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magicacat's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this, loved the all too real inhabitants of the sleepy Irish village, turned on its head by a mystery to solve.
Someone, please, give Mrs Meany a big hug and a cup of tea
Someone, please, give Mrs Meany a big hug and a cup of tea
meowzik's review against another edition
4.0
This was an enjoyable read - darkly funny in places, it read like a slice-of-life book interspersed with a murder mystery. PJ as a narrator felt real, and the other characters were written well as well.
lizaroo71's review against another edition
4.0
I love Graham Norton, so when I discovered he is now writing novels, I had to read them. My husband got this signed copy for me for Christmas.
The premise is some bones are found on an old farm as it is be excavated to make way for new real estate. This leads us down a path to figure out who the bones belong to in the town. There is a love triangle that makes things more interesting and a fumbling police officer that you grow to love.
Norton has created some great characters. The whole time I read I heard his voice in my head narrating the story. As he would say, "Well done you."
The premise is some bones are found on an old farm as it is be excavated to make way for new real estate. This leads us down a path to figure out who the bones belong to in the town. There is a love triangle that makes things more interesting and a fumbling police officer that you grow to love.
Norton has created some great characters. The whole time I read I heard his voice in my head narrating the story. As he would say, "Well done you."
cariadreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
juliaworkum's review against another edition
3.0
Graham Norton really surprised me with this. I've always been a fan of him and his show, but I wasn't sure what to expect from his first book. It was initially a bit confusing, as there were a lot of characters to get acquainted with, but it ended up being a really charming story (or as charming as can be possible when there is a murder involved) about life in small-town Ireland.
itsmedri's review against another edition
4.0
Another enjoyable novel from Graham. Really loved the characters and the story.
smitchy's review against another edition
3.0
This is not the book I expected given Norton's TV persona. Although those of you who follow his advice column may not be as surprised.
A little Irish town is rocked by the discovery of a decades old skeleton on a building site. There has only been one person missing in the town that fits the timeline for the bones. As the local PC investigates three women are shaken by the discovery - a former fiance: now unhappily married mother of 2 Brid; Mrs Meany: a housekeeper for his mother when he was born and finally; Miss Ross: a spinster who once helped with housekeeping for the missing man.
But the DNA throws up a new mystery the bones are not related to the missing man's parents. The case hits a dead end. Building resumes only to discover an even older body; this time of a baby.
This story is not so much a mystery as a study on contemporary life, regret, isolation, guilt and the past shaping the character's future.
It is both thoughtful and has insightful character development. The mystery is secondary to the character development. To be honest I had most of it worked out by half way through but I was curious about the motivation of the killer.
A little Irish town is rocked by the discovery of a decades old skeleton on a building site. There has only been one person missing in the town that fits the timeline for the bones. As the local PC investigates three women are shaken by the discovery - a former fiance: now unhappily married mother of 2 Brid; Mrs Meany: a housekeeper for his mother when he was born and finally; Miss Ross: a spinster who once helped with housekeeping for the missing man.
But the DNA throws up a new mystery the bones are not related to the missing man's parents. The case hits a dead end. Building resumes only to discover an even older body; this time of a baby.
This story is not so much a mystery as a study on contemporary life, regret, isolation, guilt and the past shaping the character's future.
It is both thoughtful and has insightful character development. The mystery is secondary to the character development. To be honest I had most of it worked out by half way through but I was curious about the motivation of the killer.
emylee41's review against another edition
4.0
Loved the story. I would love to read his second book .
leanne29's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
mrninjaviking's review against another edition
3.0
Entertaining listen. And I'll admit that I bought it because Norton narrated the story as well. He didn't disappoint in that department.