Holding: A Novel

Such a warming novel describing the village life in Scotland. I literally couldn't put the book away. It contains both thriller and romance which !made it much more interesting and to top it all,Graham is a great narrator

I really enjoyed this book, but Graham Norton has a irritating habit. He mixes the perfect and imperfect tenses; he uses "he was sat" instead of "he was sitting". This grated every time I read it and detracted from my enjoyment of the book. I am surprised at an Irish man making such as mistake, as it is a grammatical error more typical of some regions in England. I am even more surprised that the editor let it go uncorrected.

This review is for: Holding: A Novel (Hardcover) by Graham Norton

It takes 200 pages for the author to lay down all the necessary tracks to reach that quick, page-turning ride from the climax to the denouement that makes up the last 60 pages, the only pages of the book that move with the proper swiftness of a good storyteller. The journey all the way up the first 200 pages is just one long, plodding, dreary, tortuously tedious, and joyless ride, a long way uphill that involves only the littlest of excitements, the smallest moments of intrigue, and very little character appeal overall. The long and pathetic middle story about Mrs. Meany and her rape and pregnancy as a teenager before she became a housekeeper for a priest and then for a guard was an unnecessarily drawn out explanation. Since no likable characters exist in this novel, the reader uncovers only some characters that are just more piteous than others, and it's the pity party the characters feel for themselves that arrests the reader's attention here and there.

There is a mystery, but it's as intriguing as a missing couple of letters of the alphabet in a crossword puzzle, nothing more. The author nags the reader nearly to death with continual reminders of the fact that the identities of the discovered bones are still missing and even if identified, the motivation for these crimes is missing as well -- over and over and over again. At long last, however, the truth behind the mystery comes clear, and the remaining piteous characters that are innocent go on to live a better life than the one the author forces the reader to experience for the length of this tiresome, lackluster, and tediously mundane tale.

Irish novelists are rocking the publishing world this year, and Norton’s debut novel is among the best of them. My great thanks go to Net Galley and Atria Books, who provided me a free and early read in exchange for this honest review. You should get it and read it. Atria will release it August 1, 2017.

Our protagonist is Sergeant PJ Collins; the setting is the tiny Irish town of Duneen. PJ is ecstatic when a corpse is uncovered at a local construction site. At last, something noteworthy has occurred in his sleepy village, and he can’t wait to tell everybody. He starts with his housekeeper, Mrs. Meany:

“I’m after finding a body.”
“You what?”
“A human body!”
He had waited his whole life to utter those words, and it felt as good as he had always imagined.
“God spare us!” Mrs. Meany gasped.

The villagers are convinced this is the body of Tommy Burke, a man loved ardently by two local women. Evelyn has never married; she and her two sisters still live in the family manse in which they were raised. Is Evelyn entirely crazy, as some people suggest, or is she merely frustrated and lonely?

Brid also loved Tommy. They were to be married, but he upped and disappeared just before the wedding. She is currently locked in a joyless union; she and her husband remain together for the sake of the children and the farm. It isn’t easy.

And then there’s our protagonist, PJ, who is graying at the temples, never having known love. He hasn’t even had a girlfriend. He went on a date, once, and the girl guffawed when he wasn’t able to situate his large self into a theater seat to view the movie. That was enough for him. He’s married to his work, and she’s a lonely mistress. At the end of the day there’s only Mrs. Meany, his aging housekeeper, and she will have to retire, sooner or later.

But things are about to change.

UK readers may have been drawn to this novel by its author, who is also a celebrity and has a television show, but I had never heard of him. I won’t forget him now.

One cautionary note: there’s some sharp, dark humor involving religion that will make this a poor fit for some readers. I loved it, but the devout may not. There’s also a fair bit of bawdy language.

For those that enjoy dark humor, this one is hard to beat. As an added bonus, it is ultimately uplifting, and reminds us that one is never too old to find love in this world.

