All the News that Fits

It’s Finally Spring in Vermont!

That wonderful time of year is here - when mud season is forgotten, the trees are suddenly alive and green, and all things wake up! For those who've asked (and thank you very much!) - Book Three is coming along well! And thank you to Bridgeside Books (in Waterbury, Vermont) for hosting Indie Bookstore Day - Vermont Writers Fair. So glad to have met so many new readers! What a great, fun day!

A New Review!

" BIRTH OF THE ANGEL by Conal O'Brien is a chilling murder-mystery (based on the true-story of a Boston art heist) that speeds between the sandy dunes and docks of Eastern Long Island, and the little pockets of modern Manhattan that seem to be in a perpetual state of vanishing. Cops in tight conversations over cardboard coffee cups, topped with steaming lids. The tension winds-up like a slowly tuned violin string until it suddenly snaps...!  A thrilling story. " Thank you Joe Rombi for your kind review ! And, I especially appreciate the way you posted fun, supportive comments as you read through the book !

A New Review!

    "Very Engaging! So, I just finished “Death of Television”, the 2nd book in the two-book murder/mystery series by Conal O’Brien. I really liked the first book, “Birth of the Angel” but liked this second one even more. “Death of Television” will grab you and pull you in with all its twists and turns and the pace rapidly quickens to a very surprise ending. Beware there are a lot of (very interesting) characters to keep track of who O’Brien skillfully weaves in and out of the plot. The author has thoughtfully provided a reference list at the back of the book which gives a brief description of each character which, I have to admit, I had to refer to on a number of occasions. All in all, a really fun, beautifully crafted read ! "    - Doug Geller, Amazon Review Thank You Doug for taking time to post this, and for your kind and encouraging words! I am so grateful, Conal

READERS FAVORITE !

Thank you K.C. Finn for the brand new, Five Star Review of BIRTH OF THE ANGEL ! I so appreciate it, Conal  

Welcome WCAX Viewers !

Thank you for taking a look at my website!  Go to LINKS to see my recent Walkabout Podcasts. Each of the episodes is about five minutes long, with of photos and videos of the amazing NYC locations used in my books. They were lots of fun to make. Hope you enjoy,  -  Conal  

New Podcast Links

Go to LINKS and checkout the Bookbinder YouTube channel (that's me!). There, you will find lots of new videos, including: NYC Walkabout: Lucy Dhegrae and I visit the famous ANSONIA (Hotel) - one of the many NYC locations used in my books, and my WDEV Radio interview on Vermont Viewpoint with Brad Ferland. I hope you enjoy these, and Thank you for visiting my site! -    Conal    

Great New Mystery, Very Cinematic!

"I loved part two of this murder mystery series! I finished it very quickly and was totally surprised by the ending. Loved how the author wove it all together. Can't wait for more books in this series following the stolen objects of the Gardner Museum in Boston. Highly recommended!" "☆☆☆☆☆5 out of 5 stars - Whodunit/Part of a series/Couldn't put it down." Thank you! Dear mystery fan for posting this review of DEATH OF TELEVISION on Barnes and Noble. It means so much to me, Conal    

Grateful

Thank you to the readers of my books. Thank you for your kind words and support. Thank you for making the launch of Death of Television so successful. I am truly grateful. Wishing you all a happy holiday season and a great year to come!    - Conal  

Book Signing! Saturday, Nov. 19th: eleven-to-one

at Bridgeside Books in Waterbury. This is a gem of a bookstore! And Waterbury, if you are considering coming, is a charming Vermont town with great places to eat  - like The Reservoir, and Prohibition Pig; and fun, eclectic shops - like The Emporium - and Bridgeside Books. Where I'll be on Saturday, the 19th. Hope to see you there!

Birth of the Angel

The sales numbers from the summer just arrived... Thank you Dear Readers for your support! And for all the great reviews and 5-star ratings (bless you!!) on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and GoodReads.... I so appreciate your taking the time and your kind words. Our weather in Vermont has turned cooler, and everywhere the trees are filling out with autumnal colors. It's always been my favorite time of year.... I'm hard at work here on the conclusion of the story: Death of Television, The COVID Murders Mystery: Book Two and it is going very well!

