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Crusher

by Niall Leonard (Goodreads Author)

3.44 of 5 stars 3.44 · rating details · 190 ratings · 80 reviews

The day Finn Maguire discovers his fathet bludgeoned to death in a pool of blood, his dreary life is turned upside down. Prime suspect in the murder, Finn must race against time to clear his name and find out who hated his dad enough to kill him.

Trawling the sordid, brutal London underworld for answers, Finn exposes dark family secrets and faces danger at every turn. But h...more

Paperback, 384 pages

Published September 13th 2012 by Random House (first published September 11th 2012)

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Oct 23, 2012 Giselle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, own, mystery-thriller

When I first heard of Crusher I had never heard of it or of the author before, and when looking deeper into it I was surprised to find out the author is actually EL James' (50 Shades) husband. This left me both intrigued and worried. Having been put off of 50 Shades simply from excerpts that made me cringe, I was hoping Niall would be able to create a story that was compelling and exciting, and hopefully void of bizarre tampon scenes.

Well, I can assure you there are, in fact, no tampons! A big r...more When I first heard of Crusher I had never heard of it or of the author before, and when looking deeper into it I was surprised to find out the author is actually EL James' (50 Shades) husband. This left me both intrigued and worried. Having been put off of 50 Shades simply from excerpts that made me cringe, I was hoping Niall would be able to create a story that was compelling and exciting, and hopefully void of bizarre tampon scenes.

Well, I can assure you there are, in fact, no tampons! A big reason *could be* probably because our main character is male. Finn comes home to find his father dead one evening, after the cops make him a suspect, he decides to take matters into his own hand and find his father's killer. This promises a heck of a lot of excitement, great action, and hopefully some awesome twists. To my great disappointment it did not deliver in either of these points.

Unless... unless you call Finn working, then working again, then getting fired, then working. Oh wait, it's a little exciting when he breaks into some crime boss's yard, but that doesn't last very long and he's working again. Washing dishes! All that steam! That hot, sweaty dishwasher! Yeah... no. Not exciting. When he isn't working, he's planning his father's funeral. Talking to funeral directors. Funeral arrangement... very sexy... Then wait, Finn trips, and oops, he stumbles on a trail to his father's killer! That was so convenient!

Let's just say, I did not find this very exciting. In case some of your are a little on the slow side.

The investigation itself involves a crime lord of some type, clues that seem to appear out of sheer luck more than anything, and a whole slew of stereotypical characters that felt like cardboard cut outs of any crime movie. Digging in clues is what's the most fun in a crime novel. You go along with the characters and try to figure out what happened. The way Niall goes about clues and twists are too coincidental to make it really captivating. Moreover, there's never any real feeling of danger or suspense. Instead of being scared, I was baffled by the characters' actions. Stupidity will never be suspenseful, only irritating, and slightly amazing.

So why did I give this book 2-stars? Well, I finished it. It kept my interest; I was hoping it would eventually get thrilling, and I was kept curious throughout, wanting to know who the killer was. So it is a decent premise, with an interesting male protagonist who could have a lot of depth if the author gave him a likeable personality, or any personality at all to be honest. The lack of consistency in the writing and sporadic pacing clearly killed the whole plot for me. But hey, why don't you try it out? *hands over book forcefully*

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An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

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Aug 27, 2012 Stephanie Johnson rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is really good. It's like TAKEN meets GET CARTER for young adults. There wasn't non stop action, but when it happened, it was fantastic. I also liked all the twits. I kept thinking it's this person, not it's that person, not it's that person.

I also loved that our hero wouldn't give up even if he thought it would get him killed. I wish there had been more of a love interest, but it's written by a man so you can't expect too much. I'm not saying that there wasn't a love interest there,...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Barrie Summy rated it 4 of 5 stars

In a nutshell: High-school dropout Finn Maguire arrives home from his crappy fast-food job to find his stepdad bludgeoned to death in their London flat. Of course, our Finn is the main suspect, and he takes on the mystery in order to clear his name. And to find out what really happened to his stepdad.

The stepdad (an out-of-work actor and, then, a wannabe writer) was working on a screenplay about one of London's mobsters. Finn thinks. He really didn't pay that much attention when his stepdad was...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Indiabookstore rated it 4 of 5 stars

Choosing a thriller in winters was never my choice of reading. But when I picked Niall’s ‘Crusher’, it kept me on my toes till the end! That’s the thing about trying books of every genre; the diverse natures of fiction always take you by surprise.

Niall Leonard’s Crusher is about Finn Maguire – a 17 year old school drop-out, suffering from dyslexia, who works at a fast food restaurant, and is engaged in all reckless “teenage” activities. His step- father, an actor with no project in hand, is tryi...more

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Feb 10, 2013 John Clark rated it 5 of 5 stars

The story opens with Finn Maguire letting his down and out dad, an actor turned destitute would-be writer, into their house late one evening after he loses his keys. You get a quick stream of consciousness intro to Finn’s lack of education, minor criminal record and his relationship with his father. The scene shifts to him at his lousy counter service job in a fast food place where he hates the job and the boss. Enter Zoe, a mysterious teen who he has to ask to buy something else or leave the re...more The story opens with Finn Maguire letting his down and out dad, an actor turned destitute would-be writer, into their house late one evening after he loses his keys. You get a quick stream of consciousness intro to Finn’s lack of education, minor criminal record and his relationship with his father. The scene shifts to him at his lousy counter service job in a fast food place where he hates the job and the boss. Enter Zoe, a mysterious teen who he has to ask to buy something else or leave the restaurant by his beyond jerk boss (think Dilbert’s pointy-head boss with an English accent). She blows him off and leaves. You also learn that Finn is an amateur boxer who loves to run and feels he’s behind the eight ball thanks to his criminal record, dyslexia and lack of education. Finn, however, is anything but dumb.

When he returns home that evening, he notices things are amiss before he even sets foot inside. When he does, he finds his dad at his desk, the back of his head bashed in with the acting statue he won years before. One of the cops first on the scene is a cynical, heavyset sergeant named Prendergast who makes it clear he thinks Finn killed his dad. Once out of interrogation, Finn decides to do some investigation on his own. He visits the pub his dad frequented to see what his drinking buddies might know that could have gotten dad killed. They are very sympathetic at first, but as he starts to dig into the possibility that a local gangster with legendary abilities when it comes to avoiding arrest, might have been the subject of his father’s latest writing project everyone suddenly seems to have someplace else to go.

