Comic signs new book deal

Ardal O’Hanlon is writing two new Irish-set crime novels.

The first, A Plot To Die For, will be released in May, with publishers   Simon & Schuster already committed to its follow-up.

The Father Ted and Death In Paradise star previously wrote the darkly comic mystery Brouhaha for Fourth Estate in 2022 as well as the novels Talk Of The Town in 1999 and Knick Knack Paddy Whack in 2000.

A Plot to Die For is about celebrity gardener Finn O’Leary who relocates back to his hometown of Abbeyford in Ireland to help look after his elderly mother and is roped into its entry to the Tidy Towns competition. But when someone drops dead during   choir practice, Finn is drawn into the mystery of who wanted them dead and why.

Simon & Schuster’s Katherine Armstrong told trade website The Bookseller: ‘Ardal needs no introduction to anyone. He’s a well-known and much loved actor, comedian and writer. 

‘Having read his last book, Brouhaha, it was clear that Ardal is not just a great writer, but also an author well-placed to delve into the darker side of Irish towns and he does so with his trademark warmth and humour,;

Published: 17 Jul 2025