Another great book from one of the greatest talk show host ever. Not as good as his first but I highly recommend

A KEEPER by Graham Norton has two primary story tracks, one that details Elizabeth’s present life and one that delves into her life as a child. The book switched between “Then” and “Now” with each ensuing chapter. The basic story follows Elizabeth’s trip to Ireland to settle her mother’s estate. At this point the book begins to switch between “Then” and “Now” with each chapter.
In the “Then” portion of the book we learn about Elizabeth’s mother, Priscilla’s life after the death of her own mother. She longs for a man in her life and turns to an advertisement in the local newspaper as a means of introduction. As the story continues, Priscilla becomes the victim of an elaborate plot by Edward’s mother to get Priscilla and Edward to marry.
In the “Now” portion of the book other family members who tried to take advantage of Priscilla are introduced as Elizabeth tries to sort out what her mother’s life was like. The only characters introduced who seemed to be truly fond of Priscilla is Rosemary, although her appearance in the book is somewhat limited.
This was one of the most bleak stories I’ve read. There was little joy to relieve the thread of sadness and loss that permeated both the past and present stories within the book. It was difficult to get a sense of knowing most of the characters well as they seemed to pass through the story with little background and no information on what happens to them in the present.
There are multiple secondary storylines happening as well, including Elizabeth’s failed marriage to a man who reveals after a number of years that he is gay, the out of wedlock birth of a Elizabeth’s grandchild, the frustration of Priscilla’s extended family members who seem to have tried to take advantage of her and are showing signs of the same inclinations toward Elizabeth.
I prefer books that are more upbeat in nature, and that preference contributes to why this book did not work for me. At the same time, I was compelled to read it through to the end for two reasons. I wanted to learn what the future might hold for Elizabeth and also how Priscilla escaped her situation with Edward and his mother. In the end, it was just too overwhelmingly sad for me to be satisfied.
Thanks to Atria Books Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Digital Reader copy of this book.

This was just OK and that is not a bad rating. It just did not blow my socks off. This is a mystery that takes place in alternate time periods, present day and 40 years earlier.

My thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for this advanced readers copy. This book is set to release in August 2019.

Following her mother’s death, Elizabeth returns home to rural Ireland to empty the dilapidated house, and uncovers a history of secrets hidden amongst the rats and rubble. This does an excellent job of interweaving the past and present, as we find Elizabeth exploring her mother’s chequered history as well as face her own familial troubles in the present day. I found I wasn’t distracted from either story, like I normal am with these kind of narratives, and was fully engrossed with the plots - which were well paced and full of mystery to keep me hooked.

Norton has a knack for making likeable, and relatable characters. Elizabeth and her mother Patricia, as well as the secondary Irish rural villagers, feel very ‘real’ and never over the top in pretence and description. Patricia in particular, as we read her letters along with Elizabeth, is a deeply complex and misunderstood woman who on the surface seems unloveable, but deep down has so much to give. I enjoyed also seeing Elizabeth go through her own emotional turmoils as she learns more about her mother, and the obvious parallels they share.

On the surface, this reads as a cosy, ‘safe’ novel about rural Irish life and deep seated love and loss, but I found it much more emotional than this. The writing is well done to the point that I couldn’t put this down, although at times it does veer towards the over dramatic and outlandish. I also found it quite difficult to place, genre wise. It’s not quite a family saga, or a mystery or contemporary novel. It rather sits apart, as a mix of the three - which I know will annoy some people.

I enjoyed this, and was surprised by the depth of emotions portrayed. Although it flits between genres at times, it’s a good read for those looking for a well written mystery set against the wonderful backdrop of rural Ireland.

Part mystery, part "finding oneself" story, all charming!

Absolutely enthralled with this debut novel from Graham Norton! I never would have pegged him as an author, but if he keeps writing wonderful stories like this one, he will quickly become my favorite!

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.
I loved A Keeper by Graham Norton. It was the perfect blend of a family story with a light thriller / mystery. A perfect book for fans of Lianne Moriarty's The Last Anniversary or Ruth Ware's The Death of Mrs. Westaway. It would make a great summer or vacation read.

