Biography & True Crime

by Katriona O'Sullivan

€10.99

Ideal for readers who: Read memoirs about poverty, education and social mobility in Ireland. Are interested in how small acts of support can change a life. Would value a firsthand story shaped by homelessness, young motherhood and academia. Prefer powerful, compassionate non-fiction that stays with you. EASON FAVOURITE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 The No. 1 Bestseller, Biography of the Year, Irish Book Awards 2023 The Last Word Listeners' Choice Award, Irish Book Awards 2023 "One of the best [books] I have read about the complexities of poverty... one of the most remarkable people you will ever meet" – Guardian Like young girls everywhere, Katriona O'Sullivan grew up bright, enthusiastic, and curious. But she was also surrounded by abject poverty and chaos, and after becoming pregnant and homeless at 15, she spent five years barely surviving. Today, Katriona is an award-winning academic whose work explores barriers to education for girls like her. In Poor by Katriona O'Sullivan, she shares what set her on this unexpected path: the mentors and supporters who truly saw her. Teachers who showed her how to wash in the school toilets or visited her home to convince her to sit at least one GCSE exam. A community worker who encouraged her to apply for training schemes. A friend who introduced her to Trinity College’s access program while she was a cleaner. Simple acts that helped her turn her life around. Told with warmth, clarity, and compassion—for her parents, her younger self, and others—Poor is both a powerful personal testimony and an impassioned plea for the future of our children. Praise for Poor and Katriona O’Sullivan: "Powerful—Katriona is a legend." —Barry Keoghan "Raw, passionate, and resolutely honest—I’ll never forget it." —Annie Mac "Full of insight... so important." —Fi Glover, Times Radio "I read Poor in one sitting. It’s compelling, moving, uplifting, brave, heroic." —Nuala McGovern, Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio Four "Moving, funny, brave, and original—absolutely incredible." —Róisín Ingle, Irish Times Women’s Podcast "One of the books of the year." —Patrick Kielty, Late Late Show, RTÉ One "One of the most important books I have ever read—a beautiful story of determination despite the odds." —Lynn Ruane, Irish Times "Fearless, funny, and searingly honest." —Adil Ray OBE "Raw and remarkable." —Irish Independent "A book of empowerment and hope." —Patricia Scanlan "Remarkable... a vivid retelling of Katriona flourishing, despite her beginnings." —BBC News West Midlands

by Harry McGee

€12.99

'An incredible and compelling story' MATT COOPER 'Gripping, unpretentious, brilliant and unputdownable' BUSINESS POST A Murderer. A Leader. The Scandal of an Era. In the summer of 1982, Irish aristocrat Malcolm Macarthur embarked on a brutal killing spree in a doomed plan to remedy his financial woes. Two weeks later, in a sensational turn of events, he was arrested in the home of Attorney General Patrick Connolly. The scandal attracted worldwide headlines and resulted in untold damage to then Taoiseach Charles Haughey. The words he used to describe the dark events - grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre and unprecedented - coined the era-defining phrase GUBU. Here, award-winning political journalist Harry McGee retraces the happenings of that long hot summer and beyond. From the cat-and-mouse game to track down an unpredictable killer to Macarthur's extraordinary capture, he considers both the life and psyche of a murderer, and that of the leading political figure of the time - a man similarly driven by greed, status and a sense of himself as existing above the law. Including previously unknown aspects of the trial and interaction with Malcolm Macarthur himself, The Murderer and the Taoiseach is a compulsive journey through tragedy and scandal. 'Brisk, illuminating, crackling with detail' TONY CONNELLY 'A brilliant account of shocking crimes and the dramatic political crisis they caused' DAVID McCULLAGH

by Tracey Corbett-Lynch

€19.99

In August 2015, Limerick man Jason Corbett was killed by his wife, Molly Martens, and her father, ex-FBI agent Tom Martens, in the bedroom of their luxury North Carolina home. He had been savagely beaten to death with a baseball bat and brick while his children slept nearby. For his sister, Tracey Corbett-Lynch, and the rest of his family in Ireland it was just the beginning of the nightmare that would involve a custody battle for his orphaned children, an online hate campaign by Molly Martens and a gripping trial that would lead to her conviction, alongside her father, for his murder. But that was not the end of it. Tom and Molly Martens’ convictions were later quashed on appeal and the pair agreed a plea deal, accepting the charges of voluntary manslaughter in relation to the killing. Now fully updated to include details of the 2023 sentencing hearing, My Brother Jason reveals the full and shocking story of what Molly and Tom Martens tried to get away with. ‘A compelling, sobering story of justice finally done and of the love and commitment of a single family coping with unimaginable tragedy’ THE SUNDAY BUSINESS POST

