Crime Fiction Month: The Write Stuff with... Sinead Crowley

Today is the final The Write Stuff with... feature as part of this Crime Fiction month so it's my absolute pleasure to welcome Irish author Sinead Crowley back to the blog.  Sinead has written a piece on location, talking about the part of Dublin where she set her third novel One Bad Turn which is out this Thursday.

The nice thing about living in a city like Dublin is that people often come to visit you, and when they do they ask for recommendations on what to do and where to go. Obviously you tailor your response to their own circumstances – how mobile are they? Do they have kids? Does their taste tend towards Caravaggio, or clubbing?

But there is one outing I’d recommend to anyone visiting my city, if they have time. It’s stunning, it’s accessible and, as I discovered in my new book, it’s the perfect place to lose a body. Crime writers, we’re a cheerful lot.

You might have read about Dublin’s DART train in a Roddy Doyle book or seen it in a movie adaptation. In more up to date TV dramas it has largely been replaced by the shinier Luas Light Rail System as a shorthand for transport in the city. But the DART is still there, chugging away along the coastline, bringing commuters from as far away as Howth and Greystones into the city centre. However if you’re on holiday and can avoid rush hour you can also turn it into one of the most interesting journeys in the capital.

Guest Book Review: Sinéad Crowley - Are You Watching Me?

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

Dear Elizabeth,

I've been watching you

I hope to see you . . .

Soon.

Liz Cafferky is on the up. Rescued from her dark past by the owner of a drop-in centre for older men, Liz soon finds herself as the charity's face - and the unwilling darling of the Dublin media.

Amidst her claustrophobic fame, Liz barely notices a letter from a new fan. But then one of the centre's clients is brutally murdered, and Elizabeth receives another, more sinister note.

Running from her own ghosts, Liz is too scared to go to the police. And with no leads, there is little Sergeant Claire Boyle can do to protect her.

Amazon links: Kindle or Hardcover

Books Read: Sinéad Crowley - Can Anybody Help Me?

It was crazy really, she had never met the woman, had no idea of her real name but she thought of her as a friend. Or, at least, the closest thing she had to a friend in Dublin.

Struggling with a new baby, Yvonne turns to netmammy, an online forum for mothers, for support. Drawn into a world of new friends, she spends increasing amounts of time online and volunteers more and more information about herself.

When one of her new friends goes offline, Yvonne thinks something is wrong, but dismisses her fears. After all, does she really know this woman?

But when the body of a young woman with striking similarities to Yvonne's missing friend is found, Yvonne realises that they're all in terrifying danger. Can she persuade Sergeant Claire Boyle, herself about to go on maternity leave, to take her fears seriously?

Amazon Links: Kindle or Paperback

Irish Fiction Week Interview & Giveaway: Sinéad Crowley

Today it's my pleasure to welcome Irish journalist and author Sinéad Crowley to the blog as part of this Irish Fiction feature week to talk about her debut novel Can Anybody Help Me? which I'll be reviewing later.

It was crazy really, she had never met the woman, had no idea of her real name but she thought of her as a friend. Or, at least, the closest thing she had to a friend in Dublin. 

Struggling with a new baby, Yvonne turns to netmammy, an online forum for mothers, for support. Drawn into a world of new friends, she spends increasing amounts of time online and volunteers more and more information about herself. 

When one of her new friends goes offline, Yvonne thinks something is wrong, but dismisses her fears. After all, does she really know this woman? 

But when the body of a young woman with striking similarities to Yvonne's missing friend is found, Yvonne realises that they're all in terrifying danger. Can she persuade Sergeant Claire Boyle, herself about to go on maternity leave, to take her fears seriously?

Can you tell us a little bit about Can Anybody Help Me? 
Struggling with a new marriage, a new country and a new baby, Yvonne turns to Netmammy, an online parenting forum for support. Delighted at the chance to make new friends, she begins to volunteer more and more information about herself. Then one of her best online friends disappears. But how can you find out what has happened to someone you have never actually met?

Meanwhile Detective Sgt Claire Boyle is about to embark on her first ever murder investigation, and is not going to let the simple fact of being 6 months pregnant slow her down.

The premise of the storyline is so relevant in this modern era when most of us are online for some part of each day and make friends online, was that the inspiration behind Yvonne and her missing friend?
Yes, I got the idea for the novel when I was on maternity leave with my first child. Although I wasn’t isolated to the same extent as Yvonne was – I had plenty of friends with new babies – when my little boy was just a couple of months old it snowed heavily which meant I couldn’t leave the house for days at a time. So although I had friends and a support network I couldn’t physically go out to meet them and I began to use internet forums more and more. One day I recognised a person I knew from the real world, online and the idea for the novel began to take shape.

Coming soon from Quercus Books

As we've come to the end of this feature week for Quercus Books it's time to look at some of the books they are publishing in the next couple of months.

Betrayed by Anna Smith (published on 8th May)

You don't mess with Rosie Gilmour and get away with it.

Crime reporter Rosie Gilmour is back at The Post, bruised and battered from her last investigation but determined to find missing barmaid Wendy Graham. 

Convinced that Wendy is the key to an explosive new story, Rosie's search leads her deep into the dangerous world of Glasgow's Ulster Volunteer Force.

This time, Rosie will find herself at the mercy of the most vicious gangsters she's ever encountered. 

Has she met her match?

Debut Spotlight: Sinéad Crowley

Today I'd like to introduce to you Irish journalist Sinéad Crowley whose debut novel, psychological thriller Can Anybody Help Me?, is published next month.

Sinéad Crowley is Arts and Media Correspondent for RTE, Ireland’s national broadcaster. Working for radio, television and online, she has covered stories ranging from general elections to the Eurovision Song Contest, and has reported from locations including Southern Africa, Azerbaijan and the Oscars. 

A self-confessed internet addict, she discovered the world of parenting websites when on maternity leave with her first child. Sinéad lives in Dublin with her husband and two young sons.

It was crazy, really, she had never met this young woman, and had no idea of her real name but she thought of her as a friend. Or, at least, the closest thing she had to a friend in Dublin. 

Having recently moved from London, and struggling to cope with a new baby, Yvonne turns to an online forum, netmammy, for support. Drawn into a community of new mothers, she spends increasing amounts of time online and volunteers more and more information about herself. 

When one of her new friends disappears, Yvonne feels something is wrong, but dismisses her fears. After all, how well does she really know this woman? Then, as the body of a young woman with striking similarities to her missing friend is found, Yvonne begins to suspect that their close-knit community is in danger. 

Can she persuade Sergeant Claire Boyle, herself about to go on maternity leave, to take her seriously? How can you ever know who you’re really talking to online?

Can you tell us a little bit about your debut book Can Anybody Help Me?
First of all, thanks for having me! 

My book tells the story of a young mum, Yvonne, who has moved from the UK to live in Dublin with her husband and baby daughter. Her husband’s busy job means he is rarely around and because her baby is so small she hasn’t had a chance to make friends in her new city, so she relies on an internet forum, netmammy, for company. One day Yvonne realises that one of the other posters, known as MyBabba hasn’t been around for a few days. 
In the real world, a young mother is reported missing and Yvonne is afraid something has happened to her virtual friend. But how can she give the police information about a woman she has never actually met?

The other main character is Claire, a hard working detective who also happens to be expecting her first child. She is very sceptical about the whole idea of parenting websites, but soon also finds herself drawn into the netmammy world.