What do you think?
Prestige Drama
A LitHub Most Anticipated Book of 2026
A dazzling debut about a community where an upcoming film production brings their past into sharp focus—and nobody’s version is the same
In Derry, the locals are already in a twist about the arrival of Hollywood actress Monica Logue to research her role for a show about the Troubles—and then she goes missing.
Everyone has a story to tell—about Monica’s possible whereabouts, and about the historic events that brought her here in the first the show’s screenwriter, desperate for this last shot at success; the grieving mother whose story he’s adapting; the ex-IRA member who knows the price of survival; the local psychic who’s seen too much... Prestige Drama brings to life a chorus of characters as they locate themselves in Monica's disappearance, and in the truth about their own history.
From the author of the acclaimed memoir Did Ye Hear Mammy Died?, Prestige Drama is heartbreaking, hilarious, and profound, an indelible portrait of a community both obsessed with its past, and desperate to forget it.
A dazzling debut about a community where an upcoming film production brings their past into sharp focus—and nobody’s version is the same
In Derry, the locals are already in a twist about the arrival of Hollywood actress Monica Logue to research her role for a show about the Troubles—and then she goes missing.
Everyone has a story to tell—about Monica’s possible whereabouts, and about the historic events that brought her here in the first the show’s screenwriter, desperate for this last shot at success; the grieving mother whose story he’s adapting; the ex-IRA member who knows the price of survival; the local psychic who’s seen too much... Prestige Drama brings to life a chorus of characters as they locate themselves in Monica's disappearance, and in the truth about their own history.
From the author of the acclaimed memoir Did Ye Hear Mammy Died?, Prestige Drama is heartbreaking, hilarious, and profound, an indelible portrait of a community both obsessed with its past, and desperate to forget it.
189 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 5, 2026
About the author
Séamas O'Reilly
3 books179 followersSéamas O’Reilly is a columnist for the Observer and writes about media and politics for the Irish Times, New Statesman, Guts, and VICE. He lives in Hackney with his family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
May 17, 2026
The writing style was not easy to follow for me.
August 25, 2026
I have read wonderful books that tell a story of a place through the seemingly disconnected stories of many in a town or situation. I know this format can work, but it takes a proper puppet master to make that happen. The author has to linger in the background, bringing the story together without being noticed. I don't think O'Reilly did that. O'Reilly sets out to tell the story of his native Derry in the years after The Troubles, as influenced (or not) by The Troubles. That worked, and if these mostly delightful monologues were set out as bits of microfiction and not as a novel, I would be celebrating. He also seeks to blow up clichés about life in Northern Ireland, and I think he does quite well.
As I alluded to above, the individual monologues by various members of a neighborhood, were good. Often they were very, very good. But I think he lost track of the story he had introduced at the beginning as the narrative thread, the filming of a movie in said town, and the disappearance of the glamorous American actress playing the lead. I think the brief interstitials from the writer of the film at the center of the story were supposed to hold things together. At least for me, they did not. (Though I really enjoyed those. You never lose with me if you set down a crisis based on the tension between art and commerce.) I was wandering around in this book and needed a guide. The way he does wrap up the circumstances of that inciting story is very clever, but I didn't care much anymore when I got there.
I read O'Reilly's childhood memoir, Did Ye Hear Mammy Died?, and liked it very much. He is a deeply empathic writer who sees the humor in tragedy and the tragedy in humor. Though I think this was, overall, less successful than the memoir, I generally enjoyed my time with the book, and I learned a bit about a place I have read about a good deal from a very different perspective than ever before. A mid 3-star, not a 4, but a 3.5 if I could.
As I alluded to above, the individual monologues by various members of a neighborhood, were good. Often they were very, very good. But I think he lost track of the story he had introduced at the beginning as the narrative thread, the filming of a movie in said town, and the disappearance of the glamorous American actress playing the lead. I think the brief interstitials from the writer of the film at the center of the story were supposed to hold things together. At least for me, they did not. (Though I really enjoyed those. You never lose with me if you set down a crisis based on the tension between art and commerce.) I was wandering around in this book and needed a guide. The way he does wrap up the circumstances of that inciting story is very clever, but I didn't care much anymore when I got there.
