Whiskey Island

Rating:
Summary: Excellent work that transcends genre
Review: In the dark parking lot of Cleveland's Whiskey Island Saloon, two would be carjackers threaten sisters Casey and Peggy Donaghue and their charge Ashley. Former priest Niccolo Andreani is passing by when he sizes up the situation and intervenes to keep everyone from being hurt. Niccolo is grazed even as the police capture the two thugs. Casey and Peggy's older sister Megan, owner of the bar, is very thankful for Niccolo's help. However, she rejects his notion that a homeless person also assisted them.

An obsessed Niccolo cannot resist trying to find the homeless person. He wants to help the man because he is filled with guilt from his failure to assist another homeless individual who froze to death. As Niccolo and Megan become acquainted they fall in love, but neither knows how to trust. At the same time, Ashley's abusive father is closing in on the child and her protectors. The mystery of the identity of the homeless person leaves the siblings to wonder if he may be their dad.

Though filled with mystery, intrigue, and romance, WHISKEY ISLAND is a superb relationship drama that deserves a wide readership. The story line is loaded with several subplots that all tie back to the main tale. The charcaters feel genuine and their motives seem so real that Cleveland appears more alive than Drew Carey or Jacobs Field has ever painted the city. Emilie Richards shows why she is so revered and should be back in her familiar spot on the bestseller lists.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Whiskey Island [ABRIDGED}
Review: Loved the book, but this abridged version sucked out the rich textures of the story and the wonderful characters. In the full version, I loved the Donoghues and each of their stories, and I hated that the book came to an end. I cared about these people and what happened to them, and found the historical backdrop a fascinating setting. This abridgement completely skips the sisters' stories, and fails to create that same bonding with the characters or the plot, and even changed some vital elements of the story. Skip this abridged audio version and read the full text. It is a treasure, and this totally fails to do it justice.

Rating:
Summary: An Irish legacy of secrets and love....
Review: Megan Donaghue has always been the caretaker of her family. Running the family salaon Whiskey Island, Megan will do anything for her two sisters, Casey and Peggy. They show up unexpectedly one night, with a little girl in tow and a man that saved their lives from two carjackers. Megan feels herself being drawn to the man that was instrument in saving their lives. However, the stranger insists that someone else was out there and it was him who is the real hero. Megan is very afraid that she knows who the 'real hero' was, but he hasn't been her hero since she was fourteen years old and abandoned her and her sisters to a fate unknown. As the weeks go by, and family secrets are revealed, Megan tries to find her way through a maze of feelings. Feelings for her father and for Niccolo, whom she feels more for that she ever thought possible, or that she ever wanted to.

Niccolo Andreani just happened to be in the right place at the right time to lend a hand to three people in trouble. The course of his life changed yet again from the moment he set foot in Whiskey Island. After a life altering decision of renouncing the priesthood, Nick realized that he never felt the call from God, he wanted to be God because he wanted his family to be proud of him. After more than a decade of celibacy, Nick is unprepared for the desire that blindsides him whenever he is near Megan. Their fragile relationship is almost destroyed when Nick refuses to give up the search for whom he now knows is her father.

Emilie Richards unveils secrets of the Irish Donaghue's while giving the reader a history lesson on Irish immigrants. She does this thoroughly, without boring the reader. She takes the reader back to the beginning generation of the Donaghue's and how and why they are where they are today. She brings together two people that are perfect for each other, but feel afraid of the strong feelings they envoke in each other. One of the most emotional parts of this book was the journal written by Father Patrick McSweeny in the late ninteen century. I was surprised, but not shocked by the ending. It was a very satisfying read!

Rating:
Summary: An Irish legacy of secrets and love....
Review: Megan Donaghue has always been the caretaker of her family. Running the family salaon Whiskey Island, Megan will do anything for her two sisters, Casey and Peggy. They show up unexpectedly one night, with a little girl in tow and a man that saved their lives from two carjackers. Megan feels herself being drawn to the man that was instrument in saving their lives. However, the stranger insists that someone else was out there and it was him who is the real hero. Megan is very afraid that she knows who the 'real hero' was, but he hasn't been her hero since she was fourteen years old and abandoned her and her sisters to a fate unknown. As the weeks go by, and family secrets are revealed, Megan tries to find her way through a maze of feelings. Feelings for her father and for Niccolo, whom she feels more for that she ever thought possible, or that she ever wanted to.

Niccolo Andreani just happened to be in the right place at the right time to lend a hand to three people in trouble. The course of his life changed yet again from the moment he set foot in Whiskey Island. After a life altering decision of renouncing the priesthood, Nick realized that he never felt the call from God, he wanted to be God because he wanted his family to be proud of him. After more than a decade of celibacy, Nick is unprepared for the desire that blindsides him whenever he is near Megan. Their fragile relationship is almost destroyed when Nick refuses to give up the search for whom he now knows is her father.

