History tells us that Patrick O'Donnell was hanged in Newgate Prison in December 1883 for the murder of James Carey, the infamous Phoenix Park Killer and notorious Irish informer. History however tells us almost nothing of this remarkable man. Letters sent from Victor Hugo and US President Chester A. Arthur, asking Queen Victoria to show clemency, hint at an extraordinary life for an Irish peasant. Gavin O'Donnell reveals in intimate and fascinating detail, through a series of letters, the incredible life of one man - and the times in which he lived.

Explore the condemned man's life and times through this unique work of creative fiction, entwined with historical fact; from the Great Hunger to the typhoid sheds of Quebec; from his service in the Confederate army and capture in 1863; to the O'Donnell massacre at Wiggan's Patch, Pennsylvania; and ultimately to that fateful day off the coast of Port Elizabeth where he put three bullets into the traitor Carey.