FICTION

Fiction reviews Non-Fiction reviews Books for Younger Readers Author Interviews Books News and Features Books Home Page
iebylineTerryProne.png
STerry Prone: Lucia Berlin’s words leapt from the page in the world’s oldest bookshop
Book review: Complex profile of protagonist
Book review: Complex profile of protagonist
Through Carrie, author Rosie Walsh traces a persuasive character arc that metamorphoses from near defeat to a fledgling, resolute self-belief

Sat, 22 Aug, 2026

Book review: Plot barrels along in deft thriller
Book review: Plot barrels along in deft thriller
'Never to be Found' is inspired by the johatsu tradition in Japan, where a covert industry helps those who wish to vanish without a trace

Sat, 22 Aug, 2026

FRANCE-ART-LITERATURE-POLAR-PORTRAIT
Book review: Big secrets lurk in a small town’s shadows
Karin Slaughter is still at top of her game with latest thriller

Fri, 14 Aug, 2026

Culture That Made Me: Anton Savage of Newstalk selects his touchstones
Culture That Made Me: Anton Savage of Newstalk selects his touchstones
The popular broadcaster includes Hothouse Flowers, Niall Tóibín, and John Steinbeck among his selections 

Sat, 08 Aug, 2026

Book review: Domestic thriller is a compelling read
Book review: Domestic thriller is a compelling read
Cork author's ninth novel inspired by the real estate term of a stigmatised property

Sat, 08 Aug, 2026

Book review: Jewell's 24th novel is her darkest to date
Book review: Jewell's 24th novel is her darkest to date
Fans of the thriller genre should find it easy to dive into Lisa Jewell’s newest release

Sat, 08 Aug, 2026

10 new books for August: Cecilia Ahern, Donal Ryan, Robert Harris...
10 new books for August: Cecilia Ahern, Donal Ryan, Robert Harris...
There's a bumper crop of new books being published in the coming weeks 

Tue, 04 Aug, 2026

Book review: Debut inspired by personal story
Book review: Debut inspired by personal story
Author Louise Powell delivers originality and empathy in spades in ‘Underdogs’ — an ode worthy of a community she is ‘incredibly proud to be part of’

Sat, 01 Aug, 2026

Book review: Unusual plot with a surprising ending
Book review: Unusual plot with a surprising ending
The 10th book in Steve Cavanagh’s series featuring criminal defence attorney Eddie Flynn is a compelling and gripping read

Sat, 01 Aug, 2026

Culture That Made Me: Presenter Shane Coleman on Irish history, football books, and TV favourites
Culture That Made Me: Presenter Shane Coleman on Irish history, football books, and TV favourites
Journalist Shane Coleman’s teenage self found solace in the music of The Smiths and what would become a lifelong love of history in the novels of Walter Macken, he tells Richard Fitzpatrick

Sun, 26 Jul, 2026

Book review: Scattered tale lacks momentum
Book review: Scattered tale lacks momentum
In the mix of folktale homage and wholesome satire in 'Country People', the sprinkling of laugh-out-loud moments are not enough to sustain the meandering narrative

Sat, 25 Jul, 2026

Book review: Gripping portrayal of addiction
Book review: Gripping portrayal of addiction
Jessamine O'Connor’s 'Somewhere' is a mightily strong debut with superbly evoked characters that will keep readers enthralled to the very end

Sat, 18 Jul, 2026

Summer catch-up: The 20 best fiction books of the year so far
Summer catch-up: The 20 best fiction books of the year so far
Looking for a holiday read? Richard Fitzpatrick offers suggestions from the fiction titles published in the first half of 2026

Mon, 06 Jul, 2026

Book review: Strange world, familiar sadness
Book review: Strange world, familiar sadness
'Dooneen' is a highly political novel. It depicts desperate communities bound together in communal action, in conflict with a neglectful, violent, and self-serving state 

Sat, 04 Jul, 2026

Book review: Dangerous cat-and-mouse game
Book review: Dangerous cat-and-mouse game
Dervla McTiernan does a great job maintaining the tension in her novel while weaving together the past and present as the connections between the characters are gradually revealed

Sat, 27 Jun, 2026

Tom Perrotta by Beowulf Sheehan
Book review: Fast-paced tale of 1970s suburbia
'Ghost Town' is a skilful novel that moves at pace, makes you feel for the characters involved, and pieces together a fascinating story

