Holding

The remote Irish village of Duneen has known little drama, and yet its inhabitants are troubled: Sergeant P.J. Collins hasn’t always been this overweight; Brid Riordan, a mother of two, 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—suspected to be those of Tommy Burke, a former lover of both Brid and Evelyn—are discovered on an old farm, the village’s dark past begins to unravel. As a frustrated P.J. struggles to solve a genuine case for the first time in his professional life, he unearths a community’s worth of anger and resentments, secrets and regrets.Darkly comic, at times profoundly sad, and “especially inviting because of its tongue-in-cheek wit” (Kirkus Reviews), Holding is a masterful debut. Graham Norton employs his acerbic humor to breathe life into a host of lovable characters, and explore—with searing honesty—the complexities and contradictions that make us human.Synopsis copied from Goodread.com The Sunday Times Bestseller And Debut Novel From Graham Norton. 'poised And Perceptive' Sunday Times '... A Deftly Plotted Story As Moving As It Is Compelling' Sunday Mirror 'deeply Accomplished ... Brilliantly Observed' Good Housekeeping '... One Of The More Authentic Debuts I've Read In Recent Years ... In Such An Understated Manner, Eschewing Linguistic Eccentricity ... In Favour Of Genuine Characters And Tender Feeling ... This Is A Fine Novel' John Boyne, Irish Times 'it's Funny And Wonderfully Perceptive' Wendy Holden 'it Is Beautiful And Yet Devastatingly Sad' Daily Express 'strenuously Charming ... Surprisingly Tender' Metro 'heartwarming And Observant' Stylist 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. Darkly Comic, Touching And At Times Profoundly Sad. Graham Norton Employs His Acerbic Wit To Breathe Life Into A Host Of Lovable Characters, And Explore - With Searing Honesty - The Complexities And Contradictions That Make Us Human. Duneen is a quiet place, far enough from the big towns to have kept its own rhythms. Its residents include castdown policeman PJ who lives a lonely, uneventful life punctuated only by the next meal - until now; the beautiful and mysterious family of three spinster sisters each with their own secrets and sorrows; and of course, the town's gossip who think she knows the answers. When a grim discovery is made on a building site up by the old school, it becomes the catalyst for long buried secrets and rivalries to come to light and this silent, once innocent and repressed-seeming town is revealed to have a much darker, hungrier undertow .. A small Irish town is the setting for a dark discovery that threatens to bring to light the long held secrets of its inhabitants.