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Andrew Hughes

The Convictions of John Delahunt Paperback – 15 October 2014

by Andrew Hughes (Author)

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Dublin, 1841. On a cold December morning, a small boy is enticed away from his mother and his throat savagely cut. This could be just one more small, sad death in a city riven by poverty, inequality and political unrest, but this killing causes a public outcry. For it appears the culprit - a feckless student named John Delahunt - is also an informant for the authorities at Dublin Castle. And strangely, this young man seems neither to regret what he did nor fear his punishment. Indeed, as he awaits the hangman in his cell in Kilmainham Gaol, John Delahunt decides to tell his story in this, his final, deeply unsettling statement . . .Based on true events that convulsed Victorian Ireland, The Convictions of John Delahunt is the tragic tale of a man who betrays his family, his friends, his society and, ultimately, himself. Set amidst Dublin?s taverns, tenements, courtrooms and alleyways and with its rich, Dickensian cast of characters, this compelling, at times darkly humorous, novel brilliantly evokes a time and a place, and introduces a remarkable new literary voice.

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Product details

ASIN : 0552779415
Publisher : BLACK SWAN; 1st edition (15 October 2014)
Language : English
Paperback : 352 pages
ISBN-10 : 9780552779418
ISBN-13 : 978-0552779418
Dimensions : 12.7 x 2.2 x 19.8 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 36,050 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 1,610 in Historical Mystery
- 4,893 in Murder Thrillers
- 5,524 in Literary Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
49 ratings

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Review

A quite exceptional novel . . . The world he creates has echoes of Kafka and Orwell . . . totally convincing. It draws you in like a trap. ― C. J. SANSOM, author of Dissolution and Winter in Madrid

Unputdownable . . . chillingly portrayed . . . a highly sophisticated first novel. ― CHARLES PALLISER, author of The Quincunx

Compelling and eerily authentic . . . Read it and be grateful to be alive in our day and age. ― ROBERT GODDARD

A dark, original story wrapped in a wonderful gothic gloom . . . it's a tough act to pull off, but Andrew Hughes manages it with brio. I heard echoes of James Hogg and Robert Louis Stevenson. ― ANDREW TAYLOR, author of The American Boy and The Scent of Death

Reminiscent of John Banville's The Book of Evidence . . . a bracing, lurid tale that is as engrossing as it is chilling. -- Declan Burke ― IRISH INDEPENDENT

A vivid piece of writing . . . brings to mind Andrew Miller’s Costa-winning novel, Pure. ― IRISH TIMES

Extraordinarily detailed world, impeccably researched . . . so superbly written that it soars as a masterly work of fiction . . . utterly compelling. -- Dermot Bolger ― IRISH MAIL ON SUNDAY

An intriguing debut (that) sets out Hughes as one to watch. ― SUNDAY TIMES IRELAND

A skilfully planned, elegantly written debut . . . a riveting read. ― SUNDAY INDEPENDENT

Stupendous: a brilliant achievement for a first novel, completely compelling and with a perfectly damaged central character. ― MANDA SCOTT

Book Description

Set in Dublin in the 1840s and based on the true story of the murder of a child, this dazzling literary debut - at once a historical novel and crime thriller - will appeal to fans of Andrew Taylor, Andrew Miller and Peter Ackroyd.

5 star		44%
4 star		26%
3 star		15%
2 star		9%
1 star		5%

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Top review from Australia

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A chilling page-turner

Reviewed in Australia on 10 April 2014

In the novel, The Convictions of John Delahunt, author Andrew Hughes takes us deep in the mind of a serial killer. Based on a true story, John Delahunt was a man who was convicted and hanged for the murder of a very young boy in England in the year 1842. He slashed the young boys throat.

The story begins while John is in jail awaiting his execution. He is given an opportunity to write about his life and crimes. Through flashbacks, John reflects on his life and his crimes. Married and in love with Helen, a wealthy young woman whose family disowned her for marrying John. They live in poverty, where every day is an ordea. By chance, John becomes an informant and operative for the corrupt Dublin Castle, a semi-law enforcement agency with ruthless and evil tendencies, using extortion, and even murder to achieve their aspirations. As John becomes ever more dependent and involved in his machinations with Dublin Castle, he falls into a life of crime, and becomes a killer without remorse.

