What do you think?
Rate this book
A Kind of Drowning
Pius John Crowe is a Garda Inspector at Dublin Murder Metropolitan. He is in the midst of a mid-life crisis. Discovering his wife of sixteen years has been having an affair and overloaded with a grisly caseload, he snaps during his son’s U-14’s soccer game, hospitalising the opposition coach. His timing couldn’t be worse. Newly-appointed Minister of Justice, Noreen Garland, is keen to make her mark and with the public and press baying for blood, decides to make an example of him.
As a result, Crowe suffers a complete mental breakdown. A retired colleague and mentor, Quigley, offers him a bedsit in Roscarrig; “a break by the sea would help.” But Crowe isn’t the only reason Quigley is in Roscarrig, he’s there to give a heads-up to a senior Dublin criminal that his life is in danger from rival city gangs, Teflon D. He’s hoping to mark time by lying low in the picturesque town by the sea until the dust settles.
Crowe takes a job as a kitchen porter; the back kitchen of the Boogie-Woogie Café offers him anonymity. A new waitress starts the same day, Thea Farrell. Thea has Down Syndrome but is determined not to let this hold her back. She has a great week until she goes missing. Crowe joins in the search and two weeks later Thea is found dead at sea.
But in Crowe’s fragmented mind, something doesn’t add up. His instincts, honed on thirty years of police work, tell him there was more to this than an accidental drowning. Enlisting the help of a local librarian and kayaker, Clodagh Robinson, they row out to Inishcarrig.
Because Thea Farrell wasn't the drowning kind.
As a result, Crowe suffers a complete mental breakdown. A retired colleague and mentor, Quigley, offers him a bedsit in Roscarrig; “a break by the sea would help.” But Crowe isn’t the only reason Quigley is in Roscarrig, he’s there to give a heads-up to a senior Dublin criminal that his life is in danger from rival city gangs, Teflon D. He’s hoping to mark time by lying low in the picturesque town by the sea until the dust settles.
Crowe takes a job as a kitchen porter; the back kitchen of the Boogie-Woogie Café offers him anonymity. A new waitress starts the same day, Thea Farrell. Thea has Down Syndrome but is determined not to let this hold her back. She has a great week until she goes missing. Crowe joins in the search and two weeks later Thea is found dead at sea.
But in Crowe’s fragmented mind, something doesn’t add up. His instincts, honed on thirty years of police work, tell him there was more to this than an accidental drowning. Enlisting the help of a local librarian and kayaker, Clodagh Robinson, they row out to Inishcarrig.
Because Thea Farrell wasn't the drowning kind.
169 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 4, 2021
5 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Robert Craven
13 books31 followersMy latest novel - The Payout Game will be released January 2026
A body on the rocks.
A bookmaker with dangerous secrets.
When the case is ruled a misadventure, Inspector Crowe digs deeper — and enters a world where murder is just another wager.
ARC review
"There was a lot of your trademark writing in there, the nuances that suggest something without telling us, sometimes in the right direction, sometimes in the wrong direction, keeping the suspense building.
Crowe has an edgy depth that never really comes out, his complexities never shade the plot itself, which I like. It stays focused, like him, on the case.
It kept me hooked. A page-turner. Right up to your high standard and a very original plot.
Thank you!"
EAGLES HUNT WOLVES won the
FIREBIRD BOOK AWARD 2021 - ACTION / ADVENTURE.
I write too under the pen name W.T. Edsel
A body on the rocks.
A bookmaker with dangerous secrets.
When the case is ruled a misadventure, Inspector Crowe digs deeper — and enters a world where murder is just another wager.
ARC review
"There was a lot of your trademark writing in there, the nuances that suggest something without telling us, sometimes in the right direction, sometimes in the wrong direction, keeping the suspense building.
Crowe has an edgy depth that never really comes out, his complexities never shade the plot itself, which I like. It stays focused, like him, on the case.
It kept me hooked. A page-turner. Right up to your high standard and a very original plot.
Thank you!"
EAGLES HUNT WOLVES won the
FIREBIRD BOOK AWARD 2021 - ACTION / ADVENTURE.
I write too under the pen name W.T. Edsel
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 28, 2021
Gripping Irish Crime Fiction
Former Detective P J Crowe starts a new life in a small Irish village. When a young acquaintance of his dies, he investigates.
Craven gives us a complex case awash with suspects and red herrings. The flawed protagonist is believable. The setting is charming as all small Irish villages are. Overall, Craven's descriptions are written with so much clarity and authority they practically leap off the page to immerse us in their pull. The fast-paced plot has plenty of twists that kept me guessing until the surprising ending.
I recommend this haunting Irish Crime novel.
