Karen Fitzgibbon is a native of Castleconnell. ‘The World’s End’ is her first novel.
What happened to Grace Doran?
On a beautiful weekend in May, Grace Doran and her friend, Sarah, travel to Castle Cove to stay in the luxurious summerhouse, The World’s End, with Sarah’s boyfriend and some of his friends. After a night of
partying and sizzling temptations, they hire a boat and sail to a nearby island.
Five go out, only four return.
One year later, Private Investigator, Lana Bowen journeys to Castle Cove. Haunted by a traumatic event in her own past, and tormented with panic attacks, she fights her own demons as she tries to piece together what happened on the island. The further she delves, the more she uncovers – a web of deceit, betrayal and a sinister undercurrent.
Someone is desperately trying to hold onto a secret.
Truth is a shifting and elusive concept, where masks of deception hide motives and secrets lurk in this gripping exploration of secrets and lies, shrouded in darkness.
A few years back, I happened upon the remains of a holiday home leading onto a small
beach in County Clare, Ireland. The beach is known locally as Seafields and you have to pass through the ruins and cross a field to reach it. Farm animals roamed around the old building and an empty pool overgrown with weeds.
And, as the crow flies, the immediate view in front of the house is a small, uninhabited island, Mutton Island. I asked my mother-in-law about the house and she informed me about some time in the fifties when the building was a luxurious holiday home, hosting lavish parties, and that often the revellers would take boats out to Mutton Island. The ruin, the barely visible pool and the magnificent view inspired me to write this book and so began the story of The World’s End.
My visit to Seafields beach was only the beginning though! The story has evolved and grown from that first visit. And so many people have helped me along the way.
About the Author
Karen Fitzgibbon is a native of Castleconnell, a theatre and film maker based in Limerick city. She has been co-writing, co-producing, acting in and directing plays and short films with community groups and professional groups for over twenty years. She holds a Licentiate in Theatre Studies with Trinity College London. Karen lives in Limerick with her family and much-loved springer spaniel Major. The World’s End is the first in a series of novels, introducing Private Investigator, Lana Bowen.