Add in a female social worker who isn’t who she seems, Finn’s foolhardy attempt to penetrate the estate of McGovern, the gangster, what happens that gets him a meeting with the man and a job offer, how Zoe reenters the picture along with some really evil folks, some of whom Finn thought were trustworthy and you have a story with enough twists to make a pretzel envious. Niall Leonard has written a dandy first book. It kept me engrossed, had me guessing and not once did I roll my eyes at something poorly done. Granted, this is the first of the lot I’ve read, but the others are going to have to be pretty riveting to beat out Crusher. I’ll continue sharing my thoughts as I read the remaining nominees. (less)

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Nov 01, 2012 Angela Oliver rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller

On the back of the uncorrected proof, this book is described as "the most talked about crime thriller of 2012". Say what? I work in a bookstore and nobody has asked for it, nobody has bought it. Tbh, I don't think I've even seen anyone looking at it, and I would be pretty wary about actually selling it to someone! Why? It is apparently targeted at the teenage market, but I would hesitate to let anyone under 16 read this book - it is pretty violent - with the main character killing several people...more On the back of the uncorrected proof, this book is described as "the most talked about crime thriller of 2012". Say what? I work in a bookstore and nobody has asked for it, nobody has bought it. Tbh, I don't think I've even seen anyone looking at it, and I would be pretty wary about actually selling it to someone! Why? It is apparently targeted at the teenage market, but I would hesitate to let anyone under 16 read this book - it is pretty violent - with the main character killing several people; quite bleak, contains both foul language and sexual references. There are no real role-models in this story - Finn is not particularly easy to emphasize with and not very proactive about anything except finding his father's killer, although I suppose he DOES manage to save someone's life (how convenient was that timing?) and get a job. The other characters are pretty much one dimensional. There are three female characters - the closest we get to a "love interest", Zoe, is portrayed as a druggie and a slut. Another is psychotic and the third is just kinda pathetic. It's more mature than some of the "adult" books I've read.

The plot is quite erratic and stretches the limits of credibility rather a lot. There are plenty of twists and turns, and a few red herrings, however. Whilst the action and the intrigue keeps the story flowing and the pages turning - there are dozens of better books out there.

Probably the best thing I can say about this book is that Niall writes better than his wife. Which isn't saying much.

Although - this novel was his 2011 NaNo novel - which is kinda nifty, given I've just started my 2012 one now. And he's a Goodreads author, so I shall have to ask him - Niall, if you read this, can you please tell me why Finn's computer had a password on it when he got it back from the cops but a few chapters later he made a point of mentioning that it didn't have a password? That's been bugging me... I keep wondering if I misinterpreted where the password was being entered. I was reading an uncorrected proof - but I just checked the printed version, and it hasn't been fixed. So, what's up with that?(less)

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Oct 28, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Finn's stepfather is an alcoholic former actor who can't find work and so is working on a screen play. Finn, who is dyslexic, flunked out of school and is working at Max Snax, supplementing the two's income. When his stepfather is brutally murdered, Finn is suspected by Detective Prendergast. Finn starts to think that the work he his stepfather was doing somehow compromised the efforts of the local violent mob boss, McGovern, and sets out to see if this is the case. Finn manages to save McGovern...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Luanne Ollivier rated it 4 of 5 stars

Crusher is Niall Leonard's debut novel.

Finn Maguire returns home from his dead end job at a fast food place to find his house dark. Although it's just him and his dad since his mother ran off five years ago, his Dad usually waits up for him. Finn finds his dad inside - bludgeoned to death at his desk.

The cops arrive but rather than treat Finn as a victim, they see him as the suspect. When the cops are forced to release him, Finn decides to find answers himself. And his first steps lead him to a...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Kate Neilan rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, teen, thriller

I'm not sure where to start with this colander of a young adult ‘crime’ novel. The back of the review copy yells “ The most talked-about debut thriller of 2012” but that might not be for the reason you think. Niall Leonard is in fact the husband of E L James, of Fifty Shades fame/infamy; he wrote Crusher in response to a challenge from his wife to write a book, during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, an American initiative to encourage people to write creatively). The clue’s in the name...more I'm not sure where to start with this colander of a young adult ‘crime’ novel. The back of the review copy yells “ The most talked-about debut thriller of 2012” but that might not be for the reason you think. Niall Leonard is in fact the husband of E L James, of Fifty Shades fame/infamy; he wrote Crusher in response to a challenge from his wife to write a book, during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, an American initiative to encourage people to write creatively). The clue’s in the name there, I think - if you write a whole novel in a month, there has to be a reason it takes such a short time. Crusher illustrates this in abundance.

Let’s start with the narrator, 17-year-old Finn. We learn, later in the book, that Crusher is his nickname, due to his boxing abilities. Well, I’m pleased he’s good at boxing, because he seems to have a talent for precious little else. Leonard paints a picture of a hopeless drop-out to the point where it’s a little hard to sympathise with this young man. A lot of Finn’s problems seem to have come from the fact that he’s dyslexic - he is portrayed, at times, as almost illiterate and it’s implied this is why he’s stuck working in a burger bar, with zero in the way of qualifications. What lazy stereotyping here. It’s really anachronistic to write about dyslexia as such a crippling problem in 2012; a quick chat with any teacher would have told Leonard that young people can now use computers, have readers and scribes to enable them to get the grades they deserve at school. Finn seems like an intelligent boy so why he wouldn’t have taken advantage of these things is inexplicable.

As well as this problematic backstory, Finn’s a very cold fish. Early in the book, he discovers his (step)father, murdered, in the living room of the house they share. His response is basically to shrug. As the story progresses, he decides to find out who murdered his dad but his motivation isn’t fury or revenge but apparently a sort of lazy curiosity. Surely this would be a highly traumatic event but Finn just carries on, emotionally unaffected. He stays living in the house where his dad died, gets romantically involved with a girl without any qualms, bluffs it out with gangsters... It just doesn’t ring true.

This isn’t helped by the impression that most of the other characters are cardboard cut-out stereotypes: the Lahndan East End hard-man gangster, the bent copper, a smarmy jobsworth boss, a slutty school girl. At one point, his ‘real mum’ pops up from nowhere with a cartoon Latino-American criminal in tow, and hovering in the background is a psychotic ex-social worker; we know she’s crazy because she’s a redhead. I don’t think Mr Leonard likes women very much. Plus there’s even a celebrity chef thrown into the mix. Did Leonard have a Character-Pick app when he started writing this book?

