Police procedural set in PARIS and AVEYRON
A coming-of-age novel set in NORTHERN IRELAND
18th June 2026
The Ballad of Ronan McCoy by Colin Morgan, a coming-of-age novel set in NORTHERN IRELAND
The Ballad of Ronan McCoy by Colin Morgan is a funny and moving coming-of-age novel focussing on teenage relationships and the importance of friendship. The narrator, Brendan, is a teenage schoolboy coping with the usual traumas of school, relationships, part-time work and driving lessons. The author sensitively portrays the emotions Brendan experiences, and the ways in which he changes, when his world suddenly falls apart.
The novel is set in a fictional small town in Northern Ireland. Ronan McCoy is a high achiever; athletic, clever and popular. He’s Brendan’s best friend, though Brendan considers himself to have none of Ronan’s qualities. Ronan is close to his parents, whereas Brendan’s family has struggled to communicate lately. Yet the two boys are so close that the rest of world barely exists for them. One day Brendan’s “dark feeling” comes over him, and he realises that is something bad is about to happen. When Ronan doesn’t arrive at school that day, his suspicions are confirmed. The reality of what has happened will change everything.
The book is beautifully plotted and paced, so that you just want to keep reading. The way the author portrays his characters allows us to see inside their souls. It is easy to identify with and admire Brendan as he experiences so many emotions; guilt, grief, anger and a great devotion to his friend.
The setting of the book is fictional, but its dark Irish sense of humour is important to provide contrast and a little light relief from the prevailing tension. The author describes locations that just might be a real small town and its environs in one of the Northern Irish counties. The rural, agricultural surroundings are described in such a way as to reflect the Brendan’s internal desolation as he struggles to adapt to his new circumstances.
There has been quite a flurry of novels set in the island of Ireland crossing my desk lately and so far I have loved every one of them. This is no exception and I recommend it with enthusiasm.
Sue for the TripFiction Team
Catch our reviewer Sue: TwitterX @SueKelsoRyan / IG @SueKelosRyan / BlueSky @suekelsoryan.bsky.social
Join team TripFiction on Social Media:
Twitter (@TripFiction), Facebook (@TripFiction.Literarywanderlust), YouTube (TripFiction #Literarywanderlust), Instagram (@TripFiction) and Pinterest (@TripFiction) and BlueSky(tripfiction.bsky.social) and Threads (@tripfiction)
Please wait...
