Among the Ruins

The new atmospheric mystery from the author of the acclaimed Where They Lie – shortlisted for the An Post Irish Crime Novel of the Year award – and a beautifully written tale about one woman’s need to find the truth, whatever the cost. Dublin, summer 1970. Nicoletta Sarto is juggling work as the women’s editor at the Irish Sentinel with twin baby girls at home. When she’s approached by a barrister, Louise Leonard, whose aunt has just died, she’s drawn into a story that could have dangerous consequences. Was Helen Leonard murdered, as her niece thinks? And who was the mysterious nurse who has now vanished, but to whom Helen left everything? As Nicoletta investigates, she has to fight not only her own family’s disapproval of her being a working mother, but also society’s. And as she slowly unpicks the mystery of Helen Leonard’s death, she’s unaware that danger lurks around every corner… Like the best historical fiction, Where They Lie transports the reader back in time while holding up a mirror to the present. A must-read'?ERIN KELLY? 'Beautifully written, utterly absorbing. It's hard to believe Coughlan wasn’t right there in 1960s Dublin observing the world she describes in such word-perfect detail. A stunning debut' ANDREA MARA