My final big problem was the language Leonard uses; the prose is leaden, to say the least. Occasionally, there are flights of metaphorical fancy so bizarre as to be laughable. Finn’s boss at the burger bar coming out of his office is likened to a hermit crab emerging from its shell, and later is described as waving his “little crab antennae”. Hmm. Some of the slang Finn uses is really incongruous for a 17-year-old - he calls someone a “wag” for giving him the nickname Crusher, and describes being hit as getting “clobbered”. I can’t think of any teenagers who use words like that. Finally, he swears. All the time. For no apparent reason. A lot of teenagers, contrary to popular belief, are capable of speaking without swearing all the time. Finn’s constant profanities mark this book out from a lot of other YA fiction, and not, I think, in a good way. It’s another example of lazy stereotyping, and a lot of teen readers, and their parents, may not appreciate it.

Having read quite a bit of young adult male-protagonist thriller fiction, this falls well short of my expectations. At no point did I feel any particular sense of thrill, of peril, of suspense or excitement. There was a big action ‘set-piece’ involving a car-crusher, but I’ve read a vastly superior version of that scene in an Alex Rider novel. Equally, in YA, I tend to look for a subtle moral steer by the writer; here, the lesson seems to be, if you are the hardest hitter, and the faster runner, that’s all there is. The character who seems to be the big villain at the outset never gets his comeuppance, and the twists at the end are frankly ridiculous. If Leonard wants Finn Maguire to make another appearance, he really needs to think about how he’s going to engage his readers more effectively.(less)

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Sep 10, 2012 Liviania rated it 4 of 5 stars

CRUSHER was so obviously a generic thriller title that I paid it little attention. Imagine my surprise when it was relevant to the story in multiple ways. It's one of the many ways CRUSHER was a pleasant surprise. It landed on my porch not too long ago, but caught my attention because it had been overnighted. That's not usual for an unsolicited review copy.

The included letter started by talking about Niall Leonard's wife, E L James (FIFTY SHADES OF GREY) and mentioned he'd just written CRUSHER l...more CRUSHER was so obviously a generic thriller title that I paid it little attention. Imagine my surprise when it was relevant to the story in multiple ways. It's one of the many ways CRUSHER was a pleasant surprise. It landed on my porch not too long ago, but caught my attention because it had been overnighted. That's not usual for an unsolicited review copy.

The included letter started by talking about Niall Leonard's wife, E L James (FIFTY SHADES OF GREY) and mentioned he'd just written CRUSHER last November. That made me a touch wary, concerned that CRUSHER had been rushed into production due to Leonard's association with infamy. And, okay, I still assumed that happened, but CRUSHER can stand on its own merits.

Quick note: I read the UK text. I don't know if the US version will be any different, but generally references to salad on sandwiches and such is changed. Now back to the review.

Finn Maguire doesn't have much hope for the future. He works in fast food without much hope of advancement since he dropped out of high school. He can't read well due to dyslexia and a lack of academic encouragement. He lives in squalor with his father, an out-of-work actor who talks about becoming a screenwriter but never manages to sell any of his work. Coming home from work one day, Finn finds his father murdered. The police suspect Finn, leading him to start his own investigation.

Soon, Finn is mixed up with the biggest gangster around and getting by day-by-day now includes not getting killed himself. I really liked Finn's character. He's determined and clever, absolutely terrific at improvising, but he's not that smart. He's got a strong moral center too. He'll defend himself and he'll lie to get to the truth, but he's not the kind of guy who leaves a trail of collateral damage. He doesn't like letting people he doesn't like get hurt if he knows he can stop it.

I love a good crime drama, and that's exactly what CRUSHER is. It's sordid and filled with characters you can't trust and utterly absorbing. I loved following Finn's quest to catch his father's killer. Fantastically, he isn't a great detective. He's brilliant on stumbling onto trouble and pretty lucky he took all those boxing lessons, but he doesn't yet have an instinct for putting the pieces together. He can still make it work.

I think I read CRUSHER in less than two hours. I ate my breakfast on Saturday, settled down to read, and didn't come up for air until I was done. Few books catch my attention that thoroughly anymore. Mystery fans, thriller fans, boxing fans: check out CRUSHER. It's quite a ride. (less)

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Aug 19, 2012 Raven rated it 3 of 5 stars

With more holes in the plot line than a tramp’s socks and some utterly implausible coincidences, I can still say that I thoroughly enjoyed this young adult debut thriller by Niall Leonard! At numerous points in the story you are thinking that certain scenarios just could not possibly happen and are incredibly far-fetched, but you can’t help yourself being sucked into the ludicrous plot by the sheer strength of Leonard’s characterisation of confused teenager Finn Maguire, an extremely well-drawn...more With more holes in the plot line than a tramp’s socks and some utterly implausible coincidences, I can still say that I thoroughly enjoyed this young adult debut thriller by Niall Leonard! At numerous points in the story you are thinking that certain scenarios just could not possibly happen and are incredibly far-fetched, but you can’t help yourself being sucked into the ludicrous plot by the sheer strength of Leonard’s characterisation of confused teenager Finn Maguire, an extremely well-drawn and empathetic character.

Finn is a character displaying all the teenage angst that a rift between parents can cause to a child, with a background of disruptive behaviour that has brought him to the attention of police, but who is obviously a bright and resourceful kid trying to get himself back on the straight and narrow. He has been hampered throughout his life by his dyslexia, but this has provided him with the ability to think on his feet, to use his common sense and invested him with the strength and determination to attempt to track down his father’s murderer. As Finn turns into a contemporary Sherlock Holmes with attitude, seeking answers to the death of his father, he is drawn into a murky underworld overseen by a notorious figure known as 'The Guvnor’ who epitomises every cliche one could apply to a Gangland boss. Through Finn’s incredibly fortuitous rescue of said Guvnor’s drowning child he finds himself in a position of constant peril punctuated by human trafficking, a celebrity chef, a Death Row killer, a German hitman, dead actors, psychotic women and many other brilliantly implausible moments of danger. Finn himself has no compunction to rendering dead those stupid enough to take him on but always narrowly avoids any criminal responsibility due to the idiocy of his police nemesis Prendergast who has his own special relationship with the Guvnor. Naturally there is time enough in the plot, between Finn keeping himself alive, for a little teenage dalliance with the mysterious Zoe who is definitely not all that she appears to be, to add to the maelstrom of confusion for our erstwhile hero. Maybe as an adult reader the holes in the plot were too self-evident but I loved the way the author at one point actually draws attention to one particular gaffe asking why a character could turn up in England undetected for which no answer could be offered- yes, how did he turn up in England undetected? But alas this is just one of many questions that go unanswered in terms of plot and luckily for Leonard he does have a secret weapon to rescue the book and that is Finn. I think this characterisation pretty much saves the book from just being compelling tosh and the fact that I read it in a couple of sittings, even though my sensible head was saying “No, that couldn’t possibly happen” bears testament to Finn being its saving grace. There is also a fair smattering of pretty fruity language and raw violence that although is perfectly attuned to the nature of the story line may cause some consternation as to this being marketed as a young adult read (not for the more sensitive teenage reader) and with these more adult themes, the book could work quite well as a crossover as demonstrated by some major names in the crime genre (Reichs, Patterson, Coben et al) who are also tapping this additional market.

