Paris might be liberated and the war at an end but a huge influx of returning refugees, concentration camp survivors and less savoury types who fought for or collaborated with the Nazis presents a whole swathe of problems for a hard-pressed government which is already struggling with food and power shortages. There is also a thirst for vengeance -- some taken on the street but also a set of trials in court for the major figures in the Vichy Government. One of those is Lafarge's father -- the senior confidant of Marshal Petain -- who is incarcerated in Fresnes prison with others from the disgraced regime. Lafarge fears for his father's life and along with his colourful step brother -- who has returned on a train filled with POW's -- pays two guards to look out for him. However, he is murdered and whilst Lafarge is warned by his superior to take a backseat on the investigation he is soon heavily involved as other murders appear to be linked to that of his father whilst the two prison guards disappear. With the fear his own past crimes will be revealed and with his family a constant source of anxiety he finds solace in his love of cognac and becomes enmeshed in a sinister tale of betrayal and murder where no one appears above suspicion in a city that is a long way from emerging from its nightmare. Praise for Pirate Irwin: 'A brilliant detective story that captures the tensions of the era.' Tom Kasey 'Pirate Irwin is brilliant at creating character, plot and an all pervading sense of moral ambiguity. The period detail is impeccable.' Patrick Bishop Pirate Irwin is a journalist and author based in Paris. As a sports journalist he has covered nearly every single major world sporting event reporting from four Football World Cups to four Olympic Games. His first novel was The Twisted Patriot which was nominated for the Amazon debut novel award, the Breakthrough award.