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The Desire Line
Home is where the heart is but what if that home has been erased?
Discharged from a psychiatric ward after an apparent murder-suicide perpetrated by her partner Malachy, feared drowned, Helena is driven to the beautiful peninsula of Islandmagee, north of Belfast, by new friends Jer and Nora McCabe. There she finds the house she shared with Malachy has been cleared off the face of the earth . . . or so she claims.
Maverick TV producer and investigative journalist Jer wonders whether Helena is victim or villain, but tries to help for the sake of his vulnerable wife who has befriended this unsettling woman.
Amid echoes of the infamous Islandmagee witch trial, Jer and his family are drawn into a disturbing chain of events which reach their climax on an Islandmagee hillside on Halloween night.
Discharged from a psychiatric ward after an apparent murder-suicide perpetrated by her partner Malachy, feared drowned, Helena is driven to the beautiful peninsula of Islandmagee, north of Belfast, by new friends Jer and Nora McCabe. There she finds the house she shared with Malachy has been cleared off the face of the earth . . . or so she claims.
Maverick TV producer and investigative journalist Jer wonders whether Helena is victim or villain, but tries to help for the sake of his vulnerable wife who has befriended this unsettling woman.
Amid echoes of the infamous Islandmagee witch trial, Jer and his family are drawn into a disturbing chain of events which reach their climax on an Islandmagee hillside on Halloween night.
340 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2023
12 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 5, 2023
‘Was it possible there’d been a house in this place? He thought of the old folksong ‘The May Morning Dew’ and the line about the singer’s childhood home being but a stone on a stone. Here there wasn’t even a stone on a stone, just mud, grass and bitter wind.’
The Desire Line by Jane Cassidy published August 1st with Poolbeg and is described as ‘a gripping Irish psychological thriller.’
Jer McCabe has lived with his wife Nora’s demons for years. Now, as she leaves the psychiatric ward of a nearby facility, she seems chirpier, more alert but she also has an unexpected favour to ask Jer. Nora has befriended Helen, another patient of the hospital, who is also being released the same day. Helen needs a lift back to the house she shared with her partner Malachy out on Islandmagee, a coastal area outside Belfast. Helen has been through a terribly traumatic experience following a suspected murder-suicide. Malachy is presumed dead, drowned without trace, after Helen was discovered by a dog walker, unconscious and left hidden under a pile of seaweed. Helen is disbelieving of this theory and finds it really difficult to trust what is being said about Malachy.
Jer agrees to give Helen a lift and sets off to Islandmagee, only to be faced with a dilemma on arrival. Helen’s home is no longer there. Convinced that Helen may have got confused following her psychiatric treatment, Jer and Nora take her home with them for the night. They make another attempt at finding the house over the next few days but to no avail. There is no house, just a few pottery remnants and memories that Helen is adamant are hers.
Jer is concerned for Nora’s health, unnerved by Helen’s odd behaviour but he is also curious. Jer is an investigative journalist and Helen’s story intrigues him enough to want to find out more. Using his contacts in the business he sets off on a crumb trail that leads him down a very twisty and convoluted path. The locals are very cagey about supplying any information, but why? Where is Helen’s house and is there any truth to her claims?
In parallel to Helen’s story, Jer is also dealing with a work issue that sees him face possible financial ruin and disaster. The pressure is landing heavily on his shoulders but Jer’s experience stands him well as he firefights one problem after another.
Jane Cassidy has written a solid tale, one that delves deep into local community with the legends and traditions that are upheld, but also crosses over with the modern desire for greed and selfishness. The Desire Line is an entertaining read that keeps the interest piqued to the end. The mysticism and witchcraft elements add a quirky vibe to the story, with a selection of characters that make you almost wonder what century the book is based in. Jer McCabe is a very likable main protagonist who, I think, could be further developed if there were to be more books following on from The Desire Line. An original and interesting debut!
The Desire Line by Jane Cassidy published August 1st with Poolbeg and is described as ‘a gripping Irish psychological thriller.’
Jer McCabe has lived with his wife Nora’s demons for years. Now, as she leaves the psychiatric ward of a nearby facility, she seems chirpier, more alert but she also has an unexpected favour to ask Jer. Nora has befriended Helen, another patient of the hospital, who is also being released the same day. Helen needs a lift back to the house she shared with her partner Malachy out on Islandmagee, a coastal area outside Belfast. Helen has been through a terribly traumatic experience following a suspected murder-suicide. Malachy is presumed dead, drowned without trace, after Helen was discovered by a dog walker, unconscious and left hidden under a pile of seaweed. Helen is disbelieving of this theory and finds it really difficult to trust what is being said about Malachy.
