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The Therapy House
Bestselling author Julie Parsons (Mary, Mary, I Saw You, The Hourglass) is back with a powerful, compelling, and darkly chilling novel of violence, shame and deceit.
On Sundays peace was restored. He would lie down, dream and remember. He would enjoy. And later on the bell would ring. He would get up and walk downstairs. He would open the front door. And his life would come to an end . . .
Garda Inspector Michael McLoughlin is trying to enjoy his retirement – doing a bit of PI work on the side, meeting up with former colleagues, fixing up a grand old house in a genteel Dublin suburb near the sea.
Then he discovers the body of his neighbour, a retired judge – brutally murdered, shot through the back of the neck, his face mutilated beyond recognition. McLoughlin finds himself drawn into the murky
past of the murdered judge, which leads him back to his own father’s killing, decades earlier, by the IRA.
In seeking the truth behind both crimes, a web of deceit, blackmail and fragile reputations comes to light, as McLoughlin’s investigation reveals the explosive circumstances linking both crimes – and dark secrets are discovered which would destroy the judge’s legendary family name.
On Sundays peace was restored. He would lie down, dream and remember. He would enjoy. And later on the bell would ring. He would get up and walk downstairs. He would open the front door. And his life would come to an end . . .
Garda Inspector Michael McLoughlin is trying to enjoy his retirement – doing a bit of PI work on the side, meeting up with former colleagues, fixing up a grand old house in a genteel Dublin suburb near the sea.
Then he discovers the body of his neighbour, a retired judge – brutally murdered, shot through the back of the neck, his face mutilated beyond recognition. McLoughlin finds himself drawn into the murky
past of the murdered judge, which leads him back to his own father’s killing, decades earlier, by the IRA.
In seeking the truth behind both crimes, a web of deceit, blackmail and fragile reputations comes to light, as McLoughlin’s investigation reveals the explosive circumstances linking both crimes – and dark secrets are discovered which would destroy the judge’s legendary family name.
380 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 21, 2017
21 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
About the author
Julie Parsons
37 books29 followersJulie Parsons was born in New Zealand but grew up in Ireland from an early age. A former producer with RTÉ radio and television, she lives in Dublin.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 16, 2017
The Therapy House by Julie Parsons is set in Dublin and tells the story of a brutal murder of a retired judge and also a murder committed in the past by the IRA.
I found this novel very slow paced and the characters lacked any real depth. Every time I picked up this novel I found it so difficult to engage with the plot or the characters and while the book was readable it really wasn't suspenseful or a page turner for me.
I read this one as a book club read and while I may not have enjoyed it perhaps the book club discussion might be more memorable.
An OK read but certainly not one for my favourites list.
I found this novel very slow paced and the characters lacked any real depth. Every time I picked up this novel I found it so difficult to engage with the plot or the characters and while the book was readable it really wasn't suspenseful or a page turner for me.
I read this one as a book club read and while I may not have enjoyed it perhaps the book club discussion might be more memorable.
An OK read but certainly not one for my favourites list.
July 26, 2018
Kiwi-Irish author Julie Parsons book THE THERAPY HOUSE is an intricate pscyhological observation, interweaving current day crime with Irish history to great effect.
Exploring history and crime in terms of it's impact on survivors and/or families and on society in general, THE THERAPY HOUSE is absorbing, chilling, intricate and beautifully written. At the heart of the novel, Garda Inspector Michael McLoughlin is attempting retirement, doing a bit of PI work on the side, but mostly restoring a beautiful old house in the Dublin suburbs - a house that turns out to have as complicated a past as McLoughlin himself. McLoughlin's father was murdered many years ago, supposedly getting in the way during an IRA robbery, an event that haunts him to this day, especially as the killers now have a high profile part to play in Irish politics and the peace process.
