I received an interesting email yesterday, the gist of which ran like this: “I’m a PhD student at Queen’s University Belfast, researching prostitution in modern Irish literature. I’m hoping to write a chapter of my thesis on crime fiction, and I was wondering if you’d be able to give me any reading suggestions for Irish crime fiction books with prostitutes in them?”The student had already identified Stuart Neville’s STOLEN SOULS and Arlene Hunt’s VICIOUS CIRCLE, along with Liam O’Flaherty’s THE INFORMER and THE ASSASSIN for background. After taking a good long look at the Irish crime fiction shelves, about all I was able to add to the list was Niamh O’Connor’s TAKEN, which – if memory serves – features an escort model.
That set me wondering as to why prostitution hasn’t featured more frequently in Irish crime writing. A hangover from an unusually puritanical Catholicism? I really don’t know. Anyway, if anyone out there has any reading suggestions for the PhD student, I’d be very grateful if you’d send them on, either via the comment box below or by email. Thanks in advance, folks.
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