Mr Lynch's Holiday by Catherine O'Flynn

 

Dermot Lynch turns up unexpectedly to visit his son, Eamonn, and his partner, Laura, in the Spanish resort of Lomaverde. Upon his arrival, he discovers that things are not as he expected.

A few years ago there seemed to be a spate of books about Brits abandoning the rat race and relocating to France and Spain. In these books, the main characters found that not everything was as easy as they expected but through perseverance and integration with the local community, they were able to solve their problems and find the lifestyle they were seeking. In Mr Lynch's Holiday, my book group read for June, author Catherine O'Flynn has written the antithesis of these stories.

Retired and recently widowed Dermot Lynch makes an unannounced visit to his son in Spain. Eamonn and his partner had decided that relocating to Spain would offer them the work/life balance they truly wanted. They could both work remotely from the newly established resort of Lomaverde. When Dermot arrives he discovers that things aren't as rosy as he had expected. The resort is a half-built ghost town, populated by a few Europeans who had sunk their money into buying property they now couldn't sell. Eamonn is also alone as Laura has walked out and returned to the UK. A despondent Eamonn has buried his head in the sand, refusing to accept what is happening around him.

I found the story quite sad, there is a clear message that the grass isn't always greener. The thought of investing all of your money in a property that becomes virtually worthless is daunting. While the few residents remaining have tried to make the best of the situation you feel that it is a mask to try and cover up how they really feel. Eamonn in particular feels a sense of hopelessness and inertia.

Thankfully, Dermot is of a different generation. He's one of those characters who refuses to be beaten by life's adversities. If Dermot can't solve a problem immediately he'll do research or seek help. He's also willing to get involved and not be judgmental about people.

Over the fortnight of Dermot's visit, we see a father and son who struggled to communicate slowly realise that they are both quite similar and dealing with similar issues, just at different times in their lives. The conclusion was a fitting solution for both father and son.

Author Details

Catherine O’Flynn grew up in a sweet shop. She is a former child-detective who failed to ever solve a crime. Catherine lives in Birmingham with her husband and two daughters. She’s the author of three novels for grown-ups and her adult novel What Was Lost was the winner of the Costa First Novel Award and the Newcomer Award at the Nibbies.

June 2025 Reads

 

Can you believe we're halfway through 2025 already? June started well, I managed to read five books in the first half of the month. The second half didn't fare as well but I was expecting that. I'm marking GCSE exams and the work can be pretty intensive. Now that I've marked my allocation I'm hoping to get back to doing what I love - reading.

First book of the month was The Protest from Rob Rinder, the third book in the Adam Green series. This time Adam is helping to defend a young woman who was carrying out a stunt as part of an anti-war protest. Unfortunately, the stunt resulted in a famous artist dying. I’ve loved watching the characters developing over this series of books.

Female serial killers are a popular sub-genre at the moment. I assumed The Six Murders Of Daphne St Clair by MacKenzie Common would be in the same vein, filled with dark humour. Instead, it’s more of a mystery; why would a ninety-year-old who has gotten away with murder for seventy years suddenly confess? We learn about Daphne’s reasons, from abuse through to the desire for wealth, through a podcast.

Georgina Moore’s debut novel gained lots of praise so I jumped at the chance to read her second novel, River Of Stars. A dual time frame story featuring Jo and her grandmother, Mary, set on an island in the Thames. I was engrossed by Mary’s story as a wild child of the sixties but couldn’t warm to Jo. The setting, based on real-life Eel Pie Island, was fascinating.

TV presenter Steph McGovern has certainly written about what she knows in the thriller Deadline. During a live TV interview at a top-secret location, presenter Rose Steedman’s feed is hijacked. The voice in her ear informs her they have kidnapped her wife and son and if she wants to see them again she must do exactly as she’s told.

When Ethan’s business trips become more frequent and last longer, his wife Aria begins to wonder if he’s having an affair. Maryann Webb delves into the suspicions and paranoia that develop in a rocky marriage in My Husband’s Lies. Aria’s uncertainty isn’t helped when she thinks she’s being followed and then a close friend is murdered.

Kiss Her Goodbye is the fourth book in the Frankie Elkin series from Lisa Gardner. Frankie is a wanderer who takes on difficult missing-person cases. This case involves a recent asylum seeker from Afghanistan. A friend is convinced there must be foul play involved as the young woman wouldn’t abandon her child. Frankie is helped along the way by some memorable characters in this informative and exciting thriller.

My book group read for the month was Mr Lynch’s Holiday by Catherine O’Flynn. A few years ago there were lots of novels about Brits relocating to Europe and discovering themselves, this book is the antithesis of that. Elderly Dermot Lynch suddenly decides to visit his son Eamonn in Spain. When he arrives he discovers that the idyllic life Eamonn had hoped for has become a nightmare.

The only audiobook this month was the wonderful The Light A Candle Society by Ruth Hogan. Witnessing a funeral without mourners, George McGlory learns about public health funerals. These are ones organised by local councils when the deceased has no known relatives or friends. Saddened by this, George is determined to try and attend any in the future. As word spreads friends and colleagues do their bit to help. Despite the sombre theme, the author avoids despondency by giving us brief glimpses of the deceased when their lives were filled with happiness.

Publication dates to watch for are:-

River Of Stars by Georgina Moore will be published on 3/7/25 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

Deadline by Steph McGovern will be published on 3/7/25 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

Kiss Her Goodbye by Lisa Gardner will be published on 14/8/25 in hardback, ebook and audio format.