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Holding

A Novel

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Holding

Written by: Graham Norton
Narrated by: Graham Norton
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A New York Times bestseller

From Graham Norton—the BAFTA Award–winning and hugely popular BBC America television host—comes a charming debut novel set in an idyllic Irish village where a bumbling investigator has to sort through decades of gossip and secrets to solve a mysterious crime. “With its tale of provincial life, gimlet-eyed spinsters, and thwarted love…it feels almost like a Miss Marple mystery written by Colm Tóibín” (The New York Times).

The remote Irish village of Duneen has known little drama, and yet its inhabitants are troubled: Sergeant P.J. Collins hasn’t always been this overweight; Brid Riordan, a mother of two, hasn’t always been an alcoholic; and elegant Evelyn Ross hasn’t always felt that her life was a total waste.

So when human remains—suspected to be those of Tommy Burke, a former lover of both Brid and Evelyn—are discovered on an old farm, the village’s dark past begins to unravel. As a frustrated P.J. struggles to solve a genuine case for the first time in his professional life, he unearths a community’s worth of anger and resentments, secrets and regrets.

Darkly comic, at times profoundly sad, and “especially inviting because of its tongue-in-cheek wit” (Kirkus Reviews), Holding is a masterful debut. Graham Norton employs his acerbic humor to breathe life into a host of lovable characters, and explore—with searing honesty—the complexities and contradictions that make us human. Cozy Fiction Genre Fiction International Mystery & Crime Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Mystery Village Comedy

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All stars
Most Relevant
I enjoyed everything about this story. A great blend of comedy and drama. Having Graham Norton read it himself was the cherry on the top.

Loved it!!

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Not really sure what I was expecting with this novel but it was quite good. The storyline kept you guessing, the characters were interesting and I enjoy listening to Graham’s storytelling. A good listen! Highly recommend it

Pleasantly surprised!

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I had originally downloaded this book years ago when it first was available, but then forgot to read it once I became immersed in several other series.
When I read the genre tags last week, Cozy and Crime & Mystery, that's what I was expecting. It is neither of those. Much too harsh, and in some parts jarring and tragic, to be a cozy. It doesn't fit into Crime & Mystery either.
It's a novel, there is a crime, most of the main characters are interesting.... There were elements of the character descriptions that I didn't like at all... especially PJ. I felt that character deserved more than always described in degrading comparisons, which is yet another way that this doesn't fit into the genres mentioned; I like a "flawed or haunted" detective, but this was something else.
Also, the female characters deserved more strengths; they seemed two-dimensional to me, too flat, too emotion-based... Anything positive seemed like an afterthought.

Not What I Expected

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I enjoy Mr Norton as a TV host so I really wasn't sure what to expect from his novel. He is obviously the perfect choice of narrators, and brought his characters to life.

Fun and unpredictable.

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Just another enjoyable read (listen). I’m hoping this becomes a series I’d enjoy getting to know PJ a little more.

So reliably good

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