All in all a good read as you cannot help but be strangely drawn to find out what happens next, but a book that may make you question why you want to!
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Sep 24, 2012 kingshearte rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fiction, teen

I'm given to understand (although not through an official source, so it may or may not be accurate) that this book was written as part of NaNoWriMo. OK, first let me say that I have nothing but respect for those who undertake such a commitment. It's a lot of work, and takes a certain dedication to power through that. However, I think that most participants would agree that one does not generally send off the resulting manuscript on December 1st.

This book had some things going for it, but it need...more

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Nov 07, 2012 David Savage rated it 5 of 5 stars

Crusher is a fast paced thriller that grips you right from the start.

17 year old Finn Maguire comes home from work one day to find his out of work actor/screenplay writer father slumped over the table, his head had been smashed in and he was dead.

The police think his is responsible so he is determined to find the real killer and the reason why someone would kill his father. While trying to find a murderer he also has to deal with the loss of his father and try to figure out how to cope with fun...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Actual Rating: 2.75 stars! Not at all awkward, eh? ;)

This book has a great concept. A murder mystery? A bad-ass teenager out for vengeance? Pretty enticing, huh? Well as much as I wanted to love this book, in all honesty, it just fell a little short of my expectations.

The main character, Finn is almost like a male version of Grace in Entangled. He's broken and troubled. His mother walked out on him when he was only a young boy, he dropped out of school early and was bullied because he's dyslexic...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Nadine rated it 3 of 5 stars

This thriller was a debut effort by the author. It is aimed towards a YA audience, and had a teenaged boy as first person narrator. Seventeen year old Finn Maguire comes home from his dead end job to find his out of work actor step-father dead at his table. And not just dead, but killed.

The police suspect Finn, who decides to investigate himself to clear his name. The reader will have to suspend disbelief for a bit as he confronts mobsters and an unstable woman, as the book is a fast paced and e...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Kris rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-reviewed, mystery, ya-books

When I'm told to expect a thriller, I expect lots of action, suspense, and, well, thrills. The tone I got from this book was bland. It seems as though Finn is supposed to be a cool, analytical guy. He doesn't sure much emotion when he comes across grotesque scenes or kills a guy in self-defense, and he doesn't seem to have much feelings about his dad (official title: stepfather). Despite being a total amateur at sleuthing and the great dangers involved, Finn suddenly decides to find his dad's mu...more When I'm told to expect a thriller, I expect lots of action, suspense, and, well, thrills. The tone I got from this book was bland. It seems as though Finn is supposed to be a cool, analytical guy. He doesn't sure much emotion when he comes across grotesque scenes or kills a guy in self-defense, and he doesn't seem to have much feelings about his dad (official title: stepfather). Despite being a total amateur at sleuthing and the great dangers involved, Finn suddenly decides to find his dad's murderer.

Yes, Finn rightly doesn't trust the officer in charge of the case of his dad's murder and decides to pursue the mystery himself, but I would have expected him to die while poking into the affairs of organized crime. If it weren't for his boxing training, other street smarts (of unidentified origin), and sheer luck, Finn would be dead. Finn's work is sloppy, the crime chase a disappointment. Rather than digging up clues, most of the time it seems as though Finn is just trying to make ends meet. It's purely coincidental that he's able to stumble upon crimes along his way to finding the identity of the ones behind his dad's murder. His work is sloppy, and I doubt people involved in real organized crime would be so careless as to left an amateur like him work his way into their midst. I must say. There were some pretty intense fight things; however, these were so descriptive and hard to follow that they ended up going over my head while other parts of the novel were so languid and slow-paced, seemingly going nowhere, that they bored me.

Some of the things that Finn says doesn't add up either. First, he claims that he's the one who has been taking care of him and his dad, but he doesn't know what to do about finances. He doesn't show much emotion upon finding his dad's body, but then he thinks about him fondly in death. Sure, he might be in shock half the time with all the crazy things happening around him, but if he's as intelligent as he seems to be, his words ought to make sense. In addition, despite being the intelligent guy that he is, Finn uses his dyslexia as a crutch, blaming his inability to do well on it. His dyslexia only impairs his ability to read, not his ability to talk or think or act as a functioning member of society.

If you've been following my reviews for a while, you'll know how I go on about characters. While many elements going into the making of a novel, characters are one of the most in contributing to my overall enjoyment of a novel. If I can't relate to them, I can't relate to the story. The characters in this book are poorly developed. Not only was I unable to get to know them on a personal level and develop sympathy for them, many of them make infrequent appearances. This wouldn't have bothered me so much except that when they do turn up again, they do something unexpected, something that doesn't match what we've been given of their characters thus far.

I did get a pleasant surprise with where the plot took me. It wasn't as straightforward and languid as it seemed to be. In fact, I wouldn't have thought to connect some of the pieces together, and I certainly wasn't expecting the end to take me where it did. If the plot threads were better connected and the characters better developed, the writing more fluid, better detailed and less bland, this book might have been more interesting. This is what earned it that 2 star and made it an okay read. Is it a book that I would recommend, however? No. There are better YA crime/thrillers out there that I would recommend over this one.

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For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads.

