The Girl in the Bog

by Keith Donohue

Ancient heroes from Irish mythology and folklore come to life in the modern world in this dark, atmospheric story. At once a thrilling chase novel and a wry reimagining of Ireland’s oldest epic, it is sure to enthrall readers of Neil Gaiman and Cassandra Khaw.

Everybody is after the girl in the bog.

One morning in a field in Connemara, a farmer unearths the body of a young woman, two thousand years old, preserved under layers of peat. Later that evening she awakens in unfamiliar modern Ireland, ripping a hole through space and time and setting awhirl old animosities and long-held grudges.

Shadowy figures follow her from the pagan past, and each emerges with a claim on the girl from the bog. With help from a trio of wannabe teenage witches, she goes on the run. Joining in the chase is an American archaeologist, who wants to keep the discovery for herself, and two befuddled farmers trapped in the plot. Hosts of fairies out for the night work their magic and mischief, and in the blue hour before sunrise, the saga unfolds in a battle for the ages.

Part fantasy, part mystery, part thriller, part send-up, this comic and poignant love song to Irish literature and the gift of gab does not merely bend genres, it braids them into Celtic knots.

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Mythology, Fiction, Ireland, Witches, Paranormal

320 pages, Hardcover

First published August 13, 2024

About the author

Keith Donohue is an American novelist. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he earned his B.A. and M.A. from Duquesne University and his Ph.D. in English from The Catholic University of America.

Currently he is Director of Communications for the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, the grant-making arm of the U. S. National Archives in Washington, DC. Until 1998 he worked at the National Endowment for the Arts and wrote speeches for chairmen John Frohnmayer and Jane Alexander, and has written articles for the New York Times, Washington Post, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and other newspapers.

Reviews

[Debra - can't post any comments on site today grrr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Atmospheric, dark, and intriguing, The Girl in the Bog was a unique and interesting book which blends folklore, fantasy, mystery, mythology, and thrilling elements.

A farmer has unearthed a girl in the bog. She was placed there two thousand years ago and has been preserved by the peat for all that time. She might be buried in the bog, but she has awareness and has been able to witness the passage of time. The farmer wants to protect his find but tells a friend...

This book then delves into the past and the word building, and characters are interesting and unique. There will be predictions, power struggles, murder, and the story of how the bog girl and how she came to be in the bog.

Readers will also learn, if they didn't already know, about the real bog bodies which have been preserved by the peat in the bogs. I was not aware of the bog bodies and who peat acted as a natural preserver and found myself looking up more information regarding bog people while reading this book.

While I enjoyed this book, it did not wow me in the ways that I had hoped. I did enjoy the characters but sadly, this book missed the mark for me. I did enjoy the author's wonderful writing, originality, and vivid descriptions. Keith Donohue first came on my radar when I read The Stolen Child and thoroughly enjoyed it. I do look forward to reading more of his books in the future.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖

[Brittany McCann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well this one starts amazing, while the second half is mostly unedited chaos (at least it feels that way). The first half feels well-researched and thought out, but the rest just throws the entire mythological stanza away for whatever suits.

I wish this would have been about a girl in the bog and the three red hags.

There are four sets of narration:
1: The girl in the bog, loved it.
2: The three red hags and the girl in the bog: perfection
3: The farmers and a legendary hero with his assistant. It's good for some comic relief, but at some point, it gets just ridiculous.
4. An archaeologist and a mythological Celtic Queen and King: The archaeologist is very well done; the rest was so much unnecessary weirdness

In the beginning, you get a T. Kingfisher feel, but it rapidly devolves into chaos.

2.5 Stars, rounded up.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

My sixth book. Due out August 2024.

[Heathers_readss · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The girl in the bog” is a dark atmospheric thriller that blends fantasy and mystery themes whilst delving into old Irish folklore and mythology.

A two thousand year old body is discovered garnering the attention of the entire community. Later that evening she awakes to discover unfamiliar territory and unfathomable changes to the world she once knew.

