Former Irish Times editor Conor Brady's series of Joe Swallow novels have been very successful. In The Dark River, the fourth book in the series, is out now.

Conor joined us on The Last Word to talk about the book, his fascination with 1880s Ireland and the future of policing.

Set in Dublin at a time when Parnell is striving for Home Rule, the Joe Swallow books follow the Detective Inspector, described by the author as "a conflicted man, a Roman Catholic in an organisation that is dominated by people of other religions."

"The narrative weaves its way between politics, history and crime on the streets of Dublin."

Conor's fascination with the 1880s comes from his belief that it was the decade that formed Ireland as it is today. He cites events such as the foundation of the GAA, the Irish language revival, the movement of the Catholic Church into its most powerful phase, and the transfer of land from peasant tenancies to small farmers: "So many things that are now part of the fabric of our lives happened in the 1880s and 1890s."

Historical accuracy is very important to him when researching the books: "I try to make sure the history is meticulously correct, and within that I place my characters and my plot."

Conor has a family background in policing. His father, who died when Conor was young, was a Garda Superintendent, and this sparked his interest in the subject.

Conor's own career path led to journalism, but he sees similarities between the two.

"In one way it's the direct antithesis of policing, but in other ways it's quite similar because it's your job to establish truth."

To catch the full chat press the play button on the image on the top of the screen