by John Sweetman

€15.99

A PAGE-TURNING DETECTIVE MEMOIR WHICH REVEALS THE FORENSIC METHODSTHAT HELPED SOLVE PROMINENT IRISH CRIMES. When a violent incident led young misfit garda John Sweetman into the Garda Technical Bureau with incriminating evidence, he found his true calling. He spent the next 25 years as a detective garda working on the frontline of crime scene investigations - as both a fingerprint expert and, in later years, a forensic handwriting and document expert. His tenacity and natural eye for detail led him to becoming involved in many criminal investigations and high-profile cases. From the brutal murder of Marie Dillon in Finglas in 1998 to the gangland killing of Raymond Salinger in 2003, John was involved in the search for forensic evidence at these and other crime scenes. He later employed his handwriting expertise in examining fraudulence, threatening letters and counterfeit documents, as well as the investigations into the murders of Jasmine McGonagle and student Jastine Valdez and the horrific Hawe familicide in Cavan in 2016. Identity is both a fascinating insight into specialist forensic fields, which peeks behind the curtain of how crimes are solved, and a bravely told story of a nonconformist detective in a remarkable career. 'I am determined this case is not going to be forgotten. This man is dangerous and has to be found.' FROM THE PROLOGUE

by Christy Mangan

€12.99

The No. 1 bestselling story of one of Ireland's top homicide investigators 'Thrilling and insightful' Ray D'Arcy, RTÉ 'Intriguing . . . a great read . . . it's the story of Ireland in a way' Nicola Tallant 'Important and compassionate' Irish Times * * * 'A fascinating, deeply personal journey inside of some of the most high-profile and grotesque crimes of the past four decades . . . a rare insight into the darkest recess of human nature' Paul Williams, Irish Independent After a forty-year career in the gardaì Christy Mangan knows how hard it is to solve a murder. Now, in Cracking the Case, he takes a deep dive into how investigations are run. The book includes infamous and iconic cases such as that of Fr Niall Molloy whose violent death after a high society wedding became a source of feverish conspiracy theories; the notorious 'Scissor Sisters' case in which two sisters killed and dismembered their mother's abusive lover; and the tragic murder of teenager, Keane Mulready-Woods, as part of a gangland turf war in Drogheda. In these and other fascinating stories, Mangan details the care investigators take in trying to give victims' families answers and to see justice done. He also shows a deep understanding of the complex reasons people are drawn into crime or commit unthinkable acts. Cracking the Case is a remarkable insight into the mind of a gifted garda working at the highest level. Christy Mangan retired at the rank of chief superintendent in 2022. * * * 'The people who most ought to read it are the country's lawmakers and the top rank of An Garda Sìochána' Irish Times 'Lots of fascinating stories' Matt Cooper, Today FM 'Compelling' RTÉ Guide

by Miriam Mulcahy

€12.76

'Prose written with the pen of a poet' - Desmond Morris, author of The Naked Ape 'Full of wisdom and poetry and epic emotion, This is My Sea explores grief, memory and loss through vivid words and striking imagery. It echoes lost summers and the beauty of life, like a shell held to the ear' - Ed O'Loughlin, author of The Last Good Funeral of the Year Over the course of seven difficult years Miriam Mulcahy lost her mother, father and sister, each grief threatening to drown her. But instead of going under she discovered the lessons of the sea, letting the water teach her how to get through anything in life: one breath builds on another, another stroke, another kick and you will get home. THIS IS MY SEA takes our greatest fear, death, and wraps it up in language so fine and beautiful that the reader is carried along and comforted by how completely lost Miriam was and how she found solace in all the things that sustained her: books, music, art, friends, love, swimming, and of course the sea. Shortlisted for the Bookstation Lifestyle Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards 2023. For fans of The Salt Path by Raynor Winn and I Found my Tribe by Ruth Fitzmaurice.

by George Hamilton

€18.39

The incomparable George Hamilton returns with a superb offering of travails and anecdotes spanning his five decades on our airwaves and on our screens, always at the heart of Irish culture. Picking up where his first offering, The Nation Holds Its Breath, left off, George continues to illuminate the path that took him from the Cregagh Road in Belfast to the most extraordinary locations across the world. Whether going behind the scenes of his beloved Lyric FM show or reliving the dramatic events of the 100-metre final at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the reader will be captivated once more by George's storytelling as he expertly weaves tales and paints the most evocative pictures. Sport, music and travel are intertwined throughout - George's love for all three evident on every page. His writing style is consistently surprising; the reader is never quite certain where George is taking them but few will be able to resist being caught up in the stories and going along for the ride. The Hamilton Notes is a delightful manifestation of that old adage - 'It's not the destination, it's the journey.' And there could be no finer raconteur to guide the reader along the way.