Former Detective P J Crowe starts a new life in a small Irish village. When a young acquaintance of his dies, he investigates.
Craven gives us a complex case awash with suspects and red herrings. The flawed protagonist is believable. The setting is charming as all small Irish villages are. Overall, Craven's descriptions are written with so much clarity and authority they practically leap off the page to immerse us in their pull. The fast-paced plot has plenty of twists that kept me guessing until the surprising ending.
I recommend this haunting Irish Crime novel.
October 23, 2021
I wanted to like this book more than I did.
I found the beginning a bit confusing, and it took me quite a long time to get into the story and to have any liking for the main character. Once I got into the story though I did enjoy it, and I liked Crowe as a character -I'd like to read more about him.
Overall it was ok...but I felt it could have been better.
Thanks to Voracious Reader's for sending me a free copy to read and review.
I found the beginning a bit confusing, and it took me quite a long time to get into the story and to have any liking for the main character. Once I got into the story though I did enjoy it, and I liked Crowe as a character -I'd like to read more about him.
Overall it was ok...but I felt it could have been better.
Thanks to Voracious Reader's for sending me a free copy to read and review.
September 22, 2021
Set in rural Ireland, John Crowe is suspended from his job and looks more like a tramp than a police inspector. A young girl he befriends is found drowned but he doesn't think it was an accident. He's like a dog with a bone in his quest to uncover the truth and doesn't care who he upsets along the way. Love him or hate him this is one book you definitely don't want to miss. I hope their are more Crowe stories to come.
September 20, 2021
A sad sort of short story with a shocking and unexpected ending. I felt sorry for the murdered girl; she was treated badly by many for a condition that was not her fault. Indeed, she had largely tried to overcome her disability, even winning swimming medals and working in a local restaurant. She was a sunny, good natured girl, loved by many; but her family betrayed her. The character of the dogged detective who refused to give up was highly believable. Overall, hard to read, given the story line. Thanks to VRO for sending this book.
September 22, 2021
It’s a decent mystery though slow in starting and fast in ending. The main character seems a bit OTT, giving Rebus a run for his money on misery. I think if the actual mystery had started sooner and more was done with the villlains, it would have earned another star.
I received a free cop for an honest review.
I received a free cop for an honest review.
October 3, 2021
Kinda bleak but satisfying in the end. I have to say though, that I do not like stories where an innocent likeable character gets knocked off. Received as a complimentary copy from the author via Voracious Readers Only in return for an honest review.
October 8, 2021
I received an ARC free from VRO and this is my voluntary honest review.
* Well written.
* A descriptive plot.
* Plenty of twist and turns.
* A surprise ending!
* Shocking! Thought provoking!
* Good short read!
* You don't want to miss this one!
* Read and enjoy!
* Well written.
* A descriptive plot.
* Plenty of twist and turns.
* A surprise ending!
* Shocking! Thought provoking!
* Good short read!
* You don't want to miss this one!
* Read and enjoy!
September 29, 2021
I found this book to be extremely thought provoking especially the character descriptions and development. Many thanks to Robert Craven for his complimentary copy via Voracious Readers Only.
January 24, 2022
I really enjoyed this book! I warmed to our lead character PJ Crowe right away - he was a very believable character and I would love to see more from him in the future. I especially enjoyed reading about his blossoming relationship with Clodagh, the date scene in particular was very funny.
I liked the writing style. The prose was easy to read whilst also being descriptive and engaging. The pacing of the book was great - no time was wasted on unnecessary fluff and every chapter propelled the story forward. Another thing I really liked was how well the setting was described and I could vividly picture all the locations in the book.
I would definitely recommend this book.
I liked the writing style. The prose was easy to read whilst also being descriptive and engaging. The pacing of the book was great - no time was wasted on unnecessary fluff and every chapter propelled the story forward. Another thing I really liked was how well the setting was described and I could vividly picture all the locations in the book.
I would definitely recommend this book.
May 20, 2021
A Kind of Drowning by Robert Craven was published May 4th and is crime fiction set in Ireland, just as the country is on the cusp of a pandemic. Pius John (P.J.) Crowe is a detective in trouble. With his marriage in freefall in Dublin, he temporarily moves to the small seaside town of Roscarrig in the hope of finding himself. His face is, unfortunately, now well known across social media as the man who beat up a sports coach at one of his son’s matches. As a detective, he is suspended pending an enquiry into his actions.
