The novel is set in New Ross in June 1963, as the town prepares for president JK Kennedy’s visit. Garda Jim Field feels responsibility for a troubled outcast named Patrick Hatten, living on the fringes of the community. It’s a fusion of interests of my own – Kennedy, that generation of men and women, the casualties of progress. I wrote the sort of novel I like to read – a small town, a sense of trouble lurking, with focus on atmosphere and place. Letting the reader know what Patrick is up to before Jim does helped to build tension.

Source: The Irish Times March 22, 2026 16:17 UTC