“Runaway: Michael Lynn’s Narrative by Michael O’Farrell (Merrion Press, priced at €19.99)
Despite the common knowledge of its endgame (an imprisonment of 5½ years), this account of an €18 million heist from six banks continues to spin like a page-turning novel. Journalist O’Farrell tirelessly pursues Lynn’s evasive moves across Europe until Lynn vanishes once more. He eventually reappears in a horrific Brazilian prison, enduring 4½ years there. Over the consequent 16 years, Farrell got acquainted fairly well with Lynn, discovering a man full of geniality, Irish allure and deception, fond of juvenile humour. Lynn was also disparaged: “Yes, I am a risk-taker — not a robber.” The book offers an entirely captivating insight into another shameful Irish financial fraud. — Owen Dawson
The Dawnside by Téa Obreht (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, at £20)
The unsettling era of the Covid-19 pandemic lends an expected backdrop to this masterpiece. An 11-year-old environmental refugee, along with her mother, escapes “The Homeland” to relocate to an eroding city under the governmental ‘Repopulation Plan’. Even in the face of environmental ‘gloom’, the sentiment is not horror but acquiescence. Change is inevitable; we will adapt, is the message from the author; children will always remain children. Blending elements of traditions, influential folklore and magical realism, the narrative grapples with profound philosophical concepts such as the intertwinement of superstition, culpability and sorrow. It also tenderly unravels the story of an immigrant, which sees the daughter guiding her mother in their unfamiliar environment. A remarkable piece. — Brigid O’Dea
Among Companions: Associations and Interactions by Michael Frayn (Faber, priced at £12.99)”
Michael Frayn, the celebrated author, playwright and journalist, reveals in his memoir, Among Others: Friendships and Encounters, that he often considered himself the least intelligent member of any group he was part of. The memoir is a fascinating blend of essays, each dedicated to an individual who left a mark on his life. Some were mere acquaintances, others were lifelong friends (Frayn was born in 1933). He explores various noteworthy individuals, such as his childhood companion, David, whose life initially became an object of envy for the young Frayn until he learned about David’s oppressive and domineering father. Then there’s Liza, his inaugural love, whom he met on a blistering night in June 1957, and Sarah Haffner, the Berlin-based artist who he shared a somewhat cautious friendship with for three decades before they had a falling out. Frayn isn’t obsessed with remembering every minutiae, often absolving himself from the need to do so. His memoir is an humble and mindful tribute to a life truly lived. — Henrietta McKervey.