About the Author

Jo Spain has worked as a journalist and a party advisor on the economy in the Irish parliament. With Our Blessing is her first novel and was one of seven books shortlisted in the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller competition 2015. Joanne lives in Dublin with her husband and their four young children.

Reviews

Absolutely my comfort reading . . . the investigative team members are interesting and well-drawn - Ann CleevesTakes the traditional "country house mystery" and gives it an Irish twist. Atmospheric and compelling - Sinead Crowley, author of Can Anybody Help Me?Jo Spain's vivid thriller explores the dark secrets from Ireland's past that continue to haunt Irish society today - Martin Sixsmith, author of PhilomenaIn a very strong year for Irish crime-fiction debuts, Jo Spain's With Our Blessing is among the most assured . . . The story is rooted in decades-old cruelty and abuse, but despite the vivid brutality with which Spain opens the novel the tale as a whole is a rather genteel affair, an old-fashioned harking back to Agatha Christie . . . The apparently cosy tone is only skin deep, however: With Our Blessing picks at the scabs of recent Irish history to reveal raw and gaping wounds - Irish TimesAn uncomfortable read that delves into [a] country's dark secrets - Irish IndependentBrilliant! Fast paced, well researched and sensitive. Jo Spain is a sparking new talent - Irish ExaminerSpain's vivid thriller explores the dark secrets of Ireland's past that are a real-life situation haunting so many people within Irish society today - Irish Country LivingFiendishly clever . . . and a big fat twist is lobbed into the ending like a hand grenade - Irish Sunday Independent