“Her seventh novel, The Chosen, grabs the readers’ attention right from the opening pages and her sharp, unpredictable plot refuses to let go.”

Rest of the review can be found here- Review.

How is everyone? I hope we’re all past the ‘oh no Christmas was only yesterday’ blues.

Arlene

The gracious Elizabeth A White reviews The Chosen on her site.
I cannot tell you how gratifying it is to read that I have not make a hames of accents ( I worried a lot about this). I did a lot of re-writing and constant replaying of taped conversations to make sure I did not turn a rural American accent into a pastiche, so I am delighted when I read – “Hunt did extensive on location research for ...

Muggy head and tired feet from a whole lot of dancing aside, how nice to start the New Year with a very tasty review. All I want to do is tell stories and have people enjoy them, so this has made me grin ear to ear.
Happy New Year everyone, let’s worry about diets and stuff later in the day.

I sat down a while ago with fellow scribe Declan Burke to talk about The Chosen and the piece appears in today’s Irish Examiner,

Bearing in mind the day that’s in it, I’d like to take the time to wish all of you a very Happy New Year, see you in 2012 and take care.
Arlene

Arlene Hunt’s latest is a deadly game of Chase.

Horrific Massacres of children have stunned the world in recent years – from that at Columbine High School in 1999 to the harrowing slighter of teenagers at the Norwegian summer camp this year. Irish crime writer Arlene Hunt uses similar sickening violence to provide the dramatic opening to The Chosen, which is set in Rockville, a small American town.
Jessie Conway is a teacher at the local high school. Her ordinary appearance ...

A spookily scared review can be found here. I laughed. Scaring people is fun.

A second review here.

Also the following week, don’t forget Wednesday 8th of December, the delightful Pen Ireland are holding an event on crime at United Arts Club, 3 Upper Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2. Detail can be found here. I’ll be flying in from London that day, so fingers crossed the weather does not cause any disruption.

Hello there, last week of the tour rolling up and having spent a cracking Saturday in Charlie Byrnes excellent bookshop last weekend, this Saturday sees me off to the Kilkenny and The Book Centre, which my friend Byran tells me is fabulous, I’ll be there between 1-2 signing copies of The Chosen, so do stop by if you are in the vicinity.

On a quick note; the lovely people at TV3 have picked The Chosen as book of the month ...

Most of you know of my elderly old basset Opus, amigo to cafe owners all across Barcelona and all round ace hound. Well, I’m sad to say he passed away earlier this evening, age 15. He went peacefully, his head in my lap, belly filled with his favourite food, Andrew scratching the top of his head.  He was a  brilliant companion, wiggly-waggy friend of cats, and devoted gourmond of cheese, the stinkier the better. We loved him dearly and will ...