Contains witches, kings and queens, ancient history, mystery, farmers, archeologists, fairies and more.

The author does a great job of blended thriller, mystery and fantasy genres in a way that just works.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, Keith Donohue and NetGalley for the EARC!

Publish date: august 13th 2024

[Mary K · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars for me. Great if you're looking for an easy book with characters from Irish mythology. But it's really just a chase story that takes place over a night and no characters really accomplish anything? Only 300 pages and we bounce around from the pov of multiple people/groups and it makes it hard to truly connect to anyone. Also becomes clear very quickly that this is a zero stakes story which kind of killed my interest

[Jordan Vetter · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not the book I thought it was going to be. The descriptions I saw about it made it seem like it was going to be a creepy horror novel about a bog woman come back to life with an infusion of Irish mythology. That would have been cool. Instead it was a silly comedy story where barely anything happens, and what does happen doesn't make a lot of sense.

Mostly this seemed like an excuse to play with the idea of ancient Irish legends coming back to life and doing silly stuff in the modern world. It's like something a Disney Channel movie would do, or a cheesy mobile game. The ancient characters have weirdly modern personalities most of the time, which defeats the purpose entirely. At one point, an ancient king of Ireland is confused what glasses are, but then a page later calls his wife a "sexy librarian." What??

Maybe if you're someone who's familiar with Irish mythology, this might be a fun lighthearted romp, but to me it was like reading an irritating, fairly stupid fever dream that amounted to nothing in the end.

[Cait · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Girl in the Bog is a story with a distinct voice and clear vision of what it wants to be. Donohue’s knowledge and passion shine through.

Unfortunately, all of that did not equal up to the book I wanted this to be. The first chapters—Fidelm’s chapters—were beautiful, horrible, and captivating. Unfortunately the rest did not work as well for me. I take full responsibility for that: I don’t think I was ready to appreciate this book on its own level. It was by turns far too slow and dull and then frenetic and confusing. Perhaps if I was, right now, a more perceptive reader, that dullness would be thoughtful and the frantic scenes understandable. The characters which, for me felt formulaic and shallow now, may likely be deep pools that I am only skimming the face of. Ultimately and unfortunately, right now, I am not the reader this book needs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

[Jaimes_Mystical_Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a unique and atmospheric read. I loved the author’s writing style as he told this tale. This book immediately had me captivated by its intriguing storyline and the overall concept of this. It took me on quite an adventure!

This book does a great job of blending the genres of fantasy and thriller and I loved how the author incorporated a lot of Irish mythology. I haven’t read many books with these elements, so I found it particularly interesting.

I’ve never read a book quite like this one, and I recommend picking it up if you are looking for a very atmospheric, intriguing story.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for the gifted copy.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpected and delightful. In my Bog Girl Summer era.

[RottingInThePlot [Julia] · Rating 5 out of 5]

le Plot: 'like a Celtic knot, the plot kept twisting back on itself, one loop interconnected with the next, knitted into a nearly impenetrable yarn.'

Kenneth Donohue's The Girl in the Bog is a staggering achievement in fantasy, and for me, it was a perfect 10/10. What began as a mysterious discovery quickly unfolded into one of the most rich and rewarding stories I've ever read.

The comparison that kept coming to mind for me was Jumanji—but instead of a game board, when the men unearthed the Girl in the Bog (Fedelm), they unearthed the very heart of Irish folklore and history itself. From that, we meet a LARGE cast. This, I was not expecting. With each chapter braiding different parts about the days after Fedelm's unearthing, I couldn't put it down. The way it was more exciting each fold had me in a chokehold: Are the modern day witches and Fedelm okay? Bridget and the queen? The ancient knights?

I found the relationship between Fedelm and the girls most touching, and the way Fedelm helped them find their own kind of magic. Their bond was the emotional anchor of the story for me, providing warmth and heart amidst the rising magical chaos.

