Short Synopsis
An outstanding debut novel set in Dublin from a young Irish novelist that echoes the poignant, comical, and gritty voices of Roddy Doyle, Patrick McCabe, and Irvine Welsh.

Full Synopsis
Set in contemporary Dublin and the surrounding countryside, Ghosts and Lightning is a picaresque account of Denny Cullen's life after he is called back home to attend his mother's funeral. Denny—a sweet-natured but disillusioned young man who feels powerless in the face of death, dope, and the dole queue—is the steadiest in a cast of unstable characters. Denny and his lads fill their empty days with hooliganism, raucous parties, violence, and even an exorcism, but their fearlessness and humor make them as irresistible as an expertly pulled pint of Guinness.

"Often funny, sometimes very frightening, always very human. I loved it." ---Roddy Doyle, author of the Man Booker Prize winner Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha

"Byrne's promising debut is a humane, credible, and wry account of the inner struggles that bind us all." ---Library Journal

"Byrne's first-person fiction reads like a memoir, and British actor John Lee's narration is natural and realistic." ---Publishers Weekly Audio Review

"Although gothic tropes pervade Byrne's strong debut novel, they're doused---or soused, rather---with vibrant Dublin brogue and streetwise wit." ---Publishers Weekly Starred Review

Publishers Weekly Review