Holding: A Novel

Top marks! Graham Norton pulled it off: he created relatable, significantly flawed characters and never slipped into the grating melancholy some writers insist on using when their pathetic characters can only seem to fail. Even after one bad blow follows another, the reader senses hope in "Holding." It might not always be in the words on the page, but it's definitely in Mr. Norton's writing.Like many mystery readers, I love to try and figure out who is the murderer, the whys and the hows. A couple of times I thought I had the answers, but I'm pleased to report I was wrong. The ending was not a shocking surprise, but completely believable.Not everyone gets a happy ending. But then again, and maybe this is just Mr. Norton's own likeable self coming through, the reader does get to close the book knowing that there is still hope.

Holding: a Novel by Graham Norton.This is a debut novel by Mr. Norton published in 2016.Mr. Norton is a very successful Irish actor, comedian, tv talk-show host and commentator and award-winning author.I remember Mr. Norton from a years and years ago segment of Father Ted!Holding is a very well-written, very atmospheric, comedic at times, story taking place in a tiny, obscure village in County Cork, Ireland.Like many small, somewhat isolated communities, there are bubbling undercurrents of resentment, jealousy, sadness, anger, lost chances, regret and secrets just below the surface. Lots and lots of secrets.Although main character P.J. Collins is a local Garda, I wouldn’t label this a police drama or mystery or detective story. It is a human interest story, very personal.I thoroughly enjoyed this book. ****

Three and a half stars. I liked this book a lot. Was not expecting such quality writing from a celebrity! I loved the main character PJ Collins, the Garda, well developed (in more ways than one!). I loved the whole small town / gossipy feel of the story though it did feel like it was written in the 70s, think times have moved on a bit from then, though I could be wrong. There were lots of characters, lots of secrets, many twists and turns and I didn't work it out. Disappointed with the end, think he should have left it a few pages earlier but maybe he's setting the scene for a sequel!

Graham Norton’s “Holding” was an easy, comfortable, warm, cozy read. The descriptions of the town and their people were great. It could easily be turned into a great movie or short series. It will keep your interest.

At last, someone who can write professionally. No unending list of forgettable characters, ridiculous plot lines, or convoluted overwrought sentences. Just a good story, small cast of players with some depth. And best of all, written in ONE VOICE. Overall a good read.

Although this book involves mysteries, cops, and an unidentified corpse, it’s not a whodunit. It’s a beautifully-written novel about how we (or the characters) age, how we lie to ourselves, how we often waste our lives. I’m taken aback at how well GN writes. Every main character in this book is distinct and fleshed-out (sorry, P.J.!); they stay with me still. There are very few villains in this story, just confused, desperate people who still have a grain of humanity. The vast majority of them, anyway.The story, as it unravels, is a tragedy, of course. It’s Irish. But there are so many laugh-out-loud lines carelessly tossed in, it’s also very funny.Bravo! When I finished this book, I went back to the beginning on my Kindle and read it all over again, to catch all the nuances. It’s that good.ETA: *SPOILER ALERT*On second reading, the book needed better editing/proofing. There are major holes in the timeline. All we know is that Tommy was born in 1966 and disappeared at age 29 per PJ's notes, so around 1995. I assume he can figure that much out as a cop. It's clear that the current events in the book (the discovery of the bones, etc.) are meant to be "today," but in what year? The book was published in 2016. I'd first assumed that it was meant to be based in 2015. For instance, Mrs. Meany says when the bones were discovered that it had been almost 20 years since Tommy disappeared. She ought to know, right?So why then does Evelyn state very specifically that it has been 23 years since he disappeared, and she was 17 at the time?Why does PJ himself, who ought to be able to count, say, God knows what these women (Brid & Evelyn) were like 25 years ago?Why does Abigail say that the coverup had worked fine for 25 years?Brid married Anthony with "unseemly haste" after Tommy ran off to England. How come her two children are tweens, 20/23/25 (pick a number) years later?Brid and Tommy got engaged within two months of their first date and he disappeared right afterwards in 1995. Why was their first date a 1991 movie (Kevin Costner in some Robin Hood thing)?Why does Brid (at Tommy's funeral) feel that "she had enough going on w/o holding on to her teenage anger at Evelyn"? (Brid was mid or late 20s when she had her first date with Tommy.)I know, I know, I should get a life! These aren't red herrings deliberately inserted, or false narrators or what have you. They're just sloppy errors. My impression is that the author worked on this for a number of years - he had other things going on in his life, after all. It's also supported by the author saying the builders developing the former Burke Farm are almost bankrupt due to the collapse of the Celtic Tiger. That took place in 2007/8, and reverberations lingered through 2012, but by 2015, it just wasn't the case anymore.It's a good reminder to writers who are writing books set in different time frames to have a timeline in front of you and know your characters' ages at every stage.None of this changes my rating. I'd just recommend not trying to make sense of the timeline!

I was a bit hesitant, probably just being judgmental since Graham Norton is a tv host. But, love many books with Ireland as the backdrop. Saw his books got good reviews so gave it a go. I was pleasantly surprised. I would consider Holding a light read, but with substance, had interesting characters. The story actually went in a direction that I was definitely not expecting but it was quite good. I would recommend.

The dark comedy aspects make this book unique in how the reader cares or doesn't care for the various characters who are all developed well in their own history. However the written wit that hooked me in the first chapter does not continue. As the mystery comes to close the resolution is without reward due to the circumstances. But perhaps that's the point. A quick read.

I’ll definitely read more from Graham, his style is warm, exciting and the story is beautiful.

Non so quanti conoscano Graham Norton in Italia. Anch'io ci ho messo qualche anno a scoprire che non solo è un eccellente conduttore di programmi TV, ma che sa anche scrivere. La storia è ambientata in uni'irlanda di campagna e gira tutto intorno alle indagini che seguono la scoperta di ossa vecchie di un paio di decenni nel campo di una fattoria abbandonata. La storia 'gialla' è sicuramente godibile e credibile ma la vera gemma è come l'eccellente scrittura renda vivi tutti i personaggi, molto 'irlandesi', senza indulgere in stupidi cliché. Adesso passo a leggere i successivi. Stra - consigliato.

Was interested to see what Graham Norton would write and was pleasantly surprised

Quién conoce a GN como Host de su show semanal sabe que es una persona preparada, inteligente, ingeniosa, carismática y con mucha humanidad, por lo que encontrar estos trazos en su novela no es extraño. Además de la prosa tan bien escrita y la lectura amena, la historia central y las de los personajes se entrelazan de manera sencilla, más no simplona, enriquecida por el desarrollo de los mismos. Todos los personajes tienen matices, luces y sombras, bondad y maldad dentro de ellos, que los empuja a tomar decisiones en el presente y pasado que a su vez repercutirán en la vida de otros en ese tiempo o ahora.Me encantó la novela: un misterio por resolver, un cadáver por identificar, vidas qué cambiar, decisiones qué tomar. Bravo Graham Norton!

Graham Norton is actually a very good writer, apart from the fact that he is already a very well known celebrity. The story was charmingly Irish, a clever plot with well written characters. I look forward to reading more of his work.