In June 2017, a woman out picnicking in the Wicklow Mountains stumbled upon something in a ditch that would set in motion a chain of events that horrified the nation. It was the first of fifteen dismembered body parts belonging to retired hospital worker Patricia O’Connor.

Kieran Greene, the father of three of Patricia’s grandchildren, later handed himself in, confessing to beating her to death in the home they shared in what he said was an act of self-defence. He also confessed to dismembering her and disposing of her remains but later changed his story, implicating several members of Patricia’s household, including her husband and daughter.

In this nuanced and meticulous account of a deeply disturbing crime, journalist Frank Greaney, who covered every day of the shocking trial and conducted exclusive follow-up interviews with other members of Patricia’s family, uncovers the story behind the gruesome murder of Patricia O’Connor, and looks at who Patricia really was.

‘I read your book in one sitting yesterday, that’s how compelling it is.’ Pat Kenny