RaveThe Stinging Fly (IRE)Because Cushla is engaged in an illicit relationship, the action of Trespasses, plays out in enclosed spaces ... The texture of these spaces is precisely rendered ... That the relationship with Michael Agnew is going to end badly is hardly a spoiler but despite the foreshadowing, the end when it comes is not just a shock, it’s a gasp out-loud moment, a punch in the solar plexus ... Kennedy’s writing is full of compassion and power. The intensity of her characterisations, even the secondary characters, speak to her writing origins in the short form ... Trespasses doesn’t read like a debut novel. Here is a writer sure-footed emotionally and dexterous linguistically. The novel recreates the 70s world faultlessly ... The writing is witty and mordant. But most importantly, Trespasses seems like a necessary piece of work. Lest we forget what the Troubles really meant.
