MAIKO MOANS BY COLIN O’SULLIVAN
They came to create music. Instead, they may be unmaking themselves.
Three musicians retreat to a secluded house in rural Japan, but inspiration quickly turns to obsession. Tensions flare between enigmatic singer Maiko and her bandmates, as strange sounds echo through the walls and the forest seems to close in.
As mistrust deepens and reality blurs, they must face a haunting question: are they losing control—or awakening something far more sinister?
Claustrophobic, sensual, and unrelenting, this literary thriller plunges readers into a fever dream of psychosexual dread and artistic unraveling. With prose as torrential as a typhoon and tension that tightens like a noose, it’s a descent into madness that leads only one way: to a finale as inevitable as it is horrific.
THE RED ORCHESTRA IN BLUE BY JOE O’BYRNE
Berlin, 1939.
Harro and Libertas Schulze-Boysen are a dazzling society couple who risk everything to fight the Nazi regime from within.
As the horrors of war unfold, they lead a covert resistance—passing secrets to the Allies and defying Hitler at the heart of his empire.
The Red Orchestra in Blue by Joe O’Byrne brings their true story to life in a gripping tale of courage, love, and betrayal.
“Immediately gripping, and it stays that way; this new novel by Joe O’Byrne is powerful and sharp.” — Roddy Doyle
THE GUILTY BY SAMUEL HAWKEN
A haunting novel of memory, silence, and buried truths.
In 1965, young nurse Ella Kaffenberger arrives at Engelmann Hospital, seeking purpose in a changing Germany. But beneath its modern facade, the hospital hides disturbing secrets from the Nazi era. As Ella uncovers layers of silence and suppressed memory, she must confront a legacy of guilt that refuses to die.
A haunting tale of innocence, buried history, and quiet resistance, The Guilty is a powerful psychological drama steeped in atmosphere and moral tension.
WOUNDED EARTH
We believe that works of fiction can provide a unique insight into the unprecedented anthropogenic changes and the resulting challenges that we all, as humans, face in the next decades.
They are a powerful tool in increasing awareness and prompting much needed societal changes, because fiction has the power to touch our emotions and appeal to our hearts as well as to our brains.
TURBULENCE ZONE
Writers have been trying to understand war and violence for as long as literature exists. Turning war horrors into a narrative is an attempt to make sense of often senseless violence. Rendering the human experience of war through characters that readers come to care about is an attempt, perhaps delusional, to exercise influence on human behaviour. If we learn and remember, would we make the same mistakes?
CRIME & PUNISHMENT
Writers like Edgar Alan Poe, Dashiell Hammett, or Georges Simenon gave to the crime genre its lettres de noblesse. Literary Noir enriched American and European Modernism, brought into light issues of racial, sexual, and economic inequality, and reflected the impact of Freudian psychoanalysis on literary form. Beyond purely escapist entertainment, the best works of crime fiction are among the finest examples of the art and craft of writing, addressing genuine social and aesthetic problems.
COMING-OF-(R)AGE
It is a journey that we all make: from childhood through adolescence to adulthood and, for some of us, from naïve to wise, and from immature to mature. Stories of “formation”, from the German “Bildungsroman”, novels of growth and development (“Entwicklungsroman”), coming-of-age novels are also stories of loss—starting with the loss of innocence, painful realisations, and (self)-discovery.
A SENSE OF PLACE
Good books have the capacity to transport us in space and time. Our authors make you travel from 18th-century Spain to 21st-century Japan via 1970s Indonesia. But for this category, we selected the books that would make you want to be there or maybe even long to be there…
FUTURE CLASSICS
While the novels in this selection are very different, they meet the expected standards for literary art, appeal, longevity, and influence and deserve lasting recognition. They have the universal appeal of a classic; they are informed by the history of ideas and literature and will no doubt stand the test of time and inspire writers who will come afterwards.
A BREATH OF EIRE
Novels by Irish writers about Ireland, the land of storytellers, its people, its history, and its present.
HER INFINITE VARIETY
Contemporary or historical, written by men or by women, these novels have in common strong, original, appealing, complex and sometimes controversial female characters.
NEW AND FORTHCOMING
Recent releases and novels coming out in 2025.
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In the heart of our literary haven, each book is a unique thread in the rich tapestry of tales we’ve carefully curated. Our authors, diverse in voice and vision, share a common thread of exceptional storytelling that resonates with readers across the globe.
From the historical depth of Catherine Dunne’s ‘A Good Enough Mother’, which offers an intricate exploration of Irish womanhood across generations, to the heart-pounding thrillers that keep you up at night, our collection celebrates the written word in all its forms.
Betimes Books is Dublin’s pioneering not-for-profit literary press, committed to publishing visionary literature and supporting writers beyond the marketplace pressures. In a world where artistic worth is often overshadowed by commercial value, we champion the creation and preservation of literature that matters.
Our Mission
- Support and Promote Literary Talent: Through our free mentoring, editorial support, and robust publication programs, we nurture emerging and established writers.
- Preserve Literary Culture: Like museums preserve artefacts, we conserve and keep significant literary works accessible for their cultural and intrinsic value.
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