Experts in a Dying Field cover art

Experts in a Dying Field

The funny and moving novel about friendship, secrets, and the alchemy of music
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Experts in a Dying Field

By: Patrick Freyne
Narrated by: Ciaran O'Brien
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Summary

The Heathens thought of themselves as 'the 1000th best band of all time'. Then their tour van crashed, and one of their members died.

Twenty years later, weird things are happening in Dublin, bringing the surviving members of the band together in ways none of them could have anticipated and lifting the lid on mysteries from their shared past.

Experts in a Dying Field is a gloriously sharp, witty and surprising novel about friendship, secrets, the strange workings of grief and guilt, and the joyful alchemy of music, from a writer with a unique ability to access humour and deep emotion.

This audio edition features original music from the author.
Singing by Anna Carey, recorded by Aaron Smyth.
Piano by Patrick Freyne, recorded by John Carney.
"Nothing Stays the Same" full song performed and written by Patrick Freyne and Aaron Smyth, produced and mixed by Aaron Smyth.

'Offbeat, ironic, humane and hilarious, Experts in a Dying Field is an earworm you’ll be humming along to for a long time to come.' PAUL MURRAY

'A wonderfully evocative novel from a major storytelling talent.’ JOSEPH O'CONNOR

‘Just pure joy and pure heartbreak and GENUINE LAUGHS all the way through. I cried a few times too.’ MARINA HYDE

© Patrick Freyne 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

 Friendship Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction
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Critic reviews

Rich, funny, moving and alive. The Commitments for a generation who grew up burning their own CDs off dodgy LimeWire MP3s. (Róisín Langian)
Beautiful, big-hearted, silly and profound (Séamas O'Reilly)
A wonderfully evocative novel from a major storytelling talent. (Joseph O’Connor)
The experience of reading Experts in a Dying Field feels kaleidoscopic, as each twist reveals the vividness of each character’s particular sorrows and guilts and griefs, and above all, the force of friendship. Clever, warm and moving, it’s a remarkable book, thrumming with music and with love.
A paean to friendship, forgiveness and the power of music, told with the blend of empathy and wit that is Freyne's trademark. I loved this book
Brimming with musicality and the wild, unpredictable energy of a session, this book hums with life, told with the rigour and brilliance of one of Ireland’s finest minds. As profound as it is hilarious, Freyne’s voice is unmistakable: clever, tender, and original. Read it once, then read it again. Then go to the pub.
A poignant and beautifully observed novel about the heroic underdogs of the music underground and the dreams and friendships that were forged there. Patrick Freyne writes about his characters with humour, care and loving attention. (Rónán Hession)
Kaleidoscopic, witty, boisterous and warm, Experts in a Dying Field confirms Patrick Freyne as a writer who cares deeply about people. (Lisa McInerney)
A sharply funny and tender book. You can hear the music coming off every page. Wonderful. (Julia Raeside)
Sizzles with hope, laughs and the tensions that come from knowing someone in their brighter, younger days and wishing, perhaps, that you've left them there. Nostalgic, darkly funny, and real – perfect for anyone trying to make sense of what it means to have history. (Justin Myers)
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