The Kindness of Psychopaths

by Alan Gorevan

  Maybe Dunne would request a permanent transfer to Donnybrook. She’d have to leave Special Crimes Operations and go into the regular detective unit, but she was sure she could make that happen. Dunne was extremely persuasive when she wanted to be.

  Joe would be so happy. He liked her. She’d seen the way he looked at her. He just didn’t want to admit it to himself, because he had a kid. But that was no reason to ruin the rest of his life. He needed to let go of the past and embrace the future.

  She’d work her way into his heart, inch by inch, and settle there for good. Eventually, he’d admit his feelings. Then they could be together. One day, when he was ready, he’d find out what she’d done for him, what she’d done for both of them, and then he’d finally understand the kindness of psychopaths.

  Acknowledgments

  I was lucky to receive a lot of help while I worked on this novel between May 2019 and November 2020. I owe a debt of gratitude to everyone mentioned below.

  Thanks to Detective Inspector Joseph Mc Laughlin for his assistance in my research of Garda practice and procedure, specifically detective work, and for welcoming me to Donnybrook Garda Station in late 2019. He was very generous with his time and help.

  Thanks also to the other members of An Garda Síochána I met at the station. They are better people than their fictional counterparts!

  I would also like to thank the numerous Gardaí involved in obtaining permission for my visit.

  Thanks to retired Detective Joe McCabe who generously spoke to me about his career on the force. My mother, Margo Gorevan, made this possible.

  The well-connected Alison Boydell was a great help in beginning my research on several aspects of this book.

  Thanks to Officer McNeill of the Irish Prison Service for taking the time to speak to me about his line of work.

  Needless to say, any errors, omissions or deliberate distortions of Garda or prison procedure are entirely my responsibility. If at any point, I had to choose between putting the story or strict research accuracy first, I always chose the story. (This is fiction.)

  KC critiqued early versions of a number of chapters and discussed ideas with me as they developed, making the book much better than it would otherwise have been.

  John Gorevan acted as first reader for the complete manuscript. His feedback improved the book considerably.

  Long overdue thanks to Niall McMonagle for encouraging my literary endeavours over the years.

  I would like to reiterate that the characters and plot in this book are entirely fictional. And my hero was named Joe long before I met any of the “Joes” who helped me with this book!

  About the Author

  Alan Gorevan is an award-winning writer and intellectual property attorney. He lives in Dublin. Visit www.alangorevan.com to learn more.

  If you enjoyed this story, consider leaving a review on the website of your favourite store. This is one of the best ways you can support an author.

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