How to Murder a Man

All histories are really murder stories ... he who murders most, wins.

Written with style and a savage grace, How To Murder A Man by Irish novelist Carlo Gébler, is a gripping portrayal of a largely untold part of Irish history. Inspired by true events, the novel follows land agent Thomas French, appointed to bring order to a decaying profitless estate in County Monaghan, Ulster, following the Great Famine.

When he offers the poverty-stricken farmers free passage to America in exchange for the rights to their land, French attracts the enmity of the local Ribbonmen?a brutal and merciless secret society?who sentence the land agent to execution. A battle of wills ensues between French and Isaac Marron, the leader of the Ribbonmen, whose attempts at bloody retribution only serve to drive a divided community still further apart.

The unflinching depiction of casual violence and deep-rooted prejudice has strong contemporary resonance. Gébler's lack of sensationalism in describing horrific scenes of cruelty, and his refusal to oversimplify issues, ultimately increase the impact of this story.

Novelist, playwright and broadcaster Carlo Gébler was born in Dublin in 1954, the son of famous Irish novelist Edna O'Brien. A graduate of York University and the National Film and Television School, Gébler has directed a number of television documentaries and contributed articles to many prominent newspapers and magazines. He now lives in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. His other works include W9 And Other Lives, published by Marion Boyars in 1998.

"Gébler at his disturbing best."?The Sunday Times.