by Niall Harbison

€13.05

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Most people think I save dogs, but really they saved me. Niall Harbison is a dog hero based in Thailand. He spends his days feeding, caring for and rescuing the many street dogs he comes across. With every rescue there's a story. Like the sweet gentle McMuffin who was found with many tumours and hours from death, only to be nursed back to health. She now lives with Niall and is a popular member of the pack. Then there is King Whacker - who escaped a vicious attack and is now ruling the nest living up to his name as the king of the all good dogs. And who could resist the puppy eyes of little Rodney, the beautiful dog with big paws who is melting millions of hearts around the world.Originally from Dublin, Niall was the owner of a successful advertising company. After selling it, he moved to Thailand where his addictions - drugs and alcohol - almost got the better of him. One day he woke up in hospital, close to death, and realised that something had to change. And that was what spurred him on to start saving and helping street dogs. His aim is to help 10,000 street dogs.This is his story.

by Arthur Mathews

€17.99

In July 1927, at just thirty-five years old, Kevin O'Higgins was assassinated on his way to mass in Booterstown. A memorial plaque in his honour unveiled at the site in 2012 was removed after just two weeks due to persistent vandalism. In this compelling biography, Arthur Mathews examines the enduring hatred of O'Higgins through the lens of his close friends and many enemies. Appointed Minister for Home Affairs in 1922, O'Higgins resorted to draconian measures to fight the lawlessness that swelled in the wake of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. In an act that would seal his fate, he signed off on the execution of seventy seven anti-Treaty prisoners, including Rory O'Connor, who had been best man at his wedding the year before. As the hostility between former comrades intensified, O'Higgins was now a prime target for the incensed 'irregulars'. Holed up in government buildings in the years preceding his assassination, he described himself as being 'walled in by hate'. The complex legacy of Kevin O'Higgins encapsulates the bitter divisions of the Irish Civil War, and he remains one of the most compelling characters to emerge from the conflict.

by Pat Sheedy

€17.99

Aged just 12, Patrick Sheedy placed his first bet for 10p and devised his first scam, marking the beginning of his life as a compulsive gambler and one of Ireland’s most notorious con artists. Nearly 40 years on, after accumulating almost 100 criminal convictions, gambling away over a million euro and serving time in some of Ireland’s toughest prisons, he is finally in control of his addiction and in the process of turning his life around. Sheedy’s is a tale of compulsive gambling and one man’s decades-long battle with addiction and the terrible lengths he went to feed it. Shocking, gripping and powerfully honest, A Hundred to One is the tell-all story of the author’s pursuit of ‘the big win’ at the cost of everyone and everything around him. It is also a hopeful reminder that recovery is possible, even from the depths of addiction.

by Nicola Tallant

€12.76

COCAINE COWBOYS tells the story of Ireland's love affair with cocaine since it first washed ashore on Cork's rugged coast to the billion-euro trade it has become. From Ireland's first cocaine lord and his attempts to establish a direct route from Miami to Dublin to the modern-day violence that led to the brutal dismemberment of teenager Keane Mulready Woods, the book will follow the stories and the increasing chaos that has engulfed those desperate for a slice of this modern day gold rush. Along the way it details how cocaine has woven bonds between high society and the underworld, tracing the deal that killed the model Katy French and detailing how the Kinahan Cartel and Ireland's one time richest and most influential family joined forces to wash dirty money. COCAINE COWBOYS is the definitive tale of the rise of Colombia's most famous export to become the drug of a nation.

by Amanda Brown

€18.99

In this candid memoir, Amanda Brown chronicles the unimaginable sexual abuse she suffered from the age of eight at the hands of her stepfather, Davy Tweed. No Peace Until He's Dead offers a raw and unflinching account of Amanda's childhood years marred both by the domestic abuse suffered by her mother at the hands of Tweed, and her own appalling trauma leading to her courageous pursuit of justice and recovery. Davy Tweed, a DUP councillor, Orangeman and lauded rugby player for both Ulster and Ireland, maintained the veneer of upstanding citizen through his political and sporting life, yet he was unafraid to show an intimidating streak in public, notably with his involvement in the Harryville pickets, at which he was an unrelenting and vocal figure. However, this public ugliness paled in comparison to the violent incestuous paedophile he was behind closed doors. This transformative memoir was born of Amanda's unwavering determination to find her voice and advocate for other survivors of domestic and sexual abuse. No Peace Until He's Dead forces us to confront a subject so often obscured by fear and shame, and serves as a testament that those who have suffered can overcome their past and find happiness.

