Among the Ruins

The hauntingly atmospheric follow-up to the acclaimed crime debut, Where They Lie.

Dublin, summer 1970, and Nicoletta Sarto is juggling work as the women’s editor at the Irish Sentinel with two twin baby girls at home. When she’s approached by a barrister, Louise Leonard, whose aunt has just died, she’s drawn into a story that could have dangerous consequences. Was Helen Leonard murdered, as her niece thinks? And who was the mysterious nurse who has now vanished, but to whom Helen left everything? As Nicoletta investigates, she has to fight not only her own family’s disapproval of her being a working mother, but also society’s.

And as she slowly unpicks the mystery of Helen Leonard’s death, she’s unaware that danger lurks around the corner . . .

Praise for Where They Lie:

'A thrillingly dark and atmospheric tale, richly evocative of its time, especially for those of us old enough to remember 1968' JOHN BANVILLE

'The mysteries surrounding Nicoletta intertwine grippingly with the mysteries within her, but what makes Where They Lie special is its keen awareness of Dublin's layers of light and shadow. Coughlan digs deeply into the dark side, Ireland's horrifying record around women and childbearing – but at the same time the book brings to life, in fine, tender, vivid detail, the rich atmosphere of 1960s Dublin' TANA FRENCH

'Gripping and brilliantly atmospheric, and Nicoletta Sarto, the novel's protagonist – the way she talks, the way she thinks – is a great invention' RODDY DOYLE

'Atmospheric and absorbing, an ambitious young journalist finds herself at the heart of a corkscrew tale she never knew existed. A dark and turbulent journey to unexpected truths’ VAL McDERMID

‘A dark, gorgeously written thriller, its tap root deep in a past so vividly evoked, you can see and smell and feel it’ NICCI FRENCH

‘Atmospheric, authentic, and almost unbearably poignant. Like the best historical fiction, Where They Lie transports the reader back in time while holding up a mirror to the present. A must-read’ ERIN KELLY 

'This is a stunning debut. Original characters, complex issues, excellent twists. Claire Coughlan is an author to watch' JO SPAIN

'Beautifully written, utterly absorbing. It’s hard to believe Coughlan wasn’t right there in 1960s Dublin observing the world she describes in such word-perfect detail. A stunning debut' ANDREA MARA