IRON ANNIE

Small-time criminal Aoife embarks on a road trip to sell purloined cocaine for the local kingpin in this debut crime novel. Narrator Eleanor McLoughlin embodies Aoife's down-to-earth qualities as she portrays the character's first-person point of view. The distinctive Dundalk accent of Northern Ireland is an essential part of Aoife's character, as are her choices of slang. These set her apart as she travels across Ireland and England with her lover, Annie. McLoughlin serves as an able guide throughout the journey's changing geography, deepening the listener's immersion. As accents shift, so does Aoife's confidence in herself and in her relationship with the idealistic and emotionally opaque Annie. McLoughlin's pacing draws listeners along as the story moves between past and present, and Aoife struggles with growing uncertainty. J.R.T. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2022]