#10. Told In Non-Chronological Order – After the Silence by Louise O’Neill (Audible)

I first heard of this book when it was chosen by broadcaster Laura Whitmore as her ‘Bring Your Own Book’ for the BBC's “Between the Covers” program. She described Louise O’Neill as a “beautiful Irish writer,” and that whilst this novel is a work of fiction it is based loosely on similar events that have happened in the past in Ireland.

Years ago, I listened to a true crime podcast called “West Cork” on Audible. It was the fascinating, yet harrowing tale of the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier near her holiday home in Co. Cork in December 1996. Whilst suspicions were rife, no-one in Ireland was ever charged with her death, although there has always been whispers that locals knew more than they were letting on. This novel has echoes of that, and that is why I added it to my TBR pile.

 

“Nessa Crowley's murderer has been protected by silence for ten years.

Until a team of documentary makers decide to find out the truth.

 

On the day of Henry and Keelin Kinsella's wild party at their big house a violent storm engulfed the island of Inisrun, cutting it off from the mainland. When morning broke Nessa Crowley's lifeless body lay in the garden, her last breath silenced by the music and the thunder.

 

The killer couldn't have escaped Inisrun, but no-one was charged with the murder. The mystery that surrounded the death of Nessa remained hidden. But the islanders knew who to blame for the crime that changed them forever.

 

Ten years later a documentary crew arrives, there to lift the lid off the Kinsella's carefully constructed lives, determined to find evidence that will prove Henry's guilt and Keelin's complicity in the murder of beautiful Nessa.”

 

The Kinsella family have it all. Henry and Keelin have two beautiful grown-up children, a son and a daughter, they live in a gorgeous mansion on the small island of Inisrun, and they are wealthier than most people dream about. But is it just an illusion? Ten years ago, Keelin held a birthday party in which one of the infamous “Crowley Girls” died. The small island community blamed Henry, but he was never arrested, and no-one was found guilty of committing murder. The Kinsella’s become unpopular inhabitants on the island, and the disdain shown by the islanders who treat them with suspicion causes a tense atmosphere, one in which Keelin now deems it necessary to live a life of enforced solitude.

Two Australian filmmakers have arrived on Inisrun to film a documentary about the infamous death, a documentary which Henry hopes will help to clear his name and put the past behind him. The story is told via interviews with various island residents and Keelin Kinsella; however, it becomes clear she isn’t comfortable telling her version of the story to the camera.

Keelin Kinsella is 47 years old and an islander by birth. Following the murder at her party, she has become withdrawn from society, her son keeps to himself in his bedroom, and her daughter doesn’t want to spend any time with her. For someone who seems like such a kind and generous person, this shift in character is hard to comprehend, but if you want to keep secrets, they’re less likely to come out if you don’t talk to anybody. So, is it wise to sit her in front of a camera and direct questions to her about this mystery surrounding her husband? Henry is an outsider, he doesn’t understand the insular island life, he understands business, and as the younger son of the Kinsella hotel chain, he still has a lot to prove and he’s willing to do anything to ensure that the good family name is upheld.

It is clear from the beginning of the book that the island residents do not like the Kinsella family, and they hold a lot of resentment towards them, especially Henry. It’s understandable, he doesn’t come across as a particularly nice person, but that doesn’t make him a murderer…or does it? Even after all the years they have been married, friends of Keelin, and residents of the island, can’t understand why Keelin married Henry. They all remember her with warmth when she was growing up on the island, but now they wonder how complicit she is to Henry’s secrets.

Small islands make obvious settings for murder novels, I know, I seem to have read a lot of them this year; so, it’s important that the author makes the island become an important character. O’Neill does so, providing an atmosphere that by day seems beautiful and picturesque, but by night, darkly intimidating. Not just in a spooky sense, she gives the reader an understanding what it is like to inhabit the island, because the residents don’t just live there, the place is in their bones. (What I’ve also come to realise, is that if there is going to be a murder on an island, then there should be a storm of biblical proportions to ramp up that atmosphere. Again, O’Neill delivers!)

Whilst there is obviously a big murder mystery vibe to the story, what I found more disturbing was the theme of domestic abuse, toxic relationships and coercive control.  No-one knows what goes on behind closed doors, and this became an integral storyline that was well executed, showing the brutal ways in which domestic abuse can transpire with no-one else being aware that it is taking place.

This novel had me gripped from the very beginning, and as I was listening to it via Audible on my daily walks, when I returned home, I felt compelled to continue listening. It became compulsive; I was intrigued by the story arc, and I could feel the anger of the author as she slowly showed the reader what Henry felt he could get away with, showing his wife no remorse and letting her suffer the consequences. It didn’t seem to matter if her life was shattered to pieces, just so long as Henry, or the Kinsella name, did not lose face.

I appreciated how deeply embedded the Irish culture was to the residents of Inisrun, so I found the moments where conversations took place in the Irish language between Keelin and Alex an uplifting respite from her unforgiving husband and his constant gaslighting. The conversations allowed the old Keelin to have a voice, to become herself, even if only for fleeting moments and I think this added an extra dimension to her character which helped the reader understand her better.

This is a book that made me think about women, and men, who are trapped in both physically and psychologically abusive relationships and why they keep quiet, why they stay, why they don’t run. I found myself more enthralled by that than working out the murder that weaves through the story. At times I would become angry with Keelin, and then sad, whilst I remained in a perpetual state of anger towards Henry. This is a thought-provoking book that will remain with you, long after the final page.

 

Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Irish Literature,

Release Date: 3^rd September 2020

Publisher: Riverrun

Listening Time: 12h 1min

 

“Disclosure: If you buy books linked to this site, I may earn a small commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops, at no extra cost to you.”