I don’t suppose I’m alone in thinking the Irish have a way with words, that many are gifted storytellers and Sebastian Barry is firmly in that category.

This is retired detective Tom Kettle’s story. He lives in an annex attached to a castle in Dalkey that has uninterrupted views of the sea. One evening his hermit like solitude is interrupted by two young detectives, Wilson and O’Casey who ask for Tom‘s expertise in an unsolved cold case. Their visit and the report they ask him to look at deeply unsettle Tom’s much sought for peace and tranquillity. This is further shattered when a young woman and her son move in next door who seeks his guidance and help. The novel is Tom‘s musings in which we learned a great deal about him, his wife June and their two children Winny and Joe.

It is often said that a novel takes you on a journey and this one most certainly does and it’s far from an easy one. It covers ground that has been well trod but because it’s from this lovely kind man’s perspective it seems to hit you harder somehow. What we learn still has the capacity to shock you to the core yet it is also sensitively told. As you would expect from a writer of this calibre it is beautifully written. In places the language is poetic, the phrasing has originality and quirks. The novel is entertaining in places, amusing from time to time and then unbearably sad as you witness suffering and despair. It is extremely poignant, very moving with very powerful undercurrents and the end is the real gut punch.

I love the atmosphere the author creates. He gives us Dalkey with the ever moving sea and its changing colour palette, the castle and its Annex, the vagaries of the Irish climate, there’s a ghostly vibe too and an air of elusive mystery that you try to grasp a hold of.

Overall, another memorable and compelling novel.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Faber and Faber for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book although once or twice I got a bit lost in the reminiscence of Tom Kettle's past life and wasn't sure if what I was reading had actually happened or not. Beautifully written and the book addresses some big issues which aren't always comfortable reading. I loved Tom's character and the insights into his life as both an army veteran and police officer and really enjoyed the subtle humour that comes through especially in his dealings with the two police officers Wilson and O' Casey. I was and wasn't expecting the ending!
Thanks to NetGalley for the pre published read.

This is a ‘stream of consciousness’ novel where Tom Kettle, a retired police detective, fills his days remembering the past. It took a while for me to get used to the style of writing but once I heard Tom’s voice in my head, I found his story desperately sad and heartbreaking. Sebastian Barry never fails to impress and some of his descriptions are incredibly clever, however this novel needed concentration and perseverance to get to the end.

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.