Gripping and original - new mystery reminds us that there are consequences to our actions

Author Anne Callanan’s Dominic’s Park is about a group of people who are not getting an easy ride in life and who are interconnected in more ways than they are aware. A novel about how we often pull apart from each other when we most need to pull together.

Debut author Anne Callanan’s Dominic’s Park has at its core an exploration of the influences that drive decision making and responses when faced with life dilemmas.

With modern life fuelled by mantras such as, “You can be anything you want to be if you just try hard enough” the author uses her frustration with those who employ such adages to judge others struggling to succeed as the premise of this highly original crime thriller.

A tale about human strengths, weaknesses and foibles, this unputdownable mystery, which is made more authentic due to the author’s social work background, will have readers eagerly awaiting what’s next from this talented and imaginative author.

Synopsis:

"He didn't know it then, but he cycled right by the spot where his body would soon be dumped, left to decay." In his youth, JJ believed that old saying: ‘you can be anything you want to be if you just try hard enough’. He had built his whole life around it. But now, middle-aged and with his past erupting into his present, it’s clear to him that life is just not that fair.

With his son’s disappearance acting as a catalyst, JJ is forced to make some unsavoury decisions in order to survive. But the choices he makes have consequences, and with his life and the lives of his friends and family being turned upside down, will anyone come out the other end unscathed?

The author says:

“Dominic’s Park is about a group of people who are not getting an easy ride in life and who are interconnected in more ways than they are aware. It’s a story that highlights life isn’t fair, and I hope on some level it makes the reader think about this.

“Each character has different struggles, some out of their control, some self-made but each struggle has significantly impacted on their lives. They all want to do better than they have been able to do in one way or another, and I’ve written the book wanting the reader to immerse themselves in the reasons why. That is what makes my book different from many of the crime mysteries I have read. It’s not just about solving the clues.

“JJ’s story is an extreme but realistic version of the way we typically judge people who make poor life decisions; but in his position how much choice does he have and if faced with a similar threat would the outcome be the same for us? Louise, Niamh, Finn and others have different dilemmas to face, but they all have to make life choices as a consequence. What are the drivers behind their decision making? Looking in from the outside how entitled are any of us to judge?

“The book is about our humanity. The control fear and shame can have in our lives, sometimes real and sometimes just in our minds. The fears that stop us following the path we want to follow. Fear of taking responsibility for our actions. Fear of judgement. Fear of the unknown. Fear of rejection. Shame where shame should not lie and our struggles to break free...

“It’s a reflection too of society and how it can influence one’s path in life. The inequalities that exist. The lack of supports where supports are needed… and all this in a little mysterious tale of fiction!”

Published by Cranthorpe Millner on 23rd August 2022, Dominic’s Park is available in paperback (£9.99) and Kindle format. Waterstones | Foyles | Amazon | Cranthorpe Millner