Storymusing Book Review: Pranks, Poitin, and Pucas by Rowan Dillon

 

Pranks, Poitín, and Púcas: A Skye O'Shea Paranormal Cozy Mystery (The Skye O'Shea Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series Book 3)

By Rowan Dillon

Skye O’Shea inherited a lovely old pub in Ireland from her Gran, in the coastal town of Ballybas, but she also inherited the task of protecting the town from the Good Folk.

But the renovations seem to spark with trouble. It doesn’t help that Skye seems to catastrophize but that’s part of the nature of preparing for the worst that comes with surviving trauma in life.

The writing style draws the reader onward with the trials and tribulations of finding your place in a new country, along with renovations, and permit applications to run a bar.

Little things seem to keep happening – wiring sparking up, her new friend exhibiting very odd behavior, and creepy guys in stores.

Along with the usual problems, Skye has an abusive ex who shows up to let her know SHE can’t live without him, but Skye is pretty sure she can.

Of course, it’s only going to get worse as Samhain draws near.

The descriptions are lovely, like the town of Bantry that Skye visits with her friend, Jess. “Bantry’s charm unfolded in a lively mix of colorful shop fronts painted in rich reds, bright yellows, and sea-blues….”

The pace is lively and I couldn’t wait to get back to the book at lunch every day to read a little more.

I would highly recommend this charming series.

 

I’ve also read, or am reading, a few other books.

I’ve just finished Acqu Alta by Donna Leon, which brought Commissario Guido Brunetti back in contact with some interesting characters and some scary ones against the backdrop of a rainy season called Aqua Alta that raises the water level ominously in Venice. It’s a perfect setting and I just adore this character, a thoughtful policeman who is also a loving husband and nurturing father.

I’m also listening to another Martin Walker, The Resistance Man, bringing me back to the delightful Dordogne region of France with Chief of Police, Bruno. Life is good for Bruno but politics and affairs of the heart bring complications for him.

Lastly, I’m reading The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett. It’s an unusual stream of consciousness book from the perspective of a semiliterate former conman written under the format of audio files he records into an old phone given to him by his adult son. There are misspellings based on how transcription software often gets things wrong and it has been very interesting so far. A little bit conspiracy theory, a little bit mystery, and a little bit thriller. I wasn’t sure about the book at first, but it has held my interest and I can’t wait to see where it goes. 

Book Review: Legacy of Hunger: Book 1 in the Druid's Brooch Series

Legacy of Hunger

by Christy Nicholas

I came into the Druid’s Brooch series later on and I’ve enjoyed ALL the books I’ve read, they’ve stood well on their own. So, in reading this book, I was going back to the beginning.

Valentia McDowell is a young woman in America, circa 1846. Her father has a prosperous farm in Ohio, but Valentia has always been fascinated by stories of her grandmother’s homeland and a mystical brooch her grandmother had. She longs desperately to travel to Ireland.

The story begins in Pittsburgh, with a fire. Valentia proves herself resourceful in caring for her mother and leading their servants to safety, while her father and brother are away seeing to some other business. The author portrays the fear of a fire in an early city where a mass of people are hemmed in with wooden construction very well.

Valentia is a well-to-do young woman of the time, very aware of her station but also kindhearted. I would say downright arrogant at times, but “pride goeth before a fall” and she is definitely humbled, time and again. However, she pitches in to help care for patients who were caught up in the fire and suffer from burns and smoke inhalation.

Finally, Valentia’s mother convinces her father to capitulate and Valentia sets off for Ireland with her brother and servant, Maggie. She can’t wait to begin her grand adventure, but reality of the harshest kind soon sets in. It is a long sea voyage and illness overtakes them. The brother and sister do not make the crossing unscathed.

The book is filled with charming details that set the scene beautifully, “There were tinges of marsh grass and mud, and the faint tang of cow manure on the breeze. The scent was clean, bright, and she relished it.” And sometimes not so lovely details, as when Valentia visits a work house in Ireland, as the potato blight is ongoing.

Valentia makes some good friends in Ireland, who help her on her way, and also meets some people who seem to want to help her, but for their own purposes. Her friends also help open Valentia’s eyes to the hardships the people of Ireland are enduring and entreat her to help as best she can. Though she has lived a fairly sheltered life, Valentia is swift to take up the cause wherever and however she can, as she pursues her own goals. Finding her family in Ireland is not a simple process, and Valentia has many adventures on her journey.

I really enjoyed this book, it was moving and compelling. An excellent historical summer read with just a touch of fantasy. It is full of wonderful imagery, adventure, a bit of romance, and a few tears too. I highly recommend it, and you’ll just be starting the journey as there are many more books in the series.