Sat, 27 Jun, 2026

Book review: Raw, unfiltered look at child star trauma
Book review: Raw, unfiltered look at child star trauma
Louise O'Neill's new novel will leave readers so invested they might forget they are reading a work of fiction

Sat, 13 Jun, 2026

Book review: ‘The Country Girls’ for modern times
Book review: ‘The Country Girls’ for modern times
Louise Nealon’s second novel, 'Everything That Is Beautiful', is not a pleasant or uplifting experience; it is not meant to be

Sat, 06 Jun, 2026

Book review: Ark offers no salvation in the North’s troubled waters
Book review: Ark offers no salvation in the North’s troubled waters
Jan Carson's 'Few and far Between' is a complex story about trauma and how we escape it

Sat, 06 Jun, 2026

Book review: Small but perfectly formed
Book review: Small but perfectly formed
In creating these complex, yet unforgettable characters, Danielle McLaughlin has produced a slim volume to cherish; one that is small, but quite perfectly formed

Sat, 30 May, 2026

Book review: Eerie predictions from the past
Book review: Eerie predictions from the past
The book is an obvious reflection of the darkening political clouds gathering over Europe in the 1930s

Sat, 23 May, 2026

Book review: Gripping yarn is a solid debut
Book review: Gripping yarn is a solid debut
US-born author RP O’Donnell, who now lives in West Cork, has a good grasp of village life and the nature that surrounds it

Sat, 23 May, 2026

The Women's Prize Trust Summer Party & Awards Ceremony 2025
Book review: Profound truth of disconnection
In a world where we are constantly connected but increasingly out of touch with our humanity, there is immeasurable value in seeing and acknowledging other people

Sat, 09 May, 2026

Book review: Toxic potential of memory
Book review: Toxic potential of memory
Dermot Bolger writes best when he writes sparely, at times delivering blunt life lessons, unvarnished home truths

Sat, 09 May, 2026

Book review: Murder and mystery in a small town
Book review: Murder and mystery in a small town
Final instalment of Tana French's trilogy is an absorbing and believable read

Fri, 01 May, 2026

Edinburgh International Book Festival 2019
Book review: Lanchester is a master of writing topical tales that entertain
'Look What You Made Me Do' deals with some weighty topics but also reads as if it was fun to write

Fri, 01 May, 2026

Book review: Finding common ground in shared grief
Book review: Finding common ground in shared grief
If you want to open your heart up and let three incredibly brave and independent women tell you their story, 'Secrets Between Friends' could be the perfect read for you

Sat, 25 Apr, 2026

Book review: Classic mixed with current
Book review: Classic mixed with current
A prolific novelist, poet and essayist, Mary O’Donnell writes with all the assurance you would expect from an author of her experience

Sat, 18 Apr, 2026

Book review: United through shared oppression
Book review: United through shared oppression
Set in the early 1970s, 'Our Better Natures' interweaves the real lives of radical feminist Andrea Dworkin, poet Muriel Rukeyser with that of fictional housewife, Phyllis Patterson

Sat, 18 Apr, 2026

Book review: Never easy, but always engaging
Book review: Never easy, but always engaging
Liz Nugent’s new novel is not a comfortable read, but it is compelling and takes readers through a multitude of emotions and moral questions

Sat, 11 Apr, 2026

Book review: Gritty debut garnering acclaim
Book review: Gritty debut garnering acclaim
Electricity pulsates through 'All Them Dogs' with an intensity and a sense of urgency that propels the reader forward to the very fitting ending

Sat, 11 Apr, 2026

Book review: Exploring the nature of meaning
Book review: Exploring the nature of meaning
Mary Costello’s latest novel offers a thoughtful portrait of the drift of life, the perils of the unconscious, and the mysteries of the self

Sat, 28 Mar, 2026

Irish writer Mary Lavin
Book review: A behemoth of the Irish canon
Spanning Mary Lavin’s long career, this book gathers 16 stories that show her at different stages of life, yet always alert to the same quiet tensions

Sat, 28 Mar, 2026

Saturday with Cathy Kelly: 'I've been doing arty things — and there's always the laundry!'
Saturday with Cathy Kelly: 'I've been doing arty things — and there's always the laundry!'
Bray is a fabulous place to live — it's great for the dogs and has at least eight charity shops