Duneen is a quiet village, but beneath the surface resentment, fear, and sorrow flourish. Sergeant PJ Collins is the guard in the village. He’s overweight, clumsy, and afraid that he will never be a real policeman capable of solving big crimes. His chance comes with old bones are discovered in the field of one of the farms.

The villagers are sure the bones belong to Tommy Burke. He owned the farm and was engaged to be married to Brid. However, another women, Evelyn Ross, one of the tragic Ross sisters, was in love with him. Neither of the women have gotten over the fact that he just disappeared.

Detective Superintendent Linus Dunne from Cork is assigned to the case. PJ resents being given the lesser role. This is his community. He continues the investigation even though Dunne doesn’t think much will come of it. However, it’s PJ investigation that brings the case to a head exposing resentments and secrets going back twenty-five years.

The is not a fast paced thriller. The book starts slowly with history of the village and the families living there who will play a role in the drama. I found it interesting at first, but I thought it went on too long.

The mystery is not hard to unravel. However, the main point of the book is the development of the characters. PJ, Evelyn, and Brid all have to face their demons as the events from the past are revealed.
The description of the village draws you into the world of secrets and regrets. The close-minded, judgmental villagers are well portrayed. It’s the way the scene is woven into the action that makes this novel interesting.

If you enjoy a mystery with historical background and good character development, you may enjoy this book.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Irish novelists are rocking the publishing world this year, and Norton’s debut novel is among the best of them. My great thanks go to Net Galley and Atria Books, who provided me a free and early read in exchange for this honest review. You should get it and read it. Atria will release it August 1, 2017.

Our protagonist is Sergeant PJ Collins; the setting is the tiny Irish town of Duneen. PJ is ecstatic when a corpse is uncovered at a local construction site. At last, something noteworthy has occurred in his sleepy village, and he can’t wait to tell everybody. He starts with his housekeeper, Mrs. Meany:

“I’m after finding a body.”
“You what?”
“A human body!”
He had waited his whole life to utter those words, and it felt as good as he had always imagined.
“God spare us!” Mrs. Meany gasped.

The villagers are convinced this is the body of Tommy Burke, a man loved ardently by two local women. Evelyn has never married; she and her two sisters still live in the family manse in which they were raised. Is Evelyn entirely crazy, as some people suggest, or is she merely frustrated and lonely?

Brid also loved Tommy. They were to be married, but he upped and disappeared just before the wedding. She is currently locked in a joyless union; she and her husband remain together for the sake of the children and the farm. It isn’t easy.

And then there’s our protagonist, PJ, who is graying at the temples, never having known love. He hasn’t even had a girlfriend. He went on a date, once, and the girl guffawed when he wasn’t able to situate his large self into a theater seat to view the movie. That was enough for him. He’s married to his work, and she’s a lonely mistress. At the end of the day there’s only Mrs. Meany, his aging housekeeper, and she will have to retire, sooner or later.

But things are about to change.

UK readers may have been drawn to this novel by its author, who is also a celebrity and has a television show, but I had never heard of him. I won’t forget him now.

One cautionary note: there’s some sharp, dark humor involving religion that will make this a poor fit for some readers. I loved it, but the devout may not. There’s also a fair bit of bawdy language.

For those that enjoy dark humor, this one is hard to beat. As an added bonus, it is ultimately uplifting, and reminds us that one is never too old to find love in this world.

Duneen is a quiet village, but beneath the surface resentment, fear, and sorrow flourish. Sergeant PJ Collins is the guard in the village. He’s overweight, clumsy, and afraid that he will never be a real policeman capable of solving big crimes. His chance comes with old bones are discovered in the field of one of the farms.

The villagers are sure the bones belong to Tommy Burke. He owned the farm and was engaged to be married to Brid. However, another women, Evelyn Ross, one of the tragic Ross sisters, was in love with him. Neither of the women have gotten over the fact that he just disappeared.

