Intriguing book based in Mayo to launch this month
Ruth O’Leary is an author from Dublin whose debut novel, The Weekend Break, was an immediate Irish Times Bestseller after its publication in March ’24.
Ruth O’Leary is an author from Dublin whose debut novel, The Weekend Break, was an immediate Irish Times Bestseller after its publication in March ’24.
Ruth’s 2nd novel, A Week to Remember, spent two weeks at number 12 in the Irish Times bestseller list when it was published in March ’25.
Now, Ruth returns with her third novel , The Last Week of Him which will be published in March ’26.
The Weekend Break was set in Galway and Wexford, and A Week to Remember was set on the Camino de Santiago, which Ruth walked as research for her novel. Location is a strong element in Ruth’s writing; she writes a monthly travel blog on her website, and The Last Week of Him is no exception to this.
This time, Ruth takes us to the wild and atmospheric location of Northwest Mayo. This area, which is known as the hidden gem of the Wild Atlantic Way, sees the return of three childhood friends, Nora, Fern, and Clo, who grew up in Belmullet and the Mullet Peninsula, after thirty years of living elsewhere. They have kept in touch over the years and attended each other’s weddings, but with the busyness of life, they keep up mainly through Instagram posts and WhatsApp messages. It is a shocking WhatsApp message from their former school that tells them that their school friend has died.
“I wanted to explore the idea that we can be going about our day-to-day lives and one phone call, or WhatsApp message can crash into our lives, altering everything, and in this case, bring up old memories, some welcome and others definitely not.” “I chose this location,” Ruth explains, “as my son attended Uisce, a water sports Gaeltacht on the Mullet Peninsula during the pandemic in June 2020, we chose to rent a cottage near Elly Beach on the peninsula halfway between Blacksod lighthouse and the town of Belmullet.
With very few establishments open, we spent that week walking and exploring the area from Blacksod Lighthouse to Erris Head and the many beautiful, empty beaches in the area.
So, when I was thinking about where to set my novel, I immediately thought of Belmullet and Blacksod, taking my characters away from the busy cities of Dublin, London, and New York, back to the place where they grew up, which couldn’t be more different from their everyday lives.
The themes of The Last Week of Him cover layered relationships, moral dilemmas, loyalty, secrets, and lies in an atmospheric setting in the West of Ireland.
The drama unfolds as secrets that some hoped would stay buried rise to the surface. It also raises the question: do we really know our friends at all if we only see their lives played out through Instagram posts that rarely show the real story?
The tragic death of a school pal brought my characters home to reunite for one week, but when the shocking truths are revealed, will it tear them apart or strengthen their bond?
A compelling, emotional, engaging drama, full of flawed, relatable characters, set against the beautifully portrayed west of Ireland. Ruth O’Leary skilfully depicts the power of friendship, loyalties and betrayal with warmth and compassion, in a moving, multi-layered story about love, loss, and shocking secrets, as well as surprising twists that kept me engrossed right to the satisfying end.
Fans of Patricia Scanlan will love ‘The Last Week of Him.’
Zoe Miller The Last Week of Him Ruth O’Leary available March 2026 €17.99.
