Crazy For You

By Domhnall O’Donoghue

Published by Mercier Press

What it’s about?

When Clooney Coyle promises Vonnie Gallagher they’ll be friends for life, he has no idea what he’s letting himself in for. The lonely and eccentric Vonnie quickly becomes obsessed with the kind-hearted but insecure actor, and her misguided crush soon develops into something much more sinister, which leaves Clooney’s career in tatters.

But when fate takes a strange turn and elevates the pair into an overnight celebrity couple, Clooney must decide whether to embrace the fame he has longed for since childhood or end the ridiculous charade before Vonnie’s jealous – and murderous – inclinations spiral out of control.

What I think:

This book is funnier and darker than I expected.

The characters, particularly Vonnie and Clooney are brilliantly horrific. Somehow O’Donoghue makes mental illness, alcoholism and toxic relationships hilarious!

Clooney is vain and insecure, but at the start of the book reasonably normal. He has a part in an Irish speaking soap opera and does some travel writing when he is not filming. He’s a reasonably successful actor that few people recognise.

And then he meets Vonnie. And she is crazy!

As an adult, she’s an artist. An incredibly bad one. She is has no social skills whatsoever and is extremely rude to every one. Her interviews with prospective flatmates are an absolutely gem.

She is also a violent psychopath whose obsession with Clooney goes to extraordinary lengths (no spoilers!)

Clooney should absolutely run away as fast as he can. But the lure of money and fame and a chance to meet his childhood idols is too great. There are some really interesting ideas about the power of social media and the reality of reality TV being explored in the craziness of Clooney and Vonnie’s relationship and career.

My favourite characters are probably Clooney’s parents who are absolutely adorable and so funny.

Crazy for you is available on Kindle now and out in paperback soon

Click here to preorder

Kindle: click here

About the author:

Hailing from Navan in the royal county of Meath, Domhnall is a graduate of the Bachelor in Acting Studies Programme, Trinity College Dublin, later completing a Master’s in Screenwriting at Dún Laoghaire IADT.

He now works as an actor and a journalist, dividing his time between Galway, where he films TG4’s award-winning series, Ros na Rún, Dublin and Venice, where he and his Italian lover continuously promise their well-worn livers that they will refrain from quaffing so much Prosecco. (Unfortunately, it seems some vows, just like nearby Rome, were not built in a day.)

Wine-drinking aside, for more than four years, Domhnall has also enjoyed the responsibility of being Assistant Editor at Irish Tatler Man, a title whose various awards includes Consumer Magazine of the Year. Thanks to this role, he interviewed a host of high-profile names such as Tommy Hilfiger, Chris Pine, Kevin Spacey, David Gandy, and Jacques Villeneuve.

Domhnall has written for the majority of Ireland’s leading newspapers and magazines, including the Irish Independent, The Irish Times and RTE Online. He also writes a monthly column in Woman’s Way, the country’s biggest-selling weekly magazine.

His first novel, Sister Agatha: the World’s Oldest Serial Killer, was released in 2016 to critical acclaim (Tirgearr Publishing). His second book, Colin and the Concubine, was published earlier this year by Mercier Press, Ireland’s oldest publishing house. Book number three is called Crazy For You and will be published once again by Mercier Press in June 2020

Thank you Mercier Press and Love Books Tours for inviting me to be part of this book tour.