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Where They Lie

A Novel

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

"A thrillingly dark and atmospheric tale, richly evocative of its time, especially for those of us old enough to remember 1968."—John Banville

An immersive, literary thriller set in 1960s Dublin about an ambitious young female journalist whose investigation of a long missing actress will take her through misty streets and the tangled underworld—and force her to confront the long buried secrets of her own past.

Some stories demand to be told. They keep coming back, echoing down through the decades, until they find a teller . . .

Dublin, 1943. Actress Julia Bridges disappears. She was last seen entering the house of Gloria Fitzpatrick, who is later put on trial for the murder of a woman whose abortion she facilitated. But it's never proved that Gloria had a hand in Julia's death—and Julia's body has never been found. Gloria, however, is sentenced to life in an institution for the criminally insane, where she's found dead a few years later from an apparent suicide, and the truth of what happened to Julia Bridges dies with her.

Until . . .

Dublin, 1968. Nicoletta Sarto is an ambitious junior reporter for the Irish Sentinel when the bones of Julia Bridges are discovered in the garden of a house on the outskirts of the city. Drawn into investigating the 25-year-old mystery of Julia's disappearance and her link to the notorious Gloria Fitzpatrick, Nicoletta becomes immersed in the tangled underworld of the illegal abortion industry, stirring up long-buried secrets from her own past.

A beautifully atmospheric, timely thriller, Where They Lie uses a murder mystery as a lens to focus on the long struggle of women fighting to achieve autonomy and succeed in a man's world.

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    • Library Journal

      October 1, 2023

      DEBUT Dublin-based reporter Nicoletta Sarto seizes the opportunity of a lifetime when she answers the newsroom's phone late one December evening in 1968. A body discovered in the garden of an influential businessman has been tentatively identified as long-missing actress Julia Bridges. Knowing this story could advance her career to the position of "women's editor," Nicoletta is intent on pursuing it. Julia was last seen in 1943, entering the home of notorious illegal and unsafe abortionist Gloria Fitzpatrick. While the prevailing belief is that Gloria was responsible for Julia's death, the absence of a body allowed Gloria to remain free. Several years later, Gloria was convicted of murdering another woman during an abortion attempt and subsequently killed herself in a psychiatric hospital. Unable to interview Gloria, Nicoletta begins questioning friends and family members of both women. In her quest to find justice for Julia, Nicoletta begins to uncover extensive secrets that extend to her own family. VERDICT Irish author Coughlan's debut offers a mildly suspenseful narrative that effectively conveys the challenges working women faced in the 1960s. Readers interested in exploring the historical quest for women's rights and independence will enjoy.--Lucinda Ward

      Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Booklist

      December 1, 2023
      It's 1968 in Dublin, and Nicoletta Sarto is diving into her first case. A rookie reporter for the Irish Sentinel, Nicoletta is eager to write a smash-hit article. The discovery of a body in the garden of a wealthy jewelry heir seems like a promising lead. The bones are linked with an actress named Julia Bridges, who died twenty years ago. Her disappearance has always been attributed to murderer Gloria Fitzpatrick, a midwife who fell from grace by providing abortions. As Nicoletta follows the trail of Julia's past, she discovers just how Julia and Gloria are connected--and how many other secrets lie within the case. Nicoletta is also pregnant by her married reporter lover, and her situation is far too reminiscent of those Gloria once handled. Debut author Coughlan effortlessly plants clues that pay off in gasp-worthy twists. Though Nicoletta isn't police, she has connections with the Garda (the Irish police force), which likens the book to procedurals such as those written by Tana French. Recommended for readers of dark, historical crime fiction.

      COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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