A telephone call shatters the calm of a Dublin summer morning bringing terrible news from war-torn Nicaragua: Johnny Little has been caught up in a mysterious skirmish and killed. Grief-stricken, his estranged parents Frank and Eleanor set out on the arduous journey to bring their wayward son home. It's a quest that will have profound consequences: in this hauntingly beautiful land of poetry, guns and frantic salsa music, nothing is quite what it seems ...
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'An astonishing display of assured, emotive, witty writing. Read it.' Independent on Sunday 'This is a very entertaining novel. It is also a generously humane one.' Sunday Times 'Ireland's most brilliant storyteller.' Sunday Independent 'Desperadoes is an intelligent thriller that attempts to explore the way in which children always remain a mystery to the people who raise them.' New Statesman
From the Back Cover
All alone, with his electric guitar and overactive ego for company, Eddie Virago, proud owner of the last mohican haircut in Dublin, leaves his hometown to find fame in the wild world of the London rock scene. A bewildering array of acid-house ravers, saloon-bar revolutionists, music biz wideboys and media primadonnas all seem oh-so anxious to help Eddie on his way..
"Eddie Virago is the best fictitious Irish immigrant to arrive over here since Edna O'Brien sent 'The Country Girls' to London over twenty-five years ago. With 'Cowboys and Indians', Joseph O'Connor emerges as the most immediate voice to come out of Ireland in years."
MIRABELLA
"This is an impressive debut: a good story, well told, great characters, with sardonic, very knowing digs at youthful pretension… clever, wry and often hilarious."
TIME OUT
"Well-written, tremendously confident… O'Connor has managed the almost impossible: he has created a thoroughly unlikeable hero whom the reader, while detesting, actually worries about. An excellent debut."
IRISH INDEPENDENT
"Very funny… full of sharp, tightly-focused realism… This is an immensely readable and entertaining book, full of truth about the world we live in, without a dull moment."
SUNDAY INDEPENDENT
"'Cowboys and Indians' has characters that leap out at you like figures in a pop-up book. Joseph O'Connor's first novel suggests he's bound for fame."
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Desperadoes is, in my opinion, the best book that Joseph O'Connor has written. The story concerns an estranged couple, Frank and Eleanor Little and their search for their missing son in Nicaragua. The frosty atmosphere between Frank and Eleanor is in stark contrast to the heat of Nicaragua and the strained relationship between Frank and the members of his son's band which on a number of occasions threatens to boil over. Personality clashes become inevitable in the confines of a VW Camper. A hippy called Smokes quickly endears himself to the reader and so vivid is the writing that you will soon be joining Frank, Eleanor and the band members in their VW Camper searching for Johnny in the mountains of war torn Nicaragua. A great read, definitely recommended.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Unlike one of your other reviewers I did not enjoy Star of the Sea, but I have read and enjoyed many of Joseph O'Connors books, and I rate this as one of his best alongside the Salesman. Be warned once you pick it up it is difficult to put down, I have just bought it again, because like all good books you want to lend it to your friends and then you never get it back do you!
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I laughed out loud and I cried to myself! I'm not very good at writing reviews but my advice is "read it" and I promise you won't be disappointed. It is perhaps the funniest and at the same time the most poignant novel that I,ve come across in a long time.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good read
I was looking for another book by this author, having read ' star of the sea'
While this book is not as good as 'Star of the sea' I did enjoy it ! Read more
While this book is not as good as 'Star of the sea' I did enjoy it ! Read more
Published on 10 Aug 2010 by el
1.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing after reading so many good reviews
Started ok, but after a while became tiresome and painful to read. Unconvincing and inconsistent characters, weak plot, unfunny "hilarious! Read more
Published on 21 July 2010 by rhubarbandcustard
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nicaraguita
I was particularly keen to read this book for two reasons. Firstly I immensely enjoyed O'Connor's sublime Star of The Sea and secondly because I spent an incredible three or four... Read more
Published on 1 May 2009 by Alexis Paladin
3.0 out of 5 stars
A good (but not memorable) read.
It might just be because this is already the forth book I read by Joseph O'Connor, but I honestly didn't find it memorable. Read more
Published on 26 Jan 2009 by Alessandra F.
2.0 out of 5 stars
nothing to write home about
Its the first time I'd read a Joseph O'Connor book and to be quite honest I'd never heard of him before so I read it without expectation or prejudice. Read more
Published on 22 Jan 2009 by Martin Grace
2.0 out of 5 stars
Desperately disappointing
"Star of the Sea" was my first encounter with O'Connor and I was eager to read his back catalogue after its brilliance. Read more
Published on 23 July 2008 by D. S. Ure
4.0 out of 5 stars
I was there...!
This took me back, as I was In Nicaragua at the very time that this book was set, so the resonances were huge. Read more
Published on 15 July 2008 by juan_for_the_money
4.0 out of 5 stars
First class story teller
I personally made the mistake of reading the author's finest book yet 'the Star of the Sea' and then 'Desperados' - expecting the same consuming calibre of writing. Read more
Published on 4 Dec 2004 by Sara Crean-Muir
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