Germany invades mainland Britain. Stormtroopers swarm ashore along the South Wales beaches, determined to capture the Welsh Steelworks and Coal Mines.Newport is blitzed. Irishman Danny O’Shea’s house is bombed and his wife is killed. His young son Adam has learning difficulties. Terrified of what the Nazis will do to him, O’Shea tries to take him to neutral Ireland.Penniless and desperate, they … desperate, they head for Fishguard. But on an isolated Welsh road they witness an attack on a German convoy by Welsh Nationalists. The convoy is carrying some mysterious boxes that were discovered in a secret laboratory near Brecon.
German Captain Eric Weiss, responsible for the boxes safe transfer to Berlin, knows that his job – even his life – depends on him getting them back.
But, following a major disagreement amongst the Welsh insurgents, the boxes disappear. Then O’Shea goes to the aid of a dying woman – and both the Germans and the insurgents believe she’s told him where the boxes are.
Suddenly O’Shea is separated from his son and catapulted into a world of betrayal and brutal double-cross. Pursued by both the Germans and the insurgents, his only concern is to find Adam and get him to safety.
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Dark September – I loved this well written story but could not stomach the main character. Such a whiner, he expected everyone to help him but he did not lift a finger to help another, including children. Not a smart man but a loving father and husband who had abandoned his mother and sisters after he promised to support them.
Anyway, the storylines are interesting, so much that although I disliked Danny more and more as the pages flew by, I could not put the well edited book down. The characters run the gamut from OK to not very nice to wacky. Yep, quite a few were certainly sideswiped by a mule if not kicked straight on. The pace is continuous, and although not real history but an alternative twist, I found it intriguing and filled with drama and suspense, along with plenty of figuring on my part of what would happen next. Besides wanting to cuff Danny continuously, his mistakes and lack of grey matter created a hard to put down read.
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 the author to review his work. 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*
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*