‘A warm, deeply moving, life-enhancing novel’
SARAH WINMAN, author of Still Life

Frankie Howe was never quite sure enough of herself to take centre stage – after all, life had already judged her harshly. Now in her eighties, she finds it easier to forget the life that came before.

Then Damian, a young Irish carer, arrives at her London flat to keep an eye on her as she recovers from a fall. A memory is sparked, and the past crackles into life as Damian listens to the story Frankie has kept stored away all these years.

From post-war Ireland to the dazzling art scene of 1960s New York, Frankie shares a world in which friendships and chance encounters collide. A place where life blazes with an intensity that can’t last but will perhaps live on in other ways and in other people.

‘Top-notch… full of warmth, comedy and dark secrets.’ DAILY MIRROR

‘Beautifully constructed with a twisty plot. A cracking read.’ JO BRAND

‘Effortlessly readable, possessed of a super twist .’ THE OBSERVER

‘A winning mix of family drama and comedy crime caper… you may well find yourself reading it in one sitting.’ HEAT

‘Dark, funny, full of emotional intelligence and gripping from the start. ..beautifully written… Wonderful.’ DAILY MAIL

‘Blends dark humour and emotional weight with ease.’ RADIO TIMES

‘His best yet.’ THE SUNDAY POST

‘Full of Graham’s trademark warmth and wit. It’s also a complex mystery that ties its characters together in ways they’d least expect.’ SUNDAY EXPRESS

The new dark comedy from the Sunday Times bestselling author Graham Norton

Carol is a divorced teacher living in a small town in Ireland, happy enough with the life she has. But a second chance at love brings her unexpected connection and joy. The new relationship with sparks local gossip: what does a woman like her see in a man like that? What happened to his wife who abandoned him all those years ago?

When Declan becomes ill, things start to fall apart. His children are untrusting and greedy, and Carol is made to leave their beloved home with its worn oak floors and elegant features and move back in with her parents.

Carol’s mother is determined to get to the bottom of things, she won’t see her daughter treated this way. It seems there are secrets in Declan’s past, strange rumours that were never confronted and suddenly the house they shared takes on a more sinister significance.

In his gripping and darkly comic new novel Norton casts a light on the relationship between mothers and daughters, and truth and self-preservation with unnerving effect.

‘What a fabulous read… Forever Home is his best so far. It’s a complex and compelling story – truly unputdownable – but most importantly for me, it has real heart.’ MARY LAWSON

‘The latest comedy noir by Graham Norton features fractured families at their worst. I loved it!’ LIZ NUGENT

‘A tale of new beginnings and old secrets. Norton is the king of the Irish small town mystery.’ ANNE GRIFFIN

‘A magnificent novelist.’ STUART HERITAGE for THE GUARDIAN

‘Blend[s] dark humour and emotional weight with ease.’ RADIO TIMES

‘His best yet.’ THE SUNDAY POST

‘Full of Graham’s trademark warmth and wit. It’s also a complex mystery that ties its characters together in ways they’d least expect.’ SUNDAY EXPRESS

‘Dark, funny, full of emotional intelligence and gripping from the start. ..beautifully written… Wonderful.’ DAILY MAIL

‘Beautifully constructed with a twisty plot … the perfect mix of levity and melancholy. A cracking read.’ JO BRAND

‘A winning mix of family drama and comedy crime caper … you may well find yourself reading it in one sitting.’ HEAT

‘Oh my GOD Forever Home is FABULOUS… His skill at gimlet-eyed observation and nuanced characterisation is *chef’s kiss* but this book is SO FUNNY… It’s a DELIGHT.’ MARIAN KEYES

Carol is a divorced teacher living in a small town in Ireland, her only son now grown. A second chance at love brings her unexpected connection and belonging. The new relationship sparks local speculation: what does a woman like her see in a man like that? What happened to his wife who abandoned them all those years ago? But the gossip only serves to bring the couple closer.

When Declan becomes ill, things start to fall apart. His children are untrusting and cruel, and Carol is forced to leave their beloved home with its worn oak floors and elegant features and move back in with her parents.

Carol’s mother is determined to get to the bottom of things, she won’t see her daughter suffer in this way. It seems there are secrets in Declan’s past, strange rumours that were never confronted and suddenly the house they shared takes on a more sinister significance.

In his tense and darkly comic new novel Norton casts a light on the relationship between mothers and daughters, and truth and self-preservation with unnerving effect.

‘Effortlessly readable, possessed of a super twist and full of rounded characters to keep close to your heart.’ THE OBSERVER

‘What a fabulous read… Forever Home is his best so far. It’s a complex and compelling story – truly unputdownable – but most importantly for me, it has real heart.’ MARY LAWSON

‘The latest comedy noir by Graham Norton features fractured families at their worst. I loved it!’ LIZ NUGENT

‘A tale of new beginnings and old secrets. Norton is the king of the Irish small town mystery.’ ANNE GRIFFIN

‘Beautiful and heartbreaking.’ PANDORA SYKES

‘A real page-turner, the kind of warmth and magical storytelling that puts me in mind of the late, great Maeve Binchy… a writer of real strength and talent.’ LORRAINE KELLY, ITV

‘intelligent and tenderly observed’ THE TIMES

‘This is a consuming story […] delivering confident, considered truths’ – IRISH SUNDAY TIMES

‘Full of heart and humanity and I loved every single page. What a storyteller!’ ELIZABETH DAY

‘a thoughtful examination of sexual identity, shame, and the impact of collective grief’ OBSERVER

