Very readable. Very likeable. Graham Norton, known for his acting and hosting, has surprised me with this story.

Graham Norton was well known in Britain but for his TV presence until he also became an autho . This was his first novel and he has gone on to write several more. Norton was off to an excellent start with this story set in Ireland.

PJ (Peej) is the Garda in a small Irish village. He is overweight and, at times, seemingly overwhelmed. He was certainly not prepared for a murder investigation but this is what he gets when a body is found on a building site.

Many in the community think that they know who the victim was. Are they right?

This novel offers a mystery and a portrait of a community with an eccentric group of characters. Among them are two women who were involved with a man who disappeared.

This book was recently made into a TV show that is being shown on Acorn in the U.S. Read the book first, then watch the show for the full experience.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Norton's show is entertaining but this novel certainly isn't. I found the book a complete drag without any depth. I would not recommend.

I've watched Graham Norton on tv for years, so I was surprised to see his novel pop up on NetGalley. I was even more surprised at how good it was. It is very well written. The plot was very engaging and the characters well developed. I read it in about two days as I couldn't put it down. I really hope he writes more soon.

Filled with witty prose coupled with a distinct air of melancholy, Holding is a stand-out debut and a brilliant read. The tiny village of Duneen is expertly brought to life as the story is weaved through it; this small corner of Ireland has a big story to tell.

Secrets seem to be hiding around every corner and as the story progresses, more and more is revealed about the residents of Duneen. From the spinster Ross sisters to the local busybodies, everyone has something to hide and it is up to P.J. Ross, local law enforcement, to try and separate the truth from the lies. Of course, P.J. has his own struggles and insecurities to contend with, but he must learn to hold his own and put all his skills to the test as the most important case of his career develops on his doorstep.

Duneen seems to be a village stuck in time, quaint and picturesque, but it is soon clear that it's not such a happy place for many of its residents. Loneliness, lost love and missed opportunities are all big themes throughout Holding. On the surface, this is a story that seems to be quite light and charming, but dig beneath and you will uncover a much more poignant side to the tale. Without a doubt, this is a story that will stay with you long after you finish reading.

The story is captivating and engaging, excellently paced with just the right amount of suspense to keep you guessing to the very end.

Love this book. a great book to curl up with in front of a fire and read under a blanket in winter. Norton weaves an excellent tale, cannot wait to read more from him.

Slow to start but it strongly reminds me of Maeve Binchy’s style of writing. A few twists that it kept me interested especially starting around the half way mark.

Just wasn't the book for me. The small town Ireland setting sucked me in. I realized it was a sort of murder mystery, but it just didn't engage me. Sorry. I feel somewhat bad as so many people have enjoyed reading it. I had no idea who the author was until reading other peoples reviews. Apparently he's quite big in Britain on tv and such. And his book was voted book of the year in Ireland. That's nice! But the plot wasn'
t enough to hold my interest. I'm sure my opinion won;t taint the book in any way, and shouldn't, as I am sure many people will enjoy it! Just not me.

I love a good Mystery so I was excited to give one a shot by a famous actor. I liked the idea of this story and some of writing was wonderfully descriptive but the plot and storyline We’re strange at times and ultimately felt overall pretty flat.

Who knew Graham Norton was such a good writer? This is a sweet, clever cozy mystery. It's got a few holes in it, but Norton's affable, self-effacing detective figure carries the story. Recommended.

Graham Norton is a very funny guy and I expected more snark. Instead it was a very nice mystery. I was pleasantly surprised.

Holding by Graham Norton Book Review
Holding, set in Ireland, is a small town murder mystery filled with a cast of memorable characters. Holding has me laughing, guessing & entertained throughout the story.

Get the Audiobook, My Friends!
I finally became tired of Holding sitting on my TBR. Needing a new audiobook, I picked it up. Thank goodness Graham Norton does the narration. How could anyone else do it? I mean, it’s his book, his cast of characters. I love that his wonderfully animated voice brings them all to life.

Sneak That Cozy Mystery In
Now, I read a lot of thrillers, but I sure do love me a cozy mystery. I wouldn’t consider Holding a full-on cozy, but it’s damn close. Yes, there’s a murder mystery central to the storyline, but it’s not graphic. I SO appreciate this. While I can get down with grisly details (I’m thinking of you, Jar of Hearts!), it’s nice to take a break from the act of murder & focus on the why & the whodunnit. That's the part that intrigues us all, right?