And the plot! The book itself described its structure perfectly: 'like a Celtic knot, the plot kept twisting back on itself, one loop interconnected with the next, knitted into a nearly impenetrable yarn.' This was not just a clever line; it was a promise the book magnificently kept. Every twist mattered, every thread eventually pulled taut to reveal the breathtaking bigger picture.

This is a novel of immense depth, heart, and surprise. Highly, HIGHLY recommended! <3

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come! 🍀

This was a modern take and reimagining of The Cattle Raid of Cooley or in Irish, Táin Bó Cúailnge. The story follows the characters of two old men, three red-headed girls fondly known as the Red Hags, and an American archeologist as they are thrusted into a version of the Ulster Cycle via the unearthing of a bog body. For those who don’t know what a bog body is, it’s a naturally preserved mummies that are found in areas where bogs are common. Only look up pictures if you’re 1. Not squeamish seeing dead bodies, and 2. Don’t mind mummies. 🧟

I found the characters likeable, but I was mostly drawn to Fedelm and Maeve. I do wish we could’ve gotten a bit more of Fedelm’s power and a bit more of her background in general. Cú Chulainn and Láeg were interesting semi-antagonists. I enjoyed the idea of him being a huge himbo and that Láeg is a glorified babysitter. 🤣

The other thing that felt slightly off for me were the characters from the epic using modern language. It just felt rather weird to have a character from ancient times just casually using words like, babe and lads. But other than that, I had a great time with the characters and the setting of Connemara. 💚

Thank you goes out to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for accepting my request to read in exchange for an honest review, and to the author for crafting a fascinating reimagining of this famous Irish epic in modern times. 🐂

Publication date: August 13!

Overall: 4/5 ⭐️

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The very long wait for the audiobook was SO worth it [and I HIGHLY recommend the narration - it was just magical], and I was so glad to finally dive into this highly anticipated [by me] read.

I remember reading "The Stolen Child" [ergh, so many years ago now] and just falling in love with Mr. Donohue's writing [I was given that book by a friend who had read it and didn't get it and she wanted me to feel the same way. Oops. I don't think she was happy that I LOVED it and talked about it for D A Y S. ;-) ]; reading this book, filled with magic, mysticism, folklore, and some seriously twisted humor [I spent so much of this book just laughing at some of the dry, droll humor that is just my style] along with the gorgeous setting of Ireland, just increased my love of the authors writing and his ability to tell an amazing story [that you know is NOT read, but you kind of wish it could be], and reminded me why I was so excited to read this book in the first place. It was just fantastic.

What a great way to pass some very snowy days!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Keith Donohue, and Crooked Lane Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a crazy mess of real and not real, science and folklore, past and present. But it holds together and ends in a very satisfying way.

[Altan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would make a fantastic play or movie. The writing is incredibly cinematic and the characters revolve around one another like jesters on a stage. Would recommend reading.

[cameron b · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5, i loved this so much and had a great time reading it! this is a fun and quirky retelling of the Táin Bó Cúailnge/Cattle Raid of Cooley. it made me laugh out loud and was so much fun to read. this book is perfect for anyone who loves Irish Mythology

[Susan Dunker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious and informative. Irish lore come to life.

[Elizabeth Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of blarney, LOL! When this was focused on the Girl, it was mostly wonderful. But resurrecting her somehow opens the door to Irish mythological figures and fairies. Then a whole lot of characters gab a whole lot, but not much actually happens. At least I enjoyed listening to the Irish audiobook narrator.

[Malin Berg]

Dnf at around half way through.

I’m definitely in the minority in not liking this, and in no way am I discouraging ANYONE from picking this up. While I can see that this is a great story, with its base in interesting mythology, it just sadly wasn’t what I was looking for. While the language, setting and background of the story is beautiful, I was looking for more action and horror.

If you want to learn more about Ireland, and its mythology, you should definitely read this story, and I truly hope you enjoy it if you do.

Big thanks to Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books and the author Keith Donohue for allowing me to read an e-arc of this novel.

[Rowdy Geirsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this one is a bit of a mixed bag. It’s a fun book, but I think how much you’ll like it depends on your expectations going in and also your familiarity with Irish mythology, specifically the Ulster Cycle.

