Robert Craven's Blog - Posts Tagged "coming-soon"
** Coming Soon ** MALIGN INTENT
“Tag, bag and bury the bastard, Garda Inspector Crowe…”
Genre: Crime Fiction
August - December, present day, one year after ‘A Kind of Drowning’.
The synopsis:
Robert Craven's Malign Intent, is a contemporary crime thriller set in Ireland with a slow burning neo-noir atmosphere:
Crowe has seen enough dead bodies in his time to suspect that Aonghus Hanafin wasn’t the hanging kind.
August bank holidays should be about relaxation, taking time out to see family and friends, but when former gonzo journalist, Aonghus Hanafin is found hanging along a desolate estuary, the nearest SIO to the incident, Garda Inspector Pius John Crowe, discovers a puzzling detail; the late Hanafin had MS.
The presence of a second ligature mark around the dead man’s neck raises further questions. Crowe’s instincts tell him there’s something not right about the scene and decides to investigate.
As Crowe delves deeper into the case, he becomes convinced that Hanafin’s death leads to Cillcreann House, the nearby palatial home of the retired bon vivant Chief Justice Barry Gartland and his trophy wife, Rosemary. Gartland, slated to join the prestigious role at the EJC in Strasbourg could do without Crowe nosing around, creating a stir, and pressures the Minister of Justice and the senior ranks to close off the case as a suicide.
Through a media connection, Stafford McCaffrey (who owes Crowe a favour or two), Crowe gets to learn of a Swiss bank account, with millions of Euro in it that was set up as part of a charitable organisation, called The Gatland Trust. It's in the process of being hollowed out from a lifestyle that the retired Chief Justice can barely afford. And one he needs to keep quiet about until he’s sold up his estate and Europe bound.
Crowe discovers the Hanafin holiday home on land owned by the Garlands with evidence that results in him being stabbed and hospitalised, but not before he has uncovered enough needed to implicate Gartland and a powerful elite which could lead to wider investigation of the judiciary and stymying Barry Gartland’s European appointment.
But is what Crowe discovers enough to convict and bring the Hanafin case to its rightful conclusion before Gartalnd takes up his influential seat on the European Justice Council?
Or will Crowe end his days alone, stabbed and bleeding out in an acre of greenhouse glass…
Malign Intent is the second book in the P.J. Crowe series by Robert Craven, following his break-through novel A Kind of Drowning in 2021. Set in present-day Ireland, the book explores the themes of power, corruption, and justice. It features a deeply flawed but determined protagonist in Crowe, who fights against the odds to uncover the truth and bring those responsible to justice; whatever the cost.
About the author:
Robert Craven lives in Dublin Ireland. His passion for writing began when he had a short story published in 1992 for a speculative fiction magazine.
Since then, he has authored books in several genres, with Malign Intent the second in his Inspector Crowe series.
Email: cravenwr@gmail.com
Ph: ++353 1 (0) 87 2150475
Website - https://www.robert-cravenauthor.ie
Genre: Crime Fiction
August - December, present day, one year after ‘A Kind of Drowning’.
The synopsis:
Robert Craven's Malign Intent, is a contemporary crime thriller set in Ireland with a slow burning neo-noir atmosphere:
Crowe has seen enough dead bodies in his time to suspect that Aonghus Hanafin wasn’t the hanging kind.
August bank holidays should be about relaxation, taking time out to see family and friends, but when former gonzo journalist, Aonghus Hanafin is found hanging along a desolate estuary, the nearest SIO to the incident, Garda Inspector Pius John Crowe, discovers a puzzling detail; the late Hanafin had MS.
The presence of a second ligature mark around the dead man’s neck raises further questions. Crowe’s instincts tell him there’s something not right about the scene and decides to investigate.
As Crowe delves deeper into the case, he becomes convinced that Hanafin’s death leads to Cillcreann House, the nearby palatial home of the retired bon vivant Chief Justice Barry Gartland and his trophy wife, Rosemary. Gartland, slated to join the prestigious role at the EJC in Strasbourg could do without Crowe nosing around, creating a stir, and pressures the Minister of Justice and the senior ranks to close off the case as a suicide.
Through a media connection, Stafford McCaffrey (who owes Crowe a favour or two), Crowe gets to learn of a Swiss bank account, with millions of Euro in it that was set up as part of a charitable organisation, called The Gatland Trust. It's in the process of being hollowed out from a lifestyle that the retired Chief Justice can barely afford. And one he needs to keep quiet about until he’s sold up his estate and Europe bound.
Crowe discovers the Hanafin holiday home on land owned by the Garlands with evidence that results in him being stabbed and hospitalised, but not before he has uncovered enough needed to implicate Gartland and a powerful elite which could lead to wider investigation of the judiciary and stymying Barry Gartland’s European appointment.