Detective Superintendent Linus Dunne from Cork is assigned to the case. PJ resents being given the lesser role. This is his community. He continues the investigation even though Dunne doesn’t think much will come of it. However, it’s PJ investigation that brings the case to a head exposing resentments and secrets going back twenty-five years.

The is not a fast paced thriller. The book starts slowly with history of the village and the families living there who will play a role in the drama. I found it interesting at first, but I thought it went on too long.

The mystery is not hard to unravel. However, the main point of the book is the development of the characters. PJ, Evelyn, and Brid all have to face their demons as the events from the past are revealed.
The description of the village draws you into the world of secrets and regrets. The close-minded, judgmental villagers are well portrayed. It’s the way the scene is woven into the action that makes this novel interesting.

If you enjoy a mystery with historical background and good character development, you may enjoy this book.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Graham Norton has written an engaging first Novel in Holding. Set in a small town Duneen, Ireland, Norton paints an exquisite picture of the counterpoint between familiarity of small town life and the inability to achieve a sense of privacy and anonymity. The challenge of achieving this balance is richly portrayed via the introduction and development of the six main characters and how their lives and emotions are intertwined as big news rocks their small town.

Each chapter has readers periodically ‘checking in” on a different character and their emotions as the plot develops. Norton’s transitions here are so well done as to be effortless. The flow and pace of his writing is very smooth and makes you want to keep reading to not break the rhythm. Each character is believable with their personalities and idiosyncrasies deftly revealed in a way that makes them increasingly familiar. This connected me in a way that made me feel that I too was a resident. Norton also uses his comedic talent to cleverly and enjoyably deliver a periodic turn of phrase, just enough to leave you longing for the next one.

My one criticism is the plot had little tension. There was no real suspense, sense of foreboding, or danger despite the story being built on the mysterious death of a well known inhabitant. For me, a little more tension or surprise would have made it that much more enjoyable. Upon reflection a few days later, however, I came to realize that the characters would stand up regardless of plot which to Norton’s credit is precisely the point.

With more suspense or foreboding, Holding would be a full 4 star read rather than 3.5 stars.

Graham Norton has been in movies, is an awesome television host, and has written a few nonfiction books. He's accomplished a lot in his career and now he can add kick-ass novelist to his resume. After reading the summary of Holding, I was intrigued but also a little trepidatious. Because while I like him as a television personality, I couldn't help but wonder if I would feel the same way about his debut novel.

I decided audio was the way to go with this book. Graham Norton not only has a pleasant voice, he also has a very animated voice. I thought he would be a great narrator. And I was right. His Irish accent transported me to the heart of Duneen where this small little town came to life through his words.

Holding takes place in Duneen, Ireland. It's a small village where not much happens. That is, until human remains are discovered. And with this discovery, secrets that the residents have been holding on to for some time begin to find their way out of the dark. The story centers around a few of Duneen's residents: Sergeant P.J. Collins, Brid Riordan, and Evelyn Ross. Each character has their part to play in this spellbinding mystery as well as a juicy secrets of their own.

I don't want to give too much of the plot away, and it is well-plotted, because finding out the details as Norton unravels them is half the fun. I think Holding would have impressed the Queen of Mystery, Agatha Christie. It had the small town charm, the troubled but interesting characters, and, well, the a dead body. Though PJ isn't quite up there with Periot or Miss Marple, he's still an endearing character.

I enjoyed listening to this story, and I think you will too. I also learned that Graham Norton has another mystery coming out this year: A Keeper. I hope he narrates this book as well!

