Claddagh Pool

by Denis Hearn

The body of the Bishop of Galway is discovered floating in Claddagh Pool. Detective Conor Horgan arrives at the scene where his investigation reveals the shadowy world of a secret group bent on retribution and justice for victims of abuse in the Catholic Church. He teams up with reporter Anne O’Gorman, and together, they pursue the case and each other. The Catholic Church in Ireland is at the epicenter of a scandal revolving around pedophile priests who practice their perversion undaunted by the glare of media, the silence of the Vatican, and even the bureaucratic red-tape of government agencies charged with protecting the innocent. Finbar, haunted by memories of abuse when he was an altar boy, turns to a group called Dies Irae for emotional and legal help. Stymied by inaction and cover up, the group ultimately turns to violence and murder as their only recourse. This timely and fast paced thriller is set in the harsh environment of western Ireland, where the innocent become suspect. Skillfully written with an intricately interwoven mix of characters, Claddagh Pool takes us on a page turning adventure. This story will plunge you back into the Ireland we all love. We follow Conor and Anne and their passion through landscapes dotted with wild sheep, the wind swept barren rocks of the Twelve Bens, and the stone-walled roads of Connemara as they expose the evil deeds of a few and give hope to those who are left behind.

355 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2012

About the author

Denis Hearn was born in Wexford, Ireland and educated at Blackrock College Dublin and St. Peter’s College Wexford. He comes from a literary family which includes editors, reporters and historians. He currently divides his time between the United States and Europe.His second book "Bagger Island," is now available on Amazon and Kindle.

Prior to moving to Atlanta. Denis worked in the film and television industry in Ireland as a cameraman at Fischerhoesen Film Studios, Ardmore Studios, RTE and freelance. He moved to Canada and worked as an animation cameraman in Toronto and was recruited by Cinetron Computer Systems in Atlanta to join their production company. He completed his television and video career at CNN and began his lifelong goal to be a writer on a fulltime basis.

Reviews

[Kenn Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful fast moving adventure story set in Eastern Ireland. I can feel the sea breeze and taste the salty air. Denis has a great eye for detail and his characters are wonderfully crafted and engaging. You can tell Denis loves his country. He is fearless in his characterization of the Catholic church as an overwhelming conservative institution in the life of the Irish Republic and a block to change. His upbringing in a sadistic Catholic school left it's mark on his religious beliefs but makes for great drama without trying to impose his personal feelings on anyone else. I highly recommend this book for those of us who like a good murder mystery set in a wonderfully modern but ancient land.

Cierian o'Allun

[Suzette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving the relationship between that hunky Conor and the beautiful Anne. A great team. Especially liked the B&B description and the weather on Inishmore. Yummy. Peig's house was a great vision also.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt at times while reading this that I was treading a travelogue. The author captures perfectly what I imagine western Ireland to be like ... the landscape, the islands and sea, the people, the Gaelic phrases. The shapeshifters added a fantasy element to the story. But it did seem that the nature of the plot was secondary to the setting. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing since it is so cringeworthy. I'm giving this four stars, largely for the settings and descriptions.

[Jarod · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

This book was not what I was expecting. I guess I was expecting a murder mystery and it had elements of that, but it wasn't quite the same. It was more like taking a week of time to visit people in Western Ireland and getting to know them. Two of the people happen to be a Police Detective and the other a reporter, both working on a local murder. The descriptions were great, but the dialogue was a little stilted.

All in all a pretty good book with an interesting look at Ireland, its culture and language.

[Ann Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story that weaves together beautiful descriptions of Ireland with lost innocence. I loved the imagery and the story line. While the plot was a little slow in places, I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Conor and Anne.