A ripping yarn, fluently and wittily told.

[A] wildly entertaining account of a life lived in the fast lane, one which he freely admits has attracted its own share of controversy, and yet is far more shaded than most people realise.

A fascinating account of the highs and lows of an eclectic career – and life.

Great fun… He reveals how drug barons run their illegal multi-billion dollar global businesses in much the same way as Fortune 500 chief executives.

Superb. One of the most original and smart takes I have read on the drugs world.

This is a clearly written and unassumingly clever book.

[An] exhilarating trip into the heart of the illegal narcotics industry. One of the most exciting business books of the last few years.

A daring work of investigative journalism and a well-reasoned argument for smarter drug policies.

This is a clearly written and unassumingly clever book

An economics manual for the Breaking Bad generation…a fascinating account

Great fun…He reveals how drug barons run their illegal multi-billion dollar global businesses in much the same way as Fortune 500 chief executives.

One of the pithiest and most persuasive arguments for drug law reform I have ever read

With a sharp eye for the absurd in the ordinary, Barrett's stories impart gritty and touching realisations about life as it really is. Edgy, sharp and utterly original, Homesickness is an utterly compelling collection and Barrett is meticulous

Colin Barrett is a young man in the town of the short story, but it's fair to say he has the run of the place

Homesickness is another finely crafted collection... Crisply told, fond of an eye-catching flourish... the stories draw energy from the rhythms of west of Ireland small talk, added to Barrett's eye for striking detail...The scenarios are richly layered, with punchy payoffs.

Strange and haunting fiction. You could open Homesickness at any page and find sentences of vim and elegance, ringing dialogue...and similes to savour.

Homesickness presents us with a set of characters forever losing things: other people's dogs, girlfriends, the will to live. But in the course of these stories they find things, too: courage; a crumpled sort of wisdom; the will to live. Between the comedy, and the pure thrill of the language, there's a lot of sorrow and mental illness here, but the afterglow of the stories, which settle and stay with you, is one of moving regard for the flaws and wants we battle, flee, and bargain with every day of our lives

Vivid, punchy... Barrett delineates with verve the ways his characters struggle.

Worth the wait... few do it as well as Colin Barrett.

Barrett's... brilliant second collection confirms him as one of the very best short-story writers in the business.

Barrett's stories are, without exception, beautifully written, full of arresting imagery.

Bittersweet and chiseled...From gritty realism to oddball noir, this assured collection demonstrates the talent of a distinctive writer.

Richly descriptive...This sharply observant collection resists pigeonholing its recalcitrant characters.

A masterwork-by turns hilarious and heart-breaking, these stories shimmer. No story writer at work today thrills me more than Colin Barrett, whose characters feel immediately so familiar and true in their capacity to maim and love. What fierce, tender stories. Totally unforgettable.

Funny, devastating, slow-burning, these understated tales of misfits and misadventures in smalltown Ireland are written with a casual grace.

Superb.

Eight stories ... written with vim and elegance and more than deliver on the promise of Barrett's acclaimed 2014 debut, Young Skins.

Pretty impressive.

Sensitive, often witty and sometimes melancholic reflections.

Unveil[s] the inventive mind behind his regular-guy façade.

Perfect for book lovers and cinephiles alike.

A pretty damn good writer.

Full of Hanks' winning charm.

Hanks’ measured storytelling makes the collection an addictive read.

Startlingly good… A spellbinding easygoing read, it is hard to find any fault, other than that Hanks is annoyingly talented and yet still somehow remains impossible to dislike.

Startlingly good … each of these 17 stories leap out from the page in their authenticity and whimsicality … A spellbindingly easygoing read, it is hard to find fault.

A wonderful collection.

Warm, gently funny and mostly engaging.

Behind the collection is a warmth and humanity.

Unexpectedly brilliant.

A spellbindingly easygoing read, it is hard to find fault.

Rich range of subject matter and emotions.