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Jan 30, 2013 Andy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime-fiction, january-2012, fantasy, adventure

When Finn Maguire found his dad dead after coming home from work one day, Prendergast suspected Finn Maguire to be the killer, as he mentions that "ninetry per cent of the time the person who reports finding a dead body is the murderer". He considers who the real murderers are to try and get rid of Prendergast's suspicions. He tries to contact MvGovern, who is a well-known criminal that makes people working for him suffer eventually, and sneaks into his yard as a gardener, only to hear that his...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Evie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-ya, review-copy, thriller, ya

I think it's between 3.5 and 4.0 stars for me, but I liked it enough to give it a full 4 :)

Niall Leonard's YA debut, Crusher, is a solid, well-written mystery/thriller featuring a character that breaks the mold, a murder case with an unexpected conclusion, and a whole lot of action in between. Fast-paced, easily digestible and quite entertaining, it's a book that will appeal to fans of noir and crime fiction suitable for the young adult audience.

While the premise of this novel is a rather sim...more I think it's between 3.5 and 4.0 stars for me, but I liked it enough to give it a full 4 :)

Niall Leonard's YA debut, Crusher, is a solid, well-written mystery/thriller featuring a character that breaks the mold, a murder case with an unexpected conclusion, and a whole lot of action in between. Fast-paced, easily digestible and quite entertaining, it's a book that will appeal to fans of noir and crime fiction suitable for the young adult audience.

While the premise of this novel is a rather simple and unoriginal one, all the unforeseeable plot developments definitely keep things fresh and spicy. A dyslectic teenager named Finn comes home to find his step-father murdered in his home office, with his laptop and some of the scripts he's been working on missing. When he becomes the prime suspect of the crime, and realizes that the police isn't going to look for the real murderer, Finn decides to take matters into his own hands. His secret investigation will put him right in the middle of the local crime-world and the things he'll discover will change his life forever...

While the story is undeniably fun to read with nearly non-stop action and unexpected plot twists, it's also not very stimulating, nor is it especially challenging. This book is what I call a spoon-fed mystery, one that presents you with all the facts instead of making you work to piece all the clues together. There's no sense of urgency, no guessing and wrecking your brain to figure out what's going on. A lot is happening on the pages of Crusher, our lead character goes through some seriously dangerous (and wildly improbable) adventures, and I definitely enjoyed all that. At the same time, though, this book didn't pull me in as much as I hoped it would. I found myself indifferent to Finn's fate (mainly because he himself seemed so withdrawn and emotionally unavailable), and only mildly interested in the murder mystery. I wasn't bored, but I wasn't emotionally invested nor intellectually stimulated, either. To me, this book was the literary equivalent of breakfast pancakes - it was enjoyable, but not necessarily memorable.

Finn was a very interesting character in many ways. At first I was fascinated by his cold appearance and emotionless reaction to his father's death. I assumed he was trying to keep it together, internalizing his struggles and not letting himself fall apart while the murderer was still at large. But no, that wasn't the case. He was cold, disconnected and withdrawn all the way through, and it wasn't until the very last page (the very last paragraph!) that he finally broke down and cried. And while I found it refreshing and intriguing to study his emotional responses (or the lack of them), I was also starting to feel uneasy, disturbed, and wondering what exactly was wrong with that kid. In the end, though, he did show some human emotions and I was very grateful for this brief peek into his heart and soul.

The action side of the story was really good. I must say I had a lot of fun following Finn's adventures, though at times the pacing seemed a little bit uneven. There were moments when we'd go from a dynamic knife fight to lengthy passages describing Finn's working at a restaurant. I appreciated all the glimpses at his private life and I really enjoyed getting to know him better, but I also wished the transitions from action to slower moments would be smoother. The choppy pacing resulted in me being slightly confused and unable to get entirely absorbed in the story. Just when I'd finally start to get a good grasp of Finn's personality, the story would suddenly jump into some crazy action, but before I'd get fully pumped up by the exciting events, the tension would deflate and we would suddenly have Finn dealing with funeral arrangements. Niall Leaonard's writing style was really great, though! It was just so easy to absorb and dynamic, it felt more like watching an episode of some popular crime drama than reading a book. At the same time, though, I wished the author would let us explore Finn's psyche a little bit more, as well as the relationship between him and his mother. Finn was undeniably a wildly fascinating character and I'd love to get to know him on a more personal level.

Overall, this was a good read and I enjoyed it quite a lot. It might not be the most complex or intensely gripping murder mystery out there, but it's certainly easy to devour, thrilling and entertaining read. If not for anything else, read it for its jaw-dropping conclusion and I'm sure you won't be disappointed! Niall Leaonard shows a lot of promise as a writer and I'm very excited to find out what else he has in store for us!

(Additionally, fans of Fifty Shades series will be interested to know that Niall Leaonard is E.L. James' husband).

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Oct 02, 2012 Daphne (Winged Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: hardback, review-copy, young-adult, mystery

3.5 stars, originally published at Winged Reviews

Like everyone else, I was intrigued by this NaNoWriMo project written by the husband of the author, E.L. James (you may have heard of her). Crusher is a tight crime novel set in West London, which follows 17 year-old Finn Maguire as he tries to discover the reason behind his father's murder. I definitely enjoyed this debut more than I did the Fifty Shades books, although I'm not sure how reliable that benchmark is.

You can sense Leonard's screenwr...more 3.5 stars, originally published at Winged Reviews

Like everyone else, I was intrigued by this NaNoWriMo project written by the husband of the author, E.L. James (you may have heard of her). Crusher is a tight crime novel set in West London, which follows 17 year-old Finn Maguire as he tries to discover the reason behind his father's murder. I definitely enjoyed this debut more than I did the Fifty Shades books, although I'm not sure how reliable that benchmark is.

You can sense Leonard's screenwriting background throughout the book. The descriptions of the settings and people were really detailed and well-imagined, but there was a certain complexity lacking with the dialogue (and indeed the characters). Despite that I was utterly engrossed in it. The suspense just pulled me in—I was nervous for Finn and it kept me wanting to read more.

Finn is the reason I enjoyed the book. He's interesting—instead of the genius detective or well-connected journalist you usually get as a crime protagonist, he's a dyslexic teenage drop-out, living in squalor and working a dead-end job at a fast food restaurant. He has no natural talent for solving mysteries and barrels into situations without much thought. He's scrappy and determined to do what's right, even though the universe (i.e. the police) seem to be conspiring against him. He also seemed emotionally disconnected, but to me it was a self-preservation instinct, considering what his life has been like so far. I was drawn to Finn and cared about what happened to him, and when he did show emotion, it gave the book real heart.