I read O'Reilly's childhood memoir, Did Ye Hear Mammy Died?, and liked it very much. He is a deeply empathic writer who sees the humor in tragedy and the tragedy in humor. Though I think this was, overall, less successful than the memoir, I generally enjoyed my time with the book, and I learned a bit about a place I have read about a good deal from a very different perspective than ever before. A mid 3-star, not a 4, but a 3.5 if I could.
September 30, 2025
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
Thank you to NetGalley, and Little, Brown Book Group for the chance to read this ARC.
Prestige Drama is a compelling and engaging novel that explores how a Northern Irish community grapples with its past when a Hollywood film crew arrives in Derry to make a movie about the Troubles. The story takes a turn when the lead actress goes missing, and the Derry locals conversations reveal a range of perspectives on memory, history, and identity. Some wish to forget the past, while others are willing to confront it. This tension between older and younger generations gives the novel depth and nuance, showing how the legacy of conflict continues to shape individual lives and collective memory.
O’Reilly’s prose is authentic and colloquial to Northern Ireland, with long, conversational sentences that capture the rhythms of Northern Irish speech and make the characters feel real. The longer running sentences made it feel conversational rather than like reading a book, and brought an intimacy to the novel. The dialogue is sharp, often witty, and infused with warmth and humour. As someone from Antrim in Northern Ireland this intimacy was felt on a personal level.
The characters feel like people you could meet on the streets of Derry, and while I was reading it I could almost hear the dialect in the writing. While this is familiar to locals, at the same time, it remains highly accessible to readers outside of Northern Ireland, offering a nuanced understanding of the Troubles through an unmistakably Irish lens.
The ending, without spoilers, really does underline the enduring impact of the Troubles. Fans of Derry Girls will appreciate the humour and local authenticity, while readers who enjoyed The Bee Sting by Paul Murray will recognise the blend of sharp wit and deeper, contemplative themes. Prestige Drama is a remarkable blend of insight, humour, and humanity, and I believe it will resonate strongly with readers both in Northern Ireland but also offering international readers a powerful and accessible entry point into this history.
The only minor gripe I had with this was that it was not long enough. I will be buying this for my friends and family, as I know they will appreciate it too!!
Thank you to NetGalley, and Little, Brown Book Group for the chance to read this ARC.
Prestige Drama is a compelling and engaging novel that explores how a Northern Irish community grapples with its past when a Hollywood film crew arrives in Derry to make a movie about the Troubles. The story takes a turn when the lead actress goes missing, and the Derry locals conversations reveal a range of perspectives on memory, history, and identity. Some wish to forget the past, while others are willing to confront it. This tension between older and younger generations gives the novel depth and nuance, showing how the legacy of conflict continues to shape individual lives and collective memory.
O’Reilly’s prose is authentic and colloquial to Northern Ireland, with long, conversational sentences that capture the rhythms of Northern Irish speech and make the characters feel real. The longer running sentences made it feel conversational rather than like reading a book, and brought an intimacy to the novel. The dialogue is sharp, often witty, and infused with warmth and humour. As someone from Antrim in Northern Ireland this intimacy was felt on a personal level.
The characters feel like people you could meet on the streets of Derry, and while I was reading it I could almost hear the dialect in the writing. While this is familiar to locals, at the same time, it remains highly accessible to readers outside of Northern Ireland, offering a nuanced understanding of the Troubles through an unmistakably Irish lens.
The ending, without spoilers, really does underline the enduring impact of the Troubles. Fans of Derry Girls will appreciate the humour and local authenticity, while readers who enjoyed The Bee Sting by Paul Murray will recognise the blend of sharp wit and deeper, contemplative themes. Prestige Drama is a remarkable blend of insight, humour, and humanity, and I believe it will resonate strongly with readers both in Northern Ireland but also offering international readers a powerful and accessible entry point into this history.
The only minor gripe I had with this was that it was not long enough. I will be buying this for my friends and family, as I know they will appreciate it too!!
July 1, 2026
A Hollywood detective comes to Derry to play a grieving mother, and disappears before filming starts. Séamas O'Reilly hands the case to the entire town, voice by voice, so the missing star becomes a mirror held up against everybody holding it.
Diarmuid, the screenwriter behind "Dead City," gets first crack at the microphone. His chapters carry the bile of a man asked to turn his childhood into "prestige drama," a phrase he repeats with disgust. Executives want lavish misery out of the Troubles, and Diarmuid, half drunk and fully resentful, supplies plenty of misery while pocketing the lavish part as his own fee.
Then the floor opens to florists, taxi drivers, mammies, and mediums, each one approaching the vanishing from a different street corner of gossip. A florist clocks the local paper's interest rate on scandal against press release. A taxi driver makes a quiet hobby of the search, adding extra laps around the likely spots between fares. A medium, granddaughter of a woman known for screaming at tree stumps for a living, brings second sight to bear on a missing actress with the same matter-of-fact tone meant for a leaking gutter.
Comedy and grief share a kettle here, both poured at full strength. Derry is a place where a joke about hunger strikers can clear a pub in seconds and a dead boy's blood gets remembered as the color of petrol. The humor sits right beside the violence, close enough to swap drinks with it.
Monica gets the closing chapter. She studied the local vowels with the devotion of a linguist and the vanity of a performer convinced her ear beats every other ear in the room, collecting "burst," "cracker," and "altogeller" the way a magpie collects foil. Her disappearance, once explained, turns out to be a calculated performance in a book already crowded with calculated performances.
Early chapters plant details that pay out three voices later, an off-hand mention becoming a central pivot, the gossip of one narrator quietly correcting the certainty of another. Every voice tells a partial story at best, and the gaps between testimonies generate more friction than any single testimony does alone.
O'Reilly grew up in this city and it shows on the page, his ear tuned past mere transcription, catching the music in "boggin," "ragin," and "canny" without a phonetics seminar breaking out. This is a comic mystery filled with small-town gossip, and a study of what a place does with outside attention once it shows up uninvited. Didn't care for the structure of the narrative. I found it disjointed and confusing which is unnecessary for such a short book. Also, very little new ground was broken.
Derry gets watched, judged, and cast, by Hollywood and by its own residents, and the verdict each narrator hands down tells you more about the judge than the judged. A missing movie star turns out to be the easiest person in town to find. Everybody else stays elusive a good while longer.
❤️ 🇮🇱
Diarmuid, the screenwriter behind "Dead City," gets first crack at the microphone. His chapters carry the bile of a man asked to turn his childhood into "prestige drama," a phrase he repeats with disgust. Executives want lavish misery out of the Troubles, and Diarmuid, half drunk and fully resentful, supplies plenty of misery while pocketing the lavish part as his own fee.
Then the floor opens to florists, taxi drivers, mammies, and mediums, each one approaching the vanishing from a different street corner of gossip. A florist clocks the local paper's interest rate on scandal against press release. A taxi driver makes a quiet hobby of the search, adding extra laps around the likely spots between fares. A medium, granddaughter of a woman known for screaming at tree stumps for a living, brings second sight to bear on a missing actress with the same matter-of-fact tone meant for a leaking gutter.
Comedy and grief share a kettle here, both poured at full strength. Derry is a place where a joke about hunger strikers can clear a pub in seconds and a dead boy's blood gets remembered as the color of petrol. The humor sits right beside the violence, close enough to swap drinks with it.
Monica gets the closing chapter. She studied the local vowels with the devotion of a linguist and the vanity of a performer convinced her ear beats every other ear in the room, collecting "burst," "cracker," and "altogeller" the way a magpie collects foil. Her disappearance, once explained, turns out to be a calculated performance in a book already crowded with calculated performances.
Early chapters plant details that pay out three voices later, an off-hand mention becoming a central pivot, the gossip of one narrator quietly correcting the certainty of another. Every voice tells a partial story at best, and the gaps between testimonies generate more friction than any single testimony does alone.
O'Reilly grew up in this city and it shows on the page, his ear tuned past mere transcription, catching the music in "boggin," "ragin," and "canny" without a phonetics seminar breaking out. This is a comic mystery filled with small-town gossip, and a study of what a place does with outside attention once it shows up uninvited. Didn't care for the structure of the narrative. I found it disjointed and confusing which is unnecessary for such a short book. Also, very little new ground was broken.
Derry gets watched, judged, and cast, by Hollywood and by its own residents, and the verdict each narrator hands down tells you more about the judge than the judged. A missing movie star turns out to be the easiest person in town to find. Everybody else stays elusive a good while longer.
❤️ 🇮🇱
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
"𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵, 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘵?"