Jer agrees to give Helen a lift and sets off to Islandmagee, only to be faced with a dilemma on arrival. Helen’s home is no longer there. Convinced that Helen may have got confused following her psychiatric treatment, Jer and Nora take her home with them for the night. They make another attempt at finding the house over the next few days but to no avail. There is no house, just a few pottery remnants and memories that Helen is adamant are hers.
Jer is concerned for Nora’s health, unnerved by Helen’s odd behaviour but he is also curious. Jer is an investigative journalist and Helen’s story intrigues him enough to want to find out more. Using his contacts in the business he sets off on a crumb trail that leads him down a very twisty and convoluted path. The locals are very cagey about supplying any information, but why? Where is Helen’s house and is there any truth to her claims?
In parallel to Helen’s story, Jer is also dealing with a work issue that sees him face possible financial ruin and disaster. The pressure is landing heavily on his shoulders but Jer’s experience stands him well as he firefights one problem after another.
Jane Cassidy has written a solid tale, one that delves deep into local community with the legends and traditions that are upheld, but also crosses over with the modern desire for greed and selfishness. The Desire Line is an entertaining read that keeps the interest piqued to the end. The mysticism and witchcraft elements add a quirky vibe to the story, with a selection of characters that make you almost wonder what century the book is based in. Jer McCabe is a very likable main protagonist who, I think, could be further developed if there were to be more books following on from The Desire Line. An original and interesting debut!
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August 20, 2023The storyline of this book was intriguing - what happened to Helena's partner and house? She is just as positive Malachy would never commit suicide or try to kill her as she is that a house was standing in the spot where she was driven after her release from the hospital.
She's also lucky that the driver just happened to be Jer, an investigative reporter, who walks a fine line between believing and doubting her story, but is determined to get to the root of it. His prime motivation is that she's living with him and his wife now that she's homeless, and he's afraid of her influence on his wife.
Things get even more complicated as Jer's brother and wife are pulled into the mix, Jer's controversial TV show is getting flack from conservative viewers, and a police officer is out to get him.
This was an interesting story, with elements of ritual, mental illness, and the wild Irish countryside. There was a lot of "stage direction". I had some trouble reconciling Jer's private life where he was portrayed as a bit of a buffoon, compared with his professional and more respected role. Overall I enjoyed this indie book from an author who brought her real-life experience in playwriting and working for the BBC to tell this story.
Thanks to BookSirens for a digital review copy.
She's also lucky that the driver just happened to be Jer, an investigative reporter, who walks a fine line between believing and doubting her story, but is determined to get to the root of it. His prime motivation is that she's living with him and his wife now that she's homeless, and he's afraid of her influence on his wife.
Things get even more complicated as Jer's brother and wife are pulled into the mix, Jer's controversial TV show is getting flack from conservative viewers, and a police officer is out to get him.
This was an interesting story, with elements of ritual, mental illness, and the wild Irish countryside. There was a lot of "stage direction". I had some trouble reconciling Jer's private life where he was portrayed as a bit of a buffoon, compared with his professional and more respected role. Overall I enjoyed this indie book from an author who brought her real-life experience in playwriting and working for the BBC to tell this story.
Thanks to BookSirens for a digital review copy.
August 3, 2023
Debut mystery fiction, The Desire Line by Jane Cassidy is an enjoyable tale with a spiritualist aspect. Helena and Nora McCabe are discharged from a psychiatric ward on the same day. Nora’s husband Jer McCabe unhappily agrees to drive Helena to her home, but upon arrival at the coast, they discover the cottage has vanished. Whilst he reluctantly allows Helena to stay at their house, he decides to investigate. Skeptical as to whether there was a cottage, Jer soon discovers Helena’s partner is missing, believed drowned, her savings account has been emptied and Helena is a Wicca witch. Jer is then interviewed by police as they are suspicious of his involvement and the publicity threatens his Belfast production company’s deal with the BBC. The intriguing premise and flowing narrative make for an enjoyable three and a half stars read rating. With thanks to BookSirens and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.
August 26, 2023
The story from the beginning has you scratching your head trying to figure out what happened. The way the author weaved everything together adding in the side stories keeps you on your toes! The beginning was a little confusing at first but slowly all the pieces start coming together keeping you guessing. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery with shocking twists! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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August 6, 2023What happens when you pick up you wife from a psych hospital and she wants you to take a fellow patient home. when you get there there is no post box nor signs of a house ever being there. a well written detective story that could the investigator his, family, home and life
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 14, 2023
Great story - kept me guessing right to the end.
October 14, 2024
It was a bit long winded, lots of twists & turns, then a bit of a rush to tie up all the loose ends in the last few pages.
Was an easy read but not really the genre/style of book that I like.
Was an easy read but not really the genre/style of book that I like.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews