Julie Parsons

Kiwi-Irish author Julie Parsons book THE THERAPY HOUSE is an intricate pscyhological observation, interweaving current day crime with Irish history to great effect.

Exploring history and crime in terms of it's impact on survivors and/or families and on society in general, THE THERAPY HOUSE is absorbing, chilling, intricate and beautifully written. At the heart of the novel, Garda Inspector Michael McLoughlin is attempting retirement, doing a bit of PI work on the side, but mostly restoring a show more beautiful old house in the Dublin suburbs - a house that turns out to have as complicated a past as McLoughlin himself. McLoughlin's father was murdered many years ago, supposedly getting in the way during an IRA robbery, an event that haunts him to this day, especially as the killers now have a high profile part to play in Irish politics and the peace process.

The house which plays a big part in keeping him grounded, safe and occupied, is known as "The Therapy House" because of its past use as a counselling and medical practice. In a further sign that history is never far away from him, next door lives John Hegarty, retired judge, having had a distinguished legal career and importantly, the son of Dan Hegarty, colleague of well known Irish independence figure Michael Collins. Until he is killed, and McLoughlin discovers his brutalised body. The family hire McLoughlin to look into Hegarty's background, although the agreement is part hiring, part bribing with the suggestion that there is something in that past that relates to the death of McLoughlin's father.

Needless to say, layering and interconnections are a big part of style of THE THERAPY HOUSE. Slowly and intricately dissecting those layers and connections is part of what makes this novel so absorbing, as is the way that readers are frequently left to draw conclusions, and answer many of the questions posited by the author. The pace is leisurely, the sense of place strong, and sense of culture all consuming. The way the past affects the current is elegantly done as well with everything - from the therapy house itself, the location, the Hegarty and McLoughlin families, Ireland's troubled background - blending together to create echoes and portents, guidance and regret.

In the end there's a lot of regret thoroughout this novel, there's a real sense that it doesn't matter sometimes how often we're given a chance to learn lessons, we're going to be too old to do anything about it by the time we remember them.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/therapy-house-julie-parsons show less

I don’t know if it’s because I read most of this book while trapped in 2 Chicago airports, but it didn’t hold my attention. The mother, Margaret, was too starkly detached one minute, and a completely wrecked shell of a woman who was completely enslaved to her emotions the next. Which was she? She claimed to love her daughter so intensely that it drove her to track the killer & foist upon him her own brand of justice, but yet she could deceive her daughter for her entire life that her show more ‘father’ was dead.

Not true, the ‘father’ of memory was a complete fiction. Margaret even bought props to back up this fantasy. A few books, a watch, a handkerchief. All forged a dead father’s identity. The real father was still alive and after Mary’s death, Margaret confessed all to him. He believes her and has a confession of his own; he has always loved her and was now free of the wife that had prevented their union all those years ago. He helps Margaret manipulate Jimmy.

In the end, they leave Jimmy in a shed in the country. Bound, gagged and injured he is discovered by the cop investigating the case. It appears that he left Jimmy there as Margaret wanted. The cop went a little over the edge during the investigation. He has fallen in love with Margaret and that underscores his apathy and repulsion to his own wife. Luckily, his wife has much those same feelings for him. He drinks too much and in the end nearly ruins his career.

Margaret & the real dad go to New Zealand and live out their lives. I guess I did remember more of it. The mother & daughter were really strangers to each other. Mary didn’t know of the circumstances of her birth, and Margaret never knew that Mary had been pregnant with Jimmy’s child. Jimmy had a fake ‘normal’ relationship with Mary as a way to get close to her so he could kill her. Mary never told her mother. It was weird. Margaret was a shrink and she never could understand her own kid. show less

I could hardly believe it myself. This woman who had no idea her husband was a crooked lawyer, involved in drugs and completely broke. He also had an affair with her aunt that she was ignorant of. Another of his affairs produced a child and she was clueless about that one too. Anna is an entomologist of blinding stupidity when it comes to people. Her husband’s love for her barely outlasted the honeymoon and she was totally ignorant of this fact. I will have to read this again sometime. show more While I wanted to smack Anna for being a dunce, it was a good read. show less

An interesting thriller that starts with a dead body and passes through an investigation and court case. Some interesting twists as the background of the characters unfolds.

I did enjoy this one and it had a nice sense of Dublin without falling into the twee or too nasty to be realistic. Did drag occasionally though.