Thanks to Net Galley and to Hodder & Stoughton for offering me a free copy of this novel.
I have several confessions to make. Yes, I know who Graham Norton is, although I don’t watch his television programme often, and I don’t follow Eurovision (even when Sir Terry Wogan hosted the UK version of Eurovision, and I was a big fan of his, I didn’t watch it), although I sometimes catch bits of his radio programme on Radio 2. So, although I suppose I had expectations, they can’t compare to other people’s.
I haven’t read any of his autobiographical books, so I didn’t have anything to compare this novel to, other than the many books I read by other authors.
I must also confess that I had a look at other reviews before writing mine and I will mention them, although not in detail.
This novel is in many ways the Irish equivalent (if there is such a thing) of the small town thrillers that are very common in the US. We have mysteries, we have a dark underbelly (well, not quite so dark), we have secrets, and we have many people whose lives are not as they appear to be. The book is listed under General Fiction and Mystery (Crime, Thriller) but I’m not sure how well it fits in the second one, at least stylistically, not so much from the story point of view.
The story is told in the third person but from the point of view of quite a few of the characters in the novel. If one had to choose a protagonist, perhaps it would be P.J. Collins the large Sergeant who lives alone and always expects people to laugh at him because of his weight. When bones are unearthed at a local building site, suddenly some excitement comes into his life. Because the owner of the farm where the bones are found left to never return many years back, the suspicion is he might be the one buried there, and suddenly two women who had fought over him start thinking about him again. Of course, due to the nature of the crime, police officers from Cork come to take charge and there is general disruption. And of course, things get complicated.
I didn’t find it difficult to follow the different points of view as they tend to be clearly demarcated and the characters are very different, although I thought that in the last chapter before the epilogue the switches were a bit fast and not so well demarcated, and some people might not enjoy the head-hopping.
I’ve noticed that several of the reviews commented that the portrayal of small town Ireland seemed timeless, and it is true that other than mentions of DNA tests, mobile phones and i-Pads, there isn’t much that could not have fitted in any other era (although we assume it’s contemporary). Memories of the past by several of the characters appear more vivid at times than the present era and ring truer.
Although the characters do not appear to be very sophisticated or complex, there is enough background history to create a picture in the minds of the reader, although some might result very familiar to habitual readers (adulterous husband, unhappy married woman who drinks too much, three unmarried sisters still living together, the town’s busybody…). My main problem with the characters was that I never felt I truly connected with any of them and I’m not sure if that is perhaps because all of them seem to be observing themselves rather than living or feeling. They are all lonely, even the ones who are in relationships, and seem frozen (as the writer notes in his comments), unable to move on because of some loss long ago (be it real or imagined). It brought to my mind Carson McCullers’s The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, not because of the style or setting, but because of the feeling of the characters (although far less dark).
I read in some of the comments that there was humour. Perhaps it was my frame of mind when I read it (although I don’t think it was particularly dark) and some of the characterizations and the events could be funny in their own right, but combined with the characters and their circumstances I would not recommend it as a funny story.
There writing is fairly descriptive and the pace leisurely rather than the frantic pace of thrillers, and for me, there was more showing than telling at some points of the story that also gave it a more contemplative style than is usual in modern mysteries.
The plot was well built and the story and the details are interesting (with some minor surprises although the general gist is not that difficult to guess). It also ends on a more positive note than the rest of the novel anticipates but I won’t comment on it not to spoil the story.
Overall it is an interesting novel, easy to read although it perhaps doesn’t sit easy either as a thriller or a cozy mystery (none of the characters is weird or peculiar enough and the mystery itself is more realistic than in these kinds of stories) and that makes it a bit more challenging to recommend to genre readers.

