Bold Sons of Erin
Owen Parry
book reviews:
· general fiction
· chick lit/romance
· sci-fi/fantasy
· graphic novels
· nonfiction
· audio books

Click here for the curledup.com RSS Feed

· author interviews
· children's books @
   curledupkids.com
· DVD reviews @
   curledupdvd.com

newsletter
win books
buy online
links

home

for authors
& publishers


for reviewers

click here to learn more




Buy *Bold Sons of Erin* online

Bold Sons of Erin

Owen Parry
William Morrow
Hardcover
335 pages
August 2003
rated 3 1/2 of 5 possible stars

previous reviewnext review

Bold Sons of Erin is a fascinating fictional read that provides an interesting glimpse into a time period that is rarely used as a book setting, the Civil War. It is a murder mystery, a whodunit, if you will.

The story centers on two seemingly disparate murders that wind up being inextricably entwined to make for a very enjoyable book. Parry manages to use just enough vocal tagging to denote different speech cadences and thereby identify speakers by their race and social position. This is done so adroitly that it puts other writers who belabor the point to shame.

The characters are all convincingly drawn so that the reader cares about the outcome. The scenes use a vital imagery that seems to make it all so real that you can smell the unpleasant smells described. It is easy to picture in your mind's eye what the participants look like by the deft yet brief descriptions that are given. The plot makes sense, which is also a somewhat forgotten (or perhaps never learned) skill of many writers.

Parry skillfully intersperses his conjured scenes with tidbits of actual history to keep the story compelling and believable, which also shows a devotion to the art of research invaluable to any historical piece. There are poignant touches of the Irish who are against the war and those who support it, as well as vivid portrayals of politicians who (like today) come down on whichever side of an argument can benefit them. Throw in a supposedly nuts Russian countess and you’re off on a rollicking ride to an unexpected yet masterful conclusion.

Bold Sons of Erin is a gem of a novel that anyone with a love for history and/or mystery will enjoy.



Originally published on Curled Up With A Good Book at www.curledup.com. © Camden Alexander, 2004

Other books by Owen Parry:

buy *Bold Sons of Erin* online
click here for more info
Click here to learn more about this month's sponsor!


fiction · sf/f · comic books · nonfiction · audio
newsletter · free book contest · buy books online
review index · links · · authors & publishers
reviewers

site by ELBO Computing Resources, Inc.