Most of the other characters are like a checklist of crime fiction: mafia boss, bad girl, know-it-all detective, even evil henchmen. We didn’t really get into their heads, which again I think is a symptom of the screenwriting—they were easily digestible but lacked true depth. They mostly served a plot purpose, mainly as red herrings. In a weird way the book benefited from it because Finn, as the main character, was the only one I really connected with as a reader and I liked him.

The plot was a little thin in places, but I enjoyed the story and I'm pleasantly suprised by variety of issues Leonard tackles. I liked all the plot twists and was surprised by the ending, so as a crime novel it worked for me. If you’re looking for an entertaining read, then this is the book for you.

Thank you to Random House for providing a copy of the book for review.(less)

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Mar 14, 2013 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked Crusher, not heaps, obviously, but well enough. I got through it quite easily, my curiosity to find out whodunit keeping me interested.

I, for, one, didn't expect the ending at all!

I liked Finn straight off.
Finn is a good guy with dyslexia and a love for boxing. When he was five his mother left him and his father, and Finn has never forgiven her for it. He got mixed up in drugs when he was fourteen because his father was stuck in his glory days and bringing in no money because of it. He...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Bee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

As a long term lover of crime thrillers, none of which would fall under the YA category, I felt a slight trepidation with this being my first venture into the world of crime as seen from a 17 year olds perspective.

Finn Maguire's world is turned on its head when he arrives home to find his only constant family member has been murdered. A reasonably rough background gives him the wherewithal to deal with the after effects of the mess he is left to deal with on his own - something most adults woul...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Joella www.cinjoella.com rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: yalsa-best-of-the-best-2013, young-adult, realistic, adventure, audio

Finn Maguire is a high-school drop out and works at a horrid job. Even though he doesn’t know quite what he wants to do with his life, he does know that he doesn’t like being pushed around or taken advantage of. When he comes home from work one day to find that his step-dad has been murdered, his life explodes in a confusion of suspicion, dread, and danger. The police don’t really think Finn is innocent, so Finn has to figure out the case all by himself. As he works to discover what happened, he...more Finn Maguire is a high-school drop out and works at a horrid job. Even though he doesn’t know quite what he wants to do with his life, he does know that he doesn’t like being pushed around or taken advantage of. When he comes home from work one day to find that his step-dad has been murdered, his life explodes in a confusion of suspicion, dread, and danger. The police don’t really think Finn is innocent, so Finn has to figure out the case all by himself. As he works to discover what happened, he becomes entangled with gangsters, paid assassins, and girls. The only trouble is he isn’t quite sure how to handle them all. And he really would like to get to the bottom of the mystery while he is still alive.

This is a fast-paced plot with loads of characterization and intrigue. I enjoyed delving layer after layer into the mystery to figure out what happened. I didn’t like the cussing and descriptions of blood, guts and glory. I know that the cussing is part of Finn’s character and it totally works for him. I don’t know that I would believe he is the type of person he is without a little cursing. However, I am not the type of reader that loves it. So, it didn’t work so well for me. Also, the same thing goes with the murders and the blood. (And the two near-deaths Finn had at the end of the book–those almost really got to me cringing.) I just am a bit squeamish when it comes to that type of thing. But then again, I had to shudder my way through Lord Loss as well, and this book was easier for me to swallow in terms of gore than that book.

I liked the book overall. I know what type of readers I would recommend it and book talk it to. I just also know that this book was at the peak of my tolerence level when it comes to the two before mentioned factors. Great book. Totally loved the twist at the end. I did see it coming, but not until it was so close it still surprised me. Great plot and characters, ones that are so memorable you will wonder why it really didn’t happen and why the whole lot of them really don’t live in England.(less)

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Dec 02, 2012 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobooks

Seventeen year old Finn leads a frugal, boring life. Go to work at a fast food fried chicken restaurant, go for a run, hang out at home with his step-father. But everything changes when he comes home from one of his shifts at work to find his step-dad dead at his desk, and the laptop where he’d been working on a screenplay loosely based on a local mobster missing.

Since Finn is a high school drop out due to his less than stellar grades/dyslexia and prior record for drug dealing, he’s immediately...more Seventeen year old Finn leads a frugal, boring life. Go to work at a fast food fried chicken restaurant, go for a run, hang out at home with his step-father. But everything changes when he comes home from one of his shifts at work to find his step-dad dead at his desk, and the laptop where he’d been working on a screenplay loosely based on a local mobster missing.

Since Finn is a high school drop out due to his less than stellar grades/dyslexia and prior record for drug dealing, he’s immediately labeled a suspect. When the cops are forced to release him due to lack of evidence, Finn sets out to find his stepfather’s real killer–and almost gets himself killed along the way multiple times.

Finn isn’t your typical teenage boy. He’s brash, has a mouth that would make your average sailor blush, and seems pretty smart and street wise–even though he has a learning disability. But the boy is so emotionally detached, I sometimes wondered what was wrong with him. His stepfather was murdered, and he discovered the body–Finn just calmly calls the police and waits for them to show up. This is the man who has raised him all by himself after his mother abandoned them to live her own life in America, and Finn doesn’t so much as squeeze out one tear.

As Finn’s investigation takes him through London–encountering the most notoriously untouchable mobster in town, dirty cops, even dirtier school girls, crazy social workers, his stepdad’s drinking buddies, and a famous chef–he has to put his boxing training (where his nickname “Crusher” comes from) to use as there are attempts on his life, red herrings galore, and a few tense standoff scenes that keep the flow going.

I give Crusher a 3.5 out of 5. The pacing was a bit hit and miss, but the scenes with the most action just flowed along nicely. There was a good deal of violence and bad language, so I wouldn’t recommend this for the younger adults out there. Overall, this was a gritty mystery/thriller that kept me interested enough to see Finn through on his journey to find his stepfather’s killer. And it certainly wasn’t who I’d expected, either. I also loved all of the British slang and words that I’m not used to since I’m American. It was fun trying to decipher just what Finn was talking about some times!

Audiobook Impressions:

While this book didn’t take all that long to listen to–just six hours and forty-one minutes–I enjoyed every minute of British voice actor Daniel Weyman’s narration. One thing that I did notice–and this is something that is from the text of the book and not the narrators fault–is that there are a lot of dialog tags in the book. The “I said” and “She said” got to be a bit much after a while. I thoroughly loved hearing a British accent read this book, and his different pitches and voices for the various characters were easily distinguishable.