I know that some people have concerns or prejudices against so called "celebrity authors" but, if you do, please put them aside for this book. As a début in this genre, it's a pretty good read and I read this genre a lot so I think I am more or less qualified enough to make that statement. I have to say though that, at times whilst reading it, it did remind me of the Hamish Macbeth books by MC Beaton. So, if you like these then you'd probably slip into this book quite comfortably too.
Sergeant Collins, PJ to his friends, is the sole copper for the remote Irish village of Duneen. On the whole, things tick over quite nicely for him if at times a little samey. All this changes when human bones are discovered on a building site. Could they belong to one Tommy Burke who disappeared a few years ago. Eye witness give reports of him leaving on a bus but you know people and stories. As PJ delves into Tommy's past, he uncovers a love triangle and other secrets buried from the past which has impact that reaches out across pretty much the whole village. Will the truth eventually be uncovered and, if so, how will the village recover from the fallout.
One of the things I really liked about this book was the descriptions of the village. It really help me feel like I was there watching the action with the players rather than just being remote and getting my information second-hand. I'm not this biggest fan of descriptive bits in books, I prefer them to just get on with the story, but in this book, the setting is almost a character in its own right and, as such, should be defined as well as the other cast.
Characterisation was really good. I can easily imagine the author sitting outside a cafe in a remote Irish village people watching with a notebook. Either that or he has insider knowledge either from his own past or that of others. Anyway, whichever it is, it works. I really got a feel for the characters quite early on and, getting that connection at that time in a book makes for a much better overall read for me.
The quality of writing is also very much up there. The story flowed very well throughout, pacing was darned near perfect and the plot itself held up very well. Knowing Mr Norton well from his television appearances, at times I could almost hear his voice reading me the book as I found it to contain all the wit and banter that he exudes on the TV. At times the subject matter of the plot is a bit dark but these heavier times are complemented by lighter ones which makes the book very well balanced overall.
Admittedly, it's not the best mystery I've ever read, but it does hold its own. In my opinion it's a bit of a cosy so if you prefer your books to be gritty, this probably isn't for you, but it would probably suit fans of MC Beaton and the like. Or someone wanting something a little bit lighter but just as satisfying. Me, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Will we be hearing more from PJ, or the village? Is this the start of a series? I'd like it if it was and would definitely read the follow-up. Failing that, I'll keep my eye open for what he serves up next anyway.

My thanks go to NetGalley and the Publisher for the chance to read an advance copy of this book.

If you are unfamiliar with Graham Norton, you have missed out on one of the funniest and most clever comic personalities on the planet. He has had a long-running variety/talk show that can be seen on BBC America (here in the States). Imagine a British version of Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel with a dash of Johnny Carson, plus a quick wit and sense of humor that only those Brits have!

Now, following two memoirs, Norton has penned his first novel. Much to my surprise, it is a mystery. Even more impressive is that it is really, really good. He has set his book in the tiny Irish village of Duneen, and the story plays out like a mix of your favorite tea cozy mystery with a touch of Agatha Christie. The characters are all colorful personalities, yet a feeling of dread and long-buried secrets lies beneath the soil of Duneen, and all is not well.

Our protagonist, and quite an interesting one at that, is the overweight and under-appreciated Sergeant PJ Collins. He is about to go through a grand awakening, and this sleepy little remote village will never be the same when the current case he is working on comes to light. PJ is a sad, lonely man who lives by the mantra that “there were no happy endings in this life, so why bother looking for one?”

He will finally get a chance to be noticed by his superior and, more surprisingly, by someone of the opposite sex. The case that launches his dull career involves bones that are unearthed at a local farm. While the police await the forensic results, speculation abounds throughout Duneen. The popular opinion is that they’re the bones of Tommy Burke, some of whom believe may have been a serial killer. While there is no evidence to support that, one thing is provable: Tommy was having affairs with two different women, both of whom are at the top of PJ’s suspect list.

One of these ladies is part of the trio known as the Ross girls from Ard Carraig. The youngest sister, Evelyn Ross, was rumored to have been connected with Tommy. It is possible that he broke her heart so badly that she may have wanted vengeance for his betrayal. The only thing saving her from being directly blamed for his death is the fact that she is overjoyed that the bones may be his. It might validate for her that he didn't leave her and, in fact, had been near her all along.

The other woman is Brid Riordan, on whose farm the bones were found. Another set of bones belonging to an infant are also discovered there. The question remains: Who buried these bones, and what is the significance, if any, of them being on Brid's farm? To further muddy the situation, PJ actually has a sexual dalliance with Brid during his investigation. The fact that Brid has a philandering husband, who is currently having an affair with a much younger nurse, allows her to enjoy her straying guilt-free.

