‘I’m immensely fond of Liam Horan’s skilful, vivid, nuanced writing, which moves from insight to humour to emotional truthfulness, often in the one crafted paragraph. He’s a storyteller of great gifts, and they are all to be admired in this deeply impressive debut novel.’

‘This debut novel captures the complicated and often sticky web of small-town life: overlapping conversations in community halls, wary bonds formed in half-heated meeting rooms, gossip that can be both kind and cruel. The town itself is a character – a bit ragged but full of possibility’.

‘We get a glimpse of self-interested power-play which threatens to wipe out a segment of the charm and livelihood of a small town, a street and its citizens, but the solution recommended is not violence, but wisdom and canniness. There’s decency in people once you don’t back them into corners, as Louise emails Matt. But occasionally it helps to talk quietly and carry a medium-sized stick.’

‘…manuscript distinguished itself among a strong collection of submissions, reflecting the rich diversity and creative energy that characterises contemporary Irish fiction writing.’