On a clear autumn morning in 2004 Rachel O’Reilly, a 30 year-old mother-of-two, was brutally battered to death in her home. It was a merciless killing that stunned the small, trusting community where she lived, and devastated her close-knit family. It soon emerged, however, that police investigating the case believed Rachel had known her killer and that her murder had been carefully planned months in advance. The spotlight immediately fell upon Rachel’s husband, Joe O’Reilly, who admitted in a number of extraordinary press interviews that he was a prime suspect in his wife’s slaying. The 32-year-old advertising executive vehemently denied any involvement. It was a crime that captured the imagination of the public, who watched as the illusion of the idyllic suburban life the couple shared together began to shatter.
Jenny Friel is a journalist and features writer with the Irish Mail on Sunday (formerly Ireland on Sunday). She lives in Dublin. 
Books by Jenny Friel
