Review: THE OUTSIDER by Arlene Hunt

The latest crime fiction column in the Irish Times features new offerings from Ian Rankin, Arlene Hunt, Donna Leon, Paul Johnston and Lee Child. The Arlene Hunt review runs like this:

Arlene Hunt is best known for her Dublin-set ‘QuicK Investigations’ novels, which feature the private eye duo John Quigley and Sarah Kenny, although her most recent offering, the standalone The Chosen (2011), was set in a remote rural setting in the US. In The Outsider (Portnoy Publishing, €11.50), Hunt sets her story in another rural setting, that of County Wicklow, with the story centring on the twins Emma and Anthony Byrne. A teenager who ‘may or may not be on the autism spectrum’, Emma develops a rare ability to rehabilitate physically and psychologically brutalised horses; why would anyone want to harm such a gentle soul? The backdrop of the Wicklow countryside suggests that The Outsider belongs to the ‘cosy’ or ‘malice domestic’ tradition, but while the style and setting are far removed from the hardboiled conventions, Hunt excels at excavating the petty passions of village life that, unchecked, lead here to anger, obsession and murderous rage. Moreover, The Outsider is not the straightforward narrative of taboos broached and justice served we expect from ‘cosy’ novels. In creating a community of apparently ordinary people capable of extraordinary cruelty, Hunt deftly blurs the lines between justice and revenge and propels her tale into the realms of true tragedy. – Declan Burke

  For the rest of the column, clickety-click here …

Coming Out

UPDATE:   Arlene Hunt launches THE OUTSIDER this evening, November 7th, at the Gutter Bookshop, Temple Bar. See you there, folks ...

As author, editor and publisher, Arlene Hunt is one of the hardest working women in Irish crime fiction. Her latest novel, THE OUTSIDER (Portnoy Publishing), will be published on October 29th, bearing one of the most striking covers of the year. To wit:

From the time she was born, Emma Byrne was different. Shy and reclusive, her world revolved around animals, so much so that by the time she was 15, Emma was a much sought after horse trainer. So who would try to harm this gifted young woman? Who was shooting in Crilly Woods on that fateful August day? Emma’s twin brother, Anthony, is determined to get to the bottom of what happened to his sister, and in the course of his investigations makes a terrible mistake, one that will change all their lives forever …

  Arlene will be appearing at ‘Irish Crime Fiction: A Festival’ at Trinity College, which takes place on November 22nd / 23rd.

A Horse Of A Different Colour

I’m very impressed with the cover for Arlene Hunt’s forthcoming novel, THE OUTSIDER (Portnoy Publishing), which is due for publication in October. Delicious, no?
  As for what THE OUTSIDER is all about, here’s Arlene chatting to Louise Phillips over at the writing.ie site:

“Living in a small village in Ireland, Emma Byrne has always been considered an odd ball by those who know her. As a child she barely communicated with anyone other than her twin brother, Anthony. Emma’s family are baffled by her. But Emma has a gift, she understands animals - particularly horses - in ways that amaze people and before long folk the length and breadth of the country are lining up to work with her. So why would anyone want to hurt this shy reserved young woman and who was it that tried to shoot her dead in the woods?”

  For more in the same vein, clickety-click here …