A few years ago, I read Séamas O'Reilly’s memoir 𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘠𝘦 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘺 𝘋𝘪𝘦𝘥 and have been waiting to see him make his official foray into fiction. Enter 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮.
When Hollywood decides to take over Derry and create a production centered around the Troubles, it spurs the locals to confront and reconcile their own memories and history of the violent time. Some wish to forget and keep the past in the past; others are finally ready to face it. And everyone has a thought or two about the missing lead actress.
𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮 packs quite a bit into its quaint size of roughly 200 pages. Through a mosaic of perspectives, including the screenwriter who’s returned home, a mother who’s still grieving, and an ex-IRA member, a compelling portrait is drawn displaying how the conflict’s legacy persists within their collective memory and how it continues to shape their lives years later.
O’Reilly’s prose offers an unmistakable Irish lens. The colloquial dialogue and stream of conscious style in the characters’ narratives add authenticity and intimacy; it feels as though you’re having a personal, genuine conversation with these characters. So many use self-deprecating humor as camouflage and armor in a highly relatable way. There’s also a conversation to be had on the commercialization of this troubled piece of history, and O’Reilly doesn’t shy away from having it.
𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮 is an overall complex and engaging fictional debut from O’Reilly. It’s sharp, witty, and insightful, and fans of Irish literature (hey, hi, hello) will eat it up.
✨️ Thanks to Cordelia at Cardinal Publishing for the ARC! [𝘗𝘶𝘣 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦: 5•5•2026]
A few years ago, I read Séamas O'Reilly’s memoir 𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘠𝘦 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘺 𝘋𝘪𝘦𝘥 and have been waiting to see him make his official foray into fiction. Enter 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮.
When Hollywood decides to take over Derry and create a production centered around the Troubles, it spurs the locals to confront and reconcile their own memories and history of the violent time. Some wish to forget and keep the past in the past; others are finally ready to face it. And everyone has a thought or two about the missing lead actress.
𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮 packs quite a bit into its quaint size of roughly 200 pages. Through a mosaic of perspectives, including the screenwriter who’s returned home, a mother who’s still grieving, and an ex-IRA member, a compelling portrait is drawn displaying how the conflict’s legacy persists within their collective memory and how it continues to shape their lives years later.
O’Reilly’s prose offers an unmistakable Irish lens. The colloquial dialogue and stream of conscious style in the characters’ narratives add authenticity and intimacy; it feels as though you’re having a personal, genuine conversation with these characters. So many use self-deprecating humor as camouflage and armor in a highly relatable way. There’s also a conversation to be had on the commercialization of this troubled piece of history, and O’Reilly doesn’t shy away from having it.
𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮 is an overall complex and engaging fictional debut from O’Reilly. It’s sharp, witty, and insightful, and fans of Irish literature (hey, hi, hello) will eat it up.
✨️ Thanks to Cordelia at Cardinal Publishing for the ARC! [𝘗𝘶𝘣 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦: 5•5•2026]
May 29, 2026
Extraordinary,a gem. A polyphonic,great tale.Wonderful writing.
Irish writers are the BEST.
Irish writers are the BEST.
June 22, 2026
A really great book that proves you don't need to be a 500 page/18 hour doorstopper to tell a full and satisfying story. I loved all the characters, I liked the screenwriter a lot (holding out on love until I knew for a fact if he was/wasn't a killer, of course), and I found the ending weirdly satisfying. I'd definitely read this one again.
May 1, 2026
I thought this was a very strange book. I didn't really like. I thought it could have had a better storyline. I am not real sure that I would recommend this book.
Read
June 28, 2026DNF I got more than half way through. I do think you get to begin to understand the Troubles much more than other erudite writing. BUT! For me the crude, crude language and several other factors make it too time consuming to tread the muck on the bottom of this swimming pool. Not a good comparison, I know. But the muck is tremendous. And the way of constant stream of minutia also drowning. It does get its point across- as with a sledge hammer. Triple UGH!
Read
April 28, 2026#Gifted
Like many people, I loved Séamas O’ Reilly’s memoir “Did Ye Hear Mammy Died” a few years back so I had high expectations for his first novel; “Prestige Drama”, and I was not disappointed.
