My enormous thanks to Amy Watson at Head of Zeus for sending me a copy of There’s Been A Little Incident by Alice Ryan in return for an honest review. I wasn’t intending on reading There’s Been A Little Incident quite yet but couldn’t resist its siren call and so I’m delighted to share my review today.

There’s Been A Little Incident is published by Head of Zeus and is available in all the usual places including here.

There’s Been A Little Incident

Molly Black has disappeared. She’s been running away since her parents died.

But this time, or so says her note, she’s gone for good.

There’s Been a Little Incident is an award-winning debut about grief, family and the people who are there for you when you can’t be there for yourself.

My Review of There’s Been A Little Incident

Molly is missing.

What a complete and utter joy. I just adored There’s Been A Little Incident. It’s everything I had hoped and more. I don’t know what it is about Irish writers, but Alice Ryan fully deserves an enduring place in that line of natural storytellers who create emotional, life affirming books not easily forgotten. 

In a sense, there’s very little plot here although there are surprises along the way. Molly goes missing and her extended family decide to look for her. But saying that is to miss the fact that There’s Been A Little Incident encompasses the whole of humanity in its structure. Here we have life and death, happiness and sadness in glorious technicolour. I laughed out loud reading There’s Been A Little Incident, and found myself moved to tears too.

Molly is a fabulous character and the mirror held up so that everyone else can finally see themselves clearly. Grief, loneliness, addiction, appearances, fear and shame are just some of the emotions experienced by the Black family, and it takes Molly, who is, ironically, absent for much of the narrative, to enable each person to find their true selves. I thought the way Alice Ryan created the underpinning theme of grief in particular was simply stunning. 

What works so effectively is the way in which Molly’s absence enables each family member to reassess their own lives. Uncle John remains a fairly pivotal constant, but others like Danny and Lady V experience epiphanies that are moving, engaging and absolutely realistic. I’d go so far as to say that reading There’s Been A Little Incident is equally as important and profound for the reader as it is for the characters because there’s a moment, a character or a feeling that is relatable for every reader. As well as a riveting, entertaining and emotional story, this book is a subliminal self-help manual! 

That makes There’s Been A Little Incident sound somewhat ‘worthy’. It isn’t. It’s huge fun, witty, and sensitive. I thought it was totally wonderful and cannot recommend it highly enough. Don’t miss it. 

About Alice Ryan

Alice Ryan grew up in Dublin. After moving to London to study at the LSE, she spent ten years working in the creative industries, holding roles in publishing, film and TV. She was Head of Insight and Planning at BBC Studios before returning to Ireland. She now works at The Arts Council of Ireland and lives in Dublin with her husband Brian and their daughter Kate.

For further information, follow Alice on Twitter @Alice_Ryan.