Troubles-Era Derry Mystery With Bite, Heart and Wit
Séamas O'Reilly's darkly funny literary mystery begins when a TV star vanishes during filming in Derry. Mixing grief, memory and Troubles-era storytelling, it should appeal to readers who like humane humour, local texture and crime plots with something sharper underneath.
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Prestige Drama
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Troubles-Era Derry Mystery With Bite, Heart and Wit
Séamas O'Reilly's darkly funny literary mystery begins when a TV star vanishes during filming in Derry. Mixing grief, memory and Troubles-era storytelling, it should appeal to readers who like humane humour, local texture and crime plots with something sharper underneath.
- Book Synopsis
-
A comedy about tragedy. Séamas O'Reilly has written a brutal, profound, and very funny novel' NINA STIBBE
'Sparkling with heartache and wit. I'm in love with every character in this novel' CAROLINE O'DONOGHUE
'Prestige Drama is bristlingly funny, richly humane... Séamas O'Reilly is a writer with a rare and vital comic gift' MARK O'CONNELL
Derry is already abuzz with news that famous American actor, Monica Logue, has flown to the city and will be starring in a new series set during the Troubles. And then she goes missing...
All eyes are on Diarmuid, the flaky scriptwriter who was the last to see Monica alive.
From budding young actors hoping for a role to grieving parent whose story forms the backbone of the narrative; newspaper editors covering the mystery to taxi drivers hearing all the news from their clients, Prestige Drama follows the city's cast as they all try to locate themselves in Monica's disappearance.
Séamas O'Reilly's debut novel is a comedy about dramatising tragedy, and the responsibilities of a teller to a tale.
It brings to life the voices of a city, the people, families and communities who find themselves obsessed with, and terrified of, interrogating their past.
'Séamas is one of my favourite living writers. Honestly - there is nobody else who could write a book like this about tragedy, loss and who gets to tell a story, with such deft and moving wit' EVA WISEMAN
'Prestige Drama is a hilarious and profound novel. Seamas O'Reilly has an acute ear for the rhythms of real speech, and for the lies we tell ourselves' ED CAESAR
Ideal for readers who:
- Respond to novels where grief, absurdity and public storytelling collide with real bite.
- Expect Derry’s voice, humour and history to feel specific rather than decorative.
- Enjoy ensemble casts where every character has a reason to be watching the mystery.
- Appreciate comedy that lands cleanly while leaving something tender behind.
- About The Author
- SÉAMAS O'REILLY is a writer and author who has worked as a columnist for the Observer, the Irish Times and the Irish Examiner. He is Features Editor of London satirical magazine, The Fence and his writing has appeared in The Guardian, the New Statesman and the New York Times. His memoir Did Ye Hear Mammy Died topped the Irish Times Bestseller List for seven weeks, and won Best Biography at the 2021 Irish Book Awards. Séamas currently lives in Walthamstow, London with his family.
- Product Details
-
- ISBN
- 9780349727899
- Format
- Hardback
- Publisher
- Fleet, (07 May 2026)
- Number of Pages
- 192
- Weight
- 180 grams
- Language
- English
- Dimensions
- 188 x 127 x 23 mm
- Categories: