‘Unputdownable…books Hanney’s on the school curriculum could teach young people the early red flags of abuse … [a] white-knuckle read … Stronger cleverly generates in the reader a disorientated psychological state, comparable to being narcissistically gaslighted. “Why don’t they just leave?” is a question you won’t ask again, after reading Hanney’s brave and important book.’ – Adrienne Murphy, The Irish Times

In this harrowing and inspiring book, Nicola Hanney recounts the traumatising years she spent suffering abuse and coercive control at the hands of Garda Paul Moody while battling recurring cancer.

In 2016, against all odds, Nicola Hanney survived a terminal cancer diagnosis and decided to live life to the full. When she matched with Garda Paul Moody on a dating app, she thought her dreams had come true, but could never have imagined she would be plunged into another nightmare: a four-year campaign of violence and coercive control at his hands.

Despite being told she would never conceive due to the toll cancer had taken on her body, Nicola beat the odds a second time and became pregnant to Moody. Trapped in an unrelenting cycle of abuse, the baby she had always wished for gave Nicola newfound hope for the future. Then, midway through her pregnancy, she found a lump in her breast. The cancer was back.

In Stronger, Nicola charts her extraordinary journey through unimaginable abuse and aggressive, recurring illness. Revealing the insidious nature of coercive control, she recounts how Moody manipulated her and threatened her loved ones to keep her compliant.

Throughout it all, Nicola’s resilience never wavered. She proved herself stronger than the disease that threatened to take her life. Stronger than the man who tried to crush her spirit. Stronger than the bad hand she was dealt.

This is her story.

Nicola Hanney is a first-time author from Dublin. In 2023 she gave up her anonymity to participate in RTÉ documentary Taking Back Control, describing the horrific abuse she suffered at the hands of disgraced Garda Paul Moody while pregnant and fighting cancer. By sharing her story, Nicola hopes to empower victims and shed light on the early signs of abuse.