‘Gripping, smart, suspenseful‘ EDEL COFFEY
‘I could not put the book down’ AMY JORDAN
In a village of secrets, is anyone truly innocent?
‘A page-turner’ IRISH INDEPENDENT
On a frosty morning, a young tourist is found dead at the bottom of the Wishing Steps at Blarney Castle. A tragic fall, the locals say. But when Dani DeMarco arrives from America to identify her daughter Jessie’s body, she’s convinced the truth is more sinister.
Jessie had travelled to the village to find the father she never knew, a man who’s now a pillar of the local community. But the story of his past, which Dani quickly exposes, soon ignites a storm of outrage, denial and fear.
The local community begins to take sides, but who to believe – the man they have known all their lives, or a devastated mother with nothing to lose? As loyalties shift and tensions rise, one question haunts them all: did Jessie slip … or was she silenced?
‘A thrilling mystery’ GILL PERDUE
‘I could not put the book down’ AMY JORDAN
In a village of secrets, is anyone truly innocent?
‘A page-turner’ IRISH INDEPENDENT
On a frosty morning, a young tourist is found dead at the bottom of the Wishing Steps at Blarney Castle. A tragic fall, the locals say. But when Dani DeMarco arrives from America to identify her daughter Jessie’s body, she’s convinced the truth is more sinister.
Jessie had travelled to the village to find the father she never knew, a man who’s now a pillar of the local community. But the story of his past, which Dani quickly exposes, soon ignites a storm of outrage, denial and fear.
The local community begins to take sides, but who to believe – the man they have known all their lives, or a devastated mother with nothing to lose? As loyalties shift and tensions rise, one question haunts them all: did Jessie slip … or was she silenced?
‘A thrilling mystery’ GILL PERDUE
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Reviews
When a young American woman in search of her roots dies in what might or might not be an accident, a spiral of closely guarded village secrets starts to unravel. Skilfully observed, Some of This is True is both a perceptive dissection of small town Ireland in 2025 and an engrossing mystery with convincing and complex characters. McDonagh's many fans are in for another treat.
In her third novel, Michelle McDonagh plunges us headfirst into a compelling intergenerational domestic noir where the dark secrets of the past continue to play havoc with the emotional and psychological health of her present day cast of memorable characters.
In a thrilling mystery which crosses time zones and oceans, our guide is a damaged, tragic antiheroine whom we have no option but to follow on her quest for truth - a journey which confronts the worst aspects of humanity without ever losing sight of the best - namely love, compassion and hope
I raced through this novel, immersed in the different points of view. The plot unfolded with a sense of deep tension, reeling me in until I absolutely could not stop reading. It was very clever, weaving such topical world issues into a thriller, and I could not put the book down
Michelle McDonagh just gets better and better. Blackly funny and acutely observant, she digs behind the veneer of suburban Irish society to reveal the darkness that can find its way into any ordinary life. An insightful portrayal of Irish communities and the secrets they keep, with characters you will love. I couldn't stop turning the pages. I love how she unpicks families and marriages until nothing is as it seems. Gripping, smart and suspenseful, this is a compelling story that packs a big punch.
A page-turner for the sunbed this summer
Grippingly authentic ... Some of This Is True is domestic noir at its most beguilingly chilling