Murder One 2023: The Programme!

Running from 6th-8th October, Murder One is thrilled to be supported by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Libraries again this year, and we have a gripping programme for you – come and join us at the LexIcon Venue in Dun Laoghaire for a weekend of crime! See below for our  Murder One 2023 programme of events.

Book now to ensure your seat!

FRIDAY 6TH OCTOBER

Not Just Crime – Meet the Editors

Friday, October 6th at 11.00am
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon

Tickets €10 & €8 plus booking fees BOOK HERE

Three top Irish editors who publish both fiction and nonfiction, discuss their submission process and what they are looking for with Sam Blake. This event isn’t just for crime writers – if you’re writing non fiction, literary fiction, women’s fiction or poetry, book in to find out more. Deidre Nolan heads up Bonnier Books Irish imprint Ériu, Sarah Liddy is a non fiction editor with Gill Books and Ciara Doorley is publishing director at Hachette Ireland.

 

Not Just Crime – Meet the Agents

Friday, October 6th at 1.00pm
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon

Tickets €10 & €8 plus booking fees BOOK HERE

Whether you write for children or adults, literary fiction, crime or science fiction, book now to hear three top agents, Ivan Mulcahy, Polly Nolan and Simon Trewin, reveal what they are looking for in a book. Sam Blake will be asking their tips for your submission package and how to impress an agent, plus the common mistakes they see every day, you cannot afford to miss it.

BOOK HERE

The Body of Truth: Marie Cassidy in conversation with Liz Nugent

Friday, October 6th at 8.00pm
4th Floor dlr LexIcon
Tickets €15 plus booking fees

BOOK HERE

Dr Marie Cassidy served as Ireland’s State Pathologist from 2004 until 2018, her image synonymous with breaking news of high-profile cases. In 2020’s Beyond the Tape: The Life and Many Deaths of a State Pathologist, she described the intricate processes central to solving modern crime. Now retired, she turns her hand to crime fiction with her debut novel Body of Truth. Dr Cassidy will be discussing her thriller with bestselling crime writer, Liz Nugent.

Body of Truth is a gripping story of the secrets of the mortuary that is uncovered with scalpel-like precision. Dr Terry O’Brien has recently arrived in Ireland from Scotland to take up a position as state pathologist. Soon after, a body is found in Dublin’s Phoenix Park. Rachel Reece, host of the popular true crime podcast Ireland’s Missing Women, has been brutally murdered. As Terry gathers evidence to help with the police investigation, she becomes convinced that they are following the wrong line of inquiry and begins her own research. She soon finds herself in the thick of cold cases of murdered Irish women, with questions mounting. What did Rachel Reece find out about the unsolved murder of Eileen McCarthy before she died? Who is feeding Terry anonymous information about the podcaster’s endeavours? And why do the powers that be seem to want to thwart her at every turn? Another woman is found murdered and, as pressure mounts on the gardaí to find the perpetrator, Terry’s post mortem reveals something that might hold the key to everything. But a killer is closer than she knows. And their next victim is firmly within their sights . . .

BOOK HERE

SATURDAY 7TH OCTOBER

The Murderer and the Taoiseach:
Harry McGee in conversation with Breda Brown

Saturday, October 7th at 11.00am
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon
Tickets €12 & €10 plus booking fees  BOOK HERE

Award-winning political journalist, Harry McGee retraces the happenings of the long hot summer of 1982 and the ramifications of the notorious Malcolm Macarthur murder case. From the cat-and-mouse game to track down an unpredictable killer to Macarthur’s extraordinary capture, he considers both the life and psyche of a murderer, and that of the leading political figure of the time – a man similarly driven by greed, status and a sense of himself as existing above the law. True crime doesn’t come much more local than this!

BOOK HERE

3 x 10 Readings in the Studio

Saturday, October 7th at 12.30pm
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon

Free but booking required: BOOK HERE

3 talented crime writers,  Kitty Murphy, Gill Perdue and Casey King, have 10 minutes each to hook you as they discuss and read their work ! Introduced by Sam Blake, their books will be on sale in our bookshop and they will be signing after the event.