PJ barrels through this case as it begins to heat up. However, he will not be prepared when his own caretaker, Mrs. Meany, confesses to him how and why she knows the identity of the infant whose bones were unearthed.

HOLDING is a very clever mystery, a slow burn that ably depicts small-town life and the impact that a tragedy has on all its residents. The book’s title remains somewhat ambiguous. A holding is literally a piece of land used for agricultural purposes, but can also refer to a place to keep people, like a prison cell. No one represents this latter definition better than PJ Collins, a man whose quiet existence in this tiny village could easily feel like a prison sentence. The best thing about this novel is that I quickly forgot that it was written by Graham Norton the celebrity and grew to accept him as Graham Norton the mystery writer. I can only hope that a PBS or BBC America miniseries based on HOLDING becomes a reality someday.

Reviewed by Ray Palen

I’m always a bit dubious when celebrities publish novels. Is it really them or is it ghostwritten? Ghostwriters are all about technique, capturing the voice of their subject and producing a well-crafted book to order. On this basis I think we can be confident that Norton actually wrote Holding.

It’s set in a whimsical Irish village which feels like the 1950s apart from a few extraneous cultural references (like the man who’s always carrying round an iPad for no discernible reason). There’s a village guard with a housekeeper, a nosy matriarch, and long-buried family secrets. One of those is unburied, along with a pile of bones, by a group of builders on a local farm.

The guard, Sergeant PJ Collins, calls in a detective from the city, who’s probably a graduate and knows about things like forensics but it’s not really necessary. The plot, such as it is, largely consists of people telling PJ stuff. Meanwhile he finds self-realisation just through proximity to an actual crime, it appears (though his arousal at proximity to a bulky builder in his car, which might have made for a more interesting storyline, turns out to be a red herring).

Each character arrives with a trailer-load of backstory and a skip’s worth of description (it’s helpful to be given the full inventory of the local shop and to learn that it stays open long hours for people who run out of things). You could say this slows the story down but if you cut it out I’m not sure what would be left.

There is the sweet little story of PJ striving to find happiness, and some gentle small-town humour, but overall it reads like that shaky first attempt which the wise author keeps firmly locked in a drawer.
*
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.

Holding, a debut novel by UK talk show host Graham Norton, was a surprisingly sweet read considering it was a mystery novel that centered around human remains found at a building site in a quaint rural village in Ireland. It contained some witty, humorous writing rare in a crime novel. Norton is good at storytelling, surprising plot twists and characterization. As the novel opens, we meet the local Garda, Sgt. PJ Collins, middle aged and overweight, experiencing yet another ordinary day in quiet, out-of-the-way Duneen, Ireland. ( PJ’s housekeeper Mrs. Meany keeps him well-supplied with food.) “It was widely accepted by the residents of Duneen that, should a crime be committed and Sergeant Collins managed to apprehend the culprit, it would be very unlikely that the arrest had involved a pursuit on foot.” When the human remains are uncovered, PJ’s life undergoes a transformation. A hotshot detective from the city sent to investigate soon discovers that PJ, despite his appearance and mannerisms, is a surprisingly good policeman. Angst long buried comes to the surface when local gossips assume the body is that of Tommy Burke who supposedly left for England 20 years ago just before his impending nuptials. Sgt. Burke doesn't have much experience with women—"he had managed to get through decades of adulthood without emotional attachment”. He manages, however, to quickly develop inappropriate relationships with Tommy’s two former love interests—Evelyn Ross and Brid Riordan—who have gone on to live unhappy lives. I enjoyed the setting of the quiet Irish town very much and meeting its inhabitants and was consistently surprised by the plausible, but unexpected plot twists. This novel was a well done first effort. Thank you Hodder & Stoughton/Atria and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book and for allowing me to review it.

I am familiar with Graham Norton from the years I've spent watching his BBC television show, and my interest was piqued to see how he fares as an author. With that being said, I just finished reading his debut novel, Holding, and was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it!

Sergeant PJ Collins lives and works in Duneen, a remote Irish village. This is a small village in which everyone knows all of the residents, and because of this, they love to gossip. Due to the remote location, not much happens in the way of crime. That all changes when human remains are found on an old farm, and the police suspect the remains are of Tommy Burke. Everyone thought Tommy left years ago because of a scandal that involved two women (Brid Riordan and Evelyn Ross)...but finding the remains has people questioning if he truly left, or was foul play involved. To complicate things even further, the remains of an infant are found. The residents are now on edge, and the crimes need to be solved. Needless to say, Sergeant PJ Collins has his work cut out for him!

The story that unfolds is perfectly paced, and I have to admit that I felt the author is a fantastic storyteller. I was literally held captive from the first page until the very last. There are the obvious twists, turns and complications regarding the mystery...and it will keep you guessing until the very end. This is also a story about the residents in the village...the good, the bad, and all of their flaws and secrets. You will experience a range of emotions from humor to heartbreak. Pain, sorrow, and loss are all powerfully depicted throughout the story. The character interactions were both complex and realistic, giving you the opportunity to feel as if you truly know them.

Overall, I have to say that I truly enjoyed this book. Graham Norton has an ease and writing style that made this a joy to read. The transition between characters is smooth and effortlessly achieved, and the twists are surprising and unexpected. I am so happy that I took a chance on this book, and I will be looking forward to reading more by Graham Norton.

I would like to thank Atria Books and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book. My views are my own and are in no way influenced by anyone else.

An officer in a small Irish town finds himself looking into a mystery that turns into a murder investigation. When he starts to dig for details, however, he realizes that the residents of the town may be hiding more than they’re sharing. Irish television personality and memoirist Graham Norton offers readers his debut novel full of charming characters and an old-fashioned mystery in the endearing book Holding.

It’s no secret that Sergeant P.J. Collins struggles with his weight, but then, in a town like Duneen, people notice things like that because there’s not much else to notice. The town’s residents spend quite a bit of time in one another’s lives, both figuratively and literally. P.J. doesn’t mind—so much—that Duneen doesn’t experience much crime. It means he doesn’t have to run around and work up a sweat.

When construction workers discover the remains of a body on a farm in town, P.J. experiences excitement and dread by turns. He finally has the chance to prove his chops as a garda, but he also comes face to face with the reality of an actual investigation. This isn’t some scuffle at O’Driscoll’s shop. It’s an honest-to-goodness body of someone who most likely got killed.

The investigation becomes personal to several people when speculation arises that the remains belong to Tommy Burke, a young man who people say left Duneen decades earlier. P.J. finds out that two of the women in town used to be in love with Tommy. One of them wanted to marry him, the other one actually got a proposal, and neither of them have seen him since his disappearance.

Despite his interviews of the women, though, P.J. can’t seem to get any straight answers. The women’s family and friends also get roped into the investigation, which starts to spiral outwards from Duneen. As he works with an investigator from a larger town nearby, P.J. learns more about the women who loved Tommy and other members of the community. Additional surprises during the inquiry bring up more questions, and P.J. realizes the residents of Duneen may be closer to one another than anyone understands.

Author Graham Norton creates a familiar community in Duneen and its citizens. He builds a comfortable place and a lovable, bumbling protagonist in P.J. Collins. Norton doesn’t waste time making P.J. appeal to readers; from the first page of the book, they know exactly what P.J. thinks of himself and how others view him in terms of his bulky size. It makes P.J.’s successes and failures during the investigation feel that much more important.

Norton doesn’t allow stereotypes about obesity pigeonhole P.J., however. The sergeant is smart and intuitive; he’s just never been challenged before, and this story is as much about his awakening to himself as an investigator as it is a mystery in the classic sense. Readers reap the benefits of a story that twists and turns while enjoying the quirkiness of a small town in Europe.