Famous American actress Monica Logue (I was absolutely picturing Gillian Anderson here) has flown in to Derry to star in a new series set during the Troubles. The locals all have varying opinions on this; Scriptwriter Diarmuid sees it as his redemption for being a failure up to this point, and as a way to prove everyone wrong. Some folks like that Derry and the Troubles will be in the spotlight again, whereas others wish the film crews would all just feck off.
Anne-Marie in particular who is still grieving her murdered son is struggling with the thoughts of another dramatisation of their lives.
That’s all a moot point anyway, as Monica Logue has disappeared almost immediately after arriving in the city. Diarmuid is the main suspect as he saw her last, but really everyone has a theory and soon enough all sorts of sightings of the actress are being whispered about.
This is such an incredibly well-written book; it’s crisp and fresh, actually laugh-out-loud funny but simultaneously poignant and deeply honest. I marked so many sections I wanted to read aloud to my husband that for a finish I just told him to read it himself 😅.
As it’s narrated by several different people we get a genuine feel for both the past and present of Derry. The conversational tone and colloquial language make it feel very real and I think this book will resonate with a lot of people, both in Ireland and further afield.
Basically, I loved it and can’t say enough good things about it. I would have read another 200 pages of this writing, and can’t wait to see what O’ Reilly does next.
With many thanks @elaineeganbooks @fleetreads for my early copy. Prestige Drama is out on the 7th of May. All opinions are my own, as always.
Like many people, I loved Séamas O’ Reilly’s memoir “Did Ye Hear Mammy Died” a few years back so I had high expectations for his first novel; “Prestige Drama”, and I was not disappointed.
Famous American actress Monica Logue (I was absolutely picturing Gillian Anderson here) has flown in to Derry to star in a new series set during the Troubles. The locals all have varying opinions on this; Scriptwriter Diarmuid sees it as his redemption for being a failure up to this point, and as a way to prove everyone wrong. Some folks like that Derry and the Troubles will be in the spotlight again, whereas others wish the film crews would all just feck off.
Anne-Marie in particular who is still grieving her murdered son is struggling with the thoughts of another dramatisation of their lives.
That’s all a moot point anyway, as Monica Logue has disappeared almost immediately after arriving in the city. Diarmuid is the main suspect as he saw her last, but really everyone has a theory and soon enough all sorts of sightings of the actress are being whispered about.
This is such an incredibly well-written book; it’s crisp and fresh, actually laugh-out-loud funny but simultaneously poignant and deeply honest. I marked so many sections I wanted to read aloud to my husband that for a finish I just told him to read it himself 😅.
As it’s narrated by several different people we get a genuine feel for both the past and present of Derry. The conversational tone and colloquial language make it feel very real and I think this book will resonate with a lot of people, both in Ireland and further afield.
Basically, I loved it and can’t say enough good things about it. I would have read another 200 pages of this writing, and can’t wait to see what O’ Reilly does next.
With many thanks @elaineeganbooks @fleetreads for my early copy. Prestige Drama is out on the 7th of May. All opinions are my own, as always.
August 5, 2026
"How do you talk about the past as a person still living it, in a place that barely survived it? How do you talk about history in a city where the moon landings never happened?"
The mix of humor and pain (and everything in between) makes this story well-rounded. It appears that the author is trying to include the widest variety of viewpoints on The Troubles, and I believe he succeeds. The way those in Northern Ireland feel is not unlike those of citizens of countries who have experienced equally complex conflicts. I don't want to minimize the fact that this story is about Northern Ireland, but the themes of exploitation, cultural misunderstanding, and not-so-long-ago conflict can be related to by other cultural groups as well. Which I think is great!
Not only do we explore the characters' feelings towards the conflict itself, but we also come to understand how their opinions vary when it comes to the production of a big-budget TV show based on their very own tragedy. As someone who loves a historical fiction film/show, it did make me take a step back and think about what it might be like for those in the center of the story.
Would recommend to fans of Derry Girls; I laughed out loud on multiple occasions. The only fault is that there are quite a lot of characters and it could be hard to remember who is who/miss plot connections, BUT I do think that gave it a realistic small-town/community feel. Prestige Drama would be worth a re-read because it really does tackle a large amount of content and layers and layers of stories. Beautiful, truthful, and painful.
