The Favorites (US) / The Favourite (Irl/UK)

An edgy, feminist campus novel about justice, gender, and power, following a woman who enrolls in law school and competes her way into an elite "Law and Literature" cohort to get revenge on the charismatic professor who wronged her sister.

Most students would kill to be accepted into the prestigious Law and Literature cohort at Franklin University. But for Jessie Mooney, enrollment in the course is about more than elite campus status, rigorous thought, and professional connections. It’s her chance to get close to charismatic professor Jay Crane—and take him down.

From the moment she discovered their secret relationship, Jessie's been convinced Crane is to blame for the events leading to her sister’s death. Still haunted by their last email exchange—You know what you did—she'll cross any line to hold him accountable. But when Jessie finally earns Crane’s trust and the coveted position as one of his “favorites,” attracting the other students’ envy and suspicion, the truth becomes darkly twisted. Is it justice Jessie craves, or revenge? And what does she stand to lose if she gets her way?

Shimmering with tension, this provocative novel explores the nature of obsession, the inequities of power, and the ways that anger, desire, and love reveal the best, and worst, of us.


“A riveting, surprising thriller that contains much more at its heart, The Favorites is a ferocious commentary on the nature of justice, and the gulf between what is right and what is legal. Gripping, emotional, and at times profound, I raced through this in an evening, swept along by the tense, pacy narrative and eager to spend more time with the author’s intricate meditations on the intersections of morality, power, and vengeance.”
—Kate Collins, author of A House for Good Children

“With an evocative academic atmosphere, subtle exploration of hierarchies, and brilliant foreshadowing, The Favorites is a truly propulsive read.”
—Heather Darwent, bestselling author of The Things We Do to Our Friends

The Favorites is dark academia at its best. A tale of revenge gone wrong, toxic relationships, power imbalances, and the meaning of consent. It’s a page-turning, gripping novel that I absolutely devoured.”
—Disha Bose, author of Dirty Laundry

Upcoming publication dates

Out now:

The Favorites (USA)

The Favourite (Australia/NZ)

18 January 2024 -Orion Fiction

The Favourite (Ireland/UK)

Preorder Ireland: Easons’s O’Mahoney’s Dubray Bookstation Gutter Bookshop

Preorder UK: UK Retailers

The Truth Will Out (Orion Fiction, 2022)

“Maybe I’ve told that version of the story so often that I can’t tell the truth of it anymore.”

Dara Gaffney is fresh out of drama school when she lands the leading role in the revival of Eabha de Lacey's hugely successful yet controversial play.

Based on the true story of the death of Cillian Butler, many claim that Eabha had an ulterior motive when she penned it. Cillian's death remains a mystery to this day, and Eabha and her brother, Austin, the only witnesses.

As the media storm builds and the opening night draws closer, the cast find it harder and harder to separate themselves from the characters.

As the truth of Cillian's fate becomes clear, Dara's loyalty to her role will be irrevocably questioned as the terrible history starts to repeat itself...

The Truth Will Out (Orion Fiction, 2022)

“A stunning literary thriller... It's tense, beautifully written and with a propulsive and claustrophobic feel throughout. Think Tana French meets If We Were Villains.'“ — HEATHER DARWENT

“A dark and masterly woven thriller that, like the play within it, kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. Rosemary Hennigan is an exciting new voice in Irish fiction” — NUALA ELLWOOD

“Mysterious, tense, and moreish - the twists will keep you turning the pages to uncover the dark truths lurking within” — DOIREANN NÍ GHRÍOFA

“Rosemary Hennigan is a confident, original new voice in Irish writing. The Truth Will Out is a compelling study of obsession and manipulation, charged with menace and tragic inevitability” — JANE CASEY

“Such a clever premise, compelling characters and brilliantly plotted” — T. ORR MUNRO