The Relentless Pursuit in Aidan O’Dwyer’s ‘Appropriate Action’: A Must-Read Thriller

Behind the Pages: Decoding ‘Appropriate Action’ by Aidan O’Dwyer

What happens when fiction edges uncomfortably close to reality? Aidan O’Dwyer’s gripping thriller, Appropriate Action, sets out to explore this uneasy space, weaving mystery, danger, and complex human emotions into an enthralling narrative. Through relatable characters and unsettling scenarios, readers encounter a story that’s both absorbing and chillingly plausible.

Meet Lee Morgan: Inventor Caught in the Crossfire

The story revolves around Lee Morgan, a seemingly ordinary individual whose passion for invention transforms his life dramatically. In 2022, Lee develops a groundbreaking device challenging conventional scientific wisdom. Instead of applause, he faces suspicion, skepticism, and eventually, outright hostility. Lee’s world unravels further when an unsettling death suggests foul play—though authorities conveniently provide straightforward explanations. Despite his desire for simplicity, nagging doubts haunt Lee, intensified by anonymous threats urging his silence.

Lee’s turmoil strikes a chord because he represents every curious individual who dreams of making breakthroughs, unaware of the risks innovation may attract. His character vividly demonstrates how easily ordinary lives can tip into chaos when confronting powerful forces vested in maintaining the status quo.

An Unlikely Alliance: Journalists Seeking the Truth

Central to unraveling Lee’s tangled life are Magdalena “Mags” Felenak and Aidan O’Dwyer, journalists brought together by unexpected circumstances. Mags, fresh from university, exudes ambition and determination, eager to prove herself professionally. Contrasting sharply with her youthful enthusiasm is O’Dwyer, older and weary from his past journalistic endeavors—especially haunted by the trauma from a tragic incident decades earlier.

Their initial relationship is marked by tension and conflicting personalities, but necessity compels them toward a fragile alliance. As they delve deeper into Lee’s plight, the stakes rise, and the threats become more pronounced. Their partnership serves as a driving force, adding emotional depth and complexity. Both journalists bring different strengths and weaknesses to the investigation, mirroring the complicated nature of real-world alliances forged under pressure.

Reality or Fiction: Navigating O’Dwyer’s Maze

Interestingly, the author himself fuels speculation around the novel’s authenticity by admitting upfront that the story, though fictionalized, stems from real-life experiences. Characters, including O’Dwyer himself, operate under pseudonyms to maintain anonymity, intensifying the mystery surrounding their true identities. This deliberate ambiguity enhances the reader’s experience, prompting deeper reflection about the boundaries between fiction and reality.

O’Dwyer’s professional history as an investigative journalist lends additional credibility to the narrative. Having spent years uncovering sensitive topics like child abuse, his own personal crisis—triggered by the tragic suicide of a young girl whose claims he dismissed—cast a long shadow. Moving from investigative reporting to safer scientific features represents not merely a career shift but a profound personal retreat. Now working freelance and contributing to celebrity obituaries while assisting in his partner’s restaurant, Aidan O’Dwyer embodies the restless spirit haunted by past regrets, a theme deeply woven into the narrative.

England’s Hidden Threats: Setting the Stage

Set primarily in London and various southeastern locations, from December 2021 through March 2023, the novel utilizes a wide range of familiar settings, across urban, suburban and rural landscapes; including a typical London office, a dreary multi-storey car park and a wind-swept coastal promenade, that amplifies the story’s realism, grounding readers in recognizable territory while guiding them through layers of suspenseful encounters.

Scenes are further brought to life by the regular interaction of recognisable incidental characters that add to the mix, providing the protagonists with invaluable evidence or gentle amusement during their investigation.

A Thrilling Reflection on Consequences

At its core, Appropriate Action is more than a suspenseful page-turner. It addresses deeper issues—innovation versus tradition, truth against convenient lies, and personal responsibility amid overwhelming circumstances. Lee’s struggle symbolizes the inherent dangers individuals face when challenging accepted norms. Meanwhile, O’Dwyer’s internal battle emphasizes how deeply personal guilt shapes actions, decisions, and motivations.

Ultimately, readers must confront uncomfortable realities: what happens when innovation threatens powerful interests? How far might unseen hands go to protect their secrets? These questions linger, making Appropriate Action resonate beyond mere entertainment, prompting reflection on issues too often hidden from view.

Final Thoughts: Fictional or Not, It Matters

Whether readers approach O’Dwyer’s narrative as an imaginative tale or a thinly veiled reality makes little difference to the author. His primary intention is storytelling—to engage, provoke thought, and entertain. With Appropriate Action, he accomplishes precisely that. The novel invites readers into a world that feels unnervingly familiar, compelling them to question just how close fiction might lie to reality.

We had the privilege of interviewing Aidan O’Dwyer—the elusive narrator of Appropriate Action—who speaks to us not as the author, but as the man who lived through the chaos, loss, and revelations chronicled in the story. Here are excerpts from the interview.

Hi Aidan, please share about yourself with our readers.

Hi, for the purpose of the book and this interview, I go by the name of Aidan O’Dwyer. I’m going to have to be somewhat choosy in what I share in this interview, as I don’t want to slip in any spoilers for those that have yet to read the novel. Let’s just say that I help out my partner at her popular Italian restaurant some evenings, as well as doing a little freelance journalism and putting this book together. 

Please tell us about your book.

The book chronicles a period of my life from the end of 2022 to March 2023. Since the dramatic end of that mad March, I have been working to write the book, collaborating with others involved in the events to gain their personal perspective and knowledge of what went on. Some of the scenes had to be imagined, but those close to the story agree that my takes form a realistic filler within the narrative. The novel includes my own personal demons, as well as those brought by others, and has turned out to be, I guess, a therapeutic endeavour of sorts. I have written things about myself that, before the book, I would never have shared with a therapist or counsellor in a million years. 

What are the strategies that helped you become successful in your journey?

A chief strategy was to keep myself hooked to the why. Why I needed to write the book? Why the story needed to be told? I’ve never had an ambition to be a writer—you think that would be standard for a journalist, but it certainly wasn’t in my case. In fact, even now, I prefer to consider myself as a storyteller as opposed to a writer. Without wishing to sound too much like a recipient of an award standing at a podium, I really could not have written the book without the love, support, and understanding of my partner, Sophia. There, said and done. Best not to stifle the truth, however cliché. 

Any message for our readers?

Appropriate Action details a story that is tied to a fanciful notion, so if you prefer a book that keeps you firmly well grounded, you may do better looking elsewhere. But if you are drawn to classic Hitchcock films like The 39 Steps or North by Northwest, this novel is likely to be right up your street, although it does touch on darker demons along the way. My final point is best made by simply extracting a quote from the book’s Preface: “Whether you accept it as fact-based or pure fiction is down to you. The key thing is that you are entertained.” 

Thank you so much, Aidan, for giving us your precious time!