A few weeks ago I was bowled over by the amazing review that Robert Dunbar gave ‘Arthur Quinn and Hell’s Keeper’ in the Irish Times. A quick read will tell you why I was so thrilled!

Alan Early’s Arthur Quinn and Hell’s Keeper (Mercier, €8.99) concludes his Father of Lies trilogy. Praiseworthy as the two previous titles were, it is by far his most significant achievement. The knowledge of, and affinity with, Norse myth that characterise Early’s writing is again strongly evident, but the way these are woven into a narrative that moves effortlessly between past and present represents new levels of attainment. Not since Cormac MacRaois’s Giltspur trilogy of the late 1980s has this been done so convincingly in Irish children’s fiction.

Particularly impressive is the use made of the flooded Dublin cityscape through which Arthur and his young allies make their way, on jet skis, to Arthur’s final engagement with Loki, the “Father of Lies”. Croke Park, Kilmainham Gaol and Áras an Uachtaráin all figure prominently and very entertainingly. But also worth noting is Early’s portrayal of relationships, whether within the family or between friends. It all amounts to an expertly paced and totally engrossing novel.

But most astonishingly of all, this week Robert has included the book in his list of his favourite Irish kids books of the last 25 years! That my little book has been mentioned alongside books that I read and loved as a kid myself is just mind-boggling! I’m so happy that people are liking Hell’s Keeper as much as they are. It was the most fun to write of the three, but also the most difficult to get right.

You may not realise this but Arthur Quinn is originally from Kerry; a place called Farranfore to be precise. And this weekend, I was in Kerry. Of course I visited the birthplace of Arthur and the train station that features in Arthur Quinn and Hell’s Keeper.

I’ve been very lax with blogging recently but in my defence, I have been busy.

So, the last Father of Lies books (Arthur Quinn and Hell’s Keeper) has hit the shops! I hope you all like it as much as (or even more!) than the first couple.

Here’s me opening my box of copies.

And here’s a sneak peek of the first page. Yes, I did dedicate the book to some of my best friends.

And finally, below is a link to a great review of the book on Bookbag. It got 5 stars!

WARNING! There are a few spoilers in it so you might want to wait until you read the book first. But my favourite quote from the review is below…

An incredible conclusion to one of the best fantasy series you’ll ever read.

Read the full spoilery review here.

Last week I posted a few teasers for ‘Arthur Quinn and Hell’s Keeper’ (aka Arthur Quinn 3) on Twitter. I figured I’d put them all here – (with the trailer!) – to give you a better chance of piecing together the clues.

You can find more info (and a couple more hints) at the rebooted Arthur Quinn website. The book hits the shelves at the start of August and you can find out what everything means then!

• ‘People will whisper your name around campfires and in the dark of night. You, Hel, will be the thing they fear the most.’
• ‘Graffiti covered the walls… One read “Burn in Hell!” and beneath it someone else had sprayed “We’re already in it!”‘
• ‘Then, without any warning, he unhooked his seat belt, flung open the passenger door and leaped out of the speeding car.’
• ‘Loki’s throne was a thing of wonder.’

Sarah – the amazing designer in Mercier Press – designed the bookmarks for each of the Arthur Quinn books. I’ve loved all of them but I have to say, I think my favourite is the one for Hell’s Keeper, which I just got a sneak peek of. And because I’m so generous, I’m going to give you a sneak peek here!

I’ll have bookmarks with me at readings and events until they run out.