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No Rest for the Dead in Portlaoise: Dark Comedy in five Acts
In 1950s Portlaoise, the death of the infamous Declan Byrne should have been the end of a sordid chapter. Notorious for his debts, secrets, and dangerous entanglements, his suspicious end was no surprise. But when his body mysteriously vanishes from the funeral home before the rites are even planned, the town is plunged into a web of intrigue that threatens to resurrect ghosts that have been buried for years.
The case falls to the weary but sharp Inspector Donnellan, a seasoned Garda detective whose stoic demeanor hides a past as troubled as the man he's investigating. Accompanied by his steadfast subordinate, Sergeant Doyle, Donnellan confronts a parade of colorful and suspicious townsfolk. Among them are the flamboyant Colonel Seamus O’Leary, a retired military officer with a penchant for theatrics ; the sharp-tongued Lady Fitzpatrick, an aristocrat whose bitterness is barely concealed by her noble airs ; and the fervent, fire-and-brimstone priest, Father Declan O'Malley. Donnellan soon uncovers the shocking truth that connects them a shared, secret past in the same WWII regiment, a bond forged in blood and silence.
As Donnellan presses forward, the stakes escalate dramatically. A cryptic warning delivered by an unknown assailant in the rain is followed by more deaths, each more shocking than the last. He realizes he’s not merely solving a case but confronting a curse of his own making. In a town drowning in hypocrisy and secrets, Donnellan must face his own wartime sins to uncover a truth that could tear Portlaoise apart.
No Rest for the Dead in Portlaoise is a darkly humorous and suspense-filled detective drama where the only thing thicker than the Aran wool is the quiet complicity of a town that would rather keep its secrets buried.
The case falls to the weary but sharp Inspector Donnellan, a seasoned Garda detective whose stoic demeanor hides a past as troubled as the man he's investigating. Accompanied by his steadfast subordinate, Sergeant Doyle, Donnellan confronts a parade of colorful and suspicious townsfolk. Among them are the flamboyant Colonel Seamus O’Leary, a retired military officer with a penchant for theatrics ; the sharp-tongued Lady Fitzpatrick, an aristocrat whose bitterness is barely concealed by her noble airs ; and the fervent, fire-and-brimstone priest, Father Declan O'Malley. Donnellan soon uncovers the shocking truth that connects them a shared, secret past in the same WWII regiment, a bond forged in blood and silence.
As Donnellan presses forward, the stakes escalate dramatically. A cryptic warning delivered by an unknown assailant in the rain is followed by more deaths, each more shocking than the last. He realizes he’s not merely solving a case but confronting a curse of his own making. In a town drowning in hypocrisy and secrets, Donnellan must face his own wartime sins to uncover a truth that could tear Portlaoise apart.
No Rest for the Dead in Portlaoise is a darkly humorous and suspense-filled detective drama where the only thing thicker than the Aran wool is the quiet complicity of a town that would rather keep its secrets buried.
180 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 9, 2025
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