About the Book
Conan swallowed hard. The creature stood taller than the archway, a silhouette of darkness against the spiral of light behind it … And it looked directly at him.
Jack and Conan's friendship is officially dead. Stuck in detention with Yash and Jerry after an all-out brawl in the toilet, it’s a terrible start to sixth class. And that’s before they witness a monstrous beast step out of a portal outside their school. When it wanders into the crumbling mansion across the road, where the sinister Mr Kilroe lives, the boys follow. They have to investigate, right?
Unlocking Mr Kilroe’s secrets is only the beginning. Because there’s more than one otherworldly horror hiding in that house and confronting it will put Jack and Conan in mortal danger – that’s if they don’t kill each other first!
About the Author :
Kevin Moran is a children's author and primary school teacher from Castlebar, County Mayo. He was runner-up in the Staróg Prize for children's fiction in 2023. He wrote his first book, 'Ghost Invaders', when he was six. It remains buried in an attic, unpublished. His novel The Doomsday Club: Detention Can Wait – Saving the World Comes First was shortlisted for the Great Reads Award 2025.
When not writing, he can often be found on the beach near his home in Dublin, being walked by his surprisingly strong golden retriever.
Review :
The Doomsday Club is an action-packed mystery thriller catapulting the mundane lives of four sixth-class schoolboys into a terrifying world of heart-pounding suspense and mythical monsters, all right on their Dublin doorstep. Kevin Moran has masterfully weaved banter, bravery and wit into a class-act adventure of ferocious foes, mythical mysteries and unlikely friendships. A gold-star-sticker of a story!
[Kevin Moran] is a brilliant writer; a natural storyteller who knows exactly how to add suspense and adventure
Kevin Moran is such a witty writer. The way he catches the humour, tension and mischief of these 12 year olds is brilliant. You will love this book
excellent … full of action, with an age-appropriate sprinkling of horror and lots of humour
will appeal hugely to fans of Eoin Colfer and Dave Rudden. Featuring characters who are bang up-to-date, this zingy novel borrows from Irish mythology while exploring themes of friendship, bullying, bravery and growing up
5 stars - a very exciting story, difficult to put down … Kevin Moran is a natural and very talented writer and this is the first in what promises to be an excellent new series
zippy ... brilliant, brilliant debut novel … a real adventure
A crackin’, creepy read with expert storytelling that will take you places that exist only visited before in your nightmares, this is great! Excellent characterisation introduces the reader to the boys, who are just like some you’ll meet in school. Their exploits are riveting and yes, very dangerous. Breath-taking horror (age-appropriate, of course) sparkling with the right amount of humour and tension, it’s a real ‘can’t-put-down’ tale that will make your hair stand on end, while gritting your teeth and chuckling at the superb wit. Suspenseful, intriguing, at moments terrifying…a great “school” adventure with a genuine hint of heart…and an Irish-speaking, shape-shifting monster that is not quite as frightening as you might think at first. Fabulous, just fabulous!
Beginning in an ancient primary-school building, but featuring characters who are bang up-to-date, this zingy novel borrows from Irish mythology while exploring themes of friendship, bullying, bravery and growing up. No time is wasted in delivering the reader straight into the action alongside Jack, Conan, Yash and Jerry, classmates who wouldn’t exactly call themselves friends but find themselves banded together once they witness a shape-shifting creature emerge from a portal right outside their school yard during a rainy-day detention. This confident, enjoyable début will appeal hugely to fans of Eoin Colfer and Dave Rudden and with a second book in the works, there’s plenty of adventures ahead for the Doomsday Club!
This confident, enjoyable début from author Kevin Moran will appeal hugely to fans of Eoin Colfer and Dave Rudden. Beginning in an ancient primary-school building, but featuring characters who are bang up-to-date, this zingy novel borrows from Irish mythology while exploring themes of friendship, bullying, bravery and growing up. No time is wasted in delivering the reader straight into the action alongside Jack, Conan, Yash and Jerry, classmates who wouldn’t exactly call themselves friends but find themselves banded together once they witness a shape-shifting elk/bear/raven emerge from a portal right outside their school yard during one rainy-day detention. The title will resonate with somewhat older readers: this gang of misfits have the misfortune of being thrown together à la The Breakfast Club, and their strength lies in their differences. Adventure, fantasy and humour mix together playfully in this novel, as do colloquial and inventive use of the English and Irish languages, while landmarks of Dublin city play a prominent part … the boys’ new-found close friendship and the book’s judicious use of Irish mythology would lend itself well to new adventures
deals with peer pressure, bullying and the ups and downs of friendship with honesty and kindness. It’s a fast-paced read, ideal for keeping more reluctant readers engaged and the horror, while genuinely pulse-raising, is just the right amount of scary for its readership
Old Ireland and modern Ireland combine in this epic adventure, primary school teacher Moran captures the voice and dynamics of boys on the cusp of secondary school effortlessly in this funny and dramatic highstakes story
a fast paced read, ideal for keeping more reluctant readers engaged. The horror, while genuinely pulse-raising, is just the right amount of scary for its readership
brilliant … definitely one for the summer reading list
a fast-paced read, ideal for keeping more reluctant readers engaged. The horror, while genuinely pulse-raising, is just the right amount of scary for its readership
a huge adventure! A terrifying monster, flashes of lightning and a crumbling mansion throw Jack, Conan, Yash and Jerry into a perilous adventure. As they deal with creatures from Celtic mythology, midnight cemeteries and navigating parents and teachers, the gang find themselves in the ultimate doomsday scenario. The Doomsday Club is a brilliant Key Stage Three adventure that will keep kids reading
Elaina Ryan of CBI says: 'a homegrown talent … inventive [use of Irish in the book]’
Young reviewer Harry says: ‘brilliant, if you like mystery and fantasy you will love this book … the author's use of language is brilliant and I was hooked from the very first chapter’
a brilliant book … fantastic … plenty of cliffhangers
As soon as I started to read this book I know I’d love it and I adored every second of it … fabulous
