The Deadwood Encore – A madcap midlands adventure combines black humour with serious themes

Kathleen Murray’s debut novel is a feelgood coming of age story, a road-trip and a paranormal parable, all mixed up into one madcap adventure. Nineteen-year-old Frank Whelan is the seventh son of a seventh son. His late father was famed beyond the borders of their native Carlow as a healer, but so far Frank is showing little talent as a curer of ailments, beyond perhaps warts and ringworm.

When his twin, Bernie, confesses to being ...