Michael McLoughlin, President of Publishing Ireland, was “caught” reading for the “Get Caught Reading” campaign

Mount Merrion is the dazzling debut novel by Justin Quinn. It tells the story of the Boyle family from Declan and Sinéad’s first meeting, in the late fifties, through decades of success, failure and tragedy. The Boyles are pillars of society – born into prosperous families, educated at Dublin’s finest schools and dwellers in a fine house in a leafy suburb, says Michael McLoughlin, President of Publishing Ireland, for the “Get Caught Reading” campaign.

Declan wants to serve his country – but he also wants to serve his own ambition. Sinéad wonders if she is allowed, in the Ireland of the sixties and seventies, to have ambitions at all. Their children seem intent on squandering the advantages of a prosperous upbringing and an expensive education. I couldn’t put down this page-turning drama. I love Jonathan Franzen’s novels, with their biting satire and detailed portraits of families. I believe Justin Quinn has managed to give us a ‘Franzen’ set against the brilliantly realized backdrop of a changing Ireland, added Mr McLoughlin.