The mix of humor and pain (and everything in between) makes this story well-rounded. It appears that the author is trying to include the widest variety of viewpoints on The Troubles, and I believe he succeeds. The way those in Northern Ireland feel is not unlike those of citizens of countries who have experienced equally complex conflicts. I don't want to minimize the fact that this story is about Northern Ireland, but the themes of exploitation, cultural misunderstanding, and not-so-long-ago conflict can be related to by other cultural groups as well. Which I think is great!
Not only do we explore the characters' feelings towards the conflict itself, but we also come to understand how their opinions vary when it comes to the production of a big-budget TV show based on their very own tragedy. As someone who loves a historical fiction film/show, it did make me take a step back and think about what it might be like for those in the center of the story.
Would recommend to fans of Derry Girls; I laughed out loud on multiple occasions. The only fault is that there are quite a lot of characters and it could be hard to remember who is who/miss plot connections, BUT I do think that gave it a realistic small-town/community feel. Prestige Drama would be worth a re-read because it really does tackle a large amount of content and layers and layers of stories. Beautiful, truthful, and painful.
April 27, 2026
Derry is abuzz because extremely famous actor Monica Logue is in town. She's taken the lead role in a series about the Troubles and has arrived early for research. Then she goes missing. We get a load of different perspectives from locals talking about the show, Monica, the screenwriter Diarmuid and sometimes just random petty grievances.
This is so well done. It is actually funny, I'd laughed out loud a few times by page 10. It asks the question 'who gets to tell these stories?' because although the screenwriter is a local fella, the film crew, production company, lead actor are all a combination of American and British. Also, for people whose life is being fictionalised for this show, do they even want the story told?
You can tell Séamas O'Reilly has repeatedly been asked "have you read Say Nothing?" lol. Really excellent stuff, he's such a brilliant writer.
*read via Netgalley
This is so well done. It is actually funny, I'd laughed out loud a few times by page 10. It asks the question 'who gets to tell these stories?' because although the screenwriter is a local fella, the film crew, production company, lead actor are all a combination of American and British. Also, for people whose life is being fictionalised for this show, do they even want the story told?
You can tell Séamas O'Reilly has repeatedly been asked "have you read Say Nothing?" lol. Really excellent stuff, he's such a brilliant writer.
*read via Netgalley
June 1, 2026
3.5/5 - Funny - surprisingly at times - often but not always because of the colloquialisms and turns of phrase. The plot, however, seemed lacking.
October 2, 2025
The journalist and non-fiction writer Seamas O'Reilly's debut novel, Prestige Drama, is a look at the Troubles and their legacy in Northern Ireland through the prism of a TV drama about to be made there - until the leading actress goes missing. From this crime novel like concept, O'Reilly spins a novel which is both comedic and dramatic, told from a number of differing viewpoints, to create something which is both memorable and moving. It is a short novel which I read in one sitting, entirely engaged by O'Reilly's prose which really captures the cadence and voice of the Northern Irish, and his characterisation was spot-on. This is a very fine debut with a broad appeal, and I really enjoyed reading this one.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
May 6, 2026
Short, satirical, lyrical, and at times bitter and sweet, this is a difficult but unforgettable read. (I say difficult because it takes a little getting used to, to read it as Northern Irishmen speak it.).
Written in long, conversational sentences from the point of view of multiple characters, but faithful to Irish conversation, descriptive and full of wit, and wisdom.
*I gratefully received this bo mmk 8ok from the publisher and author in exchange for a review. Thank you! Júiu7j
Written in long, conversational sentences from the point of view of multiple characters, but faithful to Irish conversation, descriptive and full of wit, and wisdom.
*I gratefully received this bo mmk 8ok from the publisher and author in exchange for a review. Thank you! Júiu7j
June 28, 2026
A one-sitting read, both because it is short and sweet and because I was immediately drawn in. Set in Derry, when the circus comes to town — the circus, in this case, being a buzzy Troubles-set TV show (the “prestige drama” of the title, of course) starring an American actress who immediately does a runner and/or is the victim of foul play and/or has adopted a persona as the town weirdo, depending on who you ask. And this book asks everyone, with every chapter being from the POV of a different local a la Donal Ryan’s The Spinning Heart (with the only recurring voice being that of the show’s screenwriter, Diarmuid).
Each chapter is fleeting, only a few pages long, but even in such brief meetings author Séamas O’Reilly ensures we get a rich sense of the characters, creating an entertaining and complex picture of the situation and its setting. At times laugh-out-loud funny, at other moments tugging at the heartstrings, this novel does so much with its runtime (pagetime?).
