I really enjoyed this book it was more realistic than most horror novels but very good and scary. Louise F.
This was a very disturbing and grim novel based on the true murder case of Imelda Riney, her son, and a priest in County Clare, Ireland in 1994. O'Brien used court records and psychiatrist reports to recreate the case in this novel. The narrative tells of the fatal encounter between a mother and child, Eily Ryan and Maddy, and Mich O'Kane, who had been in and out of institutions and jails since his youth. Mich has been called many names by the locals including the "Kinderschreck" meaning "bogeyman" given to him by a German when Mich stole his gun. The surrounding community where Mich grew up and its residents are all pretty much terrified of him and are afraid he will kill them if he has any reason to. The novel provides events from the past and present and delves into the reasons for O'Kane's urges for self destruction and violence. In the words of a priest in the novel, "what is it that warps a child...what is it that changes a child from being a child?"
Overall, I found this to be a very well written and compelling read that delves into the motivations of a mentally disturbed individual. This probably could be considered a true crime account in the vein of Capote's IN COLD BLOOD but O'Brien does fictionalize the story and changes the names of individuals and locations. I have read one other novel by O'Brien, THE COUNTRY GIRLS, which was very different from this one but enjoyable and I may seek out more by her.
Overall, I found this to be a very well written and compelling read that delves into the motivations of a mentally disturbed individual. This probably could be considered a true crime account in the vein of Capote's IN COLD BLOOD but O'Brien does fictionalize the story and changes the names of individuals and locations. I have read one other novel by O'Brien, THE COUNTRY GIRLS, which was very different from this one but enjoyable and I may seek out more by her.
