WEST Cork author R.P. O’Donnell has been nominated for the 2026 Simon & Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award for his debut novel All the Old Clocks.
The novel, set in rural Ireland during the late 1980s, has been described as a gripping mystery in which “time, memory and family secrets collide”.
Set in the fictional village of Kilcraven in 1988, the story follows Emma Daly, a former Garda officer whose life has unravelled following the collapse of a promising career. Returning home to care for her father and taking up work as a librarian, Emma finds herself drawn into a murder investigation after local guards arrest the wrong suspect.
Author RP O’DonnellAs she begins her own inquiries, Emma uncovers long-buried tensions within the village, while confronting troubled memories from her own past. The mystery centres on a collection of detective stories left behind by a reclusive hypochondriac and his estranged son — a discovery that threatens to reopen old wounds within the community.
The novel has been praised for its atmospheric depiction of small-town Ireland and its blend of literary fiction and classic crime writing.
His latest book All The Old ClocksR.P. O’Donnell was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and now lives in West Cork with his two children. His essays have appeared in publications including the Irish Times and the Irish Examiner. In 2020 he won the JG Farrell Award at the West Cork Literary Festival.
He has also previously published the memoir Songs of the Sunghaoyno Duckerel.
The Simon & Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award recognises emerging voices in suspense and mystery fiction.