Debut Mystery Novel 'Doocey Half-Sees Whodunnit' Features a Witty Irish Detective With Failing Sight But 20/20 Insight

Writer Tom McAndrew's Scruffy, Oddball Detective, Doocey, Disarms His Suspects With His Bumbling Antics While He Zeroes in on the Culprit

KENMORE, WA, UNITED STATES, May 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- 'Doocey Half-Sees Whodunnit' by Tom McAndrew (Camel Press, May 12, 2026) is “a page-turner that will keep you hooked. Funny and intriguing with a lead character like no other!" says Louise Phillips, Winner Best Irish Crime Novel of the Year, and Irish Times bestselling author

Meet Shamie Doocey, a detective from Western Ireland, a seemingly bumbling, scruffy detective, who is reminiscent of the TV detective Columbo but with a difference - he’s battling failing eyesight.

But his bad sight isn't going to stop the quirky detective from chasing his dream of finally solving his first big case: the disappearance of a troubled crime writer's wife. Just like bad sight was not going to stop Doocey's Irish creator, Tom McAndrew, from chasing his dream of becoming a mystery writer and landing himself a three-book deal. In a further development, film and TV production companies have already expressed interest in adapting his work for the screen, a testament to the book's cinematic style and potential.

Screenwriter and filmmaker Peter Salisbury writes "Tom McAndrew has a lovely light-hearted style of writing that sparkles with engaging characters and entertaining plot lines."

The story, which Tom describes as a "light-hearted take on the usual gritty crime drama", was inspired “by his love of Agatha Christie’s detective stories and timeless TV detective Columbo,” according to Tom.

Tom chose the name Doocey for his main character because he liked how it sounded like "Do See" and as if it was meant to be, his mother's maiden name. And Doocey really does see. So his superiors and suspects would do well not to be fooled by his clownish antics because Shamie Doocey has a twenty-twenty mind's eye that misses nothing.

“Doocey Half-Sees Whodunnit” is not just another cozy mystery with lots of intriguing twists and where you as the reader struggle alongside Doocey to see matters clearly right up to the very end. It’s the story of human courage, Irish drollness, resilience, and ultimately transformation, in the face of adversity.

"With his dry wit and irreverent repartee, Tom McAndrew's Detective Doocey reels readers in from the get-go. While Doocey half-sees whodunnit, McAndrew is fully aware of what it is that makes a raucously entertaining read," says Tanya Farrelly, bestselling author of The Girl Behind the Lens and When Your Eyes Close.

Irish Culture and Language

With 'Doocey Half-Sees Whodunnit,' you don’t just find out “who did it,” but you also get the added bonus of finding out all about Ireland—about the charm and wit of the Irish, about their culture, about the beautiful landscape of the Emerald Isle, and about how the Irish have a unique and funny turn of phrase.

“It’s interesting working with an American publisher because you get to see how we Irish have a very unique vocabulary. They found some of the words we use hilarious. Like how we use the word ‘banjaxed’ to mean that something is basically broken beyond repair—for example, ‘My car is banjaxed.’ Or ‘eejit.’ He or she is an ‘awful eejit’ or fool (or even gobshite!). Another favorite phrase is ‘Will you cop yourself on?’ or, as they might say in America, ‘Get a grip!’ I also found Americans to be particularly interested in hearing about the Irish landscape: the barren boglands, the rugged cliffs of the coastline, and the ancient stone burial chambers or dolmens dotting the Irish countryside, which incidentally play a big part in my book,” McAndrew reports.

About the Author

Tom McAndrew is an Irish mystery writer who grew up in a tiny village on the edge of Western Ireland. The area forms part of the famous Wild Atlantic Way: the world's longest defined coastal touring routes, stretching approximately 2,500km (1,553 miles) along Ireland's rugged western seaboard.

Drawing from his own experiences with vision impairment, McAndrew writes with an authentic and humorous voice. He holds an MA in media studies and studied at the National College of Art, Ireland (NCAD). He currently lives in Dublin with his wife and two children.

"Sight has always fascinated me. Having had my own share of sight issues, I wanted to explore the subject authentically while keeping the tone funny and engaging. So even as my detective character, Doocey, is struggling with sight issues, he still manages to see the funny side which, of course, is a famous trait of us Irish," Tom McAndrew remarks.

Author website: https://tommcandrewwriter.com


About Camel Press

Camel Press is an imprint of Epicenter Press, based in Kenmore, Washington. It publishes popular and genre fiction, mysteries, cozy mysteries, romantic suspense, romance (historical and contemporary), westerns and select historical fiction.

Camel Press books are available in trade paperback and just about any eBook format.

Camel Press is an approved publisher of: Mystery Writers of America (MWA); International Thriller Writers (ITW); and Romance Writers of America (RWA).

Books are distributed by Ingram.

'Doocey Half-Sees Whodunnit' by Tom McAndrew is available for sale nationwide in the United States, and globally, on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, and Camel Press websites, or ask for it at your local bookstore or library.

Susannah Greenberg
Book Buzz by Susannah Greenberg Public Relations
+1 646-801-7477
publicity@bookbuzz.com
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'Doocey Half-Sees Whodunnit' by Tom McAndrew

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