Where They Lie

SHORTLISTED FOR THE AN POST IRISH CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR

'A superb novel, evoking a bygone era when women could not afford to put a foot wrong'

SUNDAY TIMES

'This isn't just a mystery novel: it's a window into a vanished world'

TANA FRENCH

Some stories demand to be told. They keep coming back,

echoing down through the decades, until they find a teller . . .

Dublin, 1943

Actress Julia Bridges disappears.

Her body is never found.



Dublin, 1968

The bones of Julia Bridges are discovered in a back garden.

Nicoletta Sarto, an ambitious junior reporter for the Irish Sentinel, investigates the mystery of Julia's disappearance, drawing her into the tangled underworld of the illegal abortion industry.

But some stories remain a mystery for a reason, and it's not long before this one stirs up buried secrets from Nicoletta's own past. Secrets that perhaps should stay buried . . .

'A thrillingly dark and atmospheric tale, richly evocative of its time' JOHN BANVILLE

'Atmospheric and absorbing, . . . A dark and turbulent journey to unexpected truths' VAL McDERMID

'A dark, gorgeously-written thriller' NICCI FRENCH

'Atmospheric, authentic, and almost unbearably poignant . . . transports the reader back in time while holding up a mirror to the present. A must-read' ERIN KELLY

'Gripping and brilliantly atmospheric' RODDY DOYLE

'Deliciously evocative and atmospheric . . . a shocking story, stylishly told'

IRISH SUNDAY INDEPENDENT

Claire Coughlan worked as a journalist in Ireland for many years. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from UCD and lives in Co Kildare with her husband and daughter. Her first novel, Where They Lie, was published in 2024 and shortlisted for the An Post Irish Crime Novel of the Year award. Praise for Where They Lie:



'Deliciously evocative and atmospheric . . . a shocking story, stylishly told' IRISH SUNDAY INDEPENDENT



'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





'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





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





'Where They Lie, beautifully crafted in its historical detail, is a labyrinthine tale that takes us on a meandering quest from the mean streets of Dublin's inner city out to its leafiest suburbs . . .' IRISH TIMES



'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





'Dark and atmospheric' PRIMA





'A beautifully atmospheric and evocative murder mystery with some serious issues at its heart' BEST





'This is a stunning debut. Original characters, complex issues, excellent twists. Claire Cough