A murder mystery set in Ireland during WW2The body of a young man pulled from the River Lee is wearing a distinctive silver ring belonging to Paudy Daly, the eldest son of the notorious Mixer Daly. Paudy has been missing for over nine months.The last time he was seen alive, he was on his way to rob the house of pig breeder Jacob Butts.So who is the dead man, and how is he wearing Paudy’s ring?
I received a free electronic copy of this novel on May 26, 2020, from Netgalley, Brendan Gerad O’Brien, and BooksGoSocial. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am happy to recommend this author to friends and family. He has a library of work, many settings in Ireland, many timed in WWII. Thank you Netgalley for exposing me to this author. He has a large selection of works, most available on Kindle Unlimited, to feed my binge-reading soul.
The opening of this novel nearly put me off – shades of Steven King. It does, however, settle into an intense murder mystery in Tralee, Ireland nearing the end of WWII. Eamon Foley is an officer in the Tralee Garda Barracks. He will be involved in the investigation of the death of a young man found on the path to Blennerville, often against orders, occasionally against his own volition. This is happening in the same time frame as the rumors of the presence of a German submarine seeking repairs near Dingle so there is turmoil all along the western coast of Ireland, neutral in the war but definitely not pro-Axis.
Our victim is wearing a ring, passed down through the Daly family through the ages to Paudy, the eldest son of the notorious Mixer Daly. Paudy disappeared many months ago. Unfortunately following the provenance of the ring does not solve the mystery of the identity of the dead man… Who is he? How did he get hold of Paudy’s ring? And on which side of this conundrum are the big city cops really on?
Gallows Field #1 – Mr. O’Brien is a wonderful storyteller/writer/author/pick your label. This book is full of storylines that twist and turn, tell about Irish life during WWII, and keep the reader immersed until the last page. I read the books out of order (no harm done), yet I could not put either book down until I finished them and I missed a night’s sleep chain reading. The talents of this author is evident with his writing style, his vivid, clear descriptions and his human characters. Their dialog is realistic and they suffer all the emotions and the problems being a person. The Guard is the main character in this story and his journey through the pages is mesmerizing. There is a lot of sorrow but at the same token, there is love, determination and everything in balance.
I felt for all the characters, whether good or bad events, since Mr. O’Brien has an easy to read, in depth writing style, which is similar to sitting on the front porch with a cold drink while chatting with old friends. His words and imagination draw the reader deep into the pages and too soon the story ends. I purchased the Kindle edition over a year ago but could not find it in my library now. I was lucky enough to read this story in paperback; what a pleasure. The pages were thick enough where you didn’t see the print on the other side; the book is a comfortable size for holding; and the serif font was large enough for most people – the only way to read a good book in my opinion. I contacted the author to review his books and I am so fortunate to have such a good writer in my top five favorite authors. If you like Ludlum and that company, you will enjoy the books of Mr. O’Brien. 5*
A Pale Moon Was Rising #2 – Mr. O’Brien has yet to disappoint me and he has become one of my favorite authors. The evolving storylines, set during the end of WWII, in Ireland, tell an interesting tale of murder, mystery, heartbreak and horror. I liked many of the characters, but the my favorite is the Guard; he takes his job further than required and uncovers secrets and horrors that weave the fabric of this story.
There is also much good and gives a balanced picture of what life was like in that era. I was so involved with this story, I did not pay attention to the time and finished it at 0400 hours. Not many Indie books keep me awake nowadays – some even put me to sleep in the middle of the day. I was lucky enough to read this story in paperback; what a pleasure. The pages were thick enough where you didn’t see the print on the other side; the book is a comfortable size for holding; and the serif font was large enough for most people. I contacted Mr. O’Brien to review his books and he shared this fine example of his wonderful talent of storytelling and vivid imagination and descriptions. 5*
Footsteps – This is my first book by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Well written and intriguing, the storylines meshed well and were interesting throughout the pages. There’s plenty of suspense and while there’s violence, it is not graphic. Also there’s no vulgar language, just storytelling at its best. There are a variety of characters, foreign and Irish, all developed enough to play their parts.
There’s good dialog, thinking patterns and a touch of Irish magic at the end. Nope, no leprechauns in this story. Mr. O’Brien does a wonderful job of describing the beauty of Ireland, the charm of her people, as well as the actions, thoughts and events that make this an interesting read. If you like Baldacci or Follette, you’ll enjoy this author’s work as well.
I was lucky enough to read this story in paperback; what a pleasure. The pages were thick enough where you didn’t see the print on the other side; the book is a comfortable size for holding; and the serif font was large enough for most people. There were only four errors, which makes this one of the best edited books I’ve come across in the last two years. I contacted the author to review his book. 5*