Book info

• Title A Keeper
• Author Graham Norton
• Year 2018
• Genre Mystery

Elizabeth Keane returns to Ireland after her mother's death, intent only on wrapping up that dismal part of her life. There is nothing here for her; she wonders if there ever was. The house of her childhood is stuffed full of useless things, her mother's presence already fading. And perhaps, had she not found the small stash of letters, the truth would never have come to light. 40 years earlier, a young woman stumbles from a remote stone house, the night quiet but for the tireless wind that circles her as she hurries further into the darkness away from the cliffs and the sea. She has no sense of where she is going, only that she must keep on.

Thoughts

Another audiobook listen, this time Graham Norton reads the story of an Irish family across the years, dipping between now and then and unravelling a mystery that spans a generation. The book gets off to an excruciatingly slow start, really could have used some tightening in terms of editing.

But gradually, as the characters start to be revealed, the mystery deepens, and the story unfolds, it does become quite riveting. In some respects, it’s quite far-fetched, at times you’re wondering whether anyone would ever do this kind of thing, but suspend your disbelief and it’s okay.

Most of the way through, the modern day drama with Elizabeth’s son felt tagged on and boring, but in the end it was crucial to bringing everything full circle and coming to a neat, if not quite happy, ending. I was definitely left with a melancholy feeling that no one had come out of this well, but sometimes that’s real life too, isn’t it?

Rating: 3 / 5