It is boom time in Dublin, and Philip and Sam, a professional couple in banking and advertising gorged on vertiginous success, buy a run-down monastery in a wealthy suburb. As they renovate their statement home and throw lavish parties to consolidate their social standing, cracks begin to appear in the designer fixtures, mirroring the disintegration of their marriage and a once-solid moral scaffolding. William King pierces the surface of this era of glitz and easy credit, following the contours of Ireland's bubble-and-burst through a vivid cast of characters whose stories interweave — the unsavoury banker Sharkey, a retired doctor, a maverick priest, neglected teenagers, and trophy wives in trophy cars. With the financial tsunami sweeping across the Atlantic, Ireland's economy unravels, and Philip, Sam and the feral Sharkey confront the true cost of their sacrifices and choices. Praise for Leaving Ardglass King offers a richly textured and deeply felt portrait of a society in flux and of individuals ensnared in their fallible humanity and helpless in the face of time. The dubious privilege of moral judgment is left to the reader in this outstanding novel. JOHN BOLAND, Irish Independent A finely written and brave book that throws up uncomfortable truths and interesting parallels between hidden worlds, driven by ambitious men determined to survive. DERMOT BOLGER, The Sunday Business Post
