Overall, another worthy entry in the Nuala Ann series...

books:


	• Irish Crystal: A Nuala Anne McGrail Novel Andrew M. Greeley Forge Books, 2006 - 304 pages average customer review:based on 8 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Turly Greely

A fun quick read with a good bit of history, theology and today's RC Church thrown in. Very Nuala Anne; definitely Greeley.

Irish Crystal: A Nuala Anne McGrail Novel

This one is as good as all of the other Nuala Anne Stories. Can't wait for the next one.

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Formula Greeley

Don't get me wrong. I love the series and I love the characters. I love the interplay of the Irish history past (a painless way of learning more about Irish historical characters) with the "charming" family life of Nuala and Dermot. I have read the entire series.

However like all series there comes a point where it begins to look like the author has lost a bit of his enthusiasm. I so enjoyed the earlier books watching the romance grow between the two leads-Irish Gold I think was the best. I think that is less focus on that and we are suppose to believe after 3 children Nuala still looks and acts like 19.She and Dermot have inordinate amount of time to ravish each other-the children,of course, wise beyond their years (although the middle child barely gets a mention) and have superhuman amounts of energy not only to solve crimes but to sew Communion dresses.

It is a nice fairy tale world where there is lots of money and everything works out in the end. And I will continue to read -I love the family but for once it would be nice to see Nuala act a bit more like a mother of 3 and be a little frazzled.

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Overall, another worthy entry in the Nuala Ann series...

Andrew Greeley's affluent Irish Catholic families in modern-day Chicago are more fantasy than reality anyway, especially Dermot and Nuala. The trouble is, they are so damn appealing to us remaining hopeless romantics. They are sexy and talented and witty and decent and in every book, in danger. So we root for them to figure out who the bad guys are, and neutralize them. As with the other novels in the series, to accompany the contemporary mystery, there is a bit of Irish history thrown in with a mystery aspect of its own for Nuala to solve. This time, the historical one is a bit less dramatic than its predecessors. Father Greeley, by and large a good writer, paints with a broad brush some of the flaws of federal agents and of the recent administration's attempts to keep us safe from real terrorists. Take the plot for what it is, however, an entertainment device to tell a story with a few gentle lessons in morality, religion and Irish Catholic culture. I agree with an earlier reviewer that a little of character Cindasue Murphy's Appalachian dialect goes a long way, but I don't think it has ruined this book for fans. Greeley, as with most priests I've known (and most writers) has virtues which outweigh his flaws, and pros which count more than his cons.

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Nuala vs Patriot Act

In this novel, Andrew Greeley presents a historical and a current mystery for Nuala Anne McGrail to resolve. The basic story concerns the Coyne family, Dermot, Nuala, and their children Nelliecoyne, Michael, and Socra Marie. The Coynes provide a good example of how the struggle between parents and children can be handled with dignity and humor. Dermot and Nuala's marital love is caring and their relationship is becoming one of mutual acceptance of their individual personalities and needs.

The historical story in Irish Crystal I found intriguing. I think historical fiction is an excellent way to learn history. Irish Crystal deals with the "risings" of 1898 and 1903, small unsuccessful Irish revolts against the English rule. These are aspects of Irish history with which I was not familiar. The legendary characters Wolf Tone, Robert Emmet, and Sarah Curran are portrayed with clarity and elegance. The inclusion of Lord Cornwallis, the English administrator for Ireland and the general that George Washington defeated at the battle of Yorktown, was a special treat.

The current mystery tangentially involves the US Patriot Act. Nuala is harassed by government representatives because she is not a citizen of the United States. It seems that "spies", American citizens who object to immigrants, file complaints to the government concerning the activities of any individual, especially successful persons, that they deem suspicious. Her fight to retain her status is impressive.

I enjoyed this novel for the interesting historical story and the implied criticism of the Patriot Act. I especially enjoyed the fun scenes with Dermot, Nuala Anne and their lovely children.

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reviews: page 1, 2

?There?s evil people around, Dermot love. . . . I knew about them even before me dream. Really evil people. Won?t we have to fight them!?

This latest tale of Nuala Anne McGrail, the engagingly fey heroine of such irresistible books as Irish Cream and Irish Lace, begins with a foreboding dream of some terrible impending evil. Dermot Michael Coyne, Nuala?s adoring husband and spear-carrier, knows better than to ignore his wife?s second sight, but from whence does this nameless peril originate? From the Homeland Security goons determined to deport the Irish-born Nuala on the basis of nothing more than vague suspicions and accusations? From the spiteful neighbors campaigning against their family?s beloved Irish wolfhounds? Or from the tangled dealings of the Currans, a prosperous clan of Irish-American aristocrats, with whom Nuala and Dermot have recently become acquainted?

The true danger becomes shockingly apparent when a catastrophic car-bombing rocks the Chicago riverfront. Uncovering the twisted minds behind the bombing is not easy; Dermot and Nuala soon find themselves enmeshed in a complicated tapestry of lies and secrets. Nuala?s preternatural instincts also lead her to a forgotten manuscript revealing the treachery and deceit behind a tragic chapter in Irish history: the saga of bold Robert Emmet and the failed uprisings of 1798 and 1803.

Between the past and the present, our heroine and her devoted spouse have more than enough mysteries to contend with, but the two of them are bound to make the truth just as clear as . . . Irish Crystal.

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