Sat, 14 Mar, 2026

Book review: Firm hold on skillful storytelling
Book review: Firm hold on skillful storytelling
Readers will readily empathise with, and root for, Dan and Tamma as they try to overcome every obstacle that lands in their path in this coming-of-age story

Sat, 07 Mar, 2026

Book review: Revelling in brilliant absurdity
Book review: Revelling in brilliant absurdity
Anyone who enjoys quirky stories with flawed but lovable characters and a good deal of heart will lap up this debut novel

Sat, 07 Mar, 2026

Book review: The forbidden love of two lonely strangers seeking a port in a storm
Book review: The forbidden love of two lonely strangers seeking a port in a storm
Debut novel about two immigrants, trying to navigate their lives in a country where bosses have no compunction about underpaying vulnerable workers

Sat, 28 Feb, 2026

Book review: Exhilarating thriller exposes the harsh reality of stalking
Book review: Exhilarating thriller exposes the harsh reality of stalking
Author Sam Blake has clearly done her homework in this impossible-to-put-down read

Sat, 28 Feb, 2026

Book review: Gender and family dynamics
Book review: Gender and family dynamics
Themes of queer parenting, gender identity, parasocial relationships and intense friendships are treated with accomplished care in 'Like Family'

Sat, 21 Feb, 2026

Culture That Made Me: Irish author Patricia Scanlan picks her touchstones 
Culture That Made Me: Irish author Patricia Scanlan picks her touchstones 
The City Girls writer includes the likes of Leonard Cohen, Edna O’Brien, and Mary Poppins among her selections

Mon, 16 Feb, 2026

Irish Examiner view: Public has been sidelined in drone operator discussions
Irish Examiner view: Public has been sidelined in drone operator discussions
Parts of the city’s northside, the central island of the city, the Docklands, as well as Blackrock, Mahon, and Douglas is to join the existing red zone areas around Cork Airport and Cork Prison

Sat, 14 Feb, 2026

Elmore Leonard
Book review: Ending leaves reader wanting more
'Picket Line: The Lost Novella' is a work from very long ago about a strike by honeydew melon pickers in south Texas’ Rio Grande Valley

Sat, 07 Feb, 2026

Book review: Complex tale had too many plots
Book review: Complex tale had too many plots
Told from multiple points of view, all clearly marked, the story takes quite a number of far-fetched twists

Sat, 07 Feb, 2026

Book review: Family secrets meet cold-case thrills
Book review: Family secrets meet cold-case thrills
The narrative moves quickly and has lots of twists and turns

Sat, 31 Jan, 2026

Book review: Terror that threatens to unravel it all
Book review: Terror that threatens to unravel it all
Ellie Levenson has created an eminently relatable protagonist and the narrative is full of action, tension, drama, all wrapped around what is essentially a love story

Sat, 24 Jan, 2026

Book review: Finely-crafted examination of life’s uncomfortable truths at death’s door
Book review: Finely-crafted examination of life’s uncomfortable truths at death’s door
'Vigil' explores comfort, repentance, and the path to redemption, which must be sought again and again

Sat, 24 Jan, 2026

Book review: Tragicomedy with a very unsettling narrative
Book review: Tragicomedy with a very unsettling narrative
This is a very dark tale highlighting the tragedy of mental health struggles and the toxic side of celebrity fandom

Sat, 24 Jan, 2026

Book review: Difficult path to novel’s hopeful end
Book review: Difficult path to novel’s hopeful end
The plot of 'Remain' develops too slowly to really engage the reader, and is weighed down by dialogue that feels forced and unnatural

Sat, 17 Jan, 2026

The British Book Awards - Arrivals
Book review: Uproarious whodunnit for ‘Traitors’ fans
'The Faithfuls' is a hilarious whodunnit mystery that just gets more bizarre and far-fetched after each page

Sat, 10 Jan, 2026

Book review: Hurling, land, and legacy
Book review: Hurling, land, and legacy
Conor Power's 'Hurling 1810' is a short glimpse into the life of early 19th century rural Ireland

Sat, 03 Jan, 2026

Latest

Scene & Heard

Newsletter

From music and film to books and visual art, explore the best of culture in Munster and beyond. Selected by our Arts Editor and delivered weekly.

Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited