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Brouhaha
The razor-sharp, violent and darkly comic second novel from actor, comedian and writer Ardal O’Hanlon.
Dove Connolly is dead. That’s not good for anyone in Tullyanna, never mind Dove.
Now his best friend Sharkey is home asking awkward questions about Dove’s death, about the strange graphic novel he left behind, and, most of all, about Sandra. Sandra Mohan. Missing now for over a decade, whereabouts unknown.
This, however, is a town dead-set on keeping its secrets. And Sharkey is already drawing attention from all the wrong quarters...
A mystery, a black comedy, a satire on Ireland’s tangled politics of memory, Brouhaha is set in a small town on the Irish border during the uneasy transition to peace. And peace doesn’t come easy in these parts.
*****
Over the past few days, Kevin, no flies on him, had sensed a tension in the town thanks to Dove Connolly’s poor decision to blow his own head off. It wasn’t just the act of self-harm itself, the pointless splattering of blood and bone and brain all over his bedroom wall, that was the issue, unsettling as that was. In so doing, poor Dove had spread panic amongst the townspeople, raising all sorts of ugly questions, reviving all sorts of rumours, and inviting all sorts of unwelcome attention upon them. In Kevin’s mind, there was method in Dove’s madness. Showing a shocking assertiveness for possibly the first time in his life, and the last, says you, Dove blew the lid off the whole town.
Dove Connolly is dead. That’s not good for anyone in Tullyanna, never mind Dove.
Now his best friend Sharkey is home asking awkward questions about Dove’s death, about the strange graphic novel he left behind, and, most of all, about Sandra. Sandra Mohan. Missing now for over a decade, whereabouts unknown.
This, however, is a town dead-set on keeping its secrets. And Sharkey is already drawing attention from all the wrong quarters...
A mystery, a black comedy, a satire on Ireland’s tangled politics of memory, Brouhaha is set in a small town on the Irish border during the uneasy transition to peace. And peace doesn’t come easy in these parts.
*****
Over the past few days, Kevin, no flies on him, had sensed a tension in the town thanks to Dove Connolly’s poor decision to blow his own head off. It wasn’t just the act of self-harm itself, the pointless splattering of blood and bone and brain all over his bedroom wall, that was the issue, unsettling as that was. In so doing, poor Dove had spread panic amongst the townspeople, raising all sorts of ugly questions, reviving all sorts of rumours, and inviting all sorts of unwelcome attention upon them. In Kevin’s mind, there was method in Dove’s madness. Showing a shocking assertiveness for possibly the first time in his life, and the last, says you, Dove blew the lid off the whole town.
352 pages, Paperback
First published May 26, 2022
36 people are currently reading
276 people want to read
About the author
Ardal O'Hanlon
17 books25 followersArdal O'Hanlon is an Irish comedian, actor, and author. He played Father Dougal McGuire in Father Ted (1995–1998), George Sunday/Thermoman in My Hero (2000–2006), and DI Jack Mooney in Death in Paradise (2017–2020). His novel, The Talk of the Town (renamed Knick Knack Paddy Whack in the USA) was published in 1998.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
January 17, 2023
My thanks to Harper Collins UK for a review copy of this book via NetGalley.
Long long ago, I used to watch (not regularly, but sometimes) the BBC comedy My Hero, about an alien superhero, Thermoman who lives on earth and is married to a nurse, Janet; when I noticed this book on NetGalley, it was the author, Ardal O’Hanlan who portrayed Thermoman/George Sunday in the series, that caused me to click, and then its description as a dark comedy in a small Irish town (though it did also say ‘violent’ which I was wary of) led me to want to give it a try.
Set in the fictional Irish town of Tullyanna, in the days after the Troubles, the story opens with the death by suicide of Dermot ‘Dove’ Connolly. Ten years previous to this, Dove’s girlfriend Sandra Mohan (only 16 at the time) had gone missing and was never seen again, and an article by a journalist Joanne McCollum pointed to him as responsible, ruining his reputation. Dove’s best friend Philip Sharkey, who was with him on the day, left town soon after and stayed away. But now with Dove’s suicide, Philip has returned, having received a somewhat cryptic message from Dove earlier that he may have uncovered what happened to Sandra. Back in town, he finds Dove left him a graphic novel he wrote and illustrated, and while initially he is puzzled and disinterested, he begins to realise that the book, about the adventures of a hero named Brouhaha is actually Dove’s way of leaving him clues to what he discovered (as also chastising him for his own actions).
Another person near obsessed with Sandra’s disappearance is Kevin Healy, the Garda who was in charge of her case at the time. Now no longer in the force, he continues to go over what he knows (often reciting facts and possibilities to his infant grandson, Paul), still wanting to work it out. With Dove’s death, Joanne who by now realises she may have been mistaken in blaming Dove is also back in Tullyanna, with more or less the same objectives. But while secrets begin to be revealed and ‘new’ facts uncovered, raking up the past is neither easy, nor advisable, especially when there are less than savoury characters involved; one of these is Fergal Coleman, once the local ‘bad boy’ into drugs and much else, now an aspiring politician, still surrounded and supported by his old gang. Amidst this, do they manage to uncover the truth? And at what price?
Brouhaha certainly made for an interesting reading experience—it is a slower moving (but cleverly done) book, and written in a style that (like other reviewers too have mentioned) took me a while to get into. In my case, until the first 20 per cent or so, I was reading on—not uninterested but also not gripped. But once I did settle into the style and more so, the story (especially the puzzle of what actually happened to Sandra) began to move forward, I started to get more absorbed and really began to want to read on.
We have a very flawed but all the same complex and (as a result) intriguing set of characters; there’s Dove himself who we get to know through memories or the graphic novel and other clues he leaves behind for Sharkey, and the mural he made for the town, poking fun at different elements; Philip Sharkey who has been in self imposed exile (for reasons we learn as the book goes on) but is now a little more confident of facing his fears and doing right by his friend (whom he has in more senses than one betrayed). Both are intelligent, well read, yet have gotten into their share of trouble and also face the consequences of the unsolved disappearance. But they are characters we do feel sympathy for. Kevin Healy is a rather likeable character, but he too, has been through much, including a bout of mental trouble after having been shot when he was a Garda, and Sandra’s case continues to weigh on him, something he is determined to solve. Joanne has a genuine passion for journalism which is appreciable, yet she was my least favourite of the three, causing rather than resolving trouble (even after having done it once for Dove and realising she was wrong, she does it all over again). Alongside, O’Hanlan gives us a sense of a small border town in Ireland, where while the Troubles may have passed, shadows of it remain and continue to affect life; and also, of its people (the supporting or secondary characters are also distinctive and well drawn out).
The mystery behind Sandra’s disappearance was a thread that certainly kept me engaged. I enjoyed especially that Dove chose to supply the answers through a graphic novel (with hints that he knows only Sharkey would be able to pick up on), and these are not straightforward but clues to be picked up and pieced together which requires the latter’s intelligence and scientific bent (I almost wished we had some illustrations!)
There is a fair bit of violence and abuse in the book, and while not gratuitous (or horribly graphic), it is something I can usually do without. The solution to Sandra’s disappearance too is rather dark and disturbing, and left me feeling unsettled.
Overall, though, this was a book well worth reading with much that I enjoyed even if I didn’t get along with every element.
Long long ago, I used to watch (not regularly, but sometimes) the BBC comedy My Hero, about an alien superhero, Thermoman who lives on earth and is married to a nurse, Janet; when I noticed this book on NetGalley, it was the author, Ardal O’Hanlan who portrayed Thermoman/George Sunday in the series, that caused me to click, and then its description as a dark comedy in a small Irish town (though it did also say ‘violent’ which I was wary of) led me to want to give it a try.
Set in the fictional Irish town of Tullyanna, in the days after the Troubles, the story opens with the death by suicide of Dermot ‘Dove’ Connolly. Ten years previous to this, Dove’s girlfriend Sandra Mohan (only 16 at the time) had gone missing and was never seen again, and an article by a journalist Joanne McCollum pointed to him as responsible, ruining his reputation. Dove’s best friend Philip Sharkey, who was with him on the day, left town soon after and stayed away. But now with Dove’s suicide, Philip has returned, having received a somewhat cryptic message from Dove earlier that he may have uncovered what happened to Sandra. Back in town, he finds Dove left him a graphic novel he wrote and illustrated, and while initially he is puzzled and disinterested, he begins to realise that the book, about the adventures of a hero named Brouhaha is actually Dove’s way of leaving him clues to what he discovered (as also chastising him for his own actions).
Another person near obsessed with Sandra’s disappearance is Kevin Healy, the Garda who was in charge of her case at the time. Now no longer in the force, he continues to go over what he knows (often reciting facts and possibilities to his infant grandson, Paul), still wanting to work it out. With Dove’s death, Joanne who by now realises she may have been mistaken in blaming Dove is also back in Tullyanna, with more or less the same objectives. But while secrets begin to be revealed and ‘new’ facts uncovered, raking up the past is neither easy, nor advisable, especially when there are less than savoury characters involved; one of these is Fergal Coleman, once the local ‘bad boy’ into drugs and much else, now an aspiring politician, still surrounded and supported by his old gang. Amidst this, do they manage to uncover the truth? And at what price?
Brouhaha certainly made for an interesting reading experience—it is a slower moving (but cleverly done) book, and written in a style that (like other reviewers too have mentioned) took me a while to get into. In my case, until the first 20 per cent or so, I was reading on—not uninterested but also not gripped. But once I did settle into the style and more so, the story (especially the puzzle of what actually happened to Sandra) began to move forward, I started to get more absorbed and really began to want to read on.
We have a very flawed but all the same complex and (as a result) intriguing set of characters; there’s Dove himself who we get to know through memories or the graphic novel and other clues he leaves behind for Sharkey, and the mural he made for the town, poking fun at different elements; Philip Sharkey who has been in self imposed exile (for reasons we learn as the book goes on) but is now a little more confident of facing his fears and doing right by his friend (whom he has in more senses than one betrayed). Both are intelligent, well read, yet have gotten into their share of trouble and also face the consequences of the unsolved disappearance. But they are characters we do feel sympathy for. Kevin Healy is a rather likeable character, but he too, has been through much, including a bout of mental trouble after having been shot when he was a Garda, and Sandra’s case continues to weigh on him, something he is determined to solve. Joanne has a genuine passion for journalism which is appreciable, yet she was my least favourite of the three, causing rather than resolving trouble (even after having done it once for Dove and realising she was wrong, she does it all over again). Alongside, O’Hanlan gives us a sense of a small border town in Ireland, where while the Troubles may have passed, shadows of it remain and continue to affect life; and also, of its people (the supporting or secondary characters are also distinctive and well drawn out).
The mystery behind Sandra’s disappearance was a thread that certainly kept me engaged. I enjoyed especially that Dove chose to supply the answers through a graphic novel (with hints that he knows only Sharkey would be able to pick up on), and these are not straightforward but clues to be picked up and pieced together which requires the latter’s intelligence and scientific bent (I almost wished we had some illustrations!)
There is a fair bit of violence and abuse in the book, and while not gratuitous (or horribly graphic), it is something I can usually do without. The solution to Sandra’s disappearance too is rather dark and disturbing, and left me feeling unsettled.
Overall, though, this was a book well worth reading with much that I enjoyed even if I didn’t get along with every element.
June 13, 2022
Outstanding,a real gem.Exquisite writing,great story.
June 12, 2022
Dark, witty, and very clever at times. This book is not for the faint hearted, there are some very graphic scenes of violence and abuse. I found that it took a little while to get into the book, the writing is quite heavy and detailed.
I enjoyed the detailed and humorous account of life in rural Ireland, especially having a town mural that points fun at it’s local residents. The residents are full of life, with characters ranging from a corrupt local politician, and a retired Garda who coaches GAA. O’Hanlon does shed a light on the political upheaval that the fictional Tullyanna has faced being on the border with Northern Ireland. Many of the characters that we meet have a dark past relating to these times in Ireland’s history.
I found it interesting to have three main characters and to see the story from each of their pint of views, however I thought this made the book a little too long and my attention was lost. As a murder mystery the book has no problem with providing suspects, but I felt that the book ran out of steam midway through.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the copy of this book. My review is honest and unbiased.
I enjoyed the detailed and humorous account of life in rural Ireland, especially having a town mural that points fun at it’s local residents. The residents are full of life, with characters ranging from a corrupt local politician, and a retired Garda who coaches GAA. O’Hanlon does shed a light on the political upheaval that the fictional Tullyanna has faced being on the border with Northern Ireland. Many of the characters that we meet have a dark past relating to these times in Ireland’s history.
I found it interesting to have three main characters and to see the story from each of their pint of views, however I thought this made the book a little too long and my attention was lost. As a murder mystery the book has no problem with providing suspects, but I felt that the book ran out of steam midway through.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the copy of this book. My review is honest and unbiased.
June 9, 2022
Sharkey has returned to his Irish border town home of Tullyanna, in the wake of his old friend Dove's apparent suicide. It is a place he has been trying to avoid for the past ten years, after events got out of hand following the disappearance of his friend Sandra Mohan, who was Dove's on-off girlfriend. Sharkey is not really sure why he is here, but a strange message he recently received from the broken and drug-addicted Dove about Sandra gives him the feeling that the time has come to confront what really happened to her.
Dove has left little behind to give Sharkey any clues about what he had discovered, except an avant-garde mural in the local shopping centre, and a rather surreal hand-drawn graphic novel he wrote about a character called Brouhaha - both of which bizarrely seem to reference many of the residents of Tullyanna.
Sharkey finds himself joining forces with retired Garda Kevin Healy, who is haunted by the fact that he was unable to find out what happened to Sandra, and a local journalist Joanne McCollum who is obsessed with the case. Maybe together they can break through the web of lies that has built up around Sandra's disappearance and finally get to the truth? If they can stay out of harm's way...
I wasn't really sure what to expect when I started reading this novel from actor and comedian Ardal O'Hanlon: perhaps a light hearted comedy about life in a small Irish border town? In fact, it became rapidly clear that this was going to be an astoundingly different kind of beast.
The storyline moves between the events around the unsolved disappearance of teenager Sandra Mohan in 1994, and the impact of Sharkey, Kevin and Joanne's efforts to finally get to the truth following Dove's death - when all Tullyanna's dirty little secrets come spilling out. At its heart, this is a darned good murder mystery and I loved the way the trio of investigators go about tracking down the clues in their own special ways. The story keeps you guessing from start to finish, and it has an intriguing bevy of threads woven into it about secrets and the sins of the past.
O'Hanlon beautifully floods this piece with many aspects of small town Irish life, and he explores some very interesting themes around the turbulent political times that affected the border region between Ulster and the Republic of Ireland. The characters are colourfully vivid, and for the most part, decidedly dysfunctional. So many of the complex threads tug on your heart-strings, and I found myself frequently overwhelmed at the beautifully tender way O'Hanlon describes the myriad of emotionally charged scenes - the moments between Kevin and his baby grandson Paul in particular had me weeping every time. The way our three unlikely crusaders join together to finally lay Sandra's ghost to rest is also satisfyingly heart-warming - despite the full-on ration of violence and gritty action that forms the majority of the storyline.
I think it's fair to say that this is not an easy book to pigeonhole, and O'Hanlon's writing style does take a little getting used to, but once you get into the rhythm of it then a curious brilliance starts to reveal itself. This has the bones of a cracking literary thriller with heavyweight crime story credentials, but it also has a surreal quality to it in the way the very darkest kind of humour ties everything together. Throughout the novel I often found myself smiling wryly at the quirkiness of it all, even in the bleakest of moments, and this somehow lightens the whole piece even though the storyline is filled with poignancy.
O'Hanlon says of this book that:
"Growing up in the border region, I've always been captivated by the language and deadpan character and dark humour of the people and the place. In trying to capture that I've tried to write the sort of book I love to read - pacy, thrilling, edgy, insightful, funny, and humane and I really hope people enjoy it."
I can confirm that he has achieved all of these aims in this off-beat comic satire, and produced a little gem of a book that serves to hold you attention all the way through. If you're up for something a little different that challenges your idea of what a dark comedy can achieve in terms of literary weight, then I bring you Brouhaha!
Dove has left little behind to give Sharkey any clues about what he had discovered, except an avant-garde mural in the local shopping centre, and a rather surreal hand-drawn graphic novel he wrote about a character called Brouhaha - both of which bizarrely seem to reference many of the residents of Tullyanna.
Sharkey finds himself joining forces with retired Garda Kevin Healy, who is haunted by the fact that he was unable to find out what happened to Sandra, and a local journalist Joanne McCollum who is obsessed with the case. Maybe together they can break through the web of lies that has built up around Sandra's disappearance and finally get to the truth? If they can stay out of harm's way...
I wasn't really sure what to expect when I started reading this novel from actor and comedian Ardal O'Hanlon: perhaps a light hearted comedy about life in a small Irish border town? In fact, it became rapidly clear that this was going to be an astoundingly different kind of beast.
The storyline moves between the events around the unsolved disappearance of teenager Sandra Mohan in 1994, and the impact of Sharkey, Kevin and Joanne's efforts to finally get to the truth following Dove's death - when all Tullyanna's dirty little secrets come spilling out. At its heart, this is a darned good murder mystery and I loved the way the trio of investigators go about tracking down the clues in their own special ways. The story keeps you guessing from start to finish, and it has an intriguing bevy of threads woven into it about secrets and the sins of the past.
O'Hanlon beautifully floods this piece with many aspects of small town Irish life, and he explores some very interesting themes around the turbulent political times that affected the border region between Ulster and the Republic of Ireland. The characters are colourfully vivid, and for the most part, decidedly dysfunctional. So many of the complex threads tug on your heart-strings, and I found myself frequently overwhelmed at the beautifully tender way O'Hanlon describes the myriad of emotionally charged scenes - the moments between Kevin and his baby grandson Paul in particular had me weeping every time. The way our three unlikely crusaders join together to finally lay Sandra's ghost to rest is also satisfyingly heart-warming - despite the full-on ration of violence and gritty action that forms the majority of the storyline.
I think it's fair to say that this is not an easy book to pigeonhole, and O'Hanlon's writing style does take a little getting used to, but once you get into the rhythm of it then a curious brilliance starts to reveal itself. This has the bones of a cracking literary thriller with heavyweight crime story credentials, but it also has a surreal quality to it in the way the very darkest kind of humour ties everything together. Throughout the novel I often found myself smiling wryly at the quirkiness of it all, even in the bleakest of moments, and this somehow lightens the whole piece even though the storyline is filled with poignancy.
O'Hanlon says of this book that:
"Growing up in the border region, I've always been captivated by the language and deadpan character and dark humour of the people and the place. In trying to capture that I've tried to write the sort of book I love to read - pacy, thrilling, edgy, insightful, funny, and humane and I really hope people enjoy it."
I can confirm that he has achieved all of these aims in this off-beat comic satire, and produced a little gem of a book that serves to hold you attention all the way through. If you're up for something a little different that challenges your idea of what a dark comedy can achieve in terms of literary weight, then I bring you Brouhaha!
June 21, 2024
I don't often love books, yet alone freshman offerings. But I can say nothing wrong about this darkly hilarious story. The main characters are very far from good but they are incredible. Highly recommend.
June 27, 2022
Very good story from the IRA days. Well written. Very funny has a bit of everything. Well worth a read
February 18, 2023
Too much unnecessary descriptive text detracts from the storyline.
June 7, 2022
This was a wee bit heavy going until I managed to settle in to the author's writing style, which did take a bit longer than usual for me. But, once that was done, I was away...
So, Dove Connolly is dead. A death that is to be the catalyst for a myriad of things to happen. For secrets to come out, for a prodigal son to return home... For the small town of Tullyanna to be shocked to its core. Set during the initial stages of the peace process, we follow Dove's best (albeit estranged) friend Sharkey as he tries to piece together the events which lead up to his fleeing the town, as well as what tipped Dove over the edge to have done what he did... Using, of all things, a graphic novel willed to him by his dead friend. Aided off and on by another who initially got away, reporter Joanne... Our third main protagonist is Kevin, a retired Garda whose life has been haunted by a young girl's disappearance...
This was a tangled web that started off as quite a slow burn. We follow Sharkey's return to the hometown he turned his back on many years ago, at the same time as a young girl, Sharon, went missing. As he interacts with a whole host of characters, possibly, maybe too many for the story itself, but all of whom adding a little extra to the place they call home. The wonderful town that is Tullyanna, fictional but I would imagine to have been made up of maybe one or two real places. A town that could almost be considered to be a character itself, so integral to the plot it became during the book.
The narrative is peppered with some rather delicious black humour which I really enjoyed. The dialogue is enhanced by utilising some local dialect, which I do admit to taking a wee while to get to grips with. The story itself was very well plotted and that plot expertly executed. One thing that didn't quite work for me was the insertion of quite a bit of Irish culture and history which was often so interesting in itself, requiring further investigation, that it was a tad distracting as it did keep drawing me out of the story I was reading.
All in all, a solid read that eventually got going and which satisfied me at its conclusion. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
So, Dove Connolly is dead. A death that is to be the catalyst for a myriad of things to happen. For secrets to come out, for a prodigal son to return home... For the small town of Tullyanna to be shocked to its core. Set during the initial stages of the peace process, we follow Dove's best (albeit estranged) friend Sharkey as he tries to piece together the events which lead up to his fleeing the town, as well as what tipped Dove over the edge to have done what he did... Using, of all things, a graphic novel willed to him by his dead friend. Aided off and on by another who initially got away, reporter Joanne... Our third main protagonist is Kevin, a retired Garda whose life has been haunted by a young girl's disappearance...
This was a tangled web that started off as quite a slow burn. We follow Sharkey's return to the hometown he turned his back on many years ago, at the same time as a young girl, Sharon, went missing. As he interacts with a whole host of characters, possibly, maybe too many for the story itself, but all of whom adding a little extra to the place they call home. The wonderful town that is Tullyanna, fictional but I would imagine to have been made up of maybe one or two real places. A town that could almost be considered to be a character itself, so integral to the plot it became during the book.
The narrative is peppered with some rather delicious black humour which I really enjoyed. The dialogue is enhanced by utilising some local dialect, which I do admit to taking a wee while to get to grips with. The story itself was very well plotted and that plot expertly executed. One thing that didn't quite work for me was the insertion of quite a bit of Irish culture and history which was often so interesting in itself, requiring further investigation, that it was a tad distracting as it did keep drawing me out of the story I was reading.
All in all, a solid read that eventually got going and which satisfied me at its conclusion. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
May 26, 2022
Ardal O’Hanlon’s debut novel Brouhaha is set on the border between the Republic of Ireland and Ulster. Not long before the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, teenager Sandra Mohan left home one dark night. Since then, except for occasional postcards from London, nothing has been heard from her. Young people often leave Tullyanna in pursuit of adventure, so Sandra becomes no more than a puzzling memory. Philip Sharkey and Joanne McCollum also left, but a decade and a half later, they are back. Ambitious Joanne is a reporter for Howareya, the local newspaper. Philip, a drifter and jack of all trades, is mourning the suicide of his childhood friend, Dove Connolly. Their investigations into Sandra’s disappearance raise troubling questions. A clue to the mystery is hidden in a graphic novel created by Dove, who was a talented artist and Sandra’s wannabe boyfriend.
Tullyanna is fictional, but its characters belong in any real-life country town. They include an influential local politician who used to be the local bully, a retired policeman turned soccer coach and a folksy doctor who drives like a maniac. As for the group of boyhood friends surrounding Philip, the like of them can be seen hanging around on street corners in any town, anywhere in the world. What makes Brouhaha truly Irish is the long-term influence of history and politics on events.
O’Hanlon writes with the quirky, eclectic humour which characterises his stand-up performances. His storytelling is punctuated with satirical references to Irish history, popular culture and mythology. He often uses phrases from the local dialect, such as ‘says you’, to give rhythm to long sentences. His prose has a Joycean flow of consciousness. In my opinion as an Ulsterwoman, Brouhaha is best enjoyed by going along with the flow.
Tullyanna is fictional, but its characters belong in any real-life country town. They include an influential local politician who used to be the local bully, a retired policeman turned soccer coach and a folksy doctor who drives like a maniac. As for the group of boyhood friends surrounding Philip, the like of them can be seen hanging around on street corners in any town, anywhere in the world. What makes Brouhaha truly Irish is the long-term influence of history and politics on events.
O’Hanlon writes with the quirky, eclectic humour which characterises his stand-up performances. His storytelling is punctuated with satirical references to Irish history, popular culture and mythology. He often uses phrases from the local dialect, such as ‘says you’, to give rhythm to long sentences. His prose has a Joycean flow of consciousness. In my opinion as an Ulsterwoman, Brouhaha is best enjoyed by going along with the flow.
June 10, 2022
📚B O O K R E V I E W📚
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you for my gifted copy of Brouhaha in return for an honest review @HCinIreland @harpercollinsire and thank you for my place on the booktour @RandomTTours
Genre: thriller, murder mystery, dark comedy, fiction
Synopsis: Dove Connolly is dead. That’s not good for anyone in Tullyanna, never mind Dove.
Now his best friend Sharkey is home asking awkward questions about Dove’s death, about the strange graphic novel he left behind, and, most of all, about Sandra. Sandra Mohan. Missing now for over a decade, whereabouts unknown.
This, however, is a town dead-set on keeping its secrets. And Sharkey is already drawing attention from all the wrong quarters...
A mystery, a black comedy, and a satire on Ireland’s tangled politics of memory, Brouhaha is an edgy, funny and fierce novel set in a small town on the Irish border during the transition to peace. And peace doesn’t come easy in these parts.
My opinion: I was so incredibly excited when this book dropped on my doormat and I opened it up. I have been a fan of Ardal O’Hanlon since watching him as a kid in Father Ted, Death on paradise etc. I was therefore over the moon when I started reading and I could actually hear him talking to me in his Irish tang, nuanced language and witty descriptions of real mundane issues in life. If you are a fan of satire and dark comedy then you will like this.
Unfortunately, I did find that the storyline, although interesting and well written, was a bit too slow going for me and I did struggle with the pace of the story. However, I am I glad that I kept going as I enjoyed the banter between Joanne, Phillip and Kevin and I was hooked by the final 100 pages, with the great reveal.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you for my gifted copy of Brouhaha in return for an honest review @HCinIreland @harpercollinsire and thank you for my place on the booktour @RandomTTours
Genre: thriller, murder mystery, dark comedy, fiction
Synopsis: Dove Connolly is dead. That’s not good for anyone in Tullyanna, never mind Dove.
Now his best friend Sharkey is home asking awkward questions about Dove’s death, about the strange graphic novel he left behind, and, most of all, about Sandra. Sandra Mohan. Missing now for over a decade, whereabouts unknown.
This, however, is a town dead-set on keeping its secrets. And Sharkey is already drawing attention from all the wrong quarters...
A mystery, a black comedy, and a satire on Ireland’s tangled politics of memory, Brouhaha is an edgy, funny and fierce novel set in a small town on the Irish border during the transition to peace. And peace doesn’t come easy in these parts.
My opinion: I was so incredibly excited when this book dropped on my doormat and I opened it up. I have been a fan of Ardal O’Hanlon since watching him as a kid in Father Ted, Death on paradise etc. I was therefore over the moon when I started reading and I could actually hear him talking to me in his Irish tang, nuanced language and witty descriptions of real mundane issues in life. If you are a fan of satire and dark comedy then you will like this.
Unfortunately, I did find that the storyline, although interesting and well written, was a bit too slow going for me and I did struggle with the pace of the story. However, I am I glad that I kept going as I enjoyed the banter between Joanne, Phillip and Kevin and I was hooked by the final 100 pages, with the great reveal.
June 3, 2022
Dove Connolly is dead. That's not good for anyone in Tullyanna, never mind Dave.
Now his best friend Philip is home asking awkward questions about Dave's death, about the strange graphic novel he left behind, and, most of all, about Sandra - missing now for over a decade, whereabouts unknown.
Kevin, a retired Garda, is haunted by the disappearance of Sandra, the case he couldn't solve.
Joanne, a local reporter, remains convinced Sandra, with whom she went to school, didn't just disappear.
Dove's funeral brings this unlikely trio together as they strive to finally discover what happened to Dove and Sandra.
This is a small town mystery, a black comedy and an all too true reflection of what did happen locally during the troubles, the peace process and the current crop of "rehabilitated" politicians.
I would liken this to the writing of Caimh McDonnell - his novels portray Dublin in the same manner O'Hanlon describes the Irish boarder region. It's believable, violent, shocking and sad but with a rich dose of Irish cynicism and humour thrown in.
I would definitely recommend and thank Hamper Collins Ireland and Random Things Tours for my proof copy in exchange for an honest review
Now his best friend Philip is home asking awkward questions about Dave's death, about the strange graphic novel he left behind, and, most of all, about Sandra - missing now for over a decade, whereabouts unknown.
Kevin, a retired Garda, is haunted by the disappearance of Sandra, the case he couldn't solve.
Joanne, a local reporter, remains convinced Sandra, with whom she went to school, didn't just disappear.
Dove's funeral brings this unlikely trio together as they strive to finally discover what happened to Dove and Sandra.
This is a small town mystery, a black comedy and an all too true reflection of what did happen locally during the troubles, the peace process and the current crop of "rehabilitated" politicians.
I would liken this to the writing of Caimh McDonnell - his novels portray Dublin in the same manner O'Hanlon describes the Irish boarder region. It's believable, violent, shocking and sad but with a rich dose of Irish cynicism and humour thrown in.
