Killer Instinct: Inside the mind of crime writers.

Join Caragh Bell in conversation with four of Cork's leading crime authors: Michelle Dunne, Tadgh Coakley, Amy Cronin and Catherine Kirwan.

Born and raised in the harbour town of Cobh, Co Cork, Michelle Dunne joined the Irish army at the age of 18, where she went from recruit, to infantry soldier, to Peacekeeper with the UN, to instructor back home in Ireland. During her time in Lebanon, as tracer rounds lit up the sky above her and artillery rained down, she got to experience first-hand the camaraderie between soldiers and the sense of humour that got them all through some frightening situations. She also got to experience how ordinary families tried to live in conflict zones and these experiences have inspired so much of her work to date.

Tadhg Coakley is the award-winning author of five books. His latest, Before He Kills Again was published in 2023. It is a thriller and Part 2 of the Tim Collins Series. The Sunday Independent said: 'An intricately plotted novel… this is a welcome addition to Cork Noir. Bring on number three.' It is a sequel to Whatever It Takes which was chosen as the 2020 Cork, One City One Book. His bestselling memoir The Game: A Journey into the Heart of Sport (2022) was shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards.

Amy Cronin lives by the sea with her husband and young children in Cork, Ireland. A former tutor at Munster Technological University, she worked in the Irish civil service for a number of years before pursuing her passion for writing crime fiction. She has published two thrillers, Blinding Lies and Twisted Truth with Poolbeg Press. Her third thriller with Poolbeg, In The Shadows, will be published in January 2024. Amy’s first novel with Harper Collins HQ, The Dark Hours, will be published in September 2024.

Catherine Kirwan grew up on a farm in the parish of Fews, County Waterford. She studied law at UCC and lives in Cork where she works as a solicitor. Her first novel, Darkest Truth, was chosen as Cork’s One City One Book by Cork City Libraries in 2019. Her second book, Cruel Deeds, is out now in paperback and her third, 'A Lesson in Malice', is published on 29th June 2023 by Hachette Ireland.

Caragh Bell has published six books with Poolbeg Press and is currently working on her seventh. She has also contributed to an upcoming book entitled ‘Perspectives on the Teaching of Secondary English’published by Cork University Press. Caragh regularly has articles published in various magazines and newspapers, gives workshops on writing, and her latest project is a play entitled ‘One in Four’ which is to be performed in The Drama League of Ireland One-Act Festival later this year.