Review: Home Stretch by Graham Norton

One moment changed Connor Hayes’ life forever. In 1987, he’s involved in a car crash that causes the deaths of three people. Plagued by a shame he’ll never be able to shake off in the small Irish town he calls home, Connor needs a new start, and for that, he must leave home.

What starts off as an escape from his past soon becomes a chance to reinvent himself, as Connor realizes that the secrets and shame he’s carried for so long can be repackaged and presented anew, if only nobody finds out about his past. However, in order for his new life to flourish, he must totally discard his past, and with it, his family.

As Connor follows a route to a new life, his family is left reeling at his disappearance, and they have no choice but to try move on with their lives, albeit with the extra weight of Connor’s disappearance after his fall from grace.

But Connor realizes that running away from your problems never resolves them, and despite the years that have passed, his past soon catches up to him, and he must face the family he abandoned and the secrets he hid from them.

Graham Norton is the king of a clever plot. Like his previous books, Home Stretch features an intricate narrative that’s woven across several years and several families, creating more than just a story – Norton has created an entire world, and it’s a great place to be. Under the writer's careful direction, intrigue, shocking discoveries and poetic prose merge to form an epic adventure that’s as interesting as it is tense and exciting. With several years as a talk show host behind him, Graham Norton knows a thing or seven about suspense, and he’s applied that talent beautifully. Do yourself a favour, and allow yourself to get lost in Ireland and the past, and the life-changing magic of family.

Home Stretch by Graham Norton is published by Coronet, an imprint of Hodder and Stoughton, and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.