The Salesman

Book excerpt: This "gripping and moving" novel, as The Guardian has noted, offers "a taut, expertly crafted plot" while it likewise "captures brilliantly changes of mood and unexpected quirks of behavior." As The Salesman opens, it is the hottest summer in Dublin's history, and Billy Sweeney has more than the weather on his mind. His daughter lies in a coma in the hospital, the result of a mysterious attack at the petrol station where she worked. Devastated by the unfolding consequences of that terrible night, frustrated by officialdom, and failed by the system, Billy finally tires of seeking legal justice. He decides to take the law into his own hands, but when his plans go spectacularly wrong, the results are terrifying, often hilarious, and in the end, unforgettable.