This definitely falls into the sorbet category. Unfolding in two timelines, one concerns Elizabeth's discovery of the truth of her parents' lives, unraveling secrets she didn't know existed, and the other forty years in the past in which those secrets are exposed. I was attracted by the setting of the earlier story (isolated crumbling house on the windswept Irish coast), and Graham Norton does a fine job of setting his scenes. There's even a little poke at the effects of current day increased tourist presence in both town and windswept etc., the gentrification of the area. I liked Elizabeth and was impressed by her eventual dawning acceptance of her past, and what that had on her future life. There are a few surprises, and I enjoyed it on the whole.

I am a huge fan of Graham Norton so I took A Keeper with out even reading the description....I mean come on Graham Norton is amazing so I know it was going to be amazing!

A Keeper was a creepy yet beautiful journey of self discovery with a twist of drama and mystery. This book is a must read!

This was my first book by the brilliant Graham Norton, but it won't be my last! He has a wonderful way of being witty and sensitive at the same time and I truly enjoyed The Keeper!

The big draw for me was the Irish setting, an old house and a mystery about a past life. The book is divided by chapters titled Now and Then. We start off in present with Elizabeth Keane returning to her childhood home in Ireland. Her mother has died and Elizabeth must clear out the house and make a decision regarding selling.

Elizabeth was never extremely close to her mother Patricia, often wishing she had a father figure in her life. Whenever she asked questions about her father Patricia would always say he was a kind man and he died shortly after they were married. After college she moved to New York and started her own life, marrying, divorcing and ending up with a son named Zach.

Now she is back in Ireland to see the home she inherited, trying to avoid her nosy cousins, anxious to return home. Now that wouldn’t be me! I would love to have a home in Ireland and spend half the year there. Anyway, as she’s cleaning out a wardrobe she comes across a package of handwritten letters, love letters from her father Edward Foley.

We drift into the Then chapters and see what Patricia was like fifty years ago. As you read the backstory about Edward and Patricia, get to know the horror of Edward’s mother (I mean truly) the story that unfolds takes such a neck braking twist that I couldn’t out it down. Trust me, you’ll be surprised.

Elizabeth’s son Zach and ex-husband have minor roles; mostly they could have been left out in my opinion but it adds slightly to the story. If you’d like to armchair travel to West Cork Ireland (past and present) and enjoy a mystery you will enjoy this book.

When I requested this book I didn’t know the author was the Graham Norton, the Irish television host. Impressive – I will certainly look for more by Mr. Norton.

Much thanks to Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. Publication date is August 13, 2019. All opinions are mine and I was not compensated for this review.

Sharing with Joy for the British Isles Friday series.

Though this book is a thriller, the underlying theme seems to be about motherhood (and to a lesser extent fatherhood) and the lengths that flawed parents will go to for their equally fallible children and how that cycle will continue ad infinitum. I really enjoyed the writing, the setting, and the plot. A quick and enthralling summer read.

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books, and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a Kindle ARC of A Keeper.

I'm a big fan of Graham Norton and his hilarious talk show so when I saw he also writes books, I had to request this.

And it was a surprise, in a good way!

The premise sounds straight forward but its anything but. There's creepy suspense, plenty of drama, and a bit of a mystery all tied in and Mr. Norton does it quite well.

Elizabeth Keane returns to Dublin after the death of her mother, Patricia, to oversee the sale of her home.

As she is cleaning up the remnants of her mother's lonely life, she discovers a cache of letters that will take her on a journey of self discovery, the origins of her birth and help her understand her mother a little better.

There is more drama courtesy of Elizabeth's son, Zach, which some readers noted was too much or unnecessary but I understood the purpose of it.

The juxtaposition of Zach's dilemma may seem melodramatic but it serves to parallel what Patricia did years ago in relation to Elizabeth.

There's one scene I felt was out of context, when an acquaintance propositions Elizabeth, figuring she's out of town so she might enjoy a wham, bam, thank you ma'am.

I have no idea why this scene was necessary because, at first, this guy appeared like a gentleman but now looks like a creep. Was this moment added to highlight sexual tension and loneliness between the both of them?

If so, a better scene could be crafted!

Elizabeth is a decent character; I wouldn't call her sympathetic, I didn't like her but I could understand her actions and decisions.

Patricia was a nice surprise; I started out not liking her, but as we are given insight into her past, she develops a strength and courage she never knew she had that enables her to forge a life for herself and for her daughter, Elizabeth.

