the Red Cross, determined to do what she can for the city that holds a part of her heart, and to reconnect with Billy - despite what London society thinks of her. For Lady Brigid Guinness, life is unrecognisable. She has swapped dinner parties, social engagements and high fashion for long shifts as a nurse helping wounded soldiers. And the only person she can really talk to is a man shunned by her inner circle. When Sissy, a young Irish girl, arrives from Wicklow under the care of the Guinness family, she brings her own secrets and all three women begin to realise that in a time of war, friendship might be the only thing they can rely on. A Kennedy Affair is a story of forbidden love, family discord, and how in the worst of times, we can discover the best of ourselves, and each other.

by Dermot Bolger

€16.95

Hidden behind the walls of Grangegorman Mental Hospital in 1941, four lives collide, all afflicted by the human cost of wars, betrayals and trauma. Gus, a shrewd attendant, is the keeper of everyone's secrets, especially his own. Two War of Independence veterans are reunited. One, Jimmy Nolan, has spent twenty years as a psychiatric patient, unable to recover from his involvement in youthful killings. In contrast, Francis Dillon has prospered as a businessman, until rumours of Civil War atrocities cause his collapse, suffering delusions of enemies seeking to kill him. Doctor Fairfax has fled London after his gay lover's death. Desperate to rekindle a sense of purpose, Fairfax tries to help Dillon recover by getting him to talk about his past. But a code of silence surrounds the traumatic violence Ireland has endured. Is Dillon willing to break his silence to find a way back to his family? In this superb evocation of hidden worlds, master storyteller Dermot Bolger explores the aftershock within people who participate in violence and the fault-lines in all post-conflict societies only held together by collective amnesia.

by Chloe Walsh

€10.99

Taming 7 is an epic and unforgettable love story in the international bestselling and TikTok-phenomenon The Boys of Tommen series, from Chloe Walsh. The power and pain of first love has never been more deeply felt than in Chloe Walsh's extraordinary stories about the irresistible Boys of Tommen, which will give you the ultimate book hangover. Reader reactions: “This universe is all consuming. Chloe Walsh has some serious talent” ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ “I adore this world and the found family this series has brought into my life and I don't know what I was before I read this” ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ “Chloe Walsh will always be my number one author” ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ She is the quintessential sunshine girl. He is the lovable class clown. But storm clouds are rolling in, and this Tommen boy is about to get serious. Tommen's cheeky lad, Gerard “Gibsie” Gibson, is a comedian at heart, but underneath his happy-go-lucky nature lurks a broken boy, tortured by the events of his past. Using humour to cope with his demons, Gibsie hides everything from the world. Only one person knows who he truly is on the inside. His friend's little sister. His Claire-bear. Enveloped in sunshine, Claire Biggs has spent her whole life adoring the boy across the street. Her brother's friend. Seeing a side to Gerard that no one else sees, Claire is determined to tame her wild-at-heart childhood best friend. But when the unexpected occurs and lines are crossed, will Gibsie and Claire's friendship survive? Will it blossom into something more, or will they lose themselves in the riptide? Read all of The Boys of Tommen series: Binding 13 Keeping 13 Saving 6 Redeeming 6 Taming 7

by Richy Craven

€11.99

Danny Hook is a directionless twenty-something year old fresh out of therapy. Dealing with his disappointed family and dead-end career, he's sure things couldn't get much worse, until a drink-driving accident leaves his best friend Nudge dead. Danny also discovers he can see ghosts - but only when he's drunk. Saddled with a best friend who can't leave his side, they must figure out what's going on and why Nudge can't cross over. Can Danny negotiate family life, therapy and a ghost that refuses to fade into the background before time runs out?

by John Boyne

€15.59

It’s the tabloid sensation of the year: two well-known footballers standing in the dock, charged with sexual assault, a series of vile text messages pointing towards their guilt. As the trial unfolds, Evan Keogh reflects on the events that have led him to this moment. Since leaving his island home, his life has been a lie on many levels. He’s a talented footballer who wanted to be an artist. A gay man in a sport that rejects diversity. A defendant whose knowledge of what took place on that fateful night threatens more than just his freedom or career. The jury will deliver a verdict but, before they do, Evan must judge for himself whether the man he has become is the man he wanted to be