Crime Scene Ireland

1. Gilligan

by Paul Williams

€14.99 €21.00

John Gilligan is one of the most notorious and hated criminal figures in Irish history. His name is indelibly etched in the national psyche a quarter of a century after he crossed the line to organise the execution of the fearless, high-profile journalist Veronica Guerin. Gilligan's motive for the assassination was, in the words of the prosecution at a subsequent murder trial, 'the necessity of having to protect an evil empire'. At the time Gilligan was one of the most powerful and feared godfathers in the country who controlled a colossal drugs empire and the underworld's most dangerous mob.Gilligan tells the story of a young man's rise through the ranks of gangland following his journey from petty thief to public enemy number one. He was part of the generation of young criminals - like the General, the Cahills, the Hutches - who ushered in the phenomenon of organised crime in Ireland and became household names in the process.This close-up look at a criminal mastermind contains new details including a graphic account of the planning of the Guerin murder, drawn from a sealed statement which was never used, and the prison time and criminal activity which have occupied Gilligan since, up to his recent arrest in Spain on drug trafficking charges.

2. Clash of the clans

by Nicola Tallant

€11.99 €21.00

‘Peerless. Fearless. Nicola Tallant writes with total authority and unrivalled insight.’ DARRAGH MacIntyre CLASH OF THE CLANS is a story that traces the emergence of the Irish mafia from the streets of Dublin to the highest echelons of global organised crime and right into the heart of professional boxing. When a weigh-in turns into a gangland bloodbath, the tables begin to turn on the powerful Kinahan Organised Crime Group. But is it too late to tame the beast or can the law finally catch up with the mob? Bestselling author and award-winning crime journalist Nicola Tallant brings the reader on her own journey of discovery as she delves into the dangerous underworld where a golden era of cocaine turned a brat pack of street dealers into an international mafia.With a unique insight into the rise of mob and its reach into boxing through a tapestry of confidential informants and some too-close-for-comfort experiences, Tallant brings to life one of the most extraordinary stories in modern organised crime. Following the trail from the local authority estates of the Irish capital to the gilded mansions of Dubai, Clash of the Clans: The Rise of the Irish Narcos and Boxing’s Dirty Secret powers through the intriguing tale of the cocaine cowboys and the rivalries that threaten to bring down an empire.

3. A dream of death

by Ralph Riegel

€12.74 €17.99

'It was French film-maker Sophie Toscan du Plantier's dream to have a holiday home in beautiful Schull in west Cork. But on 23 December 1996, she was brutally murdered outside that holiday home, the poetry book she had been reading chillingly left open on a page occupied by the Yeats poem 'A Dream of Death'. For 23 years the story of her murder has not left the headlines, the victim overshadowed by Ian Bailey, the main suspect in the case, who has consistently maintained his innocence and claimed attempts were made to frame him for the crime, but who was the focus of a historic trial in absentia in Paris in 2019. Here, in the definitive account of what became Ireland's most notorious unsolved crime, Ralph Riegel delves into the facts and theories of the unsolved murder that caused such shock waves in Sophie's native France and in the quiet Cork countryside she had chosen as her retreat.

4. The cartel

by Stephen Breen

€9.49 €14.00

The No.1 Bestseller The definitive account of the rise of the Kinahan gang and the deadly feud that shocked a nation and brought the gang to the edge of destruction. __________ February 2016. A daring gun attack in the Regency Hotel brings Dubliner Christy Kinahan and his international criminal cartel to a horrified public's attention. Kinahan's son Daniel, the target of the attack, escapes. A trusted henchman dies at the scene. And the deadly rivalry between the Kinahans and the family and associates of the veteran Dublin gangster Gerry Hutch becomes all-out war. It results in a never-before-seen level of international cooperation - including Irish, UK and US police forces - to topple the Kinahan gang. The Cartel offers a unique behind-the-scenes account of how the Kinahan organised crime organisation got so big, and why a local feud sowed the seeds for the gang's destruction. __________ 'It's incisive, it's intriguing, it's fascinating' Ryan Tubridy 'Fascinating!' Keith Ward, FM104

5. Death on Ireland's eye

by Dean Ruxton

€16.99

A tragic death, a murder trial and a 170-year-old mystery – but what really happened? Shortly after Maria Kirwan died in a lonely inlet on Ireland’s Eye, it was decided that she had drowned accidentally during a day spent with her husband on the picturesque island. This inquest verdict appeared to conclude the melancholy events that consumed the fishing village of Howth, Co Dublin, in September 1852. But not long afterwards, suspicion fell upon Maria’s husband, William Burke Kirwan, as whispers of unspeakable cruelty, an evil character and a secret life rattled through the streets of Dublin. Investigations led to William’s arrest and trial for murder. The story swelled into one of the most bitterly divisive chapters in the dark annals of Irish criminal history. Yet questions remain: does the evidence stand up? What role did the heavy hand of Victorian moral outrage play? Was William really guilty of murder, or did the ever present ‘moral facts’ fill in gaps where hard proof was absent? Now, this compelling modern analysis revisits the key evidence, asking sober questions about the facts, half-facts and fantasies buried within the yellowed pages of the Ireland’s Eye case files.

6. Crowded House

by Frank Greaney

€14.99 €17.99

In June 2017, a woman out picnicking in the Wicklow Mountains stumbled upon something in a ditch that would set in motion a chain of events that horrified the nation. It was the first of fifteen dismembered body parts belonging to retired hospital worker Patricia O'Connor. Kieran Greene, the father of three of Patricia's grandchildren, later handed himself in, confessing to beating her to death in the home they shared in what he said was an act of self-defence. He also confessed to dismembering her and disposing of her remains but later changed his story, implicating several members of Patricia's household, including her husband and daughter. In this nuanced and meticulous account of a deeply disturbing crime, journalist Frank Greaney, who covered every day of the shocking trial and conducted exclusive follow-up interviews with other members of Patricia's family, uncovers the story behind the gruesome murder of Patricia O'Connor, and looks at who Patricia really was.

7. Almost the perfect murder

by Paul Williams

€9.49 €14.00

'A book that had to be written and it's really well written ... fascinating.' Ray D'Arcy, RTÉ Radio 1 'A great book ... really comprehensive' Miriam O'Callaghan, RTÉ 'Fascinating' Pat Kenny, Newstalk 'It is very rare for murder to involve the degree of calculation revealed in this case' Irish Times For over a year everyone assumed missing Dublin woman Elaine O'Hara had ended her own life. But after her remains were found gardaì discovered that Elaine was in thrall to a man who had spent years grooming her to let him kill her. That man was Graham Dwyer, a married father of three and partner in a Dublin architecture practice. Almost the Perfect Murder details the exhaustive investigation - one of the most complex and chilling in Irish criminal justice history - that allowed gardaì to build a case against Dwyer. And it outlines the twists and turns - both in the courtroom and behind the scenes - during the dramatic trial that followed. Almost the Perfect Murder contains startling new material based on extensive research conducted especially for the book. This includes fresh insights into the garda investigation and background information on Graham Dwyer. This is the definitive account of the case that gripped the nation by Ireland's leading crime journalist, Paul Williams. 'An example of doggedness and tenacious police work, which saw that justice was done, and seen to be done' Irish Independent