Although this is a very dark, sinister story about a violent and heartless killer, the character of John isn't completely hateful. His brutality is stark and ruthless, but sometimes he is a victim too, and there are moments when the reader will feel sympathy for the particular plight he finds himself in.

The story is not for the faint of heart, but for those who love being thrilled, gripped by an unputdownable book, and who loves reading about the dark side of life, then this is the book for them. This chilling novel is amazing and I loved every page. Simply fabulous.

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Top reviews from other countries

Clemens A. Schoonderwoert

Compelling and Stunning Debut!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 June 2015

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This debut novel by Andrew Hughes has been a book which has certainly excelled my expectations.
The complete story has been written in a most exceptional way, for it tells the story about Dublin and life in Ireland in general, and it captivates the reader from start to finish.
The book is set in Dublin mainly in the years AD 1841/42 and it tells the tale of a man called John Delahunt, and about his fortunes and misdeeds.
After several personal incidents, even killing an Italian man called Domenico and framing another man, Cooney, for the murder, this same John Delahunt kills a young boy in Dublin, or so it seems or that he's now being framed himself for the murder by Lyster, but while being an informer and thus being in the pay of the British authorities at Dublin Castle, he thinks he can get away with it again and so he does not fear any punishment at first.
What John Delahunt did not expect is the huge public outcry and which forces the British authorities to arrest and convict him for this horrible crime.
And so in the end John Delahunt decides to tell his tragic tale to all who want to hear, while waiting in his cell in Kilmainham Gaol for the hangman.
What follows is a dark and sinister story of a personal tragedy, of a man who has not only betrayed mostly himself but also his family, friends and society.
Very much recommended for this book is for certain a "Compelling and Stunning Debut"!

2 people found this helpful

Willow

Fascinating, am very impressed!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 June 2014

Verified Purchase

I was very surprised that this was a debut novel, as it was so well written.
As other reviewers have stated, the central character was really quite unpleasant and self-centred. I must admit, this made a refreshing, if somewhat uncomfortable change, as it took me a while to get into accepting his shockingly, self-serving lifestyle and mainly conscience-free attitude. Saying that, he is fascinating and unnerving, and I couldn't wait to read more of his story.

I am thoroughly looking forward to reading more of Andrew Hughes's work. His attention to the subtle details of each character's movements in order to show their subconscious innermost feelings,and interesting facts of the 1800's make this novel based on true events, a book to really lose yourself in.

4 people found this helpful

Norman Housley

Admirably dense, atmospheric book, shame about the narrator

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 December 2015

Verified Purchase

For a first novel this is terrific and Andrew Hughes deserves these glowing reviews. Fans of Charles Palliser and Iain Pears will lap it up. Hughes provides a similarly rich stew of historical detail and richly observed milieu. He conjures up early Victorian Dublin beautifully. You can see and smell the city. Unfortunately though, the narrator is a deeply unpleasant, borderline sociopath and I for one found reading about his descent into ever more despicable behaviour depressing. So much so that I skimmed the last third - I could see what was coming and found it very uncomfortable. But that's me being oversensitive. If you like a bit of nastiness in your narrative you'll like it.
3.5, but I'm glad it has to show as 4 because the author is one to watch.

Eva18

Bleak, brutal and depressing tale.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 December 2019

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The unremitting brutality and squalor of life in nineteenth century Dublin depicted in this book made it difficult to read, and indeed I found it so depressing that I did not complete it. The misery of the murderer and his victims alike in a corrupt and sinister world left a very unpleasant aftertaste.

Fnoonar

The tale of a tell-tale

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 January 2015

Verified Purchase

I gave this book 3 stars rather than 4, only because I disliked the characters so much. Perhaps that's a measure of how successfully the author depicted them - especially the main character and his wife, both of whom it was difficult to feel an ounce of sympathy for. It was an enjoyable read and the author certainly captured the essence of the era vividly, but on reaching the end of the book, it wasn't so much a case of "Ohhh no!" as "Oh well".

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