The Glorious Heresies cover art

The Glorious Heresies

'A big, brassy, sexy beast of a book' IRISH TIMES

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The Glorious Heresies

By: Lisa McInerney
Narrated by: Shelley Atkinson
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About this listen

 WINNER OF THE BAILEYS' WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2016

WINNER OF THE DESMOND ELLIOT PRIZE 2016

LONGLISTED FOR THE DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE 2016

LONGLISTED FOR THE THEAKSTONS OLD PECULIAR CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR

'The Glorious Heresies heralds the arrival of a glorious, foul-mouthed, fizzing new talent' SUNDAY TIMES

'Totally and unmistakably the real deal' KEVIN BARRY

'A real stunner; a wild ride of a read' DONAL RYAN

'A gripping and often riotously funny tale' COLIN BARRETT

'A punchy, edgy, sexy, fizzing feast of a debut novel' JOSEPH O'CONNOR

'He was definitely dead, whoever he was. He wore a once-black jumper and a pair of shiny tracksuit bottoms. The back of his head was cracked and his hair matted, but it had been foxy before that. A tall man, a skinny rake, another string of piss, now departed. She hadn't gotten a look at his face before she flaked him with the Holy Stone and she couldn't bring herself to turn him over.'

One messy murder affects the lives of five misfits who exist on the fringes of Ireland's post-crash society. Ryan is a fifteen-year-old drug dealer desperate not to turn out like his alcoholic father Tony, whose obsession with his unhinged next-door neighbour threatens to ruin him and his family. Georgie is a prostitute whose willingness to feign a religious conversion has dangerous repercussions, while Maureen, the accidental murderer, has returned to Cork after forty years in exile to discover that Jimmy, the son she was forced to give up years before, has grown into the most fearsome gangster in the city. In seeking atonement for the murder and a multitude of other perceived sins, Maureen threatens to destroy everything her son has worked so hard for, while her actions risk bringing the intertwined lives of the Irish underworld into the spotlight . . .

Biting, moving and darkly funny, The Glorious Heresies explores salvation, shame and the legacy of Ireland's twentieth-century attitudes to sex and family.

(P)2016 John Murray Press©2015 Lisa McInerney Crime Europe Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Murder

Critic Reviews

A rich, touching, hilarious novel
A spectacular debut . . . a head-spinning, stomach-churning state-of-the-nation novel about a nation falling apart
A big, brassy, sexy beast of a book
A superb debut from a confident and comic writer
Fiendishly hilarious
All the trappings of a possible future classic . . . a fascinating and accomplished commentary on modern Irish life
A daring, exuberant and generous novel
There is the humour and the sheer, seething, broiling energy of the prose, which is peppered with the kind of language your mother would call unforgivable. As in Roddy Doyle and Irvine Welsh at their best, it doesn't feel gratuitous. It just feels true
A rambunctious portrayal of a swaggering off-kilter underclasss (Patricia Nicol)
This year's Baileys prize winner, the interlinked stories of chancers, gangsters and no-hopers in Cork city, is crime caper, teen romance and blisteringly dark social satire all rolled into one. Angry, funny and full of heart
All stars
Most relevant
I felt it gave a great insight into all of the characters - like them or loathe them, you knew them.

Fast, absorbing, very hard to put down

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I loved every minute of this book. Superbly read and brought to life by the beautiful Irish voice of Shelley Atkinson. This was my book club book. The two of us who listened to the text enjoyed it markedly more than those who read it - a testament to narrator. Engaging story (slightly too many coincidences I thought) and plenty to discuss. Nature/nurture, poverty, Irish economy, clever writing allowing the reader to cheer for the bad guy- always fun. Can't wait for the sequel.

Glorious

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Such a good listen, couldn’t put it down. Beautiful character development, love a book where no one is a hero.

Addicting

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I loved loved this book, just everything about it. initially I struggled with who was who, but decided I could just listen to it again and sort them all out. I did sort them once I relaxed and started to listen properly. the narration is superb. the wit and humour made me so proud to be Irish. No- one can swear like the irish. can you imagine my delight when I discovered that there are 2 more books to follow. I will listen to this again because it's f---ing amazing.

best book I've read listened to in ages

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Great characters and a great story. Very Irish great performance. Very enjoyable book, great for a long trip in the car.

Fantastic book

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The rich rapid wit, dialogue so entertaining in its exposure of how we will try anything to gain the upper hand in any scenario, with everyone in on the crack of it, respect is doled out only for the most extreme clever posturing.
It was like going home for me coming from Liverpool,
loved it
Colin

Human nature so eloquently exposed

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Best audiobook I've heard all year. New favourite narrator. Immersive, terrifying and hilarious. Recommending to all

Amazing!!

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Cleverly crafted stories. Insightful. celebration of the English/ Irish language. Beautiful reading performance, really well done.
Thoroughly recommend it

Excellent story

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I found this novel hard to listen to- especially the early chapters. Shelley Atkinson helped me through with her fantastic ability at giving each character a distinctive voice.

Shelley Atkinson - fantastic narrator

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A rich, funny, dark and beautifully performed story. Terrific characters whose horrible lose lose situations are finally redeemed. Sort of.

Deeply engrossing

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