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An Inside Track
The Maker’s Name is a suspenseful saga of family betrayal and corporate intrigue that unfolds against the backdrop of Ireland’s economic boom, where two brothers clash over their inheritance. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I’ve always taken a strong interest in the way businesses develop, particularly family businesses. I worked for a number of years in the Irish Industrial Development Authority (IDA) where I was able to gain good insight into many such scenarios. The IDA gave me an inside track.
The characters are complex and often morally ambiguous. Can you talk about your process for developing such compelling characters?
I have often clashed with strong personalities in my career, which also took in multinationals like Colgate-Palmolive Company and Shell Oil. There one would come face to face with individuals whose ambition knew no bounds, and against whom one would need strong defences; rising through the ranks in big business is often a zero-sum game. The process of developing such characters for the novel consisted of little more than remembering back to the details of the personalities and behaviour of the people concerned.
The novel features a mix of dark humor and bursts of violence. How did you balance these elements to maintain tension without overshadowing the story’s deeper themes?
I have always been an avid reader. This, I believe, has encouraged me to a deep study of human nature whenever I have found it. I have also taken inspiration from the very best: Ernest Hemingway, Ian McEwan, Graham Greene, Robert Louis Stevenson, Auberon Waugh, Saul Bellow, Philip Roth, Claire Keegan, Anthony Trollope, Tom Wolfe, William Makepeace Thackery, Vladimir Nabokov, and many, many more of history’s superlative novelists. Not forgetting, of course, James Augustine Aloysius Joyce, for the style.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am working on an outline, and have written about 30,000 words, of a novel that’s inspired by the kind of things that happened in Ireland in the 1980s, the period in which Claire Keegan’s novella, Small Things Like These, is set. According to one commentator, this book sells a thousand books a week, every week. The film version, starring Cillian Murphy, has just been released, to critical acclaim. My book will be ready in the first quarter of 2025.
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Literary, historical, Irish family saga fiction, for grownups
Lucid, engaging prose covering half a century of a provincial Irish business family, which could be microcosmic of the nation, from a first-time author.
The Considine brothers, Rudi and Gus, are at war.
Their father, Malachi, has died in a ‘freak accident’. But is there such a thing as a freak accident? When Rudi attempts to grab Gus’s inheritance there’s a real prospect of human blood appearing on the Hawthorne Meats slaughterhouse floor. Enter Cosgrave, a solicitor with expensive tastes, and Toomarood, the banker with an eye to making money outside of his day job. Mix in the ‘free’ energy device, after experts have stated that the promoters are suffering from long-term, severe self-delusion. Does this all make up a catastrophe waiting to happen?
How will Gus’s childhood friend, Raymond Quinn, his partner, Kaarina, and their children, be able to deal with him being placed under an exit ban in China because of his part in a pyramid scheme that has defrauded Chinese small investors? Is Gus really the nice guy everyone thinks he is? His activities as a ‘celebrity butcher’ might suggest otherwise. Does Rudi go too far by defrauding Quinn senior and his business partner through the use of a shadow company?
Is Rudi capable of murder?
And Rudi’s wife, Penny – whose side is she on?
Treachery hangs over this story of the pressures and tensions, both personal and commercial, of Celtic-Tiger era Ireland, especially when that edifice is destroyed in the Global Financial Crisis of 2008.
For Rudi, the payback from Gus and Raymond is severe indeed.
The Maker’s Name
The Maker’s Name by Seamus McKenna unravels a gripping tale of ambition, betrayal, and family dysfunction set against the dramatic backdrop of Ireland’s Celtic Tiger years. At its heart is Hawthorne Meats, a thriving family business, but beneath the surface, trouble is brewing. When patriarch Malachi Considine dies under suspicious circumstances, his sons, Rudi and Gus, face off over the inheritance. The fallout is swift and brutal, with Rudi attempting to edge Gus out of the company. Yet, the drama extends far beyond the brothers. Ambitious banker Toomarood, the sly solicitor Cosgrave, and a host of other players circle like vultures. The mystery of Malachi’s death looms large. Was it truly an accident or something far darker?
McKenna draws readers into a narrative that echoes the complex family dynamics of The Godfather and the sharp, corporate scheming of HBO’s Succession. The setting, Ireland during its era of unprecedented economic growth, grounds the story in a world where greed and power reign supreme. This tale of familial conflict feels larger than life, yet McKenna roots it in sharp details and vivid personalities.
The tense relationship between Rudi and Gus commands attention. Both are richly developed characters, capable of driving the story forward with their flawed yet compelling personalities. Surrounding them is a cast of supporting characters who elevate the narrative, from Gus’s loyal friend Raymond and his steadfast partner Kaarina to Rudi’s ambitious wife Penny. Even the minor characters leave a lasting impression. McKenna’s deft characterization and razor-sharp dialogue make these figures leap off the page.
The story unfolds with the controlled chaos of a Guy Ritchie film; dark humor, sudden bursts of violence, and a palpable tension that escalates as events spiral out of control. Few of the characters inspire affection, yet watching them maneuver and clash is an unmitigated delight. Every twist tightens the grip, and every revelation adds a layer of intrigue.
This is a wickedly entertaining ride, packed with sharp turns and unforgettable moments. While the characters may not win your sympathy, they will certainly hold your attention. For fans of dark family dramas or stories steeped in ambition and deception, The Maker’s Name delivers a riveting experience.
pages: 328 | ASIN: B0D4KXVV7C
LITERARY TITAN 