Darkrooms A novel

In Hannigan's somber debut, pickpocket Caitlin Doherty leaves London for her hometown of Bannakilduff, Ireland, after learning that her alcoholic mother, Kathleen, has died. Though Caitlin is happy to reconnect with Colm and Maureen Branagh, the amiable couple who rented their gatehouse to Kathleen, she's less enthused to cross paths with the gruff Deedee O'Halloran, a rookie cop whose sister, Roisin, vanished 20 years earlier. The last place nine-year-old Roisin was seen was in the notoriously creepy Hanging Woods, where she was playing with Caitlin--a fact that has long convinced Deedee that Caitlin is hiding something major about the case. Returning to Bannakilduff forces Caitlin to relive traumatic childhood memories and reignites her irrational fears of a monster that haunts the Hanging Woods. Hannigan renders the downward spirals of Caitlin, Deedee, and Kathleen with gut-wrenching specificity, though the proceedings become almost overwhelmingly bleak. Still, the plot's slow burn heats up at just the right pace, and the twists excite without straining plausibility. Readers will look forward to Hannigan's next outing. Agent: Gráinne Fox, UTA. (Jan.)

DEBUT Hannigan's first novel is equal parts engrossing character study and moody thriller. The disappearance of a young girl in the Hanging Woods outside the Irish town of Bannakilduff has had a lasting impact on two women. Twenty years ago, Deedee's younger sister Roisin went missing, never to be found. Since then, Deedee has joined her hometown police force and still wants answers about what happened to her sister. She has always been convinced that Caitlin, the last person to see Roisin, knew more than she told the police. For her part, Caitlin still lives with the guilt of what happened to Roisin. While Deedee built a structured adult life, Caitlin chose self-destruction and distance. Now the death of Caitlin's mother has brought her back to Bannakilduff, on a collision course with the past and Deedee. As Caitlin and Deedee circle each other, they realize that they might find more answers as collaborators than as antagonists. VERDICT This brooding, atmospheric suspense novel explores the grimm underbelly of a small Irish town; perfect for fans of Tana French and Liz Nugent.--Jane Jorgenson