OLD SINS

In this novel, a poet retreats to Ireland to heal an emotional wound and becomes embroiled in an investigation of young girls who have disappeared.

Maria Pell travels to the Irish village of Coomara on a fellowship to study Celtic prehistory—she’s a successful American poet trying to recover from the emotional devastation of betrayal. Mathieu, her partner of 12 years, was unfaithful to her, a terrible blow that rattles her deeply. But peace proves elusive in Ireland—Bridget Vale, a 13-year-old girl, is discovered murdered, a “wound on the village.” There are several suspects—Tim Hawkins, an American boy on whom she harbored a crush, as well as Father Malone, a former priest defrocked for his pedophilic inclinations. Maria feels compelled to conduct an investigation of her own, and during a Druid ceremony—she is profoundly spiritual and can read the auras of others—she prays for guidance and hears a voice declare: “You have the answers.” In addition, she is still haunted by an experience she had when she was only 10 years old that transformed her life—she found a dead baby girl who was never identified in a stream, a tale chillingly related by Handy. Soon, some young girls vanish from the village, and Maria begins to believe the kidnappings may be the result of a human trafficking ring run out of Dublin, one that likely involves the participation of a local. The author deftly creates an atmosphere of dark mystery, a grim, menacing uncertainty that permeates the moody novel. But the supernatural element of the plot—Maria’s apparent ability to “commune with the spirits”—seems stale, like the rehash of a literary trope rather than a searching account of another realm of existence. Nevertheless, the story is ingenious and unpredictable and makes for a gripping drama.

An engrossing and surprising mystery.