Book Review: "Prestige Drama" by Séamas O'Reilly

The townspeople in the Irish town of Derry are excited, which doesn’t happen that often. A show about the Troubles in Northern Ireland is going to be filmed in town. Then it is announced that famous American actress Monica Logue is going to play the lead, and the excitement reaches a fever pitch.

Not long after Monica’s arrival in Derry, where she rubs shoulders with the locals, she disappears without a trace. Everyone in town has a theory on what happened and where she could have gone. But her disappearance throws the future of the show into doubt, which could prove disappointing to many in town.

This is one of those books with multiple narrators—some that are recurring, some we hear from only once. Everyone has their own perspectives, on the Troubles, on the show, and, of course, Monica’s disappearance. And when you have multiple people sharing their views, you don’t know who’s telling the truth.

We hear from the alcoholic screenwriter, trying for one last chance at success; the woman who lost her teenage son during the Troubles and is now the focal point of the script; a local man hoping to have a part in the show; and a woman whose house is going to be used for some of the filming, among others. Each person has their own unique voice.

This was an entertaining book, because you get to shape the plot based on how you saw the characters and what they said. There are some surprises which slowly unfold, and that made the narrative a bit richer.