It was a dangerous game they played with Hauptmann, one where their own lives would have been extinguished if found they housed and kept Jews safe. His home is Vatican City, a neutral, independent country within Rome where the occupiers hold no sway. Monsignor O'Flaherty is a true hero as are those who helped him with the plans despite the danger to themselves. The novel’s evocative scene-setting, its propulsive narration and its powerful depiction of bravery and unity in extremis, all make for an engrossing read. The Choir members all came from different social, ethnic and political backgrounds, but they were all united in their desire to save human beings from the Nazis.

Irish priest, Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty, aka Ugo and Hughdini, is tasked with visiting the horrors of the Italian POW camps, an appointment the Nazis thought would not raise the terrifying conditions as the Irish were known to despise the English.This read of historical fiction, based upon the true story of Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty, is a literary thriller.

Beautifully crafted, his razor-sharp dialogue is to be savoured, and he employs dark humour to great effect. Based on a true story, My Father’s House is a powerful thriller from a master of historical fiction. On a related note if you are interested in the true version of events Mr O'Connor provides further reading at the end of the book and you can visit the statue of Hugh O'Flaherty in Killarney National Park in Kerry (where they do now have crushed ice, tomato ketchup and easy access to garlic - read the book and you'll understand the reference).

Each chapter was read by one of the narrators listed above and we see the setting and atrocities through their eyes.

At great risk to themselves and family, some Romans helped escaped Allied prisoners and Jews, providing train tickets in false names, which helped them flee to Switzerland.This formidable talent for writing across genres is reflected in his masterly 10th novel, which should reap similar plaudits. My Father’s House is set in Rome, more precisely in the Vatican, during the Nazi occupation and is described by the publishers as a ‘WWII-era “great escape” novel’. In the 1943 timeline, we follow Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty and his Choir in the days leading up to Rendimento (Christmas Eve, 1943). Describing his first encounter with his future employer and fellow member of the choir, Sir D’Arcy Osborne, in a Soho nightclub frequented by gay men: ‘So Sir D’Arcy’s in one midnight with a couple of his old school muckers and they’re larking about with the drag boys.