I would definitely recommend and thank Hamper Collins Ireland and Random Things Tours for my proof copy in exchange for an honest review
July 19, 2023
Very enjoyable. Good fun to read. The plotting was noticeably first rate, with droplets of information into proceedings and then tidied up efficiently later on in the story. This is a crime novel with twists, with the latter pertaining not just to “who did it” but to the genre itself - part humorous, part Irish history around the times of “The Troubles” and part true literary endeavour. Not an easy thing to accomplish, so bravo Mr O’Hanlon. There is an interesting and varied cast of characters, all with favourable and negative characteristics - so more believable. The quotations and references - Springsteen to Yeats - add a lovely depth to this fine piece of work. I look forward to reading more from this author with a surprisingly ( to those who only know the tv characters) literary talent.
July 24, 2023
📖Book review: Brouhaha – Ardal O’Hanlon📖
“Dove Connolly is dead. That's not good for anyone in Tullyanna, never mind Dove. Now his best friend Sharkey is home asking awkward questions about Dove's death, about the strange graphic novel he left behind, and, most of all, about Sandra. Sandra Mohan. Missing now for over a decade, whereabouts unknown. This, however, is a town dead-set on keeping its secrets. And Sharkey is already drawing attention from all the wrong quarters... A mystery, a black comedy, a satire on Ireland's tangled politics of memory, Brouhaha is set in a small town on the Irish border during the uneasy transition to peace. And peace doesn't come easy in these parts.”
📚
This was just a wild read. It had a sense of 1980s Irish comedy about it but set in modern days. I actually don’t have the words to describe how bizarre this book was. I really enjoyed it but it was just pure bizarre. There was the crappy comedy element which was good… but expected a bit more from Ardal. Now I adore Ardal O’Hanlon so he can do no wrong in my mind. So my opinion of this book is slightly skewed and objectivity is lacking in some parts. But I think that’s why I can’t say too much or want to admit to myself how dodge this book was in parts. I will say at the beginning and the end were hard enough to follow. The middle was great. It’s just I was lost at some parts at the start and end of this book.
📚
Overall it was just a bit naff. The ending and who done it element was disappointing. Like someone who made sense but not really. Also Sandra’s story could have been fleshed out a bit more for my liking. Because maybe then the person who did kill her might have made more sense. I think it makes a filler read between books rather than a book that would knock you for six. So it’s a ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5/5) from me folks.
“Dove Connolly is dead. That's not good for anyone in Tullyanna, never mind Dove. Now his best friend Sharkey is home asking awkward questions about Dove's death, about the strange graphic novel he left behind, and, most of all, about Sandra. Sandra Mohan. Missing now for over a decade, whereabouts unknown. This, however, is a town dead-set on keeping its secrets. And Sharkey is already drawing attention from all the wrong quarters... A mystery, a black comedy, a satire on Ireland's tangled politics of memory, Brouhaha is set in a small town on the Irish border during the uneasy transition to peace. And peace doesn't come easy in these parts.”
📚
This was just a wild read. It had a sense of 1980s Irish comedy about it but set in modern days. I actually don’t have the words to describe how bizarre this book was. I really enjoyed it but it was just pure bizarre. There was the crappy comedy element which was good… but expected a bit more from Ardal. Now I adore Ardal O’Hanlon so he can do no wrong in my mind. So my opinion of this book is slightly skewed and objectivity is lacking in some parts. But I think that’s why I can’t say too much or want to admit to myself how dodge this book was in parts. I will say at the beginning and the end were hard enough to follow. The middle was great. It’s just I was lost at some parts at the start and end of this book.
📚
Overall it was just a bit naff. The ending and who done it element was disappointing. Like someone who made sense but not really. Also Sandra’s story could have been fleshed out a bit more for my liking. Because maybe then the person who did kill her might have made more sense. I think it makes a filler read between books rather than a book that would knock you for six. So it’s a ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5/5) from me folks.
September 23, 2022
Sandra disappeared and no body was ever found so there is a question over whether she is alive or dead. Her boyfriend (Dove) at the time has committed suicide and there is a suspicion he was involved in her disappearance. Three main characters are determined to find the truth: Kevin, a retired Garda who was part of the team that originally investigated her disappearance, Philip who was Dove’s best friend and Joanne a local journalist. These three intrepid individuals lead us through a myriad of scenarios, some very funny, some gruesome but all highly entertaining.
January 7, 2023
Comic legend, Ardal O’Hanlon, writing a novel. A man with great timing and wit as evidenced in programmes as varied as Father Ted, Death in Paradise and Taskmaster. Surely that bodes well for this book. Sadly, it doesn’t. The plot is almost the same as many you’ve read before but the writing is forced, it’s trying far too hard to be clever and as a result it comes across as more pretentious than whimsical.
I found the latter stages of the book to be much more interesting but overall, it was a bit of a slog and a disappointment.
I found the latter stages of the book to be much more interesting but overall, it was a bit of a slog and a disappointment.
March 27, 2025
Liked: A fun mystery that balances cynical humor and absurd violence with keen political observations. Empathetic and sarcastic. The comic book within a book, story within a story, was a unique mechanism for moving the plot a long.
Disliked: Some of the sentences just go on and on. How did Dove get the coordinates? As a main character, Phillip is, maybe, less interesting than he should be, but Healy and Joanne balance this out.
Bonus: I'd read a book about Karen from forensics. A smoking, sherry-sipping, and dramatic forensics expert sounds fun.