by Dan Lawton

€18.99

On Sunday, 26 November 1978, two IRA gunmen kicked in the front door at 8 Evelyn Gardens in Belfast, the home of Maze prison official Albert Miles. They executed Miles in front of his family and vanished into the night. In 1983 twenty-four-year-old Catholic taxi driver Kevin Barry Artt was convicted and sentenced to life for Miles' murder, falsely named by an IRA member-turned-jailhouse-informant. On his way to the Maze in handcuffs, Artt resolutely professed his innocence. Six weeks into his life sentence, he escaped in one of the most daring and notorious prison breaks in history, fleeing to California and going underground. The epic legal saga that followed spanned one ocean, two court systems and nearly three decades, as Artt was relentlessly pursued by the British government, aided by the US Department of State and the FBI. Dan Lawton discovered the vital piece of evidence that caused the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal to throw out Artt's murder case in 2020, and in Hunted, he has forensically chronicled Kevin Barry Artt's surreal story of survival and redemption.

by Mark O'Connell

€10.99

In 1982 Malcolm Macarthur, the wealthy heir to a small estate, found himself suddenly without money. The solution, he decided, was to rob a bank. To do this, he would need a gun and a car. In the process of procuring them, he killed two people, and the circumstances of his eventual arrest in the apartment of Ireland's Attorney General nearly brought down the government. The case remains one of the most shocking in Ireland's history. Mark O'Connell has long been haunted by the story of this brutal double murder. But in recent years this haunting has become mutual. When O'Connell sets out to unravel the mysteries still surrounding these horrific and inexplicable crimes, he tracks down Macarthur himself, now an elderly man living out his days in Dublin and reluctant to talk. As the two men circle one another, O'Connell is pushed into a confrontation with his own narrative: what does it mean to write about a murderer?

by Matthew Perry

€12.99

'There's never been a more honest or raw memoir . . . and it may just save lives' Daily Mail 'Funny, fascinating, compelling . . . also a wonderful read for fans of Friends' The Times 'HI, MY NAME IS MATTHEW, although you may know me by my full name. My friends call me Matty.' So begins the riveting story of acclaimed actor Matthew Perry, taking us along on his journey from childhood ambition to fame to addiction and recovery in the aftermath of a life-threatening health scare. Before the frequent hospital visits and stints in rehab, there was five-year-old Matthew, who travelled from Montreal to Los Angeles, shuffling between his separated parents; fourteen-year-old Matthew, who was a nationally ranked tennis star in Canada; twenty-four-year-old Matthew, who nabbed a coveted role as a lead cast member on the talked-about pilot then called Friends Like Us . . . and so much more. In an extraordinary story that only he could tell - and in the heartfelt, hilarious, and warmly familiar way only he could tell it - Matthew Perry lays bare the fractured family that raised him (and also left him to his own devices), the desire for recognition that drove him to fame, and the void inside him that could not be filled even by his greatest dreams coming true. But he also details the peace he's found in sobriety and how he feels about the ubiquity of Friends, sharing stories about his castmates and other stars he met along the way. Frank, self-aware, and with his trademark humour, Perry vividly depicts his lifelong battle with addiction and what fuelled it despite seemingly having it all. 'An unflinching and often harrowing must-read for 90s pop culture fans' Guardian 'Written with Chandler's trademark sarcasm and self-deprecation' Telegraph 'A hopeful read . . . I started to think of [it] not as a celebrity memoir about addiction, but as an addiction memoir written by a man who understands his own history through the prism of showbiz' Independent

by Billy Connolly

€13.56

THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING HILARIOUS NEW BOOK FROM THE NATION'S FAVOURITE COMEDIAN, BILLY CONNOLLY Being a Rambling Man was what I always wanted to be, to live the way I damn well pleased. I've met the weirdest and most wonderful people who walk the Earth, seen the most bizarre and the most fantastic sights - and I've rarely come across something I couldn't get a laugh at. I don't think I've ever had a bad trip. Well, apart from in the 1970s, but that's a whole other story . . . When Billy set out from Glasgow as a young man he never looked back. He played his banjo on boats and trains, under trees, and on top of famous monuments. He danced naked in snow, wind and fire. He slept in bus stations, under bridges and on strangers' floors. He travelled by foot, bike, ship, plane, sleigh - even piggy-backed - to get to his next destination. Billy has wandered to every corner of the earth and believes that being a Rambling Man is about more than just travelling - it's a state of mind. Rambling Men and Women are free spirits who live on their wits, are interested in people and endlessly curious about the world. They love to play music, make art or tell stories along the way but, above all, they have a longing in their heart for the open road. In his joyful new book, Billy explores this philosophy and how it has shaped him, and he shares hilarious new stories from his lifetime on the road. From riding his trike down America's famous Route 66, building an igloo on an iceberg in the Arctic, playing elephant polo (badly) in Nepal and crashing his motorbike (more than once), to eating witchetty grubs in Australia, being serenaded by a penguin in New Zealand, and swapping secrets in a traditional Sweat Lodge ritual in Canada, Rambling Man is a truly global adventure with the greatest possible travel companion.