Shane Dunphy

About Shane

Childcare expert, author, teacher, journalist, broadcaster, musician, nerd, husband, Dad, Grandad.

Shane Dunphy was born in Brighton in 1973, but grew up in Ireland, where he has lived and worked for most of his life. A child protection worker for 15 years, he is the bestselling author of 21 books. His first nine titles dealt with his time on the frontline of social care work, and include the number one bestseller Wednesday’s Child. His series of crime novels (written under the name SA Dunphy) feature the emotionally damaged criminologist David Dunnigan. Stories From the Margins, his new series of True Crime books written for Audible, is critically acclaimed as well as being an audio-bestseller. Click here for a the full story: https://shanedunphyauthor.org/biography/

Shane’s Latest Book

Her Child’s Cry is the third exciting installment of The Boyle and Keneally series. It is available across all platforms.

Amazon: http://ow.ly/gKqk50HJaFx

Apple: http://ow.ly/MRvH50HJaFy

Kobo: http://ow.ly/JUQG50HJaFv

Google: http://ow.ly/TUej50HJaFw

Here’s the blurb:

‘I just want my little girl back. She’s so little, she needs her mummy. And she doesn’t even have her panda bear with her. Find her, please find her, before it’s too late.’

Little Rosie Blake has been taken. Since going missing from the hospital where she was being treated for cancer, Rosie’s distraught parents haven’t heard a word. And time is swiftly running out. They have to find her, and right away, because Rosie can only survive for ten days without her medication.

With the police unable to find any leads at all, criminal behaviourist Jessie Boyle and her team are brought in to help. Who would be so evil as to steal a sick child? Narrowing down on a suspect, Jessie quickly moves to arrest them, only to discover the suspect’s dead body instead…

And with no Rosie in sight, the case becomes even more desperate.Who killed their chief suspect, and where is Rosie now? And is Rosie’s disappearance linked to the sudden revival of Dublin’s Hellfire Club, an ancient and terrifying cult obsessed with death and human sacrifice?

As the race to find Rosie intensifies, her heartbroken parents know their little girl’s time is running out. The clock is ticking, but Jessie clings on to the hope of finding her safe. Then her search leads her to Ireland’s remote mountains… Will Jessie be able to survive the deadly threat that awaits her, rescue Rosie, and get her back to safety, before it’s too late?

An utterly compelling crime thriller that will have you hooked from the very first line. Fans of Patricia Gibney, Lisa Gardner and Lisa Regan will not want to miss this.

Still Riding High in the Charts

A scrap of clothing still clung to one arm – the remains of a woollen jumper, perhaps once carefully knitted by a loving mother, now dirty and torn. Jessie wondered how many parents were still waiting for news of those buried here, and how far the lost victims were from home.

A body has been found in an ancient forest in the remote west of Ireland – but this death is only the beginning. The crime scene reveals the remains of dozens of victims, stretching back years. None of them matching missing persons lists, and their DNA is not on file. With no clues to go on, and limited resources, the local police call in criminal behaviourist Jessie Boyle and her partner Detective Seamus Keneally.

The detectives soon discover that the forest, with its ancient burial mounds and dark hollows, is home to a centuries-old legend: of a ruthless attacker, preying on unwary travellers. Has the killer taken deadly inspiration from an old legend? And how long before they strike again?

When forensic evidence found on the latest victim’s body links to a suspect, Jessie realises she only has one chance to trap them before more innocent lives are lost. But the forest still has one last, awful secret to give up. Will bringing this twisted killer to justice come at the ultimate cost for Jessie?

A gripping and atmospheric crime thriller that will have you hooked from the first page to the final line. Fans of Patricia Gibney, Lisa Gardner and Lisa Regan will not want to miss this!

Shane’s Next Book

In the new psychological thriller from Shane Dunphy, someone is always watching.

James Fitzpatrick is a high-profile partner in one of London’s most successful law firms – at the top of his profession.

But when he starts a flirtation with a woman working on the IT helpdesk of his company, his life begins to fall apart: missed appointments, career-ending mistakes at work – it’s almost as if someone has access to every facet of his life.

Then, his wife meets a fatal accident in their north London home and James is prime suspect.

But who is the woman at the other side of the computer screen? And why is she always watching?

Preorder The Helpdesk by Shane Dunphy now.

https://linktr.ee/thehelpdeskshanedunphy

In the Media

Still riding high in the Amazon charts, Boyle and Keneally Book 1: Bring Her Home

Here’s the blurb:

She had taken only one step towards the hotel when she heard the car door opening, and then something had her by the shoulders in a grip like steel. Penny tried to fight, but it was no good. The last thing she heard as consciousness drifted away was the whisper of a familiar song…

In a small town on Ireland’s west coast, a young woman named Penelope O’Dwyer leaves a restaurant. It should take five minutes to walk back to where she’s staying. In those five minutes she disappears without a trace.It’s a few days before the tape arrives. The kidnapper’s face is masked, his voice distorted, but no one doubts for a second he will follow through on his threat: a ritual murder at the end of October – and after that, many more murders to come. Penelope has two weeks to live. And the police don’t have a single lead.

Detective Seamus Keneally insists they need help. Especially when imprisoned murderer Frederick Morgan offers vital information connecting this case to a series of historic murders. But he will only speak to one person: criminal behaviourist Jessie Boyle. Jessie is still grieving after a brutal tragedy that cut her career in London short – but right now, she’s the only chance Penelope has.

Morgan claims this is the work of a serial killer who’s been working in the shadows for longer than the police have ever realised. Now Jessie must use all her instincts and insight to get inside the mind of a criminal more ruthless than any she’s faced in her career – before the evil that has secretly stalked Ireland for decades is unleashed again.

