The Bee Sting

By Paul Murray

Categories: Literature & Fiction

The Bee Sting (2023) is a novel by Paul Murray about an Irish family in crisis after the 2008 financial crash. The Barnes family's car dealership in the Irish midlands is failing. Dickie, the father, is building a bunker in the woods; his wife, Imelda, is selling her jewellery online; their daughter, Cass, is preparing to leave for university; and their son, PJ, plans to run away. Told from each point of view, the novel reveals the secrets shaping their lives.

Recommended by 2 people

• Dua Lipa: “I did pretty much punch the air when Cass tells Elaine that she hates her. I found it so relatable.”
• Natalie Portman