But is what Crowe discovers enough to convict and bring the Hanafin case to its rightful conclusion before Gartalnd takes up his influential seat on the European Justice Council?
Or will Crowe end his days alone, stabbed and bleeding out in an acre of greenhouse glass…
Malign Intent is the second book in the P.J. Crowe series by Robert Craven, following his break-through novel A Kind of Drowning in 2021. Set in present-day Ireland, the book explores the themes of power, corruption, and justice. It features a deeply flawed but determined protagonist in Crowe, who fights against the odds to uncover the truth and bring those responsible to justice; whatever the cost.
About the author:
Robert Craven lives in Dublin Ireland. His passion for writing began when he had a short story published in 1992 for a speculative fiction magazine.
Since then, he has authored books in several genres, with Malign Intent the second in his Inspector Crowe series.
Email: cravenwr@gmail.com
Ph: ++353 1 (0) 87 2150475
Website - https://www.robert-cravenauthor.ie
*PRESS RELEASE _ The Payout Game / Publication Date: January 24, 2026
The Payout Game
Irish crime author Robert Craven returns with the third novel in the acclaimed P.J. Crowe thriller series
Dublin, Ireland — Award-nominated Irish crime writer Robert Craven announces the release of The Payout Game, the third novel in his gripping contemporary crime series featuring Garda Inspector P.J. Crowe. The book launches January 24, 2026 in paperback and eBook formats.
Set against the stark beauty of North County Dublin’s coastline, The Payout Game opens with a grim discovery: a celebrity bookmaker — a man known for excess, wealth, and notoriety — is found dead on the rocks beneath a lighthouse during a charity regatta. The case is quickly ruled a misadventure, but Inspector Crowe isn’t convinced.
As Crowe digs deeper, what begins as a routine investigation spirals into a dark network of:
Illegal dog fighting rings
High-stakes crypto betting
A gambling empire built on violence and fear
With pressure mounting from forces determined to bury the truth, Crowe and his small team race against time — and powerful enemies — to uncover what really happened before the killer cashes out for good.
“Crowe is flawed, stubborn, brilliant – and refuses to walk away when the powerful say ‘drop it.’”
— Early ARC reader feedback
About the Author
Robert Craven is an Irish novelist praised for his atmospheric settings and tightly-wound plots. His P.J. Crowe series — beginning with A Kind of Drowning and Malign Intent — has earned comparisons to Tana French, Ian Rankin, and Stuart MacBride for its realism and emotional depth.
Advance Praise for the Series
“Brilliantly paced. A gripping Irish noir that keeps you guessing.”
— Reviewer, Goodreads
“Crowe feels like someone you know — imperfect, relentless, unforgettable.”
— Crime Fiction Book Blog
For Review Copies / Interviews / Media Requests
Press Contact:
cravenwr@gmail.com
https://www.robert-cravenauthor.ie
Irish crime author Robert Craven returns with the third novel in the acclaimed P.J. Crowe thriller series
Dublin, Ireland — Award-nominated Irish crime writer Robert Craven announces the release of The Payout Game, the third novel in his gripping contemporary crime series featuring Garda Inspector P.J. Crowe. The book launches January 24, 2026 in paperback and eBook formats.
Set against the stark beauty of North County Dublin’s coastline, The Payout Game opens with a grim discovery: a celebrity bookmaker — a man known for excess, wealth, and notoriety — is found dead on the rocks beneath a lighthouse during a charity regatta. The case is quickly ruled a misadventure, but Inspector Crowe isn’t convinced.
As Crowe digs deeper, what begins as a routine investigation spirals into a dark network of:
Illegal dog fighting rings
High-stakes crypto betting
A gambling empire built on violence and fear
With pressure mounting from forces determined to bury the truth, Crowe and his small team race against time — and powerful enemies — to uncover what really happened before the killer cashes out for good.
“Crowe is flawed, stubborn, brilliant – and refuses to walk away when the powerful say ‘drop it.’”
— Early ARC reader feedback
About the Author
Robert Craven is an Irish novelist praised for his atmospheric settings and tightly-wound plots. His P.J. Crowe series — beginning with A Kind of Drowning and Malign Intent — has earned comparisons to Tana French, Ian Rankin, and Stuart MacBride for its realism and emotional depth.
Advance Praise for the Series
“Brilliantly paced. A gripping Irish noir that keeps you guessing.”
— Reviewer, Goodreads
“Crowe feels like someone you know — imperfect, relentless, unforgettable.”
— Crime Fiction Book Blog
For Review Copies / Interviews / Media Requests
Press Contact:
cravenwr@gmail.com
https://www.robert-cravenauthor.ie
