After Elizabeth's mother dies, she comes back to Ireland to settle affairs. Elizabeth discovers a long-buried secret that reveals to her the father she never knew. Thus begins her journey into her mother's surprising past. Told through multiple perspectives and timelines, the story of Elizabeth is slowly revealed. Suspenseful, charming, and funny .

Oh my gosh what a wonderful book. This is a proper story and Graham Norton is a wonderful writer.
I laughed, I cried and I was sorry when the book ended. I wanted more of the story. I want to say so much more but I don't want to give anything away. I'm looking forward to Mr. Grahams next book.

I really enjoyed reading this book and finished it quickly. Because of the author’s ‘other’ job, I assumed it would be somewhat humorous, but it is decidedly not. It’s dark and unsettling but also highlights the strength and resolve it takes to navigate life. I enjoyed the book being told in alternating chapters of Then and Now and looked forward to what was happening in both spheres. It was a different read than my normal, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Wow what a surprise this novel was . As a huge fan of Graham Norton’s talk show I had no idea he was a brilliant writer . Elizabeth Keene returns to Ireland to sort out her Mother’s estate after her death . She wants to wrap things up quickly and go back to her life and son in America .. However she soon finds out she has inherited another estate from the father so never knew .. told in two timelines this wonderfully suspenseful gothic story will keep you reading all night .

This book had lots of twists and turns about a woman who finds out family secrets after her mother passed. The story kept me engaged and coming back from more, but the ending left me with unanswered questions.

This is the first title from Graham Norton I have read and I loved it. From start to finish this book keeps you hooked and is very hard to put down.
The development of the characters is fantastic and gave me a great picture of them in my head.
The only thing I felt missing was a little more detail at times especially with Elizabeth's family in the shop as I feel there was good scope there to create a little humour in the book with those characters.
Overall highly recommend this book. It would be a great holiday read

Was excited to read this family drama set in Ireland. I love dual timeline family stories full of secrets and hidden pasts. I found the writing somewhat melodramatic and was surprised that this story received so much publicity. I think Graham Norton definitely has a future as an author, but this particular plot didn't have my attention fully.

Elizabeth Keane returns to her birth home in Buncarragh, Ireland, to disperse her mother’s estate and settle the selling of the house. She wants nothing and if she could help it she wouldn’t want the memories, either. It was always just Elizabeth and her mother all of her life, just the two of them. All questions about her father went unanswered other than to say he died very young and was a lovely man.
The only part of her mother’s story Elizabeth knows is the part everyone knows, that Patricia cared for her sick mother till the end, then miraculously had a gentleman friend, a rushed wedding and a baby no one could explain. In Ireland that was fodder for the rumor factories who lived for such stories.
Now as she is going through her mother’s things Elizabeth finds a box with letters, a baby bootie, a photo and a name and after wondering her whole life who would not investigate? She knows where to start when, upon opening the mail that had piled up she finds one from her mother’s solicitor.
Told in alternating times, now and forty years before, we learn of Elizabeth’s life gone wrong, and her mother, Patricia’s story. Elizabeth is in Ireland, divorced with a teenaged son who isn’t where he is supposed to be at the moment and not liking what she hears from her ex. Patricia, forty years earlier, ran toward a future she thought she would surely miss if she didn’t take this chance.
I can’t say too much here, I don’t believe in spoiler alerts and really don’t appreciate them when I’m interested in a book. All I’ll say is there is an “ah ha!” moment in the end where the author proves there is nothing new under the sun.
Graham Norton is a storyteller for sure.

'A Keeper' by Graham Norton is brilliant. Utterly brilliant. It is an enthralling tale which perfectly balances the past and present. Norton has proven to be a natural storyteller with the ability to populate his books with characters the reader can relate to. 'A Keeper' is awash with well-written moments of poignancy and despondency. But, to his credit, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. This book is a rewarding read of the highest order.

3.5 solid stars for this family drama with a bit o’ mystery tied in to it.

Elizabeth returns to Ireland to clean up here mother’s estate after her death and starts to learn exactly why her mother was so odd about certain aspects of her life.

Throw in some teenage drama of her son and you’ve got plenty of stuff to keep you enthralled to finish this easy read.

Set in the 70’s and today, A Keeper is the story of two families and their uncertain history.
Elizabeth was born and raised in Ireland, but left as soon as she was able, to attend school in America. Now, she’s in her 40’s and her mother has passed away, leaving their family home to Elizabeth.
Upon returning, Elizabeth finds a box of old letters to her mother, from Edward Foley. Elizabeth knows this is her father, but was told he died around the time of her birth.
Her mother’s solicitor informs her she is also the new owner of a home close to Cork. It’s the old Foley homestead, which confuses Elizabeth. She decides to investigate and learn more of her roots.
This is well written and an interesting story.

A Keeper by Graham Norton

I haven’t read any of Graham Norton’s other books so I didn’t know what to expect with this one. Well, I was pleasantly surprised! All I knew about the author is that he’s the hilarious host of a TV show in England. I had relatively low expectations but hoped for a decent story. I was actually blown away how much I liked the book and how amazing Graham’s writing was.

When Elizabeth Keane returns to Ireland after her mother’s death, she’s focused only on saying goodbye to that dark and dismal part of her life. Her childhood home is packed solid with useless junk, her mother’s presence already fading. But within this mess, she discovers a small stash of letters—and ultimately, the truth.

Forty years earlier, a young woman stumbles from a remote stone house, the night quiet except for the constant wind that encircles her as she hurries deeper into the darkness away from the cliffs and the sea. She has no sense of where she is going, only that she must keep on.

This is an excellent novel with the thread of suspense running through it. I especially enjoyed the setting of Ireland, the dual timelines of Elizabeth and her mother, and the feelings of longing and love in each chapter. Now I need to get my hands on Graham Norton’s other books.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Due out in August but out now in the UK.

Cleaning up and out after a parent's death can be a revelation for lots of reasons. But when following the threads of some family mysteries reveals even more mysteries, things can get complicated.
When Elizabeth tries to trace her biological father, she discovers a background far different than anyone could imagine.
There was madness, conspiracy and duplicity, kidnapping, drugging and a baby.

I am often wary of authors whose other life is on TV, this was a nice surprise.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author Graham Norton for my E-ARC.
What a captivatingly great read! I wasn't expecting to find that the main character was such a sour woman, but as the book moves forward I found myself caring about her. Mr. Norton has created a family drama that makes you feel compassion for all the characters. Secrets are detrimental to families and this novel is a clear picture of it.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved this book. I really got sucked in to all the characters. The "then" storyline got my needing more right away although the "now" was more of a slow burn, but the payoff was worth i when it all came together in the end. Several twists I did not see coming. Very melancholy but very true to life, Adored it

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It is my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.

I've long been a fan of Graham Norton and his show, but had no idea that his witty personality masked a very talented writer. A Keeper, his second novel, is my first taste of Norton the writer and I am very impressed. The story focuses on a young woman returning to Ireland and her childhood home after her single mother's death. However, when going through her mother's belongings, she learns the truth about her mother's mysterious past and her biological father.

This book is both a family saga and a bit of a mystery. The main character is sympathetic and the rural Irish setting is interesting. A Keeper is an easy read that fans of dysfunctional family sagas or dual narratives should appreciate whether or not one is already familiar with Graham Norton.

Overall. I really enjoyed this story which switched between Patricia in the past and current day Elizabeth. It was well written and both women were interesting characters. Their homes also played a key role and were beautifully described. I could have done without the plotline involving Elizabeth's son. It just didn't feel honest or necessary.

When I saw this book was written by someone named Graham Norton, I thought, "Oh, like the guy from that British talk show with the red couch! Graham must be a super common name over there." I was totally caught off guard when I found out it was the same person! Though it feels like every celebrity has 'written' a book of some kind, usually nonfiction about their own lives, I did not expect him to be a fiction writer as well. Celebrity authors garner a lot of attention, and it feels like their efforts don't usually work out as often as they do, but I was pleasantly surprised with Mr. Norton's sophomore novel.

Told as flashbacks between mother and daughter, we follow Elizabeth in present day as she returns to the place she was born for answers about her origins. Patricia, her mother, has died and Elizabeth's responsible for her home and apparently appeasing her terrible family. Intercutting the issues she has with them, her son and ex-husband, we're given background on Patricia and what happened to her around the time Elizabeth was born. While not action-packed, the story is creeping and tense. Every answer found raises new questions as you work your way through the mystery of it all.

I really liked it, and I'll be sure to check out Graham Norton's other novel. Anyone who enjoyed Clare Mackintosh's books, such as I Let You Go or Let Me Lie, I think would appreciate this.

Loved this one. Graham Norton is a surprisingly good writer.
I love this story of rural Ireland.
Norton is adept in fleshing out good characters and plot
thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book