The house which plays a big part in keeping him grounded, safe and occupied, is known as "The Therapy House" because of its past use as a counselling and medical practice. In a further sign that history is never far away from him, next door lives John Hegarty, retired judge, having had a distinguished legal career and importantly, the son of Dan Hegarty, colleague of well known Irish independence figure Michael Collins. Until he is killed, and McLoughlin discovers his brutalised body. The family hire McLoughlin to look into Hegarty's background, although the agreement is part hiring, part bribing with the suggestion that there is something in that past that relates to the death of McLoughlin's father.
Needless to say, layering and interconnections are a big part of style of THE THERAPY HOUSE. Slowly and intricately dissecting those layers and connections is part of what makes this novel so absorbing, as is the way that readers are frequently left to draw conclusions, and answer many of the questions posited by the author. The pace is leisurely, the sense of place strong, and sense of culture all consuming. The way the past affects the current is elegantly done as well with everything - from the therapy house itself, the location, the Hegarty and McLoughlin families, Ireland's troubled background - blending together to create echoes and portents, guidance and regret.
In the end there's a lot of regret thoroughout this novel, there's a real sense that it doesn't matter sometimes how often we're given a chance to learn lessons, we're going to be too old to do anything about it by the time we remember them.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
Exploring history and crime in terms of it's impact on survivors and/or families and on society in general, THE THERAPY HOUSE is absorbing, chilling, intricate and beautifully written. At the heart of the novel, Garda Inspector Michael McLoughlin is attempting retirement, doing a bit of PI work on the side, but mostly restoring a beautiful old house in the Dublin suburbs - a house that turns out to have as complicated a past as McLoughlin himself. McLoughlin's father was murdered many years ago, supposedly getting in the way during an IRA robbery, an event that haunts him to this day, especially as the killers now have a high profile part to play in Irish politics and the peace process.
The house which plays a big part in keeping him grounded, safe and occupied, is known as "The Therapy House" because of its past use as a counselling and medical practice. In a further sign that history is never far away from him, next door lives John Hegarty, retired judge, having had a distinguished legal career and importantly, the son of Dan Hegarty, colleague of well known Irish independence figure Michael Collins. Until he is killed, and McLoughlin discovers his brutalised body. The family hire McLoughlin to look into Hegarty's background, although the agreement is part hiring, part bribing with the suggestion that there is something in that past that relates to the death of McLoughlin's father.
Needless to say, layering and interconnections are a big part of style of THE THERAPY HOUSE. Slowly and intricately dissecting those layers and connections is part of what makes this novel so absorbing, as is the way that readers are frequently left to draw conclusions, and answer many of the questions posited by the author. The pace is leisurely, the sense of place strong, and sense of culture all consuming. The way the past affects the current is elegantly done as well with everything - from the therapy house itself, the location, the Hegarty and McLoughlin families, Ireland's troubled background - blending together to create echoes and portents, guidance and regret.
In the end there's a lot of regret thoroughout this novel, there's a real sense that it doesn't matter sometimes how often we're given a chance to learn lessons, we're going to be too old to do anything about it by the time we remember them.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
June 19, 2018
Returning to the crime scene after a decade away from the page, Kiwi-Irish author Julie Parsons offers readers a rich story that has many aspects of Ireland's complicated history woven throughout.
More absorbing than page-whirring, THE THERAPY HOUSE meshes a crime tale with a deep dive into the ongoing impact of violence and trauma on survivors and families at an individual level, and more broadly at a collective and national level too. This is a book that deals with complex issues and tough questions that don't have clear answers. Not your standard airport thriller or murder mystery.
THE THERAPY HOUSE has an historic murder and a contemporary murder as tent poles, though the book is about far more than those two crimes.
Decades ago, McLoughlin's father was murdered when he got in the way of an IRA robbery. It still haunts McLoughlin, especially given that some who associated with the killers are now hailed for their parts in the peace process and the politics of modern Ireland.
