The Convictions of John Delahunt

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

Extraordinarily detailed world, impeccably researched . . . so superbly written that it soars as a masterly work of fiction . . . utterly compelling.

An intriguing debut (that) sets out Hughes as one to watch.

A skilfully planned, elegantly written debut . . . a riveting read.

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

Told in the voice of its oddly detached protagonist, this is a memorable novel - a chilling story of a man gradually losing all sense of what makes life worth living.

This dark gem... The knowledgable Andrew Hughes carefully recreates a truly grim time, seemingly stripped of morals, and one where a brutal end lurks on each street.

With its polished prose, vivid period feel and debauched protagonist, this assured first novel will be relished by fans of literary crime and historical fiction alike.

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.

At once a close character study and a sweeping panorama of the era of 'dissectionists', who buy bodies for medical research and the 'resurectionists' who dig them up, this fascinating book is a stirring work of fiction and a perceptive chapter in Ireland's social history.

Born in Co. Wexford, ANDREW HUGHES was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. A qualified archivist, he worked for RTE before going freelance. It was while researching his acclaimed social history of Fitzwilliam Square – Lives Less Ordinary: Dublin’s Fitzwilliam Square, 1798-1922 – that he first came across the true story of John Delahunt that inspired his debut novel, The Convictions of John Delahunt. 
 
Andrew Hughes lives in Dublin.

Andrew Hughes

What a story he tells and what a voice he uses to tell it: Abigail Lawless is a joy. This is the kind of writing that pushes you gently into a different world then holds you there until the last sentence. Just brilliant.

An exceptionally good book . . . Abigail is a marvellous character, who half-inhabits a Jane Austen-like world of balls and fine clothes, yet whose real interest and talent is in science, especially forensic science . . . [she] speculates ceaselessly, and that and her humanity are what makes her such a rich and satisfying character.

The Coroner's Daughter starts with the best first sentence I have read in an age . . . Abigail is a wonderful heroine; fascinated by the macabre, scientifically minded and spiked with wit. Historical fiction is awash with amateur sleuths following ye olde clues but this sparkling crime novel breathes life into the genre.

The Coroner's Daughter is that rare thing, a beautifully-crafted novel that is also gripping and powerful. It’s superb.

WILLIAM RYAN, author of The Constant Soldier

The plot is intriguing and the father-daughter relationship honest and delightful, but it is Abigail – one of the most attractive heroines in a long time – who carries the day.

Engaging . . . atmospheric . . . there are strong echoes of the first Benjamin Black novel . . . [a] gory blend of historical detail and fiction has resulted in a compelling second novel. The Coroner's Daughter is good old-fashioned storytelling that will keep readers turning the pages as the shadows begin to fall.

Hughes vividly evokes the dank and often disturbing atmosphere of Dublin, 1816, and his plotting neatly upends the reader’s expectations. Best of all is young Abigail Lawless, headstrong and inconvenient in her determination to question the accepted rules of scientific investigation. I hope she’ll be back for further forensic adventures.

CHRISTOPHER FOWLER, author of the Bryant & May series

[Abigail] is a great character, plausible and well-drawn, in a novel full of them . . . The Coroner's Daughter briskly and efficiently sets its scene, then concentrates on telling a rattling good story . . . an enjoyable and thought-provoking novel.

A deeply satisfying novel, written with a poetic flair which brings time, people and place into vivid life and a compelling plot which had me cheering Abigail on even while I feared for her, her family and friends. A brilliant evocation of strange times and twisted histories.

If you like Treasure Island, and Sheridan le Fanu, and adventures in danger and cold in the Wicklow hills that end with a rescue and the heroes, wrapped in blanket, recovering with a nip of brandy in front of a roaring fire at an inn, you will like this.

I enjoyed it hugely. The author’s evocation of middle-class life in Dublin in 1816 is very convincing and his heroine, Abigail, is wonderfully feisty and engaging. The nascent sciences of forensics, astronomy and animatronics are brought to life . . . the plot cleverly keeps the reader guessing with a growing sense of menace, maintaining the tension until the final and surprising twist. A very fine achievement.’

Andrew Hughes is a wonderfully talented author, bringing Dublin and its surroundings to life with deft characterisations, detailed but never laboured descriptions, and a plot which will have readers racing through the pages. An utterly transporting book and highly recommended.

Andrew Hughes takes great relish in describing the occupational hazards of being a smart woman in restrictive times.

Andrew Hughes

Praise for The Coroner's Daughter

What a story he tells and what a voice he uses to tell it: Abigail Lawless is a joy. This is the kind of writing that pushes you gently into a different world then holds you there until the last sentence. Just brill ...

An exceptionally good book . . . Abigail is a marvellous character, who half-inhabits a Jane Austen-like world of balls and fine clothes, yet whose real interest and talent is in science, especially forensic science ...

The Coroner's Daughter starts with the best first sentence I have read in an age . . . Abigail is a wonderful heroine; fascinated by the macabre, scientifically minded and spiked with wit. Historical fiction is awas ...

What a story he tells and what a voice he uses to tell it: Abigail Lawless is a joy. This is the kind of writing that pushes you gently into a different world then holds you there until the last sentence. Just brill ...

An exceptionally good book . . . Abigail is a marvellous character, who half-inhabits a Jane Austen-like world of balls and fine clothes, yet whose real interest and talent is in science, especially forensic science ...

The Coroner's Daughter starts with the best first sentence I have read in an age . . . Abigail is a wonderful heroine; fascinated by the macabre, scientifically minded and spiked with wit. Historical fiction is awas ...

What a story he tells and what a voice he uses to tell it: Abigail Lawless is a joy. This is the kind of writing that pushes you gently into a different world then holds you there until the last sentence. Just brill ...

An exceptionally good book . . . Abigail is a marvellous character, who half-inhabits a Jane Austen-like world of balls and fine clothes, yet whose real interest and talent is in science, especially forensic science ...

The Coroner's Daughter starts with the best first sentence I have read in an age . . . Abigail is a wonderful heroine; fascinated by the macabre, scientifically minded and spiked with wit. Historical fiction is awas ...

Books by Andrew Hughes

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter