Christ on a bike
Cerys receives an unexpected inheritance but there are rules attached. Three simple rules that must be followed.
As she settles into her new life, she begins to feel trapped: the past is ever-present. She convinces herself that the villagers are watching her and, desperate to control her own future, she tries to break free…
Publication date: 25 January 2024
Publisher: Buemoose Books
Reviews for Christ On A Bike
‘Black Mirror meets Tales of The Unexpected with shades of Shirley Jackson.’ - Nina Pottell - Prima Magazine
Recommended as one of the best books to read this January by Martin Chilton, The Independent’s Chief Book Critic
‘Why are you tired Jan? Because I started reading this at 11 and all of a sudden it was both finished and 2.30am... Can I recommend this novel as one to put on your radar? It’s got great characters, a truly quirky plot, and the writing kept me hooked. Another cracking book from the lovely people at Bluemoose Books.’ - Jan Carson
‘Christ On A Bike is BRILLIANT. For once I don’t really know what else to say. Just BRILLIANT.’ - Jennie Godfrey
‘I absolutely loved Christ On A Bike. It is clever, well thought out, had characters you’ll both love and hate… I was glued to it from the very first page. highly, highly recommended!’ - Jules Swain @thereadingpara
Strikingly original and utterly brilliant!’ - @TheBookshopMan
‘So fresh and quirky and unlike anything I’ve read before. I really urge you to give it a try.’ - @LauraPAuthor
‘Orla has an innate ability to write books that are unsettling and dark but in a very subtle way… What Orla does so well is weave in a wry humour to temper the darkness. I bloody LOVE this! It should absolutely be on your 2024 reading list.’ - @bookishchat
‘This is a brilliant novel – and one that would make for an equally brilliant TV drama. It’s clean, lean writing that never prevaricates or wastes the reader’s time. A phenomenal read from cover to cover.’ - @talesfromabsurdia
‘Finished Christ On A bike - oh my god, that ending! Such a brilliant book! Do NOT miss this one.’ - Ellie Hawkes
PAH
Susan Brown is trapped. She lives in nurses’ accommodation she hates, on the run from a past she detests, desperate for a future she can’t afford. Yet.
Calton Jonas is lost. He travels across the country, from beach to city, settling in a small town with a job at the morgue.
Jeffrey Jeffreys is happy as long as life provides him with enough whiskey and beer.
Their lives cross. Old wounds open. Susan takes control but not all of them can survive...
Reviews FOR PAH
“A compelling novel full of brilliantly villainous characterisation. Orla Owen is a natural storyteller.” Rónán Hession
“Devastating, gritty, and villainous this novel is truly compelling. Orla Owen is a glorious storyteller.” Dantheman1054, Waterstones bookseller
“PAH, like Orla’s other book The Lost Thumb is unforgettable. I will read everything by her from here on in. Both these books are on my best of 2021 shelf.” @LisaOwlBeSatReading
“Like authors such as Rónán Hession or Iris Murdoch, Orla Owen knows how to write believable people…The writing is great. PAH consists of an endless supply of memorable scenes” The Bobsphere
“A strong argument against the whole ‘protagonists should be likeable thing’. No, they should be interesting...” Ellie Hawkes
“PAH is a psychological, character driven novel exploring themes of unwanted motherhood and the legacy of abuse. It’s tense, compelling and darkly comic. It’s a fantastic read – I loved it!” Emma’s books
The Lost Thumb
Lara and Luella Jeffreys lead isolated lives until the night they are left alone for the first time, and Luella decides to have some fun.
That evening goes horribly wrong.
After Luella wakes up in hospital, she’s kept prisoner at home with her mother acting as her warden. Lara is sent to school to keep up the pretence that she is fine, her sister is fine, and the world is fine. Except they aren’t. The local storekeeper, sensing that something’s wrong, pushes her son to befriend Lara but the results of her meddling are deadly...
Reviews for The Lost Thumb
“What a find. Pacey and intense (I galloped through the last 160 pages today)... I had to stay and sit at Victoria station until I finished it.” Rónán Hession
“I don't want this to end - such a great read - thanks for the words... a triumph.” James Endeacott