Winning the George Devine Award in 1999 for Howie the Rookie marked this young Irish dramatist out as one to watch. In the 12 years since then he has more than lived up to expectations, electrifying audiences with his distinctive dramatic style and verve for dangerous and dark storytelling. This first volume of plays brings together the best of his early work. From Both Hips (1997) Accidently shot in the hip during a bungled drugs raid, a Dublin man sets out on a violent journey of revenge and salvation. The Aspidistra Code (1997) Head over heels in debt - and fearing the arrival of a violent and unpredictable loan shark Brendan and Sonia hire their own protection. But could the cure be worse than the disease? Howie the Rookie (1999) Brutal events take on mythical significance in a white-knuckle ride through a nightmare Dublin, involving a scabies-invested mattress, two dead Siamese Fighting Fish and a terrifying gangland legend. Made in China (2001) A dreadful accident causes a violent tug-of-war between two criminal foot soldiers that can only end in a blistering battle for survival. Crestfall (2003) Three women tell tales from Crestfall, a place caught between nightmares and waking; a savage quarter so dark that all but the tiniest glimmer of light has been extinguished. Almost.