Brouhaha

Product Information

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Ireland for the opportunity to review this book in my own way. I didn't always get all of the jokes as I'm not Irish, but really enjoyed the whodunit element of it.

These three intrepid individuals lead us through a myriad of scenarios, some very funny, some gruesome but all highly entertaining. The writing is very intense and I failed to pick the bones out of the story; not for want of trying mind.The actor and comedian Ardal O’Hanlon’s first novel, 1998’s The Talk of the Town , hinted at the emergence of a distinctive literary talent, equal parts Flann O’Brien and Irvine Welsh. Having got through the first ten percent of the book, it felt as if I should be at least a quarter of the way through. As well as the strange graphic novel Dove left behind and the more importantly about Sandra Mohan, who mysteriously disappeared a decade ago. I’ve been a fan of Ardal’s , since his days in father Ted and his other roles in the BBC Comedy My Hero and the drama Death in Paradise.

There is an interesting and varied cast of characters, all with favourable and negative characteristics - so more believable. Her boyfriend (Dove) at the time has committed suicide and there is a suspicion he was involved in her disappearance.With Dove’s death, Joanne who by now realises she may have been mistaken in blaming Dove is also back in Tullyanna, with more or less the same objectives. The quotations and references - Springsteen to Yeats - add a lovely depth to this fine piece of work. One thing that didn't quite work for me was the insertion of quite a bit of Irish culture and history which was often so interesting in itself, requiring further investigation, that it was a tad distracting as it did keep drawing me out of the story I was reading. The “dark humour” is indeed dark, and it would be impossible to translate this into a novel with Anglican vicars and scone-tampering. We also believe we have the gift of the gab as a result making out with the Blarney stone, along with every desperate tourist with a whiff of an Irish relative, somewhere in their distant past.

At the time of writing, he is currently one of the contestants on Channel 4’s Taskmaster, hosted by Greg Davies.It's believable, violent, shocking and sad but with a rich dose of Irish cynicism and humour thrown in.