To celebrate St Patrick’s Day we asked our booksellers from our London bookshop and our Brighton bookshop to share their favourite Irish writers and stories set in Ireland. From exciting upcoming releases to recent favourites, here are some truly brilliant stories to add to your reading pile this year.
Must-read Irish Writers & Stories Based In Ireland
Air by John Boyne
Genre: General Fiction
Signed by the author | Hardback | UK First Edition, First Printing
From internationally bestselling author John Boyne comes a contemplative story about a man confronting the ghosts of his past while trying to forge a better future for his son.
At 30,000 feet, Aaron Umber has nowhere to hide. As he and his 14-year-old son journey across the world, he is forced to face the trauma that shaped him. Will this trip bring them closer—or push them even further apart?
A powerful story of redemption, fatherhood, and the inescapable pull of the past.
Buy a signed copy of Air by John Boyne
Open, Heaven by Sean Hewitt
Genre: General Fiction
Signed by the author | Hardback | UK First Edition, First Printing
A Guardian, Irish Times, and BBC Book of 2025.
'Hewitt writes with such tenderness and grace.' – Anne Enright
James dreams of escaping his small village and the weight of expectations that surround him. Then he meets Luke. Unkempt, charismatic, and carrying a reputation for trouble. As their connection deepens, James must decide: will he risk everything for love?
A gorgeous, aching novel about desire, identity, and the choices that shape us.
Buy a signed copy of Open, Heaven
The Bureau by Eoin McNamee
Genre: General Fiction
Signed by the author | Hardback | UK First Edition, First Printing
Paddy Farrell works the border, where law and order are little more than loose concepts.
Lorraine falls for him instantly, drawn to his presence in a way she can’t quite explain. But there’s danger surrounding them both, a history of crime, and a reckoning on the horizon.
A gritty, atmospheric novel exploring loyalty, lawlessness, and the secrets we carry.
Buy a signed copy of The Bureau
Nesting by Roisín O'Donnell
Genre: General Fiction
Signed by the author | Hardback | Numbered | Exclusive Red Colourway | Sprayed Edge | Limited Edition UK First Edition, First Printing
Chosen for Goldsboro’s PREM1ER Book Club
Ciara makes a split-second decision: she takes her two daughters, straps them into the car, and drives away. She doesn’t know where she’s going - only that she can’t stay.
A harrowing yet hopeful story of resilience, survival, and a mother’s fight to start over.
Buy a signed copy of Nesting
I Want to Go Home but I’m Already There by Roisin Lanigan
Genre: General Fiction
Signed by the author | Hardback | UK First Edition, First Printing
Aine and Elliot have moved into their dream flat. It should be perfect. But from the moment they arrive, something feels… off. The eerie presence of their upstairs neighbours. The creeping damp. The gnawing sense that Aine no longer belongs, not just in the flat, but in her own life.
A darkly funny, razor-sharp ghost story set against the backdrop of the rental crisis, exploring loneliness, belonging, and the meaning of home.
Buy a signed copy of I Want To Go Home Buy I’m Already There
The One You Least Suspect by Brian McGilloway
Genre: Crime
Signed by the author | Numbered | Hardback | Digitally Sprayed Edges UK First Edition, First Printing
Katie likes her quiet life in Derry, until the police approach her with a dangerous request: to be their informant.
Caught between loyalty and survival, she knows one wrong move could cost her everything. In a city where everyone has secrets, she must stay one step ahead. Because the safest person… is the one you least suspect.
A gripping thriller exploring justice, revenge, and the fine line between right and wrong.
Buy a signed copy of The One You Least Suspect
The City Changes its Face by Eimear McBride
Genre: General Fiction
Signed by the author | Hardback | UK First Edition, First Printing
'A writer of remarkable power and originality.' Times Literary Supplement
Stephen and Eily are in the throes of love, lost in the intensity of each other. But love shifts, time changes everything, and unspoken truths demand to be heard.
A beautifully written meditation on love, time, and the inevitable transformations that shape us.
Buy a signed copy of The City Changes Its Face
Ripeness by Sarah Moss
Genre: General Fiction
Signed by the author | Hardback | UK First Edition, First Printing
From 1960s Italy to modern Ireland, Ripeness is a breathtaking novel of love, loss, and identity. Edith thought she’d left her past behind, until one phone call sends her spiralling back to a time and a choice she can never forget.
A stunning, emotionally rich novel from one of the finest contemporary writers today.
Buy a signed copy of Ripeness
A Violent Heart by David Fennell
Genre: Crime
Signed by the author | Numbered | Limited Edition | Digitally Sprayed Edges
Detective Grace Archer is shaken when a murdered woman’s phone reveals one last call - to her. The case takes a sinister turn when another body is found, mirroring the same brutal fate.
A relentless, atmospheric thriller with corruption, justice, and the ghosts that refuse to rest.
Buy a signed copy of A Violent Heart
There Came A-Tapping by Andrea Carter
Genre: Crime
Signed by the author | Hardback | UK First Edition, First Printing
When Allie’s boyfriend disappears, she seeks solace in a remote cottage. But something- or someone - is watching. And when a submerged car turns up with the wrong body inside, she starts to question everything she thought she knew.
A chilling, suspenseful mystery from the acclaimed author of the Inishowen Mysteries series.
Buy a signed copy of There Came A-Tapping, our Goldsboro Crime Collective March book of the month.