I really like the idea of the book—one of the best in fiction I’ve come across in a while. A bog body is discovered in rural western Ireland that turns out to be a minor character from The Tain (apologies for not having/using the correct accents above the letters). Great idea…just not what I was expecting to be done with it. I’m all for humor, but I’m less into goofy YA style magical realism and this one ventured into that territory. Not a dark, mysterious Indy Jones with a few wise cracks along the way sort of thing like I had expected.

References to Irish lore even including song lyrics are peppered throughout which is a nice touch. Certain things are explained and rationalized in detail (the bog girl’s waking sickness for example) whereas other things are not, such as the western queen and king’s slang or the Hound’s interest in the dead girl. All of which could be chucked up to the thin veil between pur world and the Otherworld, but the lack of consistency on that matter then makes one ask for a bit more.

[Bandit · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve read all of Keith Donohue's novels and really liked them, except for June which was just okay. But this one was such a disappointment. And it’s strange, because I like all the individual components like the archaeology aspect and the use of the Irish historical and mythological figures. And I enjoy Donohue’s writing too. But altogether the book just really didn’t work for me.
Despite the lovely writing, the book was sluggish, by turns dreamy or rambly. The characters were interesting, but at times ridiculous, saying wildly out of character/place/time things like “tushy”, which is just one of the ways in which this book has hit upon some really awkward raunchiness. The plot is busy, muddled, overdone. The book reads like a slog through a bog.
It is no wonder that Donohue, whose books used to be released by top publishers with lovely covers and all, has done this one with the low-tier press like Crooked Lane and a cheap-looking cover. Let’s hope it’s a one off for a talented author and not a sign of things to come. Thanks Netgalley.

This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/

[Carla Hostetter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was afraid this might be too creepy for me but instead it was just too silly. I have seen the bog bodies in the Irish national museum, and they are fascinating. I've also studied Irish literature and frankly did not like the twisting of the Cattle Raid of Cooley into a farce where Queen Medb is a stubborn slut, her consort a vain lecher, and the hero, Cuchulainn, a violent idiot with a bad temper.
What I did enjoy the two sly old Irish men trying for fame by discovering the bog body and the teenage girls with red hair striving so hard to be witches. Fedelm, the bog girl brought to life for one night after two-thousand years of lying in the peat, was sacrificed for telling the queen the truth of the outcome of the battle. She does have spunk, desires, and is actually helpful to the girls.
But every bit of Irish folklore possible is crammed into one night, fairies, leprechauns, mystical foxes and cranes, a banshee, and the retelling of the entire gory battle as a farce was just too much for me. I often found it so confusing and overdone, I just had to put it aside several times before getting to the end. Not for me.

[Edward Dickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The unearthing of a girl preserved in a peat bog for more than a thousand years opens a gap in the fabric of time. Through that gap come characters from an ancient irish epic known as The Cattle Raid of Cooley or the Táin Bó Cúailnge. Queen Maeve, Cuchulain, and many others find themselves inin 21st century Ireland. They interact with the locals as they plan to continue wars first fought almost two millennia ago. The threads of the story, ancient and modern, are intricately woven together like, as Donohue suggests, the twists and turns of Celtic knotwork. Most of the action takes place over a single night and has the feel of disparate elements that come together in a dream. This is a book that requires willing suspension of disbelief on multiple levels But it makes excellent Halloween reading for those prepared to taket\ it on its own terms

[Sami · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel was kind of all over the place, which isn’t inherently a bad thing. I would NOT say this is a dark, atmospheric novel. It’s pretty goofy and didn’t seem to take itself too seriously, which is totally fine. There was no doubt research and Irish passion put into this book, and that’s where I think it shines. The concept is very fun and I liked most of the characters. There were just times where characters would drone on way too long about trivial things and I thought that the folktale characters were a bit inconsistent in their lack of modern knowledge but using modern references. Sometimes nothing at all was happening and then too much was happening that I thought I had missed something. All that to say that I did enjoy this novel, but there were just times I could have enjoyed it more.

