'This book will stay with me for a very long time'
Reader review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'Heartbreaking'
Reader review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'It took my breath away'
Reader review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'You will be gripped from page 1'
Reader review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

The Instant Irish Bestseller

How do you survive the unsurvivable?

Rachel lives with her husband Tom and their two children: it's the ordinary family life she always thought she'd have. All of that changes in an instant - when Tom runs the family car off the road, seeking to end his own life, and take his wife and children with him.

Suddenly Rachel is left poring over the wreckage to try and understand what happened - to find a way to go on living afterwards.

'Outstanding, and has lingered in my head for a very long time'
Prima

'A searingly beautiful novel'
Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things

Winner of The Irish Book Awards Newcomer of the Year 2025

"Wow what a debut! This book is outstanding and has lingered in my head for a very long time. Rachel and Tom are married and have two children when the unthinkable happens. The story is a deep dive into how trauma and suffering affect us. Although a hard read at times this is an entrancing searing read and actually one of hope. I definitely expect it to be on awards shortlists! I cannot stop recommending it" - Prima

"An unforgettable tale about love, loss and mental illness. 5 stars" - The Sun

"I was gripped by this emotionally intelligent, thought-provoking exploration of the worst thing possible and what led to it. There are no easy answers, however, and the deeper into it we get, the more complicated it becomes. Devastating and important." - Daily Mail

"Claire Gleeson's quietly compelling debut novel, Show Me Where It Hurts, opens with a horrifying scene . . . while the dramatic opening grabs the reader's attention, Gleeson approaches the subject matter with the necessary sensitivity and restraint . . . it is about so much more than the horrifying tragedy at its heart. Gleeson is telling a multifaceted story about our society here. She is looking at everything from male shame and stigma around depression to the pressure to succeed in modern Ireland and the slippery, changeable nature of mental illness, along with the incomprehensible strength and painstaking determination it takes to rebuild a life after a devastating loss." - Irish Times

"A searing examination of grief, regret and coming to terms with unimaginable loss . . . a harrowing yet beautiful read, offering a profound meditation on the toll of grief, the passing of time, and the possibility - against all odds - of finding hope in the face of tragedy" - Irish Independent