Brouhaha

by Ardal O´Hanlon

Unknown Binding

Reviews

[Tony M · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have ever sat in front of a peat fire in an Irish country pub, nursing a pint of Guinness or perhaps a glass of Jameson’s, listening to the resident shanachie weaving a magical spell with a long, meandering and enthralling tale from local folklore, you will have an idea of what reading this book is like. Ardal O’Hanlon sets his book in a small Irish border town, the kind of place where everyone knows everyone else’s business but seemingly everyone has at least one secret. At the heart of the book is the mysterious disappearance of a 16 year old girl many years ago and from this starting point O’Hanlon takes us on a leisurely, rambling journey of a read, taking in an ex-policeman obsessed with the girl’s disappearance; an apparent suicide; the return of a prodigal son; a shady local politician; a determined and inquisitive reporter; the Peace Process; a whole roster of offbeat characters; and sometimes dark, violent and disturbing happenings. If there is a word or phrase which means the complete opposite of ‘page turner’, it would apply to this book. Like a traveller who enjoys the journey as much as reaching their destination, I was in no hurry to reach the end and unravel the central mystery, content to savour each word, each sentence, each paragraph and each chapter of this captivating book.

[Jo-anne Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many years ago Sandra Mohan went missing and her small town rallied round. However a local journalist wrote an expose of life in the area and made conclusions about Sandra's disappearance. Now one of the possible suspects is dead, his friend has returned from exile for the funeral and is left a strange graphic novel in which the disappearance is explained. As the friend, the journalist and a local retired police officer combine to solve the mystery, they uncover hidden secrets in the border town of Tullyanna
This is a complex novel and it requires perseverance to get into the style of writing and the plot. however once hooked then the story is great. A small town with secrets, linked to The Troubles and still influencing local politics today. It's exciting and dark and very rewarding.

[Alex LB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brouhaha is an ambitious novel, part mystery, part character study, and full of references and vernacular. It took me a few chapters to understand the tone, and the colloquial way it is written belies the tightly woven narrative full of witty allusions. I wish I had been able to get the audiobook in the United States, because I imagine hearing it read by the author with all of the Irish vernacular intact would have improved both my enjoyment and understanding. I was also acutely aware while reading it that the spirit of the Irish people and their shared history is something I can’t fully understand as an outsider. The cultural richness and sharp, biting wordplay makes this story stand out in the crowded mystery/thriller genre. This novel defies categorization, and is better for it.

[John Hodgson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a great sense of place, and is very realistic in portraying that devilish cocktail of whimsy and violence prevalent on the border area. The female characters seem aggressively overwritten, and the comedic passages are shadowed by the violence. I am sure the next book will be better.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

So Fun! Ardal O'Hanlon should write full time. One of the best books I have read in a long time. It has everything. Mystery, Drama and Comedy. Loads of comedy! It was a very entertaining book and one I will read again in the future.

[Kim Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into the Irishness of the narrative…but once there, I enjoyed this. Knowing Ardal O’Hanlon as an actor, I could see and hear him telling the story. Not really the kind of tale I would expect from him, but good all the same.

[Ayla Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love a good murder mystery and this was wonderful. It ticked all my boxes in a good murder mystery. Plus it had plenty of the brilliant humor from Ardal O'Hanlon. I hope to read more from him.

[Paudie Sca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this. A perfect blend of the dark and the absurd. Brilliant turns of phrase and he captures the characters so well.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book based around the border area. Reminescent of The Butcher Boy. Good characterisation and the plot is good. I felt the story spent too long setting the scene and I was getting bored but stuck with it and the last third of the book raced to the rather obvious conclusion. The writing is good