This week: 'Irish Baby Names', and how to pronounce them

There’s probably something for everyone this week, with fiction and non-fiction and even baby’s names.

Fair Play, Louise Hegarty, Picador, €16.99

This is a new and clever take on the old ‘locked room’ murder mystery, set in both the present day and the golden era of fictional detectives like Hercule Poirot. There are quite a few nods to the great Ms Christie in this novel and if you’re a big fan of her work, you’ll spot heaps of sly references and allusions. In the present day, Abigail throws a new year party for her brother Benjamin, whose birthday it is. She rents a grand old country manor for the night, all the guests arrive and the party is a hoot. But her brother is found dead in his bed the next morning. And since his bedroom door has been locked from the inside, nobody knows how he’s been killed. Or indeed, if he has been killed. Enter Auguste Bell, world-famous detective. Coinciding with his entrance, the house has changed. It now has staff, a butler, a maid and a gardener and these 21-century guests find themselves reeled back a century in time. To say more would be to spoil, but it’s a really entertaining read, a highly original and clever celebration of historical crime fiction.

Irish Baby Names, F O’Connor, M Buckley and G Drea, Gill, €16.99

Speaking the cúpla focail is maintaining its current state of ‘coolness’, especially among the younger generations, while several generations have died and will die yet without focail ar bith, despite daily lessons throughout our schooldays. You can take a horse (or schoolchild) to water, but you can’t make ‘em drink (or learn a language under extreme and frequently violent duress). This book is different to other baby name books in that in the introduction it points out that we non-Gaeltachers (Infidels?) haven’t a rashers about pronunciation of Irish names, and it seeks to correct us. Sure lookit, we have no Irish at all, what do they expect? Anyway, before you Christen your little one Uafásachaín or Eilifint or Liúdramán, and then add insult to injury by pronouncing it wrong, check this useful book out first.

Living in a Land that Time Forgot, Anne Heffernan, Ridero ,€15

Disillusioned with attempting to find employment in late middle age, Anne Heffernan took herself off to Haiti, to work as a volunteer for a year. Although she found the experience personally enriching and invaluable, she also found herself in a country that’s not only been forgotten by time, but by the rest of the world. It is one of the poorest Third World countries and crime is rampant, as it always is when it’s the only way to put food on the table. She worked in Jean Rabel in the northwest, and she writes: ‘There are almost 12 million people living in Haiti, the vast majority of them under 25, and they simply need opportunities the rest of the world takes for granted. They need robust homes, decent buildings for schools and daily food to eat.’ There are other sobering facts covered here. Between 70% and 90% of mothers give birth with no medical assistance and 5,000 babies are born annually suffering from HIV. Despite their gruelling poverty, Anne found the people to be warm, welcoming, bright and friendly, never missing an opportunity to sing. The proceeds from the sales of this book go straight to Haiti and you can purchase it from buythebook.ie as well as local indie bookshops.

Mere, Danielle Giles, Mantle €14.99

A mere, I learned from reading this hypnotic work of historical fiction, is a body of water in the Norfolk Fens, often marking a boundary on a property. The property here is a convent run under the supervision of Abess Sieburg. The year is 990 AD and the sisters in the convent are restless with hunger. They live hard lives in this unforgiving landscape but remain faithful to their vocations. Until a local boy is swallowed by the marsh and not seen again. This is just the first in a series of disasters that will see the Abess lose her steely grip on her community, as one of the nuns, the infirmarian Hilda, watches events unfurling. A recent arrival to the convent, Sister Wulfrun, has a vision and announces that a curse has been put on the convent, and unless they change their ways, they will perish. In an age where superstition is as strong as piety and devotion, the sisters despair. Wulfrun is to take charge, but not without a struggle. An innovative and imaginative story, true to its time with authentic language and magnificent descriptive passages. Beautifully written, artful and evocative.

The Secret Collector, Abigail Johnson, Pan, €14.50

Elderly Alfred insists he is not a hoarder, he is a collector of things, although his habit has led to him to becoming estranged from his daughter since his wife’s death. Kian is a youngster from the wrong side of the tracks and when he attacks Alfred’s home, there are consequences. On top of being bound to the peace, he has to atone for his crime by tidying up Alfred’s house. But Alfred is perfectly happy with his abode, even if it’s a bit jumbled, and the invasion of the seemingly uncouth Kian into his home and his life leaves him upset. But the authorities insist that Kian has to do what needs doing. And as time passes, both characters begin to slowly understand each other. A real ‘uplit’ novel, this is an ideal example of the genre and a charming pick-me-up story if you’re feeling a bit low.

Footnotes

Important dates for the diaries of bookworms, culture lovers and arts fiends; Hinterland Festival of Literature and Arts takes place in Kells from June 26 to 29 and hot on its heels is the Mullingar Literary Festival from July 4 to 6. Oh yes indeedy, they are happening on two consecutive weekends. What an absolute treat. More about them later, watch this space.

Rory Gallagher fans, get thyselves to Ballyshannon this weekend, the Rory Gallagher International Festival runs there from May 29 to June 1, see rorygallagherfestival.com for details.