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Oct 03, 2012 Braiden rated it 2 of 5 stars

Once I heard about the book: Finally a YA crime novel! After finishing the book: Finally… I’ve finished! Crusher by husband of Fifty Shades of Grey’s E.L. James Niall Leonard was not bad per se; it just needed a lot of improvement. I did not necessarily hate it, but there were a number of factors that contributed to Crusher not making an impression on me. Crusher was just a pretty average book with not much excitement in the ‘thriller’ department. The only reason I kept reading was to know the k...more Once I heard about the book: Finally a YA crime novel! After finishing the book: Finally… I’ve finished! Crusher by husband of Fifty Shades of Grey’s E.L. James Niall Leonard was not bad per se; it just needed a lot of improvement. I did not necessarily hate it, but there were a number of factors that contributed to Crusher not making an impression on me. Crusher was just a pretty average book with not much excitement in the ‘thriller’ department. The only reason I kept reading was to know the killer of Finn’s fath… stepfather. Not for Finn our protagonist. Not for anything else. Just to discover the killer. And by the time the major ‘twists’ and ‘surprises’ did come in the last fifty pages, I was not interested and could not have cared less who it was.

One factor that contributed to the way I felt about Crusher was that I just did not connect with Finn; he was far from the character I am, so there was nothing for me to associate with. There was nothing for me to sympathise with considering he is a school drop-out, past drug user and rebellious teenager, who has also experienced detention centres first hand. Such traits are not desirable, and although when we first meet Finn he has progressed beyond the rebellious teenager, there was not much of a change through the rest of the book as he goes on a quest to find his stepfather’s killer. Also Finn is dyslexic – if this was the trait that Finn possessed in order to make me sympathise for him, then it did not do what it was intended to achieve. Percy Jackson was so successful – and still is – with dyslexic children because it showed that they can be heroes as well. Although Finn somehow becomes a hero in his own right – he wasn’t someone that I cheered on though and I didn’t see him as a hero – he constantly referred to dyslexia as being his downfall for why he was illiterate and unqualified. Another undesirable trait: a lack of self-worth.

Finn’s character was emotionless for much of the time; another reason for why I couldn’t connect with him. Maybe it was because of his upbringing, the separation of his parents, or his rebellious past. Maybe it was because he was an apathetic individual. Finn showed absolutely no devastation when he found his stepfather murdered, yet this whole book was really about Finn finding the killer. It more out of curiosity at who the killer was than revenge or satisfaction when he does find the killer. And for the whole book there was no Awww’s and Ahhhh’s and Yesssss’s from me. It was interesting that Finn called his stepfather ‘Dad’. I don’t call my stepfather dad nor am I particularly fond of him (still after so many years – I shouldn’t even say that, but it’s true). But this may be a reason for why he wanted to find the killer; because his stepfather was all he had since his mother left them both years ago. Then again, we go back to the shrug and lack of sorrow and panic when Finn found his stepfather dead. I’m leaving this point there.

The cast of characters were lacklustre and the plot was all bone with little flesh. Even then, the bone that there was fell flat, continuing to thin out due to the lack of thrill this book promised. Although there was a scene that was made to get your heart galloping, it did not, and the whole book stayed at the same level throughout. The last fifty or so pages had the most turn of events, however I was not as pulled in by them as I was meant to be. I hate to say this, but I’m sure you won’t take much away from this book. Unless you want to discover the killer then go ahead; I’m not stopping you. You won’t be all that surprised.(less)

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Oct 07, 2012 Katrina-Marie rated it 2 of 5 stars

2.5 stars.
This book was an odd one for me. There were times I really enjoyed it, and then there were parts that seemed to drag. I think it started well, but sort of fell flat towards the end.I would have liked for Finn to be fleshed out a bit more, because it was difficult for me to really connect with him.I wanted to feel for him, but since I didn't connect with him it was difficult. I also didn't like Zoe. I think she was a character that I was supposed to like, but I really didn't care what h...more

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Mar 10, 2013 Táňa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Poutavý příběh, ve kterém nechyběla akce,humor a ani napětí. Autor je manžel známé autorky E.L. James, takže jsem byla opravdu zvědavá, co za knihu jsem to vůbec začala číst. Byla to úžasná kniha a to rozuzlení na konci mě dostalo. Poslední dobou čtu knihy, které mají zabijácké konce a tahle kniha se do téhle sekce zařadila. Knize dávám 4 hvězdičky a doufám, že se časem dočkáme další knížky od Nialla Leonarda! :)

"Tak jo," podřídila se pokorně. Nebyl jsem si jistý, jestli se jí ulevilo, nebo jes...more

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Nov 22, 2012 Aparajitabasu rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, review-copy, thriller

Really expected a lot more from this. Presenting Crusher by Niall Leonard.

Here is the summary of the book:

To catch a killer,Finn Maguire may have to become one....Everything changed the day Finn found his father in a pool of blood, bludgeoned to death. His dull, dreary life is turned upside downas he become's the prime suspect. How can he clear his name and find out who hated his dad enough to kill him? Facing danger at every turn, uncovering dark family secrets and braving the seedy London und...more Really expected a lot more from this. Presenting Crusher by Niall Leonard.

Here is the summary of the book:

To catch a killer,Finn Maguire may have to become one....Everything changed the day Finn found his father in a pool of blood, bludgeoned to death. His dull, dreary life is turned upside downas he become's the prime suspect. How can he clear his name and find out who hated his dad enough to kill him? Facing danger at every turn, uncovering dark family secrets and braving the seedy London underworld,Finn is about to discover that only the people you trust can really hurt you..

So, I got this book from the publisher for an honest review. And let me tell you....it was an okayish sort of book. Its thriller, has got this worthy-amazing cover that the mood well and the premise and the action from the synopsis sounds very exciting. The lead character comes home one day to find out his dad is murdered and he is a suspect. So, to clear out his name and find out who did the deed, Finn takes matters into his hands. Sounds very interesting don't you think? To my greatest disappointment though this book majorly falls short of the thriller element of things here.

Come to think, I did a little research and found Niall Leonard is the husband of E.L. James (50 Shades trilogy). I did not like her and I did not like 50 Shades, its as simple as that but I actually had high hopes with Leonard's debut and it didn't cut across. I also heard this was a NaNoMoWri product and....it needs a rewrite. The investigation is in no way interesting. Almost throughout the whole of the book Finn is either working, working, working or planning his dad's funeral, doing the mundane of things then right you go, he stumbles upon a trial that might lead to his father's murderer........nah that is totally not how you expect a thriller/suspense book to go by.

