There’s Been A Little Incident – Alice Ryan

There’s Been A Little Incident is a family drama-slash-black comedy set across England and Ireland (with a couple of brief jaunts overseas). The inciting incident is the disappearance of young Molly Black – she’s been prone to flights of fancy and stumbling into sticky situations since she was orphaned at 18, but this time she left behind a troubling letter. Plus, she’s nearly 30 now, far too old for this kind of carry-on. So, the Black family gathers in suburban Dublin to strategise.

The Black family is aptly named; honestly, they’re a whole family of black sheep. Each member is contending with their own personal problems, and lonely in their own way. Among them are a religious zealot, a self-made girlboss, an uptight accountant, and a Soduku enthusiast. It might be a bit of a struggle to keep them straight at first, bu there’s a helpful family tree on the opening pages (with descriptors like “benign alcoholic” and “conflict resolution expert”).

Naturally, in such a diverse group, reactions to Molly’s disappearance is mixed. Uncle John is deeply concerned; he was the one who put the call out for a family meeting to begin with. Lady V doesn’t understand what all the fuss is about, and figures she’ll come back on her own when she’s ready. Anne is exasperated that, once again, her own normal-person needs are overshadowed by her carefree flaky cousin. Granny has barely looked up from her Sudoku for long enough to register what’s going on.

Gradually, over the course of There’s Been A Little Incident, a mystery emerges. Not only do the Black family need to track Molly down, but they need to determine once and for all whether her disappearance is linked to the disappearance of Sheena, a bright and bubbly ICU nurse who vanished at the same time and from the same place. Sheena’s family is putting out public appeals, convinced that she’s the victim of foul play, and the police want to talk to Molly about what she might have seen. The Black family are determined to find her first.

Don’t worry, Ryan steers clear of any “domestic psychological thriller” territory. And, although the cast of characters might suggest whacky adventures and mad-cap comedy, this book is also a serious meditation on family ties and grief. Ryan illustrates beautifully the bonds that form between remarkably different people with the simple combination of DNA and shared experience – good and bad.

There’s Been A Little Incident is deeply moving, in a few different ways. I found Uncle Danny’s story the most heart-wrenching – he’s the “benign alcoholic” (except there’s nothing really benign about an addiction struggle that sucks one’s whole life down into a swirling vortex of self-loathing and isolation). And yet, for all the trials and tribulations, there’s so much hope for everyone in this family, and so much humour to be derived from the good-natured ribbing they give each other (as only the closest families can do), that it doesn’t feel like a misery parade.

Anyone with an extended family who’d do anything for them – or anyone who wants one – will enjoy There’s Been A Little Incident.

Read There’s Been A Little Incident on audiobook via Libro.fm here.