Ideal for fans of Derry Girls, Paul Murray’s The Bee Sting, or O’Reilly’s humor as showcased in his newspaper columns and in the viral thread in which he recounted meeting the President of Ireland while on ketamine, which remains the funniest thing ever written on the trash fire formally known as Twitter.
Each chapter is fleeting, only a few pages long, but even in such brief meetings author Séamas O’Reilly ensures we get a rich sense of the characters, creating an entertaining and complex picture of the situation and its setting. At times laugh-out-loud funny, at other moments tugging at the heartstrings, this novel does so much with its runtime (pagetime?).
Ideal for fans of Derry Girls, Paul Murray’s The Bee Sting, or O’Reilly’s humor as showcased in his newspaper columns and in the viral thread in which he recounted meeting the President of Ireland while on ketamine, which remains the funniest thing ever written on the trash fire formally known as Twitter.
August 13, 2026
Quite the thinker, and I’m still deciding if this is a pro or a con. The Monica Logue portion of the book reminds me a lot of London Fields, so much so that I am genuinely going to track down a copy of London Fields to reread. So, is it a unique premise? Not exactly. However, this is the first book I have read about Irish history, so that was very interesting. I think the commentary each character provides about the Troubles was incredibly engaging, and I think could have been a compelling novel on its own. The ways in which it worked with the whole Monica thing, though, was effective at times. I just feel like Monica’s arc as a whole was a bit weak. I would absolutely read a book written by O’Reilly about Irish history, but I will reread London Fields if I want to read a psychological, “will the person really die at the end” mystery novel.
June 4, 2026
This is almost not a novel because of its structure, but I still thought it was well done and laugh-out-loud funny at times!
September 21, 2026
Hmmmm. I'm still mulling over this one. Séamas O'Reilly covered so much ground in such a short book. Some of the insights were wry or heartbreaking or astute. Others didn't quite get there. I did reread the final pages a few times though.
Fair warning that this is Literary Fiction™, so if you're intrigued by the disappearance mentioned in the premise, just know that it's...not really about the disappearance.
Fair warning that this is Literary Fiction™, so if you're intrigued by the disappearance mentioned in the premise, just know that it's...not really about the disappearance.
August 5, 2026
Loved the different perspectives from each character on the troubles. Would've loved more development of these characters and I felt the plot didn't really develop well.
June 27, 2026
Great wee book, hi.
June 29, 2026
One of those electric books where the wit and charm hides the trauma or maybe the trauma is layered with sharp wit. Absolutely dug the structure and hats off to Seamas O’Reilly for pulling off a gripping narrative with only two constant characters- Diarmuid and the town of Derry. Everyone else gets one chapter and it still flows seamlessly.
July 1, 2026
Derry amach is amach. Great insight into many characters but would have preferred to return to some of them again.
November 28, 2025
Prestige Drama has great writing that can swoop from hilarity to horror in a sentence. Each chapter is narrated by a different character – with the exception of the screenwriter, Diarmuid, whose voice recurs at different points in the novel. It's a brilliant device – simultaneously satirising the way people cannibalise the stories of communities under stress to sell a story, while also telling that story, and there are some clever twists along the way.
It highlights the different impacts of the Troubles and their aftermath - how the violence destroyed lives, but also for some meant identity and purpose. (One character highlights that more people have died since the Good Friday Agreement by suicide, than were killed during the Troubles.) It’s an entertaining read, full of inventive language, but the brutality and absurdity it portrays stay with you.
*
Copy from NetGalley
It highlights the different impacts of the Troubles and their aftermath - how the violence destroyed lives, but also for some meant identity and purpose. (One character highlights that more people have died since the Good Friday Agreement by suicide, than were killed during the Troubles.) It’s an entertaining read, full of inventive language, but the brutality and absurdity it portrays stay with you.
*
Copy from NetGalley
May 17, 2026
The author's storytelling was difficult to follow (I don't think I'm in the minority of sharing this opinion). The characters' thoughts were clustered and I couldn't follow the plot well. Unfortunately, not for me.
June 21, 2026
This belongs to the category of books in which the publisher’s summary promise a plot and then doesn’t have one.