P.J. Crowe is a man on the edge. With the assistance of a retired Garda, an old friend, he takes a short-term lease on a flat above a takeaway in Roscarrig but, on his own, his mind wanders and he starts to feel himself slowly slip further into decline. Eating rubbish, smoking and drinking heavily, P.J. Crowe is a man on the edge. He looks for work, anything to distract him from his racing mind and picks up a few hours at a local cafe. While there a young girl comes in excited to be starting her first job. Her name is Thea Farrell. But Thea is not like other girls and P.J. soon finds himself defending her against the vitriol of others. Although he only knows her a short while, when Thea suddenly disappears, P.J. is quick to be suspicious.
Aware that a crime gang-lord has been seen in the area, P.J. immediately sees a bigger picture than others for Thea’s disappearance. When Thea’s body is discovered P.J. wants to know what happened. The initial thought is that her death was accidental drowning, but P.J. isn’t buying it. Thea Farrell was an award-winning swimmer.
P.J. Crowe has no fear. His life is crashing down around him making him a dangerous foe. As he delves deeper into the murky goings on in Roscarrig, he discovers a viper’s nest of activity. Was Thea Farrell an accidental victim or was it murder?
A Kind Of Drowning was originally supposed to be a short story but Robert Craven soon discovered that he had more to say. At approximately 170 pages, it is a self-contained novella but also, I am assuming, a launch pad for Detective P.J. Crowe. It feels like an introduction to this erratic individual who will fight for justice and take no prisoners. It’s a satisfying read, with the ofttimes antagonistic, and cranky, P.J. Crowe easily winning over the hearts of all. He is most certainly a grumpy character, with major issues to sort, yet his heart seems very much in the right place. A quick and entertaining read with a rather dramatic ending, A Kind Of Drowning has a slightly off-beat feel to it, with P.J. Crowe’s dark wit reminding me of Caimh McDonnell’s Bunny McGarry (of The Dublin Trilogy).
‘A KIND OF DROWNING is a noir novel – a Chandleresque, Ken Bruen, Hammett, and Spillane dark in its concept. I wanted the characters to grow through dialogue rather than actions and I wanted to stay clear of the technical and procedural jargon and let the story evolve through Crowe’s eyes.’ Robert Craven
P.J. Crowe is a man on the edge. With the assistance of a retired Garda, an old friend, he takes a short-term lease on a flat above a takeaway in Roscarrig but, on his own, his mind wanders and he starts to feel himself slowly slip further into decline. Eating rubbish, smoking and drinking heavily, P.J. Crowe is a man on the edge. He looks for work, anything to distract him from his racing mind and picks up a few hours at a local cafe. While there a young girl comes in excited to be starting her first job. Her name is Thea Farrell. But Thea is not like other girls and P.J. soon finds himself defending her against the vitriol of others. Although he only knows her a short while, when Thea suddenly disappears, P.J. is quick to be suspicious.
Aware that a crime gang-lord has been seen in the area, P.J. immediately sees a bigger picture than others for Thea’s disappearance. When Thea’s body is discovered P.J. wants to know what happened. The initial thought is that her death was accidental drowning, but P.J. isn’t buying it. Thea Farrell was an award-winning swimmer.
P.J. Crowe has no fear. His life is crashing down around him making him a dangerous foe. As he delves deeper into the murky goings on in Roscarrig, he discovers a viper’s nest of activity. Was Thea Farrell an accidental victim or was it murder?
A Kind Of Drowning was originally supposed to be a short story but Robert Craven soon discovered that he had more to say. At approximately 170 pages, it is a self-contained novella but also, I am assuming, a launch pad for Detective P.J. Crowe. It feels like an introduction to this erratic individual who will fight for justice and take no prisoners. It’s a satisfying read, with the ofttimes antagonistic, and cranky, P.J. Crowe easily winning over the hearts of all. He is most certainly a grumpy character, with major issues to sort, yet his heart seems very much in the right place. A quick and entertaining read with a rather dramatic ending, A Kind Of Drowning has a slightly off-beat feel to it, with P.J. Crowe’s dark wit reminding me of Caimh McDonnell’s Bunny McGarry (of The Dublin Trilogy).
‘A KIND OF DROWNING is a noir novel – a Chandleresque, Ken Bruen, Hammett, and Spillane dark in its concept. I wanted the characters to grow through dialogue rather than actions and I wanted to stay clear of the technical and procedural jargon and let the story evolve through Crowe’s eyes.’ Robert Craven
December 30, 2022
I received this book in return for an honest review. Tbh I found this book slightly confusing and disjointed and really struggled to get into it, at least until Thea came into it. Then for me it became an ok book.
July 5, 2021
Good short read. I feel that the ending leads to future books in this series, I hope so.
February 24, 2023
I really want to give this more stars, but I don't understand the ending. Instead of a conclusion, it ends with more questions. I searched for a second installment, but couldn't find one.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews