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  • NEWS
  • Appeal for public help in double murder probe

    A double murder investigation involving more than 50 gardaí got under way in Killorglin, Co Kerry, after autopsies confirmed a Lithuanian woman and her young daughter had died violently.

  • Ronan kicks off portraits initiative

    He's kicked a record number of penalty kicks, drop kicks and conversions over the bar. But Irish rugby legend Ronan O'Gara, 36, hit the side of a bar yesterday as a very special photographic exhibition was unveiled across Cork City.

  • WORLD
  • Brand divorced me by text, says Perry

    Pop star Katy Perry has revealed that Russell Brand told her he was divorcing her in a text message.

  • Ex-hitman: Bulger’s FBI dealings ‘broke my heart’

    A former criminal associate of James "Whitey" Bulger told jurors at the accused mob boss's trial that he agreed to testify against his old friend after learning that his former gang pals had begun co-operating with law enforcement.

  • BUSINESS
  • Aircraft leasing firm buys 10 Boeing jets

    Shannon-based aircraft leasing firm GE Capital Aviation Services have bought 10 new Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners for an estimated $3bn (€2.24bn) at list price.

  • 20% of rich see value of assets halved

    Nearly 20% of Ireland's wealthy people have seen the value of their assets halved as a result of their over-reliance on property.

  • SPORT
  • GPA may get involved over Friday night championship dictat

    The GPA could yet act on the behalf of the Carlow and Laois football panels as they have confirmed neither they nor the players were consulted about Friday week's All-Ireland round one qualifier.

  • Kearney keeps eyes on main prize

    Rob Kearney might not have felt like putting his best foot forward today as the Lions continued to prepare for Saturday's all-important first Test against Australia but he is experienced enough to know that after this midweek defeat by the Brumbies, it is essential for the main mission of the tour.

  • LIFESTYLE
  • Bradley bares his soul

    Soul singer Charles Bradley found fame late in life, but is haunted by his past, writes Ed Power

  • Body of evidence: do we fear nudity or nakedness?

    Do it together and it's harmless, do it alone and it's criminal, says Suzanne Harrington



 




First thoughts

Little People

Jane Sullivan
Allen & Unwin, €14.30;
Kindle, £4.93
Review: Lauren Turner

Governess Mary Ann is pregnant, out of work and desperate when she goes to the Yarra River with the intention of throwing herself in.

When she sees what she thinks is a child falling in, she goes to their rescue. The person she has saved is no baby however, it is General Tom Thumb — part of a troupe of “little people” touring Australia.

Set in the 19th century, journalist Jane Sullivan’s second novel is full of Gothic intrigue, mixed with the drama and razzle-dazzle of the travelling show.

Each member of the group has a dark side, which comes to light as the tour continues.

We hear from each of the star turns in their own voice, including the General’s beautiful wife Lavinia and her plotting sister Minnie.

Sullivan weaves historical fact with fiction, taking her inspiration from the real Tom Thumb who travelled across Australia in 1870.

She conjures up a world of adventure and suspense in an action-filled plot — weakened only, perhaps, by moments of melodrama.

Following Fish: Travels Around The Indian Coast
 Samanth Subramanian
Atlantic Books, £12.99;
Kindle, £6.38
Review: Natalie Bowen

All travel books need a strong theme, but journalist Samanth Subramanian’s decision to explore the importance of fish on India’s coastline is unusual — as he admits to not eating fish for quite a number of years.

However, with a new appetite for seafood, his culinary expedition becomes part social commentary, part historical analysis and part tour guide.

In this engaging debut, we meet frustrated professionals who must vie with overfishing and huge trawlers to get their catch to market, boat makers who have tied technology with traditional practices and medical practitioners who feed patients live fish to cure asthma.

Subramanian’s writing is fluid, enjoyable and descriptive.

Without delving into too much detail, he sketches the fisherman, bureaucrats, religious leaders and family members he meets during a series of visits across India to sample different fish dishes and the palm sap-based, alcoholic “toddy” — leaving readers hungry for food and travel.

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