Now retired from the Garda, McLoughlin moved into a crumbling Victorian near the seaside outside of Dublin, known as 'the Therapy House' due to its history with counselling and medical practice. Next door lives a retired judge with a near-aristocratic pedigree in Irish terms: John Hegarty had a distinguished and influential legal career in his own right, but even more importantly, he was the son of Dan Hegarty, who had fought alongside Michael Collins before becoming very successful in business. But someone wanted the judge dead, and McLoughlin discovers his brutalised body.
The judge's family hire McLoughlin to look into aspects of his life, seeking to keep the judge's chequered past private. Information relating to the murder of McLoughlin's father is dangled as bait.
This is an atypical crime novel, with a lot going on. Plenty of layers, lots of thought-provoking issues that are dealt with subtly rather than bluntly. Questions are raised, not always answered. Situations are messy and grey. Parsons lets things unfold in a leisurely, measured pace, giving readers time to absorb things rather than skimming over them. She crafts a really vivid sense of the world her characters inhabit, and the ways in which the past is inextricably tied to the present.
Unusually for a crime novel, many of the main players are in their later years. They carry the weight of that past with them. There's a tangible sense of all their accumulated history and experiences. The compromises made, the regrets, the glories and failures that have passed yet faintly linger. There's a fascinating interplay between characters who've experienced so much.
THE THERAPY HOUSE is a clever and thoughtful crime novel told in stylish prose that is about so much more than the murders of two Irishmen, decades apart.
More absorbing than page-whirring, THE THERAPY HOUSE meshes a crime tale with a deep dive into the ongoing impact of violence and trauma on survivors and families at an individual level, and more broadly at a collective and national level too. This is a book that deals with complex issues and tough questions that don't have clear answers. Not your standard airport thriller or murder mystery.
THE THERAPY HOUSE has an historic murder and a contemporary murder as tent poles, though the book is about far more than those two crimes.
Decades ago, McLoughlin's father was murdered when he got in the way of an IRA robbery. It still haunts McLoughlin, especially given that some who associated with the killers are now hailed for their parts in the peace process and the politics of modern Ireland.
Now retired from the Garda, McLoughlin moved into a crumbling Victorian near the seaside outside of Dublin, known as 'the Therapy House' due to its history with counselling and medical practice. Next door lives a retired judge with a near-aristocratic pedigree in Irish terms: John Hegarty had a distinguished and influential legal career in his own right, but even more importantly, he was the son of Dan Hegarty, who had fought alongside Michael Collins before becoming very successful in business. But someone wanted the judge dead, and McLoughlin discovers his brutalised body.
The judge's family hire McLoughlin to look into aspects of his life, seeking to keep the judge's chequered past private. Information relating to the murder of McLoughlin's father is dangled as bait.
This is an atypical crime novel, with a lot going on. Plenty of layers, lots of thought-provoking issues that are dealt with subtly rather than bluntly. Questions are raised, not always answered. Situations are messy and grey. Parsons lets things unfold in a leisurely, measured pace, giving readers time to absorb things rather than skimming over them. She crafts a really vivid sense of the world her characters inhabit, and the ways in which the past is inextricably tied to the present.
Unusually for a crime novel, many of the main players are in their later years. They carry the weight of that past with them. There's a tangible sense of all their accumulated history and experiences. The compromises made, the regrets, the glories and failures that have passed yet faintly linger. There's a fascinating interplay between characters who've experienced so much.
THE THERAPY HOUSE is a clever and thoughtful crime novel told in stylish prose that is about so much more than the murders of two Irishmen, decades apart.
February 21, 2018
”Det var en söndag som domare John Hegarty dog. Söndagen den 7 juli 2013 för att vara exakt.”
Så börjar den här irländska spänningsromanen. Den irländska författaren Julie Parsons comeback efter många års tystnad.
Jag väljer att kalla den spänningsroman, och inte deckare eller kriminalroman, eftersom fokus inte ligger på polisens utredningsarbete utan på en pensionerad polisinspektörs efterforskningar, som han mer eller mindre motvilligt ägnar sig åt.
Den pensionerade polisinspektören Michael McLoughlin har precis köpt ett hus på en liten fridfull badort utanför Dublin, där han blir granne med den högt aktade domare som inledningsvis kommer att bli torterad och mördad i sitt hem. Mordet är upprinnelsen till historien, och på grund av olika sammanträffanden vävs mordet på domaren samman med mordet som för fyrtio år sedan skedde på Michael McLoughlins far. Mordet blev aldrig uppklarat, även om det fanns starka misstankar om vem som var den skyldige, och Michael McLoughlin har sedan dess levt med det trauma som mordet innebar för honom och hans familj.
Historien rymmer många av de klassiska ingredienserna för en spänningsroman. Den pensionerade polisinspektören är till exempel en ganska ensam, men gemytlig och varmhjärtad man som dricker för mycket. Dock utan att ställa till det för sig och utan att hamna under isen. Det är jag tacksam för. På sådana karaktärer är jag urbota less. Komplicerade relationer och mörka familjehemligheter visar sig ha stor betydelse för handlingen. Men in i historien vävs också betydelsen av Irlands historia med inbördeskriget och IRA, och hur det förflutna fortsätter att kasta skuggor över det som sker i dag. Det gör romanen mer intressant, men det gör det också svårare att hålla ordning på hur allt hänger ihop. Efter ett tag ger jag upp om att försöka hålla ordning på namn, platser och politiska kopplingar och låter mig bara föras fram av berättelsen, och efterhand faller alla bitar på plats.
En sista söndag krävde mer av mig än vad spänningsromaner generellt sett brukar göra. Det var oavbrutet spännande, men det var ändå inte en snabbläst roman eftersom jag måste vara så fokuserad när jag läste för att inte missa någon koppling, särskilt när det handlade om inbördeskriget och IRA.
Så börjar den här irländska spänningsromanen. Den irländska författaren Julie Parsons comeback efter många års tystnad.
Jag väljer att kalla den spänningsroman, och inte deckare eller kriminalroman, eftersom fokus inte ligger på polisens utredningsarbete utan på en pensionerad polisinspektörs efterforskningar, som han mer eller mindre motvilligt ägnar sig åt.
Den pensionerade polisinspektören Michael McLoughlin har precis köpt ett hus på en liten fridfull badort utanför Dublin, där han blir granne med den högt aktade domare som inledningsvis kommer att bli torterad och mördad i sitt hem. Mordet är upprinnelsen till historien, och på grund av olika sammanträffanden vävs mordet på domaren samman med mordet som för fyrtio år sedan skedde på Michael McLoughlins far. Mordet blev aldrig uppklarat, även om det fanns starka misstankar om vem som var den skyldige, och Michael McLoughlin har sedan dess levt med det trauma som mordet innebar för honom och hans familj.
Historien rymmer många av de klassiska ingredienserna för en spänningsroman. Den pensionerade polisinspektören är till exempel en ganska ensam, men gemytlig och varmhjärtad man som dricker för mycket. Dock utan att ställa till det för sig och utan att hamna under isen. Det är jag tacksam för. På sådana karaktärer är jag urbota less. Komplicerade relationer och mörka familjehemligheter visar sig ha stor betydelse för handlingen. Men in i historien vävs också betydelsen av Irlands historia med inbördeskriget och IRA, och hur det förflutna fortsätter att kasta skuggor över det som sker i dag. Det gör romanen mer intressant, men det gör det också svårare att hålla ordning på hur allt hänger ihop. Efter ett tag ger jag upp om att försöka hålla ordning på namn, platser och politiska kopplingar och låter mig bara föras fram av berättelsen, och efterhand faller alla bitar på plats.
En sista söndag krävde mer av mig än vad spänningsromaner generellt sett brukar göra. Det var oavbrutet spännande, men det var ändå inte en snabbläst roman eftersom jag måste vara så fokuserad när jag läste för att inte missa någon koppling, särskilt när det handlade om inbördeskriget och IRA.
April 11, 2019
"Årets bästa irländska kriminalroman" och flera stjärnor på Goodreads. Det är m a o mig det är fel på, för jag är inte särskilt förtjust. Historien går tillbaka till självständighetsrörelsen, och allt hänger ihop som om tavlan med postit-lapparna satt kvar ovanför författarens skrivbord.
March 27, 2021
Tyvärr en dåligt korrekturläst e-bok men det var ändå inte en berättelse i min smak.
May 6, 2018
Bit formulaic--Irish violence, Irish orphans, Irish tea, Irish secrets--but really well told and interestingly plotted. I would read more of hers, don't know why we don't hear more about her in the States.
January 28, 2019
I found this book had to connect with. It took me a while to get into the story and overall it was tedious to read. Not a very uplifting read.
October 22, 2023
Would have been 5 stars had she not killed Ferdie. He was a dog brimful of character and should have stayed safe. Breaks the unwritten rule of crime fiction in my opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2019
A crisply written thriller. Atmospheric. Marches through Irish history but never seems to be walloping home a point.
Themes of justice, forgiveness. Moral questions of right and wrong. Historical Irish violence set against Italian partisan killings. Themes of forgiveness and restorative justice flow through the narrative, but violent acts can still reverberate through the generations.
Not formulaic at all: they don't drink enough and there is a lovely depiction of elderly love, even though the wife is quite senile.
Inevitably there is a very violent scene at the end, when I thought we had avoided it.
Resolution is neat and unexpected with an element of restorative justice.
The depiction of Theresa Ryan seemed to have been modelled subtly on Dolours Price, but the boom was published before the documentary.
Themes of justice, forgiveness. Moral questions of right and wrong. Historical Irish violence set against Italian partisan killings. Themes of forgiveness and restorative justice flow through the narrative, but violent acts can still reverberate through the generations.
Not formulaic at all: they don't drink enough and there is a lovely depiction of elderly love, even though the wife is quite senile.
Inevitably there is a very violent scene at the end, when I thought we had avoided it.
Resolution is neat and unexpected with an element of restorative justice.
The depiction of Theresa Ryan seemed to have been modelled subtly on Dolours Price, but the boom was published before the documentary.
August 6, 2018
The violent death of a well known judge brings together a myriad of characters and links into the murder of a Garda years before. This psychological story mirrors the experience of both individuals and the state in the North and South of Ireland and compares those experiences. Violence is peppered through the story along with outright cruelty and abuse. The underlying comparisons of specific lives and society is intriguing.
December 15, 2017
For some reason, I could not get into the story at all. Parsons would start some of her chapters with new characters and then explain things about them that have nothing to do with the story, with the progression of the story, or would be just filler information between the dialogue that characters were having. This style of writing is just not for me.
January 4, 2018
Yet another great crime novel from Ireland, where there are now more crime writers than crimes (Julie Parsons, Louise Phillips, Tana French, Patricia Gibney etc). Highly recommended.
March 27, 2018
Lite många trådar att hålla koll på ibland, men mycket läsvärt.
March 19, 2019
After trying to read this book 3 times, I finally managed it. Found it very hard to get into but once I did I read it over 2 days. Enjoyable book. I felt saddened by it at the end.
July 13, 2019
A gripping thriller 4/5. Couldn't put it down.
For someone living in Dublin 6/5.
Net 5/5.
For someone living in Dublin 6/5.
Net 5/5.
July 17, 2022
Karaktärer att fatta tycke för och spännande läsning
March 27, 2023
3.5 stars ⭐️
September 18, 2025
This was okay.
January 6, 2026
Too many storylines at once! And the ending was so dissatisfying.
September 22, 2024
Hated it!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews