My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The remote Irish village of Duneen has known little drama; and yet its inhabitants are troubled. Sergeant PJ Collins hasn’t always been this overweight; mother of two Brid Riordan hasn’t always been an alcoholic; and elegant Evelyn Ross hasn’t always felt that her life was a total waste. So when human remains are discovered on an old farm, suspected to be that of Tommy Burke – a former love of both Brid and Evelyn – the village’s dark past begins to unravel. As the frustrated PJ struggles to solve a genuine case for the first time in his life, he unearths a community’s worth of anger and resentments, secrets and regret.
I must confess to picking this book purely because it was written by Graham Norton and I was very much hoping his personality and dry wit would come through. And it does. In spades. This is a beautifully crafted book. The realism is extraordinary. You live in the village. You know each and every one of the characters and sympathise with them and cheer them on during adversity. An impressive debut novel. I do hope there’s going to be more adventures for Sgt Collins!
I received a review copy of this book via Netgalley.
Wendy Cartmell 