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The razor-sharp, violent and darkly comic second novel from actor, comedian and writer Ardal O'Hanlon. Dove Connolly is dead. That's not good for anyone in Tullyanna, never mind Dove.Now his best friend Sharkey is home asking awkward questions about Dove's death, about the strange graphic novel he left behind, and, most of all, about Sandra. Sandra Mohan. Missing now for over a decade, whereabouts unknown.This, however, is a town dead-set on keeping its secrets. And Sharkey is already drawing attention from all the wrong quarters...A mystery, a black comedy, a satire on Ireland's tangled politics of memory, Brouhaha is set in a small town on the Irish border during the uneasy transition to peace. And peace doesn't come easy in these parts.***** Over the past few days, Kevin, no flies on him, had sensed a tension in the town thanks to Dove Connolly's poor decision to blow his own head off. It wasn't just the act of self-harm itself, the pointless splattering of blood and bone and brain all over his bedroom wall, that was the issue, unsettling as that was. In so doing, poor Dove had spread panic amongst the townspeople, raising all sorts of ugly questions, reviving all sorts of rumours, and inviting all sorts of unwelcome attention upon them. In Kevin's mind, there was method in Dove's madness. Showing a shocking assertiveness for possibly the first time in his life, and the last, says you, Dove blew the lid off the whole town.
Dove Connolly's suicide ignites a powder keg of secrets in the small Irish border town of Tullyanna. Sharkey, Dove's best friend, returns home seeking answers about his friend's death and the decade-old disappearance of Sandra Mohan, a quest that draws the ire of those determined to maintain the town's silence. The narrative unfolds within a community steeped in a troubled history, where peace is fragile and buried truths threaten to resurface.
The novel is characterized by its sharp, violent, and darkly comic tone, reflecting Ardal O'Hanlon's background in comedy. The premise sets up a complex mystery interwoven with social commentary on memory and politics in post-conflict Ireland. The narrative appears to blend elements of crime fiction with satire, suggesting a focus on character-driven intrigue and biting social observation. The setting on the Irish border during a transition to peace provides a rich, tense backdrop for the unfolding events.
Page Count:
344
Publication Date:
2022-01-01
Publisher:
HarperCollins Publishers Limited
ISBN-10:
0008529620
ISBN-13:
9780008529628
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