The supporting characters do their jobs in the most capable of ways. Superintendent Linus Dunne, at first glance a foil to P.J., garners some sympathy for his own personal issues. Brid Riordan, the town’s resident alcoholic, fights her addiction with tenacity that anyone could admire. Evelyn Ross, the third of a trio of spinster sisters, pines for Tommy while trying to maintain that she’s moved on with her life. All these people and others in the book come across as complicated, regular people, and readers will enjoy every single one.

Some readers may guess some of the surprises before the characters do, but Norton invites his audience into his story world with a gentle approach that appeals to all the sensibilities of a reader who just wants to enjoy a good book. Like other European authors Norton writes from an omniscient point of view, so it takes a few pages to acclimatize to the impromptu change from one character to another. The town of Duneen and the problems of its inhabitants, however, provide enough of a distraction from the head hopping.

Those who like a mystery about a faraway place with characters who feel like they could live next door will thoroughly enjoy Holding. I recommend readers Bookmark it.

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an honest, unbiased review.)

Exceptional! A poignant story that really makes one think - Loved it!

Holding by Graham Norton is one of those books that does not easily fit into a specific genre. It is literary fiction, meaning it's kind of serious yet doesn't completely fit into any other genre. It's also a bit of a mystery, meaning the mystery is the driving force behind the story but it's about so much more than that.

It's a book about people. People who have outlived their dreams and are now living lives of quiet desperation... people who have forgotten how to feel much of anything... and then, one day, they are rudely awakened by unexpected events and are forced to recall all that they've lost... and all that they might still lose or even win depending on so many things beyond their control.

I prefer to think of Holding as just a really great book.

When human remains are discovered on an old farm near the small Irish village of Duneen it gets the local gossips (which, as with most small towns and villages, is almost everyone) going strong. Could it be young Tommy Burke who disappeared over twenty years ago? But that couldn't be possible because several people saw him get on a bus and leave town. Didn't they? Surely they did. Who was it, who was it exactly who said they saw him leave? No matter. Someone saw him go. But if not Tommy then who could it possibly be?

And with Sergeant Patrick James "P.J." Collins in charge - a fifty-three-year-old so overweight and out of shape that he is often described as "a man who broke into a sweat walking up for communion" - how could the village ever hope for a solution to the mystery? The man was a joke. A nice enough sort to be sure but no ones idea of an actual crime fighter.

Then you have the Ross sisters: Abigail, Florence, and Evelyn. Three spinster sisters who lived together in their family home. A bit of a strange lot. And wasn't it Evelyn who all those years ago was involved in an actual fist-fight in the street with another young girl over young Tommy? Maybe. Who can say for sure it was all so long ago.

Brid Riordan, the fiancee that young Tommy abandoned when he got on that bus so long ago (or did he get on the bus? Who was it that saw him again?). She's moved on with her life. A husband, two kids, a drinking problem... but then life never does go exactly as one plans does it? She has nearly forgotten Tommy. Until those blasted bones show up and it all comes rushing back like some kind of psychodelic flashback. Could it be Tommy? Could it be that he never really left her after all?

Mrs. Meany knows something. The old housekeeper who has been around so long that she's like part of the scenery just hasn't been herself since all the commotion up on the hill. The old girl is becoming undone.

The story unfolds in a steady, not rushed, pace. There are several big twists, most of which the astute reader will almost certainly see coming a mile away, but it's such fun to sit back and watch it all unfold anyway.

It's not the most original story you'll ever read but it's written in such a compelling way that you'll forgive the few cliches you stumble across.

Unfortunately I don't read enough books like this to really offer specific examples of other authors in the same vein. The only one who really comes to mind is Alice Munro. I recommend Holding to anyone who enjoys serious adult fiction. Perhaps those who like tales that are a little tragic. Basically anyone who enjoys a good story.

***Great thanks to the publisher, the author and to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this title. This one was a real pleasure.