Kirjahaku

This is a light-hearted story about two young men and their girlfriends in the rowdy, lived-in Dublin of Brendan Behan, Patrick Kavanagh and Flann O'Brien. They pit their wits against all comers in a last fling before adulthood. Murf is a 'chronic student' who lives dangerously, savouring the roar of the crowd. He is fortunate to meet Gobnait, a kindred spirit, who could become a steadying influence. She sees through his posturing to the deeper reasons that make him a risk junkie. Rolo is a nervous, gentlemanly sort, often scared by Murf's escapades. Will he find his feet when he meets the stunning Maura?While the gals have steady jobs, the lads eke out a living by smuggling condoms from Northern Ireland into the South. This 'modest trade' lands them in serious trouble with their 'clients', the British Army, and eventually the IRA and the police. They lurch from one crisis to another and are repeatedly bailed out by Gobnait and Maura - and by a club of gentle transvestites.Will their splendid women help them grow up or will the lure of shenanigans prove too strong? "This is a wonderful immersion into the Dublin of the early seventies, a city making do on an island held together by string, bandages and impious prayer. The lead protagonists are immediately credible, their mental and emotional contortions on full display. The plot is like a colourful, writhing snake that may intend no harm."- Peter FitzGerald

Maura, a shy Englishwoman, works for her dentist husband, Harold, who tries to restrict her many outside interests. To his chagrin, Maura appears on a major TV Quiz show. She wins a prize to visit the US and attend a Celebrity New Year's Eve Ball in Washington DC. Patrick, a Frenchman, embarks on a dangerous geo-political mission. He kidnaps Harold and poses as Maura's husband. She has no option but to travel with him to the US, where they meet with celebrities, other prize-winners, and senior political figures. She is racked by guilt, but her worries shift as she realises that Patrick is more a misguided idealist than a terrorist. She can't help being drawn towards him. Maura begins to fear for her life and his. The Washington Ball approaches. Tight security is coordinated by a shrewd and ambitious FBI agent with support from Homeland Security. Maura tries desperately to persuade Patrick to abort his mission. Maura grows in adversity, becomes stronger and more questioning. Even in captivity, Harold is the same old fogey. Then after all seems lost, Maura makes a remarkable discovery that will change everything... "Against a backdrop of Washington covert dealing and heartless calculation, two figures find their truer selves. Patrick's idealism battles with human desire. As the plot develops, carefully and unpredictably, we see Maura unfold too, as stronger and more complex than she ever imagined. In a deft storyline told as though in a single breath, the inevitable crisis is a long-delayed reckoning."- Peter FitzGerald

Writer and TV celebrity Robert Lynskey is part of the Manhattan skyline. Despite his obvious success, he begins to doubt himself. His partner, Sarah, tries to dispel these doubts and convince him that he has earned his success. She is aware that the producer of Lynskey's TV show is also attracted to her, and she tries to keep him at bay. Khaled Hassan, a Palestinian, is on his way to New York to free his mentor from Guant namo Bay. To set up a hostage exchange, he and his associates kidnap Lynskey - a soft target with a high profile. They demand that his TV Network broadcast a series of propaganda tapes. The CIA, FBI and Homeland Security become involved. Following 9 / 11 there is no question of negotiating with terrorists. There is a strong suspicion that Lynskey might be collaborating with the terrorists, especially when it is discovered that Hassan had been a student of his in Columbia in the late nineties. Motivated by ratings, the network broadcasts the tapes, breaching the Patriot Act. Public reaction is hostile. As the network's ratings rise, Lynskey's chances of survival fall. Sarah worries that he will be killed by his abductors, and she works with the security agencies to find out where he is being held. In captivity, Lynskey has time to review his life. He is intrigued by Hassan, who must know that the pro-Israel Administration will never free his mentor from Guant namo Bay. What then is the real agenda? As events move to an unexpected conclusion Lynskey finds himself in possession of the final tape which contains explosive footage that would undermine America's role in the world. The security agencies learn of its existence and Lynskey's problems really begin. With his personal life in crisis, is he in a fit mental state to bear the enormous responsibility that has been thrust upon him? "A byword for success, Robert Lynskey is lost in the ease of his own intellectual victories. Everything he has struggled for, and achieved, now undermines its own driving logic. Potential escape arrives in the form of mortal danger. Brilliantly constructed and fluidly told, the core dilemma is very real."-Peter FitzGerald

The first of these short stories, Epitome, is about Elvis Presley as you have never seen him before. Elvis is, in fact, one of the most endearing of the characters who people these darkly humorous tales. There are other fabulous 'Kings', e.g. the Shah of Iran, who feature in some of the subsequent stories, but they are not as charismatic as Elvis. Neither is Hitler who appears in another story in reincarnate form. In a couple of stories, bullies get their just desserts in intriguing ways. In others, bad behaviour in Hollywood and the Vatican is exposed. One cautionary tale features the obsessive-compulsive behaviour of a 'failed priest' in a refuse and recycling facility. Another concerns a white-collar criminal who buys the prison he's incarcerated in. There are a couple of quirky love stories, and others in which characters slide into madness or are driven to murder. The collection as a whole deals with people in all their splendid, dark-side variety. "This is a collection of great creativity and play. Some stories give full rein to a what-if idea; others develop protagonists in their unbridled quirkiness. The stories always entertain, and they always make you think." -Peter FitzGerald