Disliked: Some of the sentences just go on and on. How did Dove get the coordinates? As a main character, Phillip is, maybe, less interesting than he should be, but Healy and Joanne balance this out.
Bonus: I'd read a book about Karen from forensics. A smoking, sherry-sipping, and dramatic forensics expert sounds fun.
October 2, 2022
Listened to this on Audible, nicely read by the author. Couldn't help thinking that this was a bit of a sub-Ben Elton plot. I never spot the key clues in a novel but this seemed glaringly obvious to me. Either I've suddenly become a genius or this isn't as well written as you'd hope. Nice fella but I wonder if he'd get published if he wasn't known for Father Ted. Two and a half stars rounded up.
February 10, 2023
I started this book not having an idea what is was about
It was a very convoluted story with a lot of references to cross board issues & troubles / IRA / INLA
Which really wouldn’t on paper making an entertaining story but I listened to the audio book narrated by Ardal & it was like listening to a yarn in a pub.
Over all the story was weak but I enjoyed the telling of it and the characters and the narration by Ardal
It was a very convoluted story with a lot of references to cross board issues & troubles / IRA / INLA
Which really wouldn’t on paper making an entertaining story but I listened to the audio book narrated by Ardal & it was like listening to a yarn in a pub.
Over all the story was weak but I enjoyed the telling of it and the characters and the narration by Ardal
May 11, 2023
I bought this book at the 2022 Hay Festival after watching Ardal's session at the Festival. I'm so glad that I bought it as it is very different to the books that I usually read. The way Ardal writes is quite unusual, with very long sentences, but you get used to it very quickly. I didn't always get all of the jokes as I'm not Irish, but really enjoyed the whodunit element of it. It didn't seem to tie everything up in the end but I quite liked that. Would recommend 👍
June 11, 2023
There are certainly the bones of an entertaining novel here - 13 years after a young woman's disappearance from an Irish town, the main suspect, an ex-cop, and a journalist team up to re-open the cold case - but O'Hanlon's gift does not lie in pacing, to put it mildly. He's a competent writer and individual scenes pop, but they seem arranged utterly at random and without any regard to what came before or comes after. A baffling and frustrating read.
September 17, 2023
Lovely little murder mystery book starring a very quiet socially awkward retired copper called Kevin.
Accept there isn’t much mystery on account of the murderer being the IRA guy introduced in the first chapter (and this is obvious throughout the book).
So, more a lovely little murder book starring a very quiet socially awkward retired copper called Kevin. All ends happily…if not very darkly.
Judge that how you will.
Accept there isn’t much mystery on account of the murderer being the IRA guy introduced in the first chapter (and this is obvious throughout the book).
So, more a lovely little murder book starring a very quiet socially awkward retired copper called Kevin. All ends happily…if not very darkly.
Judge that how you will.
January 30, 2024
I was so looking forward to this book, as I really enjoy watching Ardal on TV and think he is a brilliant actor, comedian and also seems such a down to earth guy, but I really struggled to get into this book, just felt a little all over the place and seemed to jump all over the place.
I got about 140 pages into it, and then jumped to the last 5 chapters to find out what happened, but all in all just felt disappointing and kind of lack the oomph or the excitement for me to really get stuck in.
I got about 140 pages into it, and then jumped to the last 5 chapters to find out what happened, but all in all just felt disappointing and kind of lack the oomph or the excitement for me to really get stuck in.
October 10, 2022
This is a good story that started as a bit of a slow burn then continued in the same vein. I enjoyed the main characters and the overall plot but would have preferred an abridged version.
Others will enjoy like it just as it is, with all the wisdom, sidebars and humour that O'Hanlon is noted for.
Others will enjoy like it just as it is, with all the wisdom, sidebars and humour that O'Hanlon is noted for.
December 26, 2022
Enjoyed this a lot - but complicated plot and a bit hard to keep up with who was who.
Interesting characters though and felt like a book written by a "real" author, and not just a celebrity cross over.
Interesting characters though and felt like a book written by a "real" author, and not just a celebrity cross over.
August 21, 2023
Finishing this book was a challenge. It was so funny at points, but overall the pacing felt so scattered I couldn’t find my way through it.
Needed 100 more pages to wrap up the ending without feeling like it was just a chase to stay under a word count.
Needed 100 more pages to wrap up the ending without feeling like it was just a chase to stay under a word count.
June 21, 2024
Nearly gave up on it as it took a long while to get going (and the exposition was really stifling the flow of the book).
I thoroughly enjoyed it when it got going though, and found it a really engaging murder-mystery.
Will keenly look at anything else O'Hanlon releases!
I thoroughly enjoyed it when it got going though, and found it a really engaging murder-mystery.
Will keenly look at anything else O'Hanlon releases!
July 20, 2022
Quite an entertaining book.heard him speak on the radio which lef me to get his book, didn't diissapoint
April 7, 2023
Usually love everything this man does and I was really looking forward to reading his latest book. I was really disappointed and it just wasn't my cup of tea.
April 12, 2023
So much detail. So I thought it should take forever to read but I finished it in three days. Absolutely loved this book. Incredible ending.
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