Tom Kettle, a retired Detective Sargent this nine months, lives a solitary existence in Dalkey at the shore. He has plenty of time on his hands to contemplate; on his wife June, his grown-up son and daughter and whether there is any point to be cutting back on his preferred cigarillos. And then he has an unexpected visit from two detectives working on a cold case.
Old God’s Time by Sebastian Barry is Tom Kettle’s monologue, ranging back and forth over a lifetime. Rescued by her from a dismal childhood, June was, and still is the focus of Tom’s life, and as his dreamlike reminiscences, the stories he cannot tell anybody but himself, merge into his daily routine, all the ghosts begin to filter into reality.
Sebastian Barry’s words are always fierce and wild, passionate and sorrowful and tempered with the most unexpected but surprisingly fitting descriptions. His powerful narration of this harrowing story is simply stunning. The substance of this book is not a new one, but this heart-breaking way of relating it is, rendering Old God’s Time unbearably moving as it moves to its conclusion.

Absolute perfection in novel form ,this book is beautiful and haunting in its loveliness .It talks of love of family and the poignancy of looking back on the lives of lost loved ones together with the unreliability of memory as we age .
The topics it covers are not easy ones and the abuse perpetrated by priests on children in their care is not easy to read about nevertheless this author manages this with a degree of subtlety and honesty that moves the story away from a misery memoir
The author has a beautifully poetic writing style that is a delight to read ,he manages to describe the Irish setting with such cinematic clarity I felt I had been there and shared the joy of high summer by the seaside with the narrator
I would describe this book as a literary novel although it is not in any way a difficult read .The story and the life of the elderly retired police detective is fascinating and the story moves quickly .I was very quickly invested in the main character
I read an early copy on NetGalley Uk the book is published by Fabre and Fabre ltd in the Uk in March 2023

There’s a thread of sadness that runs through this story. Set in Ireland in the 90’s, we’re told about the times back in the 60’s. An era of deprivation and abuse of orphans, particularly it seems, by priests. The author puts across very well, the long term effects this had on some of those children. We particularly learn a lot about the deceased wife of our main character. He’s struggled over the decades to cope without her but tries his best. Upholding the Law for years as a police officer but retired now and not sure what to do with himself. We eventually discover how she met her demise towards the end of the book. Our main character appears to see ghosts on occasion and I felt this truly highlighted his caring and open nature. It also gives the story an eerie feel.
I thoroughly enjoyed this atmospheric book and felt the end was particularly well written. It left me unsure whether what I read was what really happened or the imagination of the old police officer? he sign of a good story - you can have the ending you want by how you interpret it. Well worth reading.

Tom Kettle is a retired policeman living quietly by the Irish Sea, but when two former colleagues from the police force visit him to discuss an unresolved case from the past, memories of that past begin to intrude on the peaceful life he seems to have made for himself and it becomes increasingly unclear what is real and what is imagined.

This is an extraordinary book about the tenacity of love, about the effects of trauma not just on the victims but also on those around them, and about Tom's decency and absolute determination to do good in his life in spite of the inescapable shadows of the past. At the book's heart is a consideration of memory - what we allow ourselves to remember and the memories we must force ourselves to shut away in order to survive.

Sebastian Barry's finely wrought prose dances off the page. Exhilarating, poetic passages about the sea and nature and love and the weather and the simple joys of living sit side by side with descriptions of the terrible events which set Tom and his family on their path through life. The book takes the reader on an at times emotionally very challenging journey, but one which is well worth taking.