Cullen structures adoption memoir like novel to keep reader thoroughly engaged

This week there’s a novel about starting over, a memoir of adoption and the secrecy that still surrounds it, a haunted hoot involving witches and an edge-of-your-seat crime thriller.

Second Chances, Roisin Meaney, Hachette, €16.99

For many years Roisin Meaney has written novels about ordinary people living ordinary lives and yet has come up with stories of substantial insight and empathy. Her latest novel, which is her 23rd book, has yoga teacher Lydia living a good life in Dublin; she has her own home, lots of friends, a job she loves, and she meets Damien, who’s based on the west coast. Their relationship blossoms and they eventually end up over in the west, having bought Chance House between them, a huge fixer-upper on its own considerable swathe of land. And tragedy strikes. To say more would be to spoil.

Lydia is faced with continuing the project of renovating a derelict home and is overwhelmed by the situation. But the locals, in this village of 700-odd souls, are with her all the way. It’s a novel about resilience and the power of community and is – like all Meaney novels – uplifting and generous of spirit. Her fans, and there are so many of them, will not be disappointed.

Outsider, Paul Cullen, Hachette, €16.99

In 2017, Irish Times journalist and editor Paul Cullen suffered a serious accident while mountain climbing in Germany and he almost died. That is where his memoir begins. It’s a skilled opening to a story about recovery but also about discovery. His brush with death made him determined to trace his roots. He had always known he was adopted but had paid no heed to who his biological parents may have been, figuring he had enough trouble dealing with his adoptive parents, or at least his adoptive mother. She was a woman prone to fits of rage, while his adoptive father was a quiet man who put up with a lot. But Cullen knew he was loved and treasured as their only child. Why upset the applecart?

That said, he’d always felt like an outsider, as adopted kids often do. The feeling didn’t leave him as he progressed through his successful career. And his dramatic fall, from which it took him many months to recover, was the catalyst he needed to embark on his research. What follows is fascinating, but also at times frustrating. There are many stone walls to be encountered, along with heaps of documents with vital details redacted.

So many of the vital details are still not available for children adopted in the 1960s and ’70s, and Cullen’s case was made more complicated by the fact that he was born in London but raised in Dublin. It takes years for him to put the pieces of the sprawling puzzle together, especially regarding his biological father. And the whole matter is not helped by a particularly reticent biological mother. It’s a well-paced read, with Cullen using his considerable skills to structure his story almost like a novel, keeping the reader thoroughly engaged.

The Witch Finder, Tracy Whitwell, Pan, €14.50

This is Whitwell’s fifth novel in her successful ‘Accidental Medium’ series. Tanz is the accidental medium here and she finds herself back home in her native Newcastle, summoned by some witchy and non-witchy souls who demand justice for having been burned at the stake during the infamous Newcastle Witch Trials of the 17th century. Cleverly blending fact with fiction, and much of that fiction is very funny, Whitwell has hit the jackpot here in an age where the demand for supernatural fiction, whether in print or on TV, has never been greater. Tanz’s research on the ground is something that’s not appreciated by everyone, and ominous forces threaten not only to destroy her work but to destroy Tanz herself. She will need to rely on some ancient forces as well as some human and contemporary help, to see this project through to the end. It’s a clever, historically informed and amusing novel.

Underdogs, Stephen Leather, Macmillan, €23.20

If a fast-paced thriller is your cup of tea, this one’s for you. Andy Bird is a homeless man, living on the streets of London with only his dog Tyson for company. Life was not always so bleak for Andy Bird. He’s an ex-SAS veteran who lost his hearing on a mission gone wrong. When he witnesses a murder on the streets, he finds that he’s on the radar of both the killers and the cops, although he doesn’t know why. But he’s determined to fight for justice, to take the case of the ‘underdogs’ while acutely aware he’s an underdog himself. If he is to succeed, he needs assistance from some of his old military colleagues, but will they oblige a now homeless man? Leather plunges the reader straight into the action immediately and it’s quite the heartstopper, the type of thriller that will keep you reading till all hours.

Footnotes

Dublin Bowie Festival 2026 runs till March 1 and there are plenty of events, live and online, across the city. There are also photographic exhibitions, podcasts, and the focus this year is on ‘Station to Station’ and ‘Blackstar’. Full details on dublinbowiefestival.ie.

All Shucked Up is a festival of music and flavour, taking place in Howth this weekend, February 27 to March 1. It’s mostly music and oyster shucking competitions, but a family foraging event on Saturday looks like fun. See allshuckedup.ie for full details.

Balbriggan is where the Fingal Festival of Voices runs on March 5-8. The festival celebrates diversity and will provide a platform for individuals and communities to showcase their culture in locations across Balbriggan and the surrounding areas. Workshops and classes on singing and music will be available to anyone attending the festival and will be led by national and international guests. A must for fans of singing and choral work. See fingalfestivalofvoices.com for details.

Clonmel in Tipperary is hosting this year’s Finding A Voice festival, with a very impressive lineup of guests, running from March 5-8. Full details on findingavoice.ie.