Awards

• Short-listed for LAI Biennial Book Awards 2025 (Ireland)

Overview

Joey’s stepdad, Vinnie, ran away from Dublin over a year ago. Now he’s back, and everyone wants to know if he’s still a wolf. Joey wants to believe Vinnie has given up his dodgy ways and returned to be near his family. But he’s in no hurry to meet him. With his girlfriend going to Trinity College and his new start living with his aunt, Joey is trying to move on. But fate doesn’t sit on a fence and Joey will have to confront his own painful past and the role his stepdad played in it.

Full Product Details

9781915071507

Table of Contents

Reviews

""Compulsive reading."" * Claire Hennessy, The Irish Times *

""Compulsive reading."" * Claire Hennessy, The Irish Times * ""A stylish and pacy urban thriller."" * Reading Zone, 5 star librarian review * ""A gritty tale of an all-too-real Dublin""

Author Information

James Butler’s background is in education and drama. He holds an MPhil in Creative Writing from Trinity College Dublin. He taught in a primary school for many years in Dublin and set up a Community Drama Theatre Group (F-Troupe) while working there. He wrote plays in collaboration with the group which were performed in the Civic Theatre. His children's play Stuck in the Mud was nominated for an Irish Times Theatre Award. He spent many years as a writer working in collaboration with the teenage members of Kathryn Coffey’s Stage 51 Theatre Group. Some of the plays performed by the group are available on Playshare (Youth Theatre Ireland’s curated compendium of plays). His radio play The Carpet Clown was produced by RTÉ Drama On One as part of The PJ O’Connor Awards and his YA novel Dangerous Games won The Great Reads Award.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available