The Planter's Daughter - Keane and Xiao, #1

LONGLISTED FOR THE CAROUSEL AWARE PRIZE, 2026

"Contentious subjects are handled with a lightness of touch and a humanity which is rare in public discourse…an impressive achievement." — Ronan McGreevy, the Irish Times. "Beautifully written and ripe with intrigue… expertly weaves in themes of climate change, gender identity and race, against a backdrop of Ireland's troubled history and our deep, ancient connection to the land." — Michelle McDonagh, author of Some of This Is True "Gripping, compelling and written with a deft touch." — Awais Khan, author of No Honour and In the Company of Strangers "A cracking read." — Dan Boyle, Green Party councillor and former Lord Mayor of Cork

An eco-crime murder mystery and a century-old feud...John Banville meets Tana French in this new novel by Susan Lanigan, author of acclaimed novels White Feathers and Lucia's War.

Sadhbh Drummond was landed gentry, a passionate eco-warrior, and left a trail of broken hearts and wrecked marriages behind her. So when her burned body is found in a forestry plantation in West Cork, it soon becomes clear that her death was not an accident. Her Anglo-Irish heritage and great beauty marked her as an outsider, and her campaigns to save the land and climate activism put her into conflict with many, including local farmer Tom Keating and resentful stepdaughter Sinead Furlong.

When Detective Inspector Rosa Keane is called on to investigate, she soon learns about age-old resentments dating back to the War of Independence. But with a town closing ranks and Rosa secretly grappling with her own gender identity, can she and Kevin discover what happened to Sadhbh before it's too late?