There are some triggers here; depression, kidnapping, and quite a lot of sadness tempered with good stuff, too; resilience and patience, heart and love.

Overall, I enjoyed Mr. Norton's writing and the story, which was darker than I imagined a talented and funny man would write.

Told in flashback style, this story involves a current day woman from America going to Ireland to settle the estate of a relative and learn more about her, plus flashbacks to that woman's life. The woman in the "then" chapters had been looking for a husband but things went very wrong.

I did not care for this book at all (not the writing, just the story) so jumped ahead and eventually gave up on it.

Creepy! This novel-mystery was a pageturner from the start. Weaving the present day characters with the characters of the past moves well and keeps the reader entertained with all the goings on, then and now. Elizabeth returns to Ireland to settle up her late mother's estate and finds herself in a mystery about her mother's past and her own identity. Very good writing and a clever story; I enjoyed this book very much.

Didn't expect this from a TV host, but it is well written. I heard him say in an interview that wrote what he knows, and that came through. I hope he writes more.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

I’ve loved Graham Norton’s talk show for years. He’s such an interesting character and funny too. What I never expected was that he would be a brilliant novelist. In fact, I didn’t even realize it was the same Graham Norton when I started this book. What a surprise!

A Keeper follows the lives of Elizabeth and her mother. Elizabeth is a divorced single mom raising her son in NYC. She returns home to Ireland to sort her mother’s affairs after her passing. The old house is just as she remembers, but while there, she stumbles upon some letters that her mother had tucked away in a box in the closet. Elizabeth was raised believing her father had passed away very young, which is why she was raised by a single mother. Could the letters be a clue to the truth about her past?


The novel jumps back and forth between Elizabeth’s current situation and her mother’s past. Each chapter reveals just a small portion of the story in a perfectly woven fashion. Surprises abound, along with a good dose of humor. I truly enjoyed this one. I would recommend over and over again.



This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com close to publication date.

It's hard to class this book into a category - so I'll just call it fiction. It was like a slow build mystery told in 2 timelines by 2 characters. It was an easy and enjoyable read. It wasn't full of suspense - he'd lead into something at one timeline, and confirm it in the next. It was a good read and I'll be checking out his earlier book.

Well gee. This one has emotional depths and twists I hadn’t expected. A little slow but told in 2 perspectives makes sense for this one
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

I have watched The Graham Norton Show since it first appeared on BBC America. Reading his 2nd fiction novel, I was interested but skeptical. He is a funny talk show host but I was not sure if he could write a family drama novel. I found A Keeper to be well written and enjoyable.

The novel has two timelines running through it. The present-day focuses on Elizabeth Keane, a divorced New Yorker who returns to Ireland to settle her mother's affairs following her death. The past is set 40 years ago and focuses on Elizabeth's mother. Elizabeth, in the present, uncovers family secrets and lies, and wonders if she ever knew her mother or herself at all.

Norton's sense of humor peeks through in some scenes, mostly dark humor. Because of his stage persona, I expected his writing to be edgier. With Norton's writing style, he is able to create people that feel real, with real lives, with real problems, and with real drama.

I knew Graham Norton wrote a few nonfiction books but not a fiction book, Holding, in 2016. I have added it to my "want to read" list and will look out for more fiction from him.

This review was published on Goodreads on 4/29/19. It will be published on Philomathinphila.com, Smashbomb, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble on its release date, 8/13/19. When available, the review will be published on Scribd.com and, using Overdrive, will be rated in 9 libraries.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book and had no idea Graham Norton was an author too. Well I’m officially a fan!

This story alternates between ”then” and “now” as Elizabeth Keane dives into the past of her now deceased mother, Patricia. She returns to Ireland to sift through her mother’s belongings and comes across some letters written by her father, Edward Foley. Thus begins the crazy unraveling of secrets that leads Elizabeth on a bit of a wild goose chase in search of answers.

It’s difficult not to give too much away, but this book really was an intriguing look into a mother’s past that was completely unknown to her daughter. Elizabeth was pretty much blindsided by some of the revelations, and while coming to terms with her own family’s heart-breaking and dramatic past, the present on-goings with her son Zach are just as tense.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, and I think it showed the strength of a mother’s love and how far she will go to protect her children, no matter the circumstances. Highly recommend!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2802255768