BOOK HERE

New Blood:
Meet Debut Authors Disha Bose, Alice Bell & Michelle McDonagh

Saturday, October 7th at 1.30pm
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon
Tickets €12 & €10 plus booking fees BOOK HERE

Getting that first longed for publishing deal is one of the most thrilling experiences any writer will have. Sam Blake quizzes three very different debut authors — Disha Bose, Alice Bell, and Michelle McDonagh — on the game-changing factors that transformed their writing lives and set in motion the transition from aspiring writers to published authors in 2023.

BOOK HERE

3 x 10 Readings in the Studio

Saturday, October 7th at 3.00pm
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon

Free but booking required BOOK HERE

3 talented crime writers, Joe Joyce, Gaye Maguire and Liza Costello, have 10 minutes each to hook you as they discuss and read their work! Introduced by Sam Blake, their books will be on sale in our bookshop and they will be signing after the event.

BOOK HERE

Secrets and Suspense: Alice Feeney, Janice Hallett and Sam Blake talk to Karen Perry

Poster for Murder One Festival featuring four women

Saturday, October 7th at 4.00pm
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon

Tickets €12 & €10 plus booking fees BOOK HERE

Author Karen Perry talks secrets and suspense with bestsellers Alice Feeney, British Book Awards winner Janice Hallett and Sam Blake.  These three authors discuss story ideas, what draws a reader in, how they keep readers guessing and how they keep the surprises coming.  

BOOK HERE

French Connections:
Tana French in conversation with Karen Perry

Saturday, October 7th at 6.00pm
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon
Tickets €15 & €12 plus booking fees BOOK HERE

Tana French is universally acknowledged as one of the most highly skilled crime writers currently working in the genre. Her Dublin Murder Squad novels have won a slew of awards including the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity, and Barry awards, the Los Angeles Times Award for Best Mystery/Thriller, and the Irish Book Award for Crime Fiction on two occasions. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear Tana – a rare participant on the festival circuit – discussing her work and career with close friend Karen Perry.

BOOK HERE

SUNDAY 8TH OCTOBER

Genre and Beyond:
Tom Benn, Liz Nugent and Colin Walsh in conversation with Amanda Cassidy

Sunday, October 8th at 11.00am
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon
Tickets €12 & €10 plus booking fees BOOK HERE

Genre is often not much more than a convenient descriptor for the benefit of publishers and critics. Writers have stronger views on the limitations of genre which they find inhibiting and artificial. Tom Benn, recently anointed Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year for 2023 has said “genre is a moral, disruptive living thing, forever evolving and trading with its neighbours to better innovate and interrogate.” Liz Nugent has said she owes “no particular allegiance to any genre.” Colin Walsh’s debut thriller, Kala, has shot into the bestseller list and has been described as more literary than thriller. Listening to these fiercely independent writers on the question of genre should be a truly enlightening experience.

BOOK HERE

Complicit: Winnie M Li in conversation with Remie Michelle Clarke

Winnie M Li & Remie Michelle Clarke poster for Murder One FestSunday, October 8th at 1.00pm
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon
Tickets €12 & €10 plus booking fees BOOK HERE

This event is being run in association with the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.

Winnie M Li’s critically acclaimed Complicit is, as the Guardian describes, ‘a visceral and timely story about the men – and women – who turn a blind eye to systemic exploitation in the film industry.’  Li has much in common with her character Sarah Lai – she is the daughter of east Asian immigrants, an Ivy League graduate and former film producer, and as a sexual assault survivor, Li brings a deep understanding of her character’s world to this landmark novel.

‘Li’s novel is a way of acknowledging the women whose stories have been heard, and those who haven’t.’ The Guardian.

Winnie M Li discusses Complicit, her own experiences of the film industry and #MeToo with Dublin Rape Crisis champion and crisis counsellor, author Remie Michelle Clarke. Find out more about the work of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre here.

BOOK HERE

Support for anyone affected:

If you have been affected by issues raised here or have been subjected to sexual violence at any time, you can contact the 24-hour National Helpline 1800 778888 for free, confidential support. Dublin Rape Crisis Centre also offers crisis counselling via a free webchat support service at www.drcc.ie

Inspired by Real Life:
Catherine Ryan Howard, Andrea Mara and Catherine Kirwan
with Martin Doyle

Sunday, October 8th at 3.00pm
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon

Tickets €12 & €10 plus booking fees BOOK HERE

Three of Ireland’s favourite bestselling authors, Catherine Ryan Howard, Andrea Mara and Catherine Kirwan, discuss how true-life events and locations have inspired their latest fiction. Howard’s The Trap was inspired by a series of still-unsolved disappearances; Mara’s No One Saw a Thing is based on a real- life event that happened to her and her sister in childhood; Kirwan’s A Lesson in Malice is set in her alma mater, UCC. Is real life stranger than fiction or vice versa?

