Bold Sons of Erin

Rating:
Summary: A Brilliant Gem
Review: In BOLD SONS OF ERIN, Owen Parry's fifth volume in his Civil War series, he again delivers a riveting tale, one replete with a cast of fully realized characters in a drama firmly anchored in historical fact. With this novel Parry honors his (and this reviewer's) native Schuylkill County by illuminating the rich but little known history of the anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania. Coal was the essential raw material of the war effort and the men who mined it are at the heart of this story. Brought vividly to life are the brutally harsh conditions in which Irish immigrants worked and lived, bound by ties as deep and hard as the coal veins they mined. Those ties withstand their sharply divergent views over the relevance of the War to their own struggle to survive, with some mounting a violent resistance to the military draft and others fighting fiercely for the Union Army.

As in all of Parry's novels, actual historical figures play a role. Brilliantly presented in this book is Franklin B. Gowen, a would-be robber baron who ultimately failed miserably, here in his early years of empire dreaming, scheming and flagrant abuse of power. Here too is a finely wrought portrait of Black Jack Kehoe, working with Irish miners to organize what would become the Molly Maguires.

As for the characters born of Parry's exquisite imagination, Abel Jones remains one of the most engaging characters you're ever likely to encounter. Whether you're meeting him for the first time in BOLD SONS OF ERIN or renewing your acquaintance with the old friend you first met in FADED COAT OF BLUE, the time you spend with him will be wonderfully rewarding. With each book, more is revealed about Abel's past but it is Abel's self-reflection, the way he absorbs experience and changes, that makes him such a vital character. Some other past stars of the series reappear here, the most welcome being the rapscallion Jimmy Molloy, whose keen wit and ability to get to the heart of matters great and small, is pure joy. In a striking departure from past books, Mrs. Abel Jones, who for reasons of plot location we knew through Abel's thoughts of his beloved Mary Myfanwy, is here very much her own person, and a thoroughly interesting one at that. In this book Parry has given Abel Jones his greatest challenge to date: while he pursues the mystery of a murdered Union general, Abel must also work his way through a thicket of tensions, secrets and revelations within his own family. The family drama is deftly woven as a fine complement to the main narrative, one of the many ways Parry proves himself to be a true master of his art. And with his writing, Parry again delivers an exquisite gift to anyone who thrills to the beauty of language. He is a poet clad in prose.

Rating:
Summary: You cannot go home again.
Review: Owen Parry continues his Able Jones series with another book that gives a real sense of time, place and people. This time the place is Able's beloved hometown in the Pensylvania coal fields which turns out to be stranger than anywhere his travels have taken him so far. Once again the author gives us thumbnail sketches of historical figures. This novel has strong gothic elements, which were, for me, the least interesting part of the book. In additon to solving murders which nobody wants solved and working from limited information Able has to deal with his wife and son, who are changing in ways he did not anticipate. He also has to defend his staunch Methodism against enticing secular influences. Able is one hero aware of his own limitations...at least partially. He does not take himself too seriously...in the end. The book ends with a description of the slaughter of federal troops at the battle of Fredericksburg, which is, by itself, reason enough to buy this book.

Rating:
Summary: Another Great Abel Jones Mystery
Review: This is the fifth in Parry's wonderful Civil War detective series with protagonist Major Abel Jones, a prissy and dogged Welshman turned Union officer who runs special errands for the Lincoln White House. Jones' character has taken a turn for the worse, as "Bold Sons of Erin" revolves around the murder of a Union general, grave robbing, and the insular lower-class Irish immigrant community in Pennsylvania coal country. Parry has done his homework and the Civil War era comes to life as Jones plods his way to the solution. This reader identified the culprit less than one-third of the way through, but enjoyed the rest of the tale no less.

The plot lines here are less convoluted and opaque than in the previous installment, "Honor's Kingdom", making this novel smoother if less demanding on the reader. Major Jones, however, is becoming insufferable. In earlier novels, his idiosyncrasies were sort of quaint and amusing. By now, he's grown a bit unlikeable, making one hope that his beloved wife pounds some humanity and compassion into him before the next installment comes out.