The characters also had absolutely no depth at all. The segment with the crime lord felt like just a simple scene put there to keep a dragging story going. Then there is the clue searching part, it is rather put straight forward than I would have actually liked in a thriller/suspense genre. Felt very annoying there. But I still kept at it expecting some good stuffs to reveal soon. Turned out pretty decent though, I still feel this book to be almost like a draft that needs at least one or two polishes.

"Needs work -- Needs lots of work --- Expected more from this"

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Mar 19, 2013 Susan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013books

The day Finn Maguire discovers his fathet bludgeoned to death in a pool of blood, his dreary life is turned upside down. Prime suspect in the murder, Finn must race against time to clear his name and find out who hated his dad enough to kill him.

I did like Finn's character, he seemed very intelligent despite his failure at school. The whole book just seemed so unlikely, the coincidences were overwhelming and although the book was quite gripping at times the way things fell into place was just to...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Carly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, favourites

Can I just start off by saying Wow! I was addicted to this from the first chapter, I was like a zombie all day and it pained me to put the book down to make the dinner, the same night I stayed up well into the wee hours just to finish this fantastic book. And what a page turner it is, I really won't be able to praise it enough. Niall Leonard's writing style is spot on and his characters are really well developed. The best thing about the book for me has to be main character, Finn Maguire, he is...more Can I just start off by saying Wow! I was addicted to this from the first chapter, I was like a zombie all day and it pained me to put the book down to make the dinner, the same night I stayed up well into the wee hours just to finish this fantastic book. And what a page turner it is, I really won't be able to praise it enough. Niall Leonard's writing style is spot on and his characters are really well developed. The best thing about the book for me has to be main character, Finn Maguire, he is down-to-earth, brave, brutally honest, raw as ropes and I think weirdly I am in love with him, just a little bit, lol. The storyline is compelling, peppered with so many twists and turns you will question everything and has an amazingly explosive ending that you will not be expecting. Crusher is a fabulous debut from Niall Leonard that is definitely not to be missed!

Finn Maguire is just your regular drop out of school kinda guy, he holds down a horrible job in a greasy fast food joint in London, he lives with his drunken step-dad who was once an actor but now spends his days writing what he thinks will bean epic new T.V. show. When Finn finds his dad murdered when he comes home from work his life takes another downward turn.

Finn is thrown into the spotlight as the prime suspect in his own fathers murder! With no other way to turn he puts all his efforts into finding his fathers murderer on his own. With danger at every turn he digs deep into the dangerous London underground and finds himself in some tough situations. But Finn will find out the hard way that you really can't trust anyone in this cruel life!

The ending is action packed and as I said before a total shocker that you will not see coming. All that's left for me to do is urge you to pick up this explosively addictive book today! I will definitely be looking out for more works from the author in the future.

4.5/5 Stars

*Special thanks to Doubleday for the review copy*

Carly :)
http://fictionfascination.blogspot.co...(less)

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Jan 23, 2013 Halkovic's-Classroom rated it 2 of 5 stars

Crusher is a book about a mystery/murder story. The main character is an 18 year boy named Finn. He is trying to find out who murdered his dad. Finn comes home one day from work at a fast food place called maxx snax. When he gets home he finds his dad brutally murdered. After Finn gets questioned by the police and he is the #1 suspect so Finn has to race against time to find his dads killer. My favorite part was when Finn was getting questioned because you didn’t know what was going to happen to...more

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About Niall Leonard

Niall Leonard grew up in Newry, Northern Ireland. In 1977 he attended the University of York to study English, and from there went on to The UK National Film and Television School where he trained as a screenwriter and director. His first film was Absolution, an old-fashioned revenge thriller with a supernatural twist, filmed on location in Newry in 1983 and starring Derek Halligan. Niall returned...more Niall Leonard grew up in Newry, Northern Ireland. In 1977 he attended the University of York to study English, and from there went on to The UK National Film and Television School where he trained as a screenwriter and director. His first film was Absolution, an old-fashioned revenge thriller with a supernatural twist, filmed on location in Newry in 1983 and starring Derek Halligan. Niall returned to Newry In 1985 to shoot locations for his graduation movie, the black comedy No Man’s Land, starring Patrick Bergin and Des McAleer.

After graduating from the NFTS in 1986 Niall’s first broadcast work as director was the comedy series Phil and Arthur Go Off for Channel Four, followed by stints on ITV’s long-running cop show The Bill. Meanwhile Niall pursued his own projects, writing and directing the one-off black comedy Rotten Apples starring BJ Hogg and Ian McElhinney, and developing Over The Wild Frontier, a six-part comedy drama set on the Irish border, for Channel Four.

Niall’s first TV script to be broadcast on the network was an episode of Jimmy Nail’s cop show Spender, closely followed by Pie In The Sky with Richard Griffiths.

In 1994 Niall took up a year-long contract as a Script Editor at BBC Northern Ireland, where he got to work with his long-time hero Graham Reid on Life After Life and made the acquaintance of Belfast’s Hole In The Wall Gang. His work as script associate on their pilot for Give My Head Peace led to a partnership that continued for ten years, with Niall contributing to every episode of the immensely successful satirical sitcom and its spinoff stage productions.

In 1995 he returned to full-time writing with a script for the groundbreaking Irish comedy drama Ballykissangel and went on to create episodes of Silent Witness, Hornblower, Sea of Souls, Second Sight, and Holby City. Niall adapted the Minette Walters thriller The Dark Room for BBC1, and wrote numerous episodes over several series of Monarch of The Glen, Wire In The Blood and Wild At Heart.

Recently Niall completed screenplays for two big-budget two-part thrillers for US cable TV, loosely adapted from novels by Alastair Maclean. Air Force One is Down started shooting on location in Luxembourg in May 2012, with Puppet On A Chain slated to go into production later the same year.

As part of the 2011 Nanowrimo novel-writing event Niall wrote Crusher, a gritty crime thriller set in London featuring Finn Maguire, a dyslexic young offender investigating the murder of his father. The novel was picked up by Random House for publication in October 2012, and Niall is currently working on its sequel.

Niall has led seminars and workshops on screenwriting and script editing for the BBC, the Northern Ireland Film Council and the Irish Screenwriters’ Guild, and lectured on the creative process at the University of Reading.

He is married with two kids and a rather smelly dog and lives in West London.
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