The Shackles

‘A gripping literary thriller, fast-paced and compulsively readable.’ John Boyne

‘A brilliant exploration of conscience and the consequences of one terrible mistake. Confident, assured and clever, this is an outstanding debut’ Jane Casey

‘An unputdownable literary thriller. I couldnt stop reading and found it absolutely riveting.’ Edel Coffey

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Becca, Andy, Cian and Dreamy. They jokingly call themselves ‘the Shackles’ because they can never escape each other in their small Irish town. But after they cover up a fatal hit-and-run the school friends’ fates are truly shackled together.

December 26, 1999. On the cusp of the new millennium, the nineteen-year-olds are going home after an alcohol-fuelled night out their local town. In the freezing darkness, their car hits something or someone. Three out of the four make a split-second decision to keep going; the fourth has already blacked out. The next morning, when they hear a neighbour’s body has been found on the side of the road, they decide to cover up their involvement in the fatal incident.

In the years that follow the four friends attempt to forge futures in and away from Ballylea, drifting apart though occasionally colliding. But when they start receiving hostile anonymous emails five years after incident, it’s clear that someone knows their secret and may expose it at any moment.

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‘A truly beautiful novel of guilt, redemption, and the complexities of friendship. One of my books of the year.’ Liv Matthews

‘Compelling, beautifully observed and deeply human, with characters you genuinely care about. A hugely impressive debut’ Michelle McDonagh

‘A gripping read about the impact of lies and guilt on the lives of four young friends. A nuanced, insightful novel and one which will linger long after it’s been devoured.’ Fiona Gartland

‘Should go straight to the top of your must-read list … utterly engrossingJen Bray

‘Beautifully written, rich and lyrical in the way it depicts the inner life of each character with all their insecurities and vulnerabilities. And all the time, the tension and heartache resulting from their careless actions runs like dark threads throughout the narrative of their lives, waiting to unravel’ Zoe Miller