A novel in which the plot is insignificant can allow for greater character development and in this case, humour, but the characters used by O’Reilly here were not drawn deeply enough, and in his style of shifting tone, much of the humour is lost.
The book follows the filming of TV series Dead City, set during the troubles in Derry and written by local scriptwriter Diarmuid Walsh. It brings back up memories, anxieties and tensions of what one character notes are often referred to as ‘the good old days’.
The novel’s protagonists are the career-weary Walsh, whose segmented narrative thread just about holds everything together, and the ‘star attraction’, the actor he somewhat jealously nicknames ‘Miss Hollywood herself’, Monica Logue. Logie is missing at the start of the book with Walsh thought by many to have killed her.
In addition there is a considerable supporting cast, from a bereaved mother, to a journalist, a psychic, a former IRA assassin and a mural painter whose designs now adorn tea towels. They each have a chapter and express their viewpoint.
That Logue is missing, feared dead, is quite beside the point. One wonders why O’Reilly used the diversion. Essentially, it is written for laughs, and while some do amuse, many fall flat, relying heavily on the use of simile. With more direction, and the quips written around that, it would have worked better.
A novel in which the plot is insignificant can allow for greater character development and in this case, humour, but the characters used by O’Reilly here were not drawn deeply enough, and in his style of shifting tone, much of the humour is lost.
The book follows the filming of TV series Dead City, set during the troubles in Derry and written by local scriptwriter Diarmuid Walsh. It brings back up memories, anxieties and tensions of what one character notes are often referred to as ‘the good old days’.
The novel’s protagonists are the career-weary Walsh, whose segmented narrative thread just about holds everything together, and the ‘star attraction’, the actor he somewhat jealously nicknames ‘Miss Hollywood herself’, Monica Logue. Logie is missing at the start of the book with Walsh thought by many to have killed her.
In addition there is a considerable supporting cast, from a bereaved mother, to a journalist, a psychic, a former IRA assassin and a mural painter whose designs now adorn tea towels. They each have a chapter and express their viewpoint.
That Logue is missing, feared dead, is quite beside the point. One wonders why O’Reilly used the diversion. Essentially, it is written for laughs, and while some do amuse, many fall flat, relying heavily on the use of simile. With more direction, and the quips written around that, it would have worked better.
July 7, 2026
A polyphonic novel, with each chapter being from a different person's perspective, whilst this may be a good way to get in the many pithy comments you have about Derry, Northern Ireland and 'The Troubles', sadly, it fails to make a cohesive novel. I wonder if the author's journalism experience is showing or is the difficulty, caring more about the construct, at the expense of character. The book is short but I still found it hard to hold all the different voices in my head, a few get to speak more than once but they are still hard to get a sense of who they are as people, despite getting a clear understanding of what they have been through. What you are left with is a strong sense of Derry as a place, how it is different to Belfast and of course the legacy that 'The Troubles' has left within that community. That sense of place is as strong and powerful as the many erudite observations, which makes this an interesting read, if ultimately an unsatisfying novel.
July 26, 2026
A homegrown writer returns to Derry to film a show about the Troubles. Not a book to read to learn about that time period, but a witty and enjoyable book for those who already know their history. It was delightful to read through this tapestry of characters and feel enriched without needing to make the book 400 pages. The further you read, the quicker the book goes. Short and sweet, off-kilter, and enjoyable.
July 31, 2026
Very solid debut novel, I thought it was an interesting twist to a fairly straightforward premise, and I really liked how the voices of the characters were distinct from each other. The structure was different but I didn’t dislike it. It was like a way less depressing and funnier hurricane season.
Also it might be cause I’ve been convinced for 7 years that i could do a one woman show of the first episode of Derry Girls, but I did not find the writing hard to read at all.
Also it might be cause I’ve been convinced for 7 years that i could do a one woman show of the first episode of Derry Girls, but I did not find the writing hard to read at all.
May 26, 2026
Prestige Drama is about a Hollywood crew coming to Derry to make a TV show out’ve the Troubles & is told from the perspective of a loada Derry people - the mummy of a victim, a taxi driver, fellas who painted murals etc etc. I love love loved the writing style - the long run-on sentences that move so quick was just like reading people i know speak. It was funny, authentic, deep, contemplative, mysterious … alla the above. Ya ever read something and think, this is the type of funny I wish I was …. that’s this book. 10/10 NO FLAWS x
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