As a sleepy town in rural Ireland starts to wake, a road subsides, trapping an early-morning bus and five passengers inside. Rescue teams struggle and as two are eventually saved, the bus falls deeper into the hole.
Under the watchful eyes of the media, the lives of three people are teetering on the edge. And for those on the outside, from Nina, the reporter covering the story, to rescue liaison, Tim, and Richie, the driver pulled from the wreckage, each are made to look at themselves under the glare of the spotlight.
When their world crumbles beneath their feet, they are forced to choose between what they cling to and what they must let go of.
Where The Edge Is by Gráinne Murphy was published in paperback on 15 September 2020 by Legend Press. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review and invited me to take part on this Blog Tour.
I have totally and utterly enthralled by Where The Edge Is. It's a beautiful, lyrically written story that explores the individual characters who are caught up in a horrific accident.
A small rural town in Ireland is shattered when a road subsides and the early morning bus is trapped. Inside are an assortment of passengers and the driver. The driver and one other woman are rescued just before the bus slips even more, whilst the rest of the passengers are trapped inside.
Whilst the incident with the bus is certainly the central theme to this story, it is really about the characters who are brought together. Those inside the bus, and those on the outside, looking in.
Nina is a local reporter and is battling her own grief whilst determined to report on the human side of this family. Her ex-husband Tim is in charge of the fire service rescue mission. Nina and Tim's own personal tragedy split them up, but it is clear that the current incidents may bring them a little closer together.
The author has carefully and sensitively created a cast of eclectic characters, exactly mirroring modern-day life. She doesn't shy away from the prejudices and suspicions that fly through small communities whenever something terrible occurs. The blame-game; making sure that everyone knows that this is not their fault, and surely it must be the Government / the Council / the immigrants who are to blame.
Character-led and extremely powerful, Where The Edge Is is a fine debut from a very talented author. I will certainly watch out for more from Murphy.
Highly recommended by me.
Gráinne Murphy grew up in rural west Cork, Ireland. At university she studied Applied Psychology and forensic research, then worked for a number of years in Human Resources. In 2011 she moved with her family to Brussels, where she lived for 5 years. She has now returned to West Cork, working as a self-employed language editor specialising in human rights and environmental issues. Gráinne has received a number of award shortlistings and longlistings for her writing including the Irish Writers’ Centre Novel Fair Award 2019, Blue Pencil Agency First Novel Award 2019, Caledonia Novel Award 2019, Virginia Prize for Fiction 2013 and the Bath Novel Award 2015.
Follow Gráinne on Twitter @GraMurphy
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