When I picked up a copy of Peeling Oranges by James Lawless, I was expecting a blood bucket of a revenge tragedy that IRA-UDA gang wars tend to produce. Upon reading the blurb that mentioned the Irish-Spanish connection, I figured the author would pull it in a notch the way most novelists do when shifting scenes from the streets of Northern Ireland to the rolling Spanish plains. Well, he did, but not as much as you’d expect. Our protagonist, Patrick Foley, is on a search for truth that crosses paths with hardcore Irish idealists caught in the web of intrigue surrounding Franco’s takeover of Spain during WWII. He finds himself on a collision course with irresistible forces of fate that will redefine his life beyond his expectations as well as those of Lawless’ audience.
The narrative is as much about the female protagonist, Sinead Ni Shuilleabhain (hope you’re not reading this aloud) as it is the major antagonist, Gearoid MacSuibhne. Sinead is from a family of Irish patriots who suffered indignities under the scourge of the British Army, and carries her grudge as a chip on her shoulder. It serves as a psychological scar that Lawless portrays as a physical one that mars the beauty of a beautiful woman. She is a seething character bent on payback, acting as a fitting counterpart to the serpentine Gearoid. Maybe the name gives him away but his beguiling demeanor works masterfully in making Patrick think he holds the keys to the former Spanish kingdom. It turns into a devil’s triangle set against the international scene as both the Irish and the Spanish are seen by the pre-WWII Nazi Empire as pawns in their campaign for world domination. Patrick seeks answers, trying to find out who killed his father and why his enemies in Spain wanted him dead. Gearoid helps him unravel a dangerous mystery, though Sinead suspects the answers may cost more than Patrick is able to pay.
Sound intriguing? You can bet a keg on Guinness on it. Buy a copy of Peeling Oranges by James Lawless and settle back for an Irish classic you’ll long remember.
Goodreads review by John Dizon, 24th October 2014
Buy the book or ebook by clicking here http://www.amazon.com/Peeling-Oranges-James-Lawless/dp/1496007646/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
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