Reviews

Birth of the Angel

The COVID Murders Mystery: Book One of Two

Penned by author Conal O’Brien, this gripping novel follows Artemis Bookbinder, an academic with an NYPD background, and a personal obsession for a still unsolved case: the robbery of the Gardner Museum in Boston. It’s February 2020, and a famous painting is found, along with a very dead body. Artemis, a lifelong germophobe, must navigate the COVID-19 outbreak through a dark world of cults, drugs, and an all too powerful TV news outlet. What he discovers will shatter the foundation of everything he believes. Salvation depends on a woman who is trying to free herself from a vengeful world controlled by men. The novel weaves together mystery, pandemic realities, and unexpected twists. Author Conal O’Brien has crafted an enthralling experience that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. The author’s talented blending of an unsolved art robbery, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a suspenseful murder mystery created a unique and captivating narrative. The realism and characterization around Artemis Bookbinder’s quirky character, and background as an academic with an NYPD past, added depth to the story. The novel also achieved a skillful navigation of the complexities of the pandemic, using it as a backdrop to a dark and thrilling tale filled with cults, drugs, and secrets. The suspenseful twists and turns kept me guessing until the end, and the well-crafted plot highlighted the harsh realities of living during the pandemic without overdoing the drama. Overall, Birth of the Angel is a must-read for mystery enthusiasts seeking a captivating blend of crime-solving, pandemic struggles, and unexpected revelations.

This work of fiction in the murder mystery, suspense, and interpersonal drama genres, is best suited to mature readers owing to some explicit language and sexual situations.

K.C. FINN, READERS' FAVORITE

“I think it’s important to point out that this is not a sequel, but part two. It quite literally picks up where it left off at the end of book one. Imagine a two-part TV drama with an ad break in between.

However, I soon fell into step with Artemis Bookbinder, erstwhile member of the NYPD turned FBI advisor. Book One was very prescient, as we were still in the grip of COVID and its harsh restrictions: Artemis’s character is a germophobe, so he didn’t fair too well in that climate. He’s still assisting in the hunt for a murderer, and the resurgence of evidence relating to an unsolved thirty-year-old priceless-art theft; but he’s learning to cope better in the less constrictive post-COVID world.

I was reminded how much I enjoyed the first part and, importantly, of the author’s writing talent. The conclusion was one I never saw coming, one which makes you utter ‘wow, I’d never have guessed that!’, which I always think confirms a story well written.

This was a cracking read, and I hope Artemis has many more challenging cases to solve.”

Cath’n’Kindle, UK - Book Two Review

“Thrilled to get my hands on the conclusion to this series!! It did not disappoint! I can usually guess ‘who done it’ but in this case, Conal O’Brien had me till the end. I love that this was so smart, detailed, layered, and that there were no shortcuts to a satisfying ending. This real-life unsolved mystery is the basis for an imagined outcome that brings three interwoven sub plots crashing together and I could not put it down. Very excited also that there may be a third book. Yes, please!!!  Absolute mystery fun!”

Beth Maitland, Goodreads - Book Two Review

“I could not put this smart and layered mystery down! And I cannot wait for the conclusion in book two coming next month. I love that a real life unsolved mystery is at the heart of this fictional imagined outcome, and that the well developed characters charge forward in parallel stories to (hopefully) crash together in part two. Murder, art theft, Covid and multi generational tragedy keep you on the edge of your seat. Every delicious development was satisfying in the extreme!

Hopping from foot to foot for book Two!!!!!! As an avid mystery fan, Birth of the Angel did not disappoint!”

Beth Maitland, Goodreads - Book One Review

“This is a brilliant and sophisticated thriller. All the usual suspects feature in it: theft, murder, tragedy, drugs, deception, manipulation. There’s also a dark and seedy cult (for want of a better word: the members are really just a bit deranged), and just to make it more prescient, the wretched Covid is thrown in!

It’s perfectly crafted, with varied, excellent, well-developed characters, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I need Book 2 to be ready and available very quickly!”

Cath ‘n’ Kindle (UK) - Book One Review

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