BOOK HERE

On the Shoulders of Giants: Christie, Highsmith & Sayers

Sunday, October 8th at 5.00pm
The Studio Theatre, dlr LexIcon

Tickets €15 & €12 plus booking fees BOOK HERE

Three of our greatest contemporary crime writers discuss their latest books and how some of the great crime writers have influenced their work. Commissioned by the Christie estate to continue Poirot’s legacy, Sophie Hannah has been called “Christie’s heir.” Steve Cavanagh has cited Patricia Highsmith as an increasing influence on his work and his latest book Kill for Me Kill for You brings the theme in Strangers on a Train bang up to date. Jane Casey is a huge fan of Dorothy L Sayers and her recent novel The Close delivers a modern locked room thriller to the page, complete with a broad cast of characters with interwoven secrets. Find out what it is that brings today’s authors back to the classics in what promises to be a fascinating discussion!

BOOK HERE

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE BOOKING PAGE FOR ALL EVENTS

Murder One ‘It would be criminal to miss it!’

‘Murder One has rapidly become a vital cornerstone of the literary calendar and the energy and excitement  generated by their calendar of online and offline events mean it would be criminal to miss it!’
SIMON TREWIN – Literary Agent

We are absolutely thrilled with the success of Murder One ’22, brought to you this year with the invaluable support of The Arts Council and DLR Libraries. We welcomed a host of Irish and international authors and live streamed the majority of our events for an online audience who were able to interact with our guests via social media.

The recordings of the events are available now to watch back at our You Tube Channel  or scroll down to view individual events.

Watch out for our exciting 2023 events, starting with three must see authors -and keep October 7/8 free in your diary! Scroll down to join our mailing list to hear the news first 🙂

We kicked off 2023 with international blockbuster Harlan Coben on 21st March at the Lexicon Library in Dun Laoghaire which was an amazing event.

Next up, we have an evening with Karin Slaughter in June – scroll down to book!

Karin Slaughter in Conversation with Edel Coffey

Tuesday 20th June 8pm LexIcon Level 4, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin

Tickets €15/€12  BOOK HERE

Murder One is thrilled to welcome International No 1 bestselling author Karin Slaughter back to Ireland in what will be a gripping event focused on her new book After That Night, which features the return of GBI investigator Will Trent and medical examiner Sara Linton in their 11th electrifying thriller.

Fifteen years ago, Sara Linton’s life changed forever when a celebratory night out ended in a violent attack that tore her world apart. Since then, Sara has remade her life. A successful doctor, engaged to a man she loves, she has finally managed to leave the past behind her.

Until one evening, on call in the ER, everything changes. Sara battles to save a broken young woman who’s been brutally attacked. But as the investigation progresses, led by GBI Special Agent Will Trent, it becomes clear that Dani Cooper’s assault is uncannily linked to Sara’s. And it seems the past isn’t going to stay buried forever …

Karin Slaughter is one of the world’s most popular and acclaimed storytellers. Published in 120 countries with more than 35 million copies sold across the globe, her 20 novels include the Grant County and Will Trent books, as well as the Edgar-nominated Cop Town and the instant Sunday Times bestselling novels Pretty Girls, Pieces of Her, and The Good Daughter. Pieces of Her is now a #1 Netflix original series starring Toni Collette, and the Will Trent adaptation recently aired in the US.

Karin is passionate, no-nonsense, provocative and one of crime fiction’s most articulate ambassadors. She will be chatting to journalist and crime writer Edel Coffey in an evening that you cannot miss.

Karin Slaughter in Conversation with Edel Coffey, Tuesday 20th June 8pm LexIcon Level 4, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin

Tickets €15/€12  BOOK HERE

This is event is run in association with National Crime reading month

National Crime Reading Month Logo

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Audience feedback:
Thank you so much for all the hard work you put into MurderOne and especially for coming up with the idea in the first place! You and your team put on an excellent event and I enjoyed all the talks I attended over the three days. Looking forward to next year already.
Jennifer