[Rudrashree Makwana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is dark, atmospheric and thrilling. The characters are pretty intriguing. The setting is atmospheric. The writing is compelling. This is such a unique take on Ireland’s oldest epic tale The Cattle Raid of Cooley.

A body of a young woman is found after two thousand years and everyone is after it. The bog body has it is own secrets and mystery. The woman wakes up but she is dead, she visits her home and notice the changes. Presently, the farmer found the body and before it gets to anyone else, the wannabe teenage witches trio wants to finds it and solve the mystery. There were many mythological and atmospheric elements. The characters are inspired by irish mythology. Author has blended Fantasy and Mystery. The ending was unpredictable.

Thanks to the Publisher

[Lexi Denee · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the eARC of this haunting title!**

While I found this book to have vision, I couldn't connect with the voice behind this story. I will give props where they are due and say that I really enjoyed the setting and that Donohue can absolutely paint a vivid picture.

Unfortunately the pacing in this one didn't inspire me to get sucked into the story and I found myself struggling to come back to this book. I think fans of Irish Folklore and historical fiction will connect with this one a bit more than the average horror reader.

Overall, I would definitely try this author out again and I'm glad I gave The Girl In The Bog a try. The story itself is very unique and I appreciated the insight into Irish lore.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two farmers find a body in the bog and agree to keep it secret until morning except one decides to send pictures to his granddaughter who shares it on the web and the other hides the body. So begins the blending of the real world with Irish myth as the girl from the bog is the prophetess who warned Queen Medb that she would not win the battle against Cuchulainn to steal the bull.
I think this was supposed to be funny.
This is a well-known Celtic myth but this book reduces it to caricature. And rather bawdy at that. Too much didn't make sense and I just got lost all the way around. Can't say I liked any of the characters. (Whoops, I take that back. I liked the dog.) Maybe I would have liked it with a few pints.

[Emily Paige Ballou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly not my favorite of Donohue's work. I thought it started really strong--it felt like it lived in the real world and had a level of detail orientation in a way that I haven't really felt since "The Stolen Child"--and I liked how it ended, but the whole middle section felt very disjointed and veered into screwball comedy to an extent that just isn't my cup of tea.

It also felt like I didn't understand what the stakes were for almost anyone. What happened if Cúchulainn got Fedelm first or if Maeve did? I didn't know, I didn't feel like anyone did, so there was just no suspense for a huge segment of the book.

Really enjoyed Fedelm herself, the fairy characters, Bridget, and the teenage witches, though.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a real page turner. The author weaves several threads related to the girl found in the bog together to make for a thrilling and surprising ending. I thought the development of the characters was effective, as I felt like I got to know the people who were looking for the girl in the bog and found myself rooting for some of them, and rooting against others.

I read the book in a couple of days, and got back to it every chance I got to see what happened. The writing is very good, and the book is funny at times as well. When I finished the book I wished there were another 100 pages to the story.

[Ranjini Shankar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This didn’t work for me unfortunately. I found myself consistently bored and skimming paragraphs. I don’t know whether it was how it was written or the fact that I had no understanding of the original mythology.

A young woman’s body is found in a bog and when it comes to life again it opens up the door to other ancient heroes and villains to come to the modern day and repeat their age old battle.

I know it was supposed to be funny and slapstick in places but the pacing felt so off that I wasn’t amused by it at all. It was slow and dragged and even the trio of snarky red hairs girls couldn’t save it.

[Brody Nissen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun book based that's a little spooky and mystical so I wish I read it in October when I checked it out from the library but nevertheless. This book brings Irish folklore to life for one night in an Irish village which was fun even for someone who knows nothing about it. It's quite funny in places which I wasn't really expecting and I appreciated the dialogue being written so that it reminded me to read it in an Irish accent. It's a good time but I think it stays with some characters longer than others. I really liked the bog girl but felt like she was missing from a bit too much of the book. Overall I'd recommend it but it's just not a favorite.