8. The murder of Mr Moonlight

by Catherine Fegan

€9.89 €12.60

The No.1 Bestseller! 'I was a very vulnerable young woman with three small children. I was lost ... Pat Quirke tried to come in and control everything' Bobby Ryan's disappearance in rural Tipperary in June 2011 mystified all who knew him. The truck-driver and part-time DJ (known as Mr Moonlight) was an easy-going fellow with no enemies. Or so everyone thought. When Ryan's body was found 22 months later on the farm of Mary Lowry, the wealthy young widow he had been seeing, it was clear that he had met a violent end. And the most likely person to have brought about that end? Pat Quirke, the man who had 'discovered' the body - Mary Lowry's brother-in-law, financial advisor, tenant and one-time lover. Following the longest running murder trial in Irish criminal history Quirke was convicted of murder in May 2019. Getting to that day had taken years of exhaustive work by gardaì. The Murder of Mr Moonlight is the definitive account of their investigation as well as the compelling story of how an innocent man paid the price for another man's obsessions. Catherine Fegan, Irish Journalist of the Year (2017), and Chief Correspondent at the Irish Daily Mail , covered every day of Quirke's trial. Over many months she also conducted interviews in Tipperary and further afield. She has written an extraordinary insightful and meticulous account of the case that gripped the nation. '[An] excellent book that shows all the colours of the story that intrigued the nation' Irish Daily Mail 'Well-researched and highly readable ... Fegan proves her journalistic mettle, delivering forensic detail in accessible language ... Anyone who followed the trial will not be disappointed by Fegan's book' Sunday Business Post ' Absolutely compulsive reading (as I know because my wife wouldn't let me anywhere near it - but I did get it in the end!) ... a page-turner' Eamon Dunphy, The Stand

9. Badfellas

by Paul Williams

€9.49 €14.00

Badfellas is the definitive account by Ireland's most respected crime writer and journalist, Paul Williams, of how organized crime evolved in Ireland over the past four decades. Drawing on his vast inside knowledge of the criminal underworld, an unparalleled range of contacts and eye witness interviews, Williams provides a chilling insight into the godfathers - and events - that have dominated gangland since the late 1960s. Until the explosion of paramilitary violence in the 1970s, Ireland was a criminal backwater. However, petty criminals with dreams of the big time were quick to emulate the ruthless actions of the subversives. Organized crime took hold in Ireland and soon armed robberies, kidnappings and murder became commonplace. After the introduction of heroin to Ireland by Dublin's Dunne family in the late 1970s, there was no going back. Badfellas traces how the hugely lucrative drug trade that then emerged led to the gang wars that have corroded communities and devastated countless lives. Badfellas describes in gripping detail the shocking depths to which the mobsters have sunk. Badfellas is essential reading for anyone who cares about keeping communities safe

10. The making of a detective

by Pat Marry

€10.99 €15.40

When he retired in 2018 Pat Marry had been instrumental in solving dozens of serious crimes, including many murders. But as a newly qualified garda in 1985, Marry had no idea how to become a detective. He soon realised he would have to learn on the job - put himself forward and show that he had what it took. Taking initiative, following up hunches (even far-fetched ones), obsessing about details, trying new investigative techniques, thinking laterally - these were essential. In addition, you had to be a bit of a psychologist. The Making of a Detective follows Pat Marry's path from rookie to Detective Inspector through the stories of key cases he worked on and investigations he led. It includes high profile cases like Rachel Calally's murder by her husband Joe O'Reilly. But there are also stories that have faded from public memory, such as the 1995 murder of Marilyn Rynn, which involved the first use of DNA evidence to solve a crime in Ireland. Or the 2001 murder of Mary Gough, a case solved mainly by scrutinizing her husband's internet use - then a new investigative tool. The Making of a Detective is a unique and gripping insight into the work of a dedicated garda operating at the very top of his profession. 'An absolutely fascinating book ... Really interesting stories and insights' Sean O'Rourke, RTÉ Radio 1 'An absolute must-read . . . as page turning as a crime novel' Irish Examiner

11. My brother Jason

by Tracey Corbett-Lynch

€7.49 €9.99

In August 2015, Limerick man Jason Corbett was murdered 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, ultimately, the gripping trial that would lead to her conviction, alongside her father, for his murder. Here, for the first time, Tracey Corbett-Lynch tells her family's side of the story. With full access to Jason's letters, emails, keepsakes and photographs, it is the story of how an ordinary, loving family was torn apart by the brutal murder of their beloved brother.