A totally breathtaking and chilling crime thriller that will keep you gripped to the very last page, perfect for fans of Lisa Regan, A.J. Rivers, Tana French and Lisa Gardner.

Available for Download Now

No Ceremony of the Dead – A group of childhood friends are coming after the man who abused them and put one of their friends in a coma; can Shane Dunphy stop their murderous plans but still bring the predator to justice?

An investigation into an institutional abuser who has been continually protected by the establishment brings Shane on a collision course with a dangerous and deranged sadist. Along the way he finds himself clashing with a Nazi biker gang, a wealthy philanthropist with a dark secret and the hidden secrets of the past. Told with wry wit and deep compassion, this is a story you won’t want to miss.

Download This Chilling Audiobook

In this shocking new True Crime Audible Original an old friend contacts child protection expert and writer Shane to seek his advice. He believes he knows what happened to a group of children who went missing in the 1980s.
The veteran journalist is certain there is a conspiracy going right to the top of the police and government in Ireland – and maybe even further afield – to protect those responsible.

A retired journalist believes a killer is on the loose, a dangerous man who is being protected by those sworn to bring him to justice; Shane Dunphy must decide if this is terrifying truth or dark fantasy.

Is he just jumping at shadows, burnt out by years at the sharp end of a tough job, or is this one of the biggest stories in the history of Irish crime reporting? As Shane investigates, he begins to recognise the MO of the alleged killer, and is drawn back to a case from the very beginning of his own work in child protection, one that almost ended his career before it started.

It was the case that brought him face to face with a terrifying figure known as The Dark Man. And to a crumbling mansion in the Irish countryside terrified children call The Bad Place.

Punctuated by folk songs, stories from Ireland’s dark history and Shane’s trademark empathy and sensitivity, The Bad Place combines the best of True Crime writing with the tenderness of an inspirational memoir. Fans of both genres will be riveted.

News

Wednesday’s Child Film Adaptation wins Top Prize at the Galway Film Fleadh and qualfies for Oscars Longlist

The film adaptation of Shane Dunphy’s bestselling debut memoir, Wednesday’s Child, has won the coveted Tiernan McBride Award for Best Short Drama at the Galway Film Fleadh, Ireland’s most influential Film Festival. Directed by Laura O’Shea and produced and starring Caroline Harvey and Charleigh Bailey, the film tells the story of social worker Marie’s first day on the job, and the personal cost the sharp end of child protection work can bring.

The award means that Wednesday’s Child is automatically long-listed for the Acadamy Awards.

Shane’s book was published in 2006, and topped the Irish non-fiction lists for 6 weeks.

Bring Her Home A Number 1 Bestseller

Shane’s new crime novel, Bring Her Home, has spent almost three weeks as a Number 1 Bestseller on Audible’s Folklore charts. It is also at Number 4 in the overall Irish Crime charts. Make sure you don’t miss this, the debut novel in Shane’s new crime series. Everyone is talking about it!

S. A. Dunphy’s Amazon Author Page is now Live

You can now visit Shane’s crime fiction titles (those written under the name S. A. Dunphy). Simply put S. A. Dunphy into the search window in whichever Amazon territory you’re based in and you’ll be brought to the page.

Shane signs three-book deal with Bookouture

From https://www.bookouture.com/2021/01/26/bestselling-author-s-a-dunphy-joins-bookouture/

We are delighted to announce that UK and Irish bestselling author Shane Dunphy (writing as S.A. Dunphy) is joining the Bookouture family. Shane has sold over 800,000 copies of his crime fiction and narrative non-fiction books across the world and is a true crime bestseller in audiobook. He has also published influential academic titles and scholarly texts in the field of the social sciences.

Commissioning Editor Therese Keating acquired World English Language and audio rights from Ivan Mulcahy at MMB Creative for three books in a new series of crime thrillers set in Ireland, starring detective duo Jessie Boyle and Seamus Keneally. The first in the series will publish in September 2021.

Therese said,

‘Shane is a hugely exciting talent and I’m overjoyed to be publishing him. I was gripped from the moment I picked up the first Boyle and Keneally thriller. It’s a brilliantly paced and tense race against time with a terrifying villain, but just as compelling are the characters of his detectives and the eerie atmosphere of the remote Irish setting. It’s a truly winning combination and I can’t wait to share these books with readers.’

Shane said,

‘Bringing the Boyle and Keneally series to Bookouture is, quite simply, a no-brainer. The team at Bookouture understand every level of the industry and have amazing instincts for what readers want. Most importantly, though, Bookouture is somewhere writers are nurtured and developed. I know my characters and their world will thrive and flourish under the astute guidance of my editor Therese and her team.’

Stories From the Margins is an Audible Bestseller!

No Ceremony for the Dead and The Bad Place are currently dominating the Abduction and Kidnapping chart on the Audible True Crime charts, holding the top 2 slots, with No Ceremony for the Dead at Number 1 and The Bad Place at Number 2. In the main True Crime charts, which combines all the sub-genres worldwide, the series is holding positions Number 3 and Number 12, with No Ceremony at 3 and Bleak Alley making a return at 12. All of which means Stories From the Margins is a certified Audible Bestseller in one of the most competitive genres there is.

Shane in the Sunday Independent

In an emotional and in-depth interview, Shane talked to journalist and author Emily Hourican about the challenges he has overcome to become a bestselling author and advocate for so many who don’t have a voice.

https://www.independent.ie/opinion/my-journey-has-been-quite-dark-at-times-but-ive-come-out-the-other-end-author-shane-dunphy-39774218.html

Shane on The Tubridy Show

Shane spoke to Ryan Tubridy about his new True Crime audiobook series, Stories From the Margins, and for the first time opened up about the childhood traumas that have inspired his writing and driven his work in child protection.