Residents of Duneen
Graham brings to life this bumbling, overweight Sergeant, P.J. Y'all, P.J.has such low self-esteem, he can’t even eat a bread basket without thinking everyone is looking at him & judging. While I can relate, P.J., my fired, you’ve got to eat the bread! We also meet a young(ish) mother Brid, who has a drinking problem. Next up is the pristine Evelyn. I LOVE how Graham pronounces Eve-Lynn rather than my hideous pronunciation of Evah-Lyn. I’ve never loved the name more!

Each of these characters is so utterly enjoyable I can hardly stand it. The small village of Duneen is what’s really reminiscent of a cozy mystery to me. Days later, I still see all the characters in my head & imagine what they're up to now.

Like I Said, Audiobook!
Every once in a while, I come across someone who is new to audiobooks. While I tend to prefer non-fiction audiobooks like Rising Strong, I usually recommend charming, satisfying and easy to follow fiction books like Garden Spells. Fiction audiobooks cannot have too many characters, or else I can't keep them straight!

Holding will now be my go-to recommendation for fiction audiobooks! The pacing of the story is like clockwork. There is suspense built into the story, but it comes slowly in waves. I mean, someone is murdered & we are figuring out who did it. Graham isn’t reinventing the wheel here, but here is something about the way he tells this story that is so endearing & relatable that I can’t imagine someone wouldn’t like it.

THE VERDICT
I am Really Into This book. Holding is a wonderful & charming & dare I say it, cozy mystery I’m not soon to forget.

Special thanks to Graham Norton, Atria Books & NetGalley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

"From Graham Norton, the BAFTA-award-winning Irish television host and author of the “sparkling and impish” (Daily Mail) memoirs The Life and Loves of a He Devil and So Me, comes a charming debut novel set in an idyllic Irish village where a bumbling investigator has to sort through decades of gossip and secrets to solve a mysterious crime.

The remote Irish village of Duneen has known little drama but when human remains are discovered on an old farm, suspected to be that of Tommy Burke—a former lover of two different inhabitants—the village’s dark past begins to unravel. As the frustrated sergeant PJ Collins struggles to solve a genuine case for the first time in his life, he unearths a community’s worth of anger and resentments, secrets and regret.

In this darkly comic, touching, and at times heartbreaking novel, perfect for fans of J.K. Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy, Graham Norton employs his acerbic wit to breathe life into a host of loveable characters, and explore—with searing honesty—the complexities and contradictions that make us human."

I love Graham. Hence any opportunity to promote his writing yes?

I loved this book. The setting and the characters are so beautifully detailed that the plot almost become irrelevant, but add to that a dash of intrigue via a long-standing village mystery and you end up with something very special.

This book was not that bad! I think the only character that really had personality was Evelyn which I did notice she had a breaking point at some point but it was an interesting read.

I didn't finish this book. I just couldn't connect with it.

I did have high hopes for this book as I find Graham very engaging on TV and Radio but I just couldn't get into the storyline of this book. Its really unusual for me not to finish a book so I am a bit sad that I couldn't give this book the attention It deserved.

As soon as I found out that Graham Norton had written a book, I knew I had to request it. A natural storyteller, Norton's novel is charming and well worth a read.

I am a huge Graham Norton fan, but this is my first time reading any of his written works. I also have a particular love of stories that involve Irish villages! This was a thrilling and engaging read which I thoroughly enjoyed and would highly recommend!

I requested it because I love Graham Norton's sharp wit. This was a pleasant novel; easy to read and well written but this is quiet observation rather than the overt humour of Keyes or even TV Norton. For a debut novel, it shows potential and 3* is a "worth a read" score from me. It didn't seduce me as much as other village/rural novels, I think perhaps because there wasn't a character in whom I felt invested.

I really like the cover. Unfortunately, there's not much else I like about this book. I found the characters lacking depth. They're unlikable and forgettable. And they blame the disappearance of Tommy Burke twenty-five years ago for their unhappiness to this day? Ugh. There were three Ross sisters and I couldn't keep straight who was who. There were too many characters and side stories. It was like a bad romantic comedy. I wanted to know what happened to Tommy Burke, but this was very boring to get through. I dreaded picking it back up and had to start skimming the last half of the book. Disappointing ending.