‘Graham Norton’s new novel has me in floods… His gift for characterisation is positively Binchy-esque! Such nuance and warmth! It’s GORGEOUS’ MARIAN KEYES

‘I loved HOME STRETCH … one of those books that stays with you so long after you’ve finished it’ NIGELLA LAWSON

‘A subtle portrait of small-town Ireland; an unblinking study of shame & homophobia; a map of cultural shifts between 1980s & now; a kind, wise, perceptive novel by an author rich in these qualities.’ DAVID MITCHELL

‘Beautifully written. Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy read. Utterly fantastic.’ LIZ NUGENT

‘Graham Norton’s examination of small-town Irish lives continues in his deeply moving third novel. He is a magnificent writer.’ JOHN BOYNE

‘[Graham Norton is a] king of the page turners… A total triumph’ ANNE GRIFFIN

‘What right has such a successful entertainer to write a novel as good as this?’ SUNDAY EXPRESS

‘Home Stretch is a wonderful display’ – IRISH TIMES WEEKEND

‘This book goes down a treat […] A welcome feat of the imagination. Highly recommended.’ – BUSINESS POST

‘His most accomplished and thoughtful [novel] yet’ – RTE GUIDE

Shame and longing can flow through generations, but the secrets of the heart will not be buried for ever.

It is 1987 and a small Irish community is preparing for a wedding. The day before the ceremony a group of young friends, including bride and groom, drive out to the beach. There is an accident. Three survive, but three are killed.

The lives of the families are shattered and the rifts between them are felt throughout the small town. Connor is one of the survivors. But staying among the angry and the mourning is almost as hard as living with the shame of having been the driver. He leaves the only place he knows for another life, taking his secrets with him. Travelling first to Liverpool, then London, he makes a home – of sorts – for himself in New York. The city provides shelter and possibility for the displaced, somewhere Connor can forget his past and forge a new life.

But the secrets, the unspoken longings and regrets that have come to haunt those left behind will not be silenced. And before long, Connor will have to confront his past.

Graham Norton’s powerful and timely novel of emigration and return demonstrates his keen understanding of the power of stigma and secrecy – with devastating results.

‘A compelling and moving story, expertly told, that will draw you in and keep you in its grip until the last page.’ DAILY EXPRESS

‘Magnificent … his writing is evocative and perfect. His grasp of human loneliness and longing is beautiful and comforting.’ MARIAN KEYES

‘I raved about Holding two years ago … A Keeper is even better. A powerful, very sad story, beautiful writing, two time frames that are perfectly balanced. Outstanding. Will easily be one of my books of 2018.’ JOHN BOYNE

‘A gripping, thoughtful tale about the search for identity, belonging and self-possession.’ OBSERVER

‘Moving and darkly funny.’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

‘Smart, well-written and thoroughly entertaining.’ IRISH INDEPENDENT

‘It’s a sad and lovely book, brimful of tenderness and compassion, where the revelations of the past upturn the perceptions of the present.’ SUNDAY EXPRESS

‘Charming and tender, a complete joy.’ SUNDAY MIRROR

‘Perfectly crafted, a beautiful, gripping account of Irish memory and deceit. A terrific achievement.’ ANDREW O’HAGAN

From the bestselling author of Holding comes a masterly tale of secrets and ill-fated loves set on the coast of Ireland.

Dear Lonely Leinster Lady,
I’m not really sure how to begin . . .

The truth drifts out to sea, riding the waves out of sight. And then the tide turns.

Elizabeth Keane returns to Ireland after her mother’s death, intent only on wrapping up that dismal part of her life. There is nothing here for her; she wonders if there ever was. The house of her childhood is stuffed full of useless things, her mother’s presence already fading. And perhaps, had she not found the small stash of letters, the truth would never have come to light.

40 years earlier, a young woman stumbles from a remote stone house, the night quiet but for the tireless wind that circles her as she hurries further into the darkness away from the cliffs and the sea. She has no sense of where she is going, only that she must keep on.

This compelling new novel confirms Graham Norton’s status as a fresh, literary voice, bringing his clear-eyed understanding of human nature and its darkest flaws.

‘A gentle comic crime story’ The Guardian

‘Poised and perceptive’ Sunday Times

‘a beautiful piece of writing with a great story and fantastic, full bodied characters. All this with glorious West Cork as its setting…irresistible.’ Kathy Burke

‘… a deftly plotted story as moving as it is compelling’ Sunday Mirror

‘Deeply accomplished … brilliantly observed’ Good Housekeeping

‘… one of the more authentic debuts I’ve read in recent years … in such an understated manner, eschewing linguistic eccentricity … in favour of genuine characters and tender feeling … this is a fine novel‘ John Boyne, Irish Times

‘It’s funny and wonderfully perceptive’ Wendy Holden

‘It is beautiful and yet devastatingly sad’ Daily Express

‘Strenuously charming … surprisingly tender’ Metro

‘Heartwarming and observant’ Stylist

The remote Irish village of Duneen has known little drama; and yet its inhabitants are troubled. Sergeant PJ Collins hasn’t always been this overweight; mother of two Brid Riordan hasn’t always been an alcoholic; and elegant Evelyn Ross hasn’t always felt that her life was a total waste. So when human remains are discovered on an old farm, suspected to be that of Tommy Burke – a former love of both Brid and Evelyn – the village’s dark past begins to unravel.

As the frustrated PJ struggles to solve a genuine case for the first time in his life, he unearths a community’s worth of anger and resentments, secrets and regret.

Darkly comic, touching and at times profoundly sad. Graham Norton employs his acerbic wit to breathe life into a host of lovable characters, and explore – with searing honesty – the complexities and contradictions that make us human.