An Irish gumshoe gets in trouble again in this steamy short fiction that features gangs, pay-offs, immigration and a dose of greed. Private detective John Blaine is back treading Dublin's mean streets. With his marriage now on track, and a new baby to keep him closer to home, it seems life is good. That is, until he gets a call from the owner of nightclub in Dublin's raucous Temple Bar. A Romanian gang is threatening to burn the place down, but there are two sides to every story. Before he knows it, Blaine finds himself in the center of the blaze.

John Blaine is a private detective who works Dublin's mean streets. He is tough, talented and smart, but always unlucky in love. His wife has just left him, and he's sad and sorry. Now, hired to bring home a stray daughter of the rich, he takes the girl's side against her powerful father, and suffers for it. Written by a critic, journalist and crime fiction reviewer for the Irish Times, this short novel is gripping, funny and stripped to the bone. Sad Song packs a punch like a fist in a velvet glove... The Open Door Series: Originally designed to promote adult literacy in Ireland, these original stories from best-loved authors and new voices showcase some of our best writing in short fiction.