Nailer Paperback - 2011

Is there a serial killer in Ireland? In the midland counties of Laois and Offaly, two former members of the religious Order of Saint Kieran, which once ran Dachadoo Industrial School, are murdered within weeks of each other, their bodies found nailed to the floor. In this gripping novel Tom Phelan once again brings the artistry and courage of his discerning eye to a disturbing and emotionally loaded subject. Nailer reveals the dark side of the Irish Catholic Church and targets decades of abuse of Ireland's most vulnerable citizens. ***** "A hard-hitting thriller."--Books Ireland "A compelling story."--Leinster Express "Is revenge ever justified? Tom Phelan's gripping detective story challenges his readers to grapple with the possibility that revenge should be a part of a justice system...Awesomely well-written novel."--John Walsh, editor, The Hedgemaster ***** Author Tom Phelan, who is a former priest, grew up in the long shadow of one of Ireland's most notorious institutions for boys, Saint Conleth's in County Offaly. The reputation of the place was such that as children, Phelan and his contemporaries were often threatened with being sent to Saint Conleth's if they didn't behave. According to the Irish writer John McGahern, "The true history of the thirties, forties and fifties in [Ireland] has yet to be written. When it does, I believe it will be shown to have been a very dark time indeed, in which an insular Church colluded with an insecure State to bring about a society that was often bigoted, intolerant, cowardly, philistine and spiritually crippled." Tom Phelan's Nailer is both a riveting whodunit and a deeply affecting indictment of the Catholic Church's grab for power after the British departed from Ireland. Nailer shines a light on a very dark time in Ireland's modern history. Tom Phelan, reared on a farm in County Laois, is the author of IN THE SEASON OF THE DAISIES, ISCARIOT, DERRYCLONEY, LIES THE MUSHROOM PICKERS TOLD, and THE CANAL BRIDGE. His first novel was selected by Barnes and Noble for its Discover Great New Writers series and was a finalist for the Discover Award. Read more at www.tomphelan.net.