BY MARY McCARTHY
WHEN the pandemic hit, it showed the world how vulnerable we all were. Amy Cronin, a Kinsale-based writer, found this time to be a catalyst for change. ‘No one plans a writing career, but one hopes for it,’ she said. She began to take her writing seriously in 2020 and dreamed big. Her debut crime novel Blinding Lies was published in 2022. It successfully reached no 1 on the Amazon Irish Crime chart and no 7 on the Irish equivalent.
When the first book was published, readers asked when her second book would be coming out. That’s what prompted her to write Twisted Truth, a new novel in the Anna Clarke trilogy.
Amy lives with her husband and two children and loves to read crime and thrillers. ‘Ian Rankin’s Witch Hunt is the crime book that influenced me the most,’ she said. A love of writing began when she was at school. Throughout her third level studies in a business degree and during her masters in management, she pursued her passion for short stories, writing diaries and poetry. Recently, she found great support from online courses. The writing prompts and critiques got her motivated, she said, and were a great push to get creative.
Twisted Truth tells the story of violent and seemingly random murders that are terrorising Cork. The character, PS Williams, is a detective who finds it a challenge to connect the victims to the motive. However, there is one common trait in all the murders – they are being filmed by one of the killers. As time progresses, each killing is more alarming. Amy explained that Anna Clarke, Garda clerical staff, gets involved. ‘Anna is also trying to find the truth about her own parents’ mysterious disappearance when she was a teenager,’ she said. ‘Now in her early twenties, the truth about her parents is revealed.’
The novel’s twists and turns keep the reader at the edge of their seat, with the clock ticking to the grand finale.
Amy said her interest in art allowed her to weave into the story of Twisted Truth the Fastnet Lighthouse painting by Cork-based artist Rick McGroarty. The painting of the famous Mizen landmark appears in character Tom Gallagher’s house in the novel.
There is already interest in Amy’s third novel, where the strands of the trilogy are brought together. The first chapter of the book will appear in the Cork Words 3 anthology that will be launched by Cork City Library at the end of February.
Her advice to aspiring writers is: ‘Write the book you want to read yourself.’
‘Telling people what you are doing validates it, and most are supportive and encouraging,’ said Amy, ‘while entering competitions helps hone your writing.’ Her parting wisdom was don’t try to be a literary writer if you are not one – let the story flow.
