Seeking Clemency

by Joy Martin

A woman returns to the Georgian manor in Ireland where she lived as a child to confront a tragic past. Married and living comfortably in Berkshire, Caroline Tremain has succeeded in turning her strange Irish childhood into a series of dinner anecdotes with which to amuse her friends. But when she receives a phone call from Marie-Rose Keane, her grandmother’s former maid, to say that her aunt Constance Conroy has died, painful memories of her childhood come hurtling back. Of how as a motherless child she failed to prove herself a true Conroy to her omnipotent grandmother; of her inexplicable banishment to England at the age of eight; and most of all of Carrigrua, the gracious Georgian house by the shore of Lough Derg whose beauty still haunts her. Returning to Ireland for her aunt’s funeral, Caroline finds that an absence of 30 years has not diminished the magic of Carrigrua. As the last living member of the Conroy family, she is convinced that she will inherit the house and she is devastated when she learns that it has been left to Marie-Rose, a woman who has no interest in it. But there is worse to come. Returning to England, finding her husband in bed with another woman, she reacts with a violence that terrifies her. Determined to mend her broken life, she returns to Ireland and buys the house that she’s always loved. But as she sets about bringing it back to life she stumbles on a disturbing discovery. A secret room, pervaded by a lingering perfume, with faded bloodstains on the windowsill, nail marks on the wallpaper and, beneath the bed, a gold bangle inscribed with a name of which Caroline has no recollection – Clemency Conroy. Who was the mysterious Clemency ? What happened to her in that room all those years ago ? And why can’t Caroline remember what really went on when she was a child in Ireland ?

Genres: Amazon

391 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 2, 2014

About the author

Joy Martin is an Irish journalist and author. Born in Limerick, where she was educated at Laurel Hill Convent, her father was an English Protestant and her mother an Irish Catholic. As Ireland’s Assistant Land Commissioner, her great grandfather, John George O’Brien Kelly, a lawyer and agriculturalist, brokered the deal which gave tenants the right to purchase land over a 30-year period, turning him into a national hero. The O’Brien Kellys owned most of the land on the boundaries of Limerick and Clare and three Georgian manors, Moylish House, Clonmacken House and Fedamore House.
Joy writes:
‘Living in a cottage on my grandfather’s land, I played in these houses as a child so, inevitably, tales of secret passages leading down to the river, illicit love affairs, murder, conspiracy and ghosts on the stairs found their way into my novels.’
Her first short story was published when she was still at school. She trained as a journalist on a local paper, The Limerick Weekly Echo, and subsequently worked as a reporter on The Evening Press, in Dublin, the Rand Daily Mail, in Johannesburg and for BBC Home News and World Service

You can hear about how Joy Martin's writing process in the link below:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Sl4...

Reviews

[Joy Martin]

After a long absence Caroline Tremain returns to Ireland to attend her aunt’s funeral and to visit the house she loves. Carrigrua, set on the shores of Lough Derg in County, is now standing empty. Seeing it again, Caroline is haunted by painful memories. Of how, as a motherless child, she failed to prove herself as a true Conroy to her omnipotent grandmother. Of her inexplicable banishment to England, and of the mysterious Clemency Conroy who holds the key to her own existence. Who was Clemency ? What happened to her in Carrigrua 30 years ago ? And what really went on in Caroline’s childhood ?

[Sharon Tonkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the read.
However proofreading let the book down. Many errors.

[Tango · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read, well written and lovely plot. Great virtual tour around Ireland.

[Tricia Copeland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. The main character Caroline has a spunkiness that was hard not to like and root for. I would call this a chick lit book as it has some romance, some mystery, but ultimately is about a woman in transition and how she handles her transition and becomes the person she wants to be. I applaud Joy for a great book! I can't wait to read others in the series.