Maurice and Charlie, longtime partners in crime, wait at a ferry terminal in the Spanish port of Algeciras for Maurice’s missing daughter, Dilly.

The writing style is raw and realistic, and evokes a sense of grimness and bleakness. It reads a lot like dry humour, but embedded within the clever prose is a story of addiction, deeply flawed characters, regrets, violence, and romance. This is a book that needs to be read slowly to feel its full impact. Kevin Barry doesn’t miss anything in the way he creates and “un-creates” atmospheres. It’s almost like watching a movie; it’s super evocative. The treatment of the prose is actually a lot like a movie script. Another thing I found really cool is the (self-made) parallel between the prose and the characters. The prose is short, brief, and “rambly”; much like how a tired and sleepy person might speak. It mirrors the main characters’ state of minds really well.

The book also moves back and forth in time as the 2 gangsters wait for Dilly to arrive, or leave. The chapters detail pivotal snippets from their life and this is what gives so much depth to all the characters.