El Niño

by Mick Donnellan

El Niño is the exciting debut novel from Irish Screenwriter and Playwright Mick Donnellan. Slick, stylish and always entertaining, the story is a rollercoaster of drama and tension that hasn’t been seen in Irish fiction for a very long time. Charlie is our protagonist, the pickpocket that steals El Nino’s wallet and then falls in love with her. She’s the wild femme fatale, beautiful; enigmatic and seductive. Her father named her El Niño because the night she was born there was a storm, and he said it signified the way she was to live her life. Dark and edgy with crisp fresh dialogue, this is a novel that engages the reader from the first line right through to the powerful finish. Review Excerpt "....perhaps the most exciting part of this publication is that it comes from the heart of Mayo. Set in Ballinrobe, then spanning to Galway and back again, Donnellan has taken the West of Ireland and firmly placed it on the crime writing map. With flavours of Dashiel Hammet and Micky Spillane, the author never loses sight of his own locality. The poetry of Ireland’s West is always fresh on the page. Everything from the bustle of Galway city, to the curious streets of Ballinrobe bounces off the book with the kind of vivid imagery and poetic description worthy of the world’s finest writers. Apparently, we have entered an explosive time for West of Ireland fiction and long may it last..."

194 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 2011

About the author

Mick Donnellan is from Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo. He completed the M.A in Writing at NUIG in 2004. Having traveled for a number of years, he now lives in the West of Ireland. In 2009 he worked with Druid Theatre under the New Writers Programme. At present, he is Writer and Artistic Director with his own company- Truman Town Theatre. Most recently he co-wrote the award winning series “Lucky Run” (Winner of The RTE Storyland Competition 2010) with writer Colm Cafferkey and Producer Eamon Stack.

Reviews

[Eldon.shirkley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is set in the west of Ireland around the area where John Ford’s The Quiet Man was set and for that reason alone I would recommend it as it portrays a very different Ireland to the rose-tinted view of the movie: One where excessive drinking, drug-taking and violence among the disaffected young are the norm.
The book is well written and well produced with echoes that suggest it may have started life as a film-script. Recommended.

[Ramu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I strongly suggest this book, which is the reason I was constrained to compose this audit. Incredible story composed by a skilled Irish essayist. The story kept me as eager and anxious as can be, and I felt an automatic affection for the primary character Charlie. Incredible read.

[Dinesh Thota · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great novel, with brilliant observations, sharp language and a compelling story. I cannot recommend it highly enough.