Did we imagine the drum roll as John Connolly, author of spine-chilling fiction, made his way down the stairway of the Sugar Club. "The minute he walked in the joint . . . dah-dum, we could tell he was a man of distinction, a real big spender" - some young women held their breaths (well, he is Ireland's 27th most eligible bachelor after all, as he reminds us later) - "Hey good looking, spend a little time with me."
It was a night of celebration in Dublin for the friends and family of Connolly, whose second novel, Dark Hollow, has just been published.
Fellow-crime writers Eugene McEldowney, Colin Bateman and Dr Paul Carson have come along to drink to Connolly's success. Novelist Rose Doyle was also enjoying the night. The London-based agent, Darley Anderson, who orchestrated the huge advance for Connolly's first book, Every Dead Thing, is wearing his best gold-embroidered tie, which he says "only comes out for special occasions".
"In the book trade, wherever he goes," says Anderson, "everybody takes to him." Yes, he says, it's the old Irish charm. "But it matters, because then they go the extra mile." He doesn't just write great books.
Artist Maria Charlton, who grew up around the corner from Connolly in Rialto, has come along. "We used to swop Abba posters," she recalls. "John used to love wild west stories," says his younger brother, Brian Connolly. "He was always an avid reader - just like his late father," says his aunt, Anna Power, who has come from Tramore with her husband Oliver Power, for the event. The crowd is swelling, and John's mother, Brid Connolly, admits she has brought 15 friends along with her, not to mention three of her sisters, including Kathleen Hardie from Edinburgh, who is another established writer in the family.
The Dark Hollow cocktails go down a treat. And all through the night Sue Fletcher, Connolly's editor and Martin Neild, head of Hodder & Stoughton, continue to sing his praises. Did you know, they say, that he's rated as a giant by British booksellers? And there's Maura O'Kiely, editor of VIP, checking out if Connolly will pose for a spread in the mag. Where will it all end?