Breaking: A compelling debut from a new voice in Irish crime fiction

It's every mother's worst fearOn a sun-hazed afternoon in the Florida Keys, a child goes missing from the beach. Dr Mirren Fitzpatrick appeals to the world to help find her eight-year-old daughter. The family are on holiday from Ireland, far from home and desperate to return there as they arrived - together.

Yet the police are immediately suspicious of Mirren. She was drinking at a bar - alone - shortly before reporting that her youngest child had disappeared. As rumours abound about Mirren's past a trial-by-media ensues, and she is turned from a figure of pity to the villain of the piece.

And then a small body is found dumped in the ocean. Is Mirren a heartbroken mother, or the architect of her daughter's fate?

A stunning debut from a brilliant new voice in Irish crime fiction, perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn and Ashley Audrain. Breaking will see readers question their own notions of motherhood, guilt and the inescapable consequences of the past.

Praise for Breaking'A rich, gut-punch of a crime thriller that delivers a confronting examination of maternal love and the expectations that weigh so heavily on women, even in their most unthinkably dark moments. In both pace and prose, Breaking is a hugely satisfying debut.' Ashley Audrain, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Push

'I LOVED the story and the twists! Expert plotting and great characters made it an emotional read. It had me guessing throughout and kept me turning the pages at speed.' Patricia Gibney, author of The Guilty Girl

'Wonderfully compelling and at times, painfully sharp. This is a beautifully constructed and beguiling debut novel.' Andrea Mara, author of All Her Fault

'A contender for thriller of the year. Breaking dazzles from the opening line. Powerful, sharp and moving, with an ending that flabbergasts.' Glenn Meade, author of Unquiet Ghosts

'This dazzling debut takes us inside a parent's worst nightmare. Masterful story-telling, breakneck pacing and compelling characters kept me glued all the way to the explosive final pages and their disturbing revelations. Addictive, unnerving and utterly unmissable.' Sophie White, author and Sunday Independent columnist