The Bad Place
Stories from the Margins, Book 2
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The Bad Place
Narrated by:
Shane Dunphy
Buy Now for £15.99
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Narrated by:
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Shane Dunphy
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By:
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Shane Dunphy
About this listen
The house was like something out of a Jane Austen novel, but the truth of what lay in the shadows was more terrifying than any fictional imagining.
Shane Dunphy recalls the experience of his darkest nightmares: a young girl describing missing children as playthings at house parties, but no one was listening; a malevolent, threatening presence looming in the residence they called the Bad Place, and Shane was forced to flee.
And now, 20 years later, a mother pleads with him to find her son who vanished at age five.
Determined to redress his mistakes, Shane doggedly investigates and begins to uncover a vast international child-trafficking ring that goes to the very top of the establishment.
And behind it all there’s the Dark Man, a hideous exile from humanity who has decided Shane needs to be taught a final lesson. Recounting cases of historical child disappearances, unsolved abductions, collusion with the Catholic church and its culture of secrets, lies and cover up, Shane Dunphy builds a picture of a complex web of organised criminality.
And, in a powerful story of personal redemption, Shane attempts to confront his demons and bring the notorious ringleader to justice.
©2019 Shane Dunphy (P)2020 Audible, Ltdtough subjects need to be discussed openly especially if they make you feel uncomfortable
gripping from start to finish
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very detailed insight....gripping. I liked it alot
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Throughout The Bad Place the Author tries to right what he feels wasn't achieved to the fullest the first time round, a yearning to repair. Given the tools that weren't in place years before, such as having to turn away a young girl, because there was no room we see many things were out of his hands.
The use of language in describing music, coincided perfectly with the grim dark worlds described, "I sat down in front of the pages and played a slow air, letting the music soothe me my eyes closed. Maybe it would be better if I let this go." The Author goes on to describe it like dragging himself uphill through a river of mud. Which perfectly explains the lack of progress; the lack of movement in the right direction to save these children done by anyone and that seemed to be his driving force. Not only does the book deal with the heartbreaking plight of stolen children, but the missing women in Ireland. I think one of my favorite scenes in the book is the Author garnering some time away into the room to play music, "I brought the tune to a close and opened my eyes and that was when my gaze came to settle on the names of the other missing young women." Then the names are listed.
The author met with Theresa whose son is missing and his endeavors to help her find her son. It was the line, "The next time I saw her it was all over," struck me as very poignant. I like the offering of cappuccino to Theresa's partner bringing a little comfort in otherwise dark times. There was content coming in a flow of learning in this book; such as the steady supply of child prostitution in London, children in Romania who were shot by the Military as they played outside and the children that went missing in Ireland and the clerical abuse of children. As the book progressed its a book you digest and not pull back from, but absorb the content and piece things together like a puzzle in your mind. The Author's use of accents throughout was fantastic, changing from one character to the next was flawless. Sometimes up to three voices within one conversation.
People on the periphery are the targets of The Dark Man. On the periphery I guess of what is normal everyday life. The weaving together of those horrible dark halls in Peter's College right up the hierarchy of a country and how so much of what goes on in dark deeds is intertwined and the more we look the harder it can be to see.
I enjoyed the interactions of the Author with the Traveller community, the playing of music felt tangible, the welcoming in he received is heartening that when you come into people's lives at tough times and can be welcomed in. I think the Author's affinity with people made him welcome into situations others would be excluded from. His need to gain a do over on choices of the past made him approachable. Of course Child Protection Worker as his role, but it can't be ignored this seemed to be bigger than a job to him throughout. Perhaps it is the many strings to his bow that makes his presence a welcome one.
The Author has succeeded in bringing us into worlds that people considered to live on the periphery inhabit, but to these people they are often forced to live with the choices life presented them. The dark truth is so much of what we think could never happen in Ireland very much has and the most innocent often have no voice.
Though perplexing stuff we see what it was like for Theresa to be in need of a fix and how really in truth situations in her life I'm sure led her to that, till she arrived at a place impossible to return from. In ways she couldn't save herself perhaps, she sought to save her son Alan. Again when the Author tells about the Traveller community and been welcomed in and trusted by them, sup with them and play music. It is the Traveling community who suffered at the hands of The Dark Man with the taking of their children. Yet the flaws in the Community are also portrayed within this book, such as learning about the Rathkeale gang.
Working in Child Protection must be such an entire giving of oneself to help others and ultimately to enable them to lead fulfilling, healthy lives after the fact. The Author shares their own need to know normal once again, normal interactions not based on someone needing something. The Author has brought us the people, behind the statistics and I think this is a very powerful thing. It is true of every situation in life when you put a face to someone, get to know them, it is easier to see them and possibly makes it harder to separate them from the deed they've become.
Looking forward to the next book from Shane.
Insightful book on periphery Ireland
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Shane’s incredible tenacity to fight for what is right at such risk after such a long time should push us all to fight for injustices no matter what. The fact that it rolls into a film worthy narrative is a bonus!
Bloody brilliant
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The Bad Place
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