Emilie Richards unveils secrets of the Irish Donaghue's while giving the reader a history lesson on Irish immigrants. She does this thoroughly, without boring the reader. She takes the reader back to the beginning generation of the Donaghue's and how and why they are where they are today. She brings together two people that are perfect for each other, but feel afraid of the strong feelings they envoke in each other. One of the most emotional parts of this book was the journal written by Father Patrick McSweeny in the late ninteen century. I was surprised, but not shocked by the ending. It was a very satisfying read!

Rating:
Summary: Three sisters plus one family mystery=Whiskey Island
Review: Some authors look for characters. Some for issues or events to start the 'stone soup' of their next book simmering. I do, too. All of the above. But for me, the real 'broth', the indefinable milieu that flavors and carries all the other elements of a story, is the setting.

Some places are so colorful, so packed with meaning, that they cry out to be used in a story. I've written two related novels set in Louisiana and I could write a dozen more and never repeat a detail. I've written a novel set in Western Australia where pearls as large as songbird eggs were once pulled from the ocean by men from every race and continent.

So why Cleveland, Ohio for Whiskey Island?

As a long-time resident of Cleveland, I slowly discovered the heart of this bustling industrial city. I saw the vision and felt the momentum which ignited and moved the city fathers and mothers to develop it's beautiful lakeshore, to build the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, to redesign and bring to fruition a new baseball field and football stadium. I frequented the city's renowned museums, and gloried in a symphony orchestra which is arguably the best in the world. I was there as the excitement built, and I became excited, too.

But there's more to every city than what it's become. There's history and places haunted by the ghosts of those whose graves--sometimes literally--a city is built upon. Cleveland has wonderful ghosts, wealthy industrialists who built such fabulous mansions along Euclid Avenue that the street was once called Millionaire's Row. Poor men and women who dreamed of better lives and immigrated from countries all over the globe, to help build a new city.

Among them were the Irish.

Among the places they settled, Whiskey Island.

Whiskey Island is now an industrial area waiting to be reborn. But once it was the mosquito-ridden, shanty-town where Irish immigrants came to escape famine and eke out a living on the docks and in the factories.

My own Irish ancestors settled in New York, but I felt kinship to these Cleveland Irish, to their suffering and triumphs. And I knew I wanted to write about them. Along the way the Donaghue sisters appeared, and the Whiskey Island Saloon, founded by their great-great grandparents.

Along the way, I discovered their secrets.

I hope you'll discover them, too, and that the process will be as enjoyable for you as writing the book was for me.

Rating:
Summary: Whiskey Island [ABRIDGED}
Review: The Whiskey Island Saloon is a longtime favorite watering hole in Cleveland. Run by Megan Donaghue, she is the 5th generation Irish-American to share the recipes used by her ancestor, Rosaleen Donaghue in thee 1880s.

Although Megan has been running the restaurant/saloon alone, she is soon to be joined by her prodigal sisters, Casey and Peggy, who arrive one evening and are immediately welcomed by a carjacking in the saloon parking lot, which is broken up by one Niccolo Andreani who just happens to be walking in the area. But who is the mysterious man who both Niccolo and Casey saw lurking out of darkness? A man credited with saving lives that night?

Casey returns to Whiskey Island with a young child, Ashley in tow. Not willing to talk too much about the four-year-old, why she has her, or when her mother will take her back, it is clear though that after social worker Casey is unable to prevent a tragedy at her job in Chicago, she has quit and returned to the home she left years before after an argument with her older sister, Megan.

Returning with Megan is the baby of the family, Peggy. Their mother having died shortly after Peggy was born, both Megan and Casey had helped their aunt raise her after their father's mysterious disappearance. Peggy has been working and attending medical school and her arrival home is also quite a surprise. Why is it though that she is so reluctant to return?

Niccolo, who has been slightly injured in his attempt to save the three strangers, is cared for by Megan, while Peggy and Casey help little Ashley get settled. Niccolo is immediately drawn to the capable woman who runs the saloon, and it appears that the feeling is mutual. But will Megan feel the same way when she learns Niccolo had been a priest?

Jon Kovats seems to come and go in the most mysterious ways seemingly teasing Casey who is surprised to see her childhood playmate has turned into a sexy young prosecutor. Jon has waited for years for Casey to return but he's not going to be an easy catch. Casey isn't so sure if she wants a relationship of any kind but when she sees how caring he is with young Ashley, helping get her out of her shell, her heart just melts, as with this exchange:

He lifted the doll whose dress he'd fingered and held it out to the little girl. "Would you like to play with her, Ashley? I think she gets lonely sitting on the shelf."
Ashley frowned but she broke her silence. "She has friends."
Jon nodded solemnly, "It's a well-known fact that dolls get tired of each other's company. They need people to hold them and play with them."
"Jon, that's a very valuable doll," Casey warned.
"Not half as valuable as a little girl."

But the story of the three Donaghue sisters isn't the only story Richards tells in WHISKEY ISLAND [Whiskey Island (the land mass) is actually a peninsula & can be found at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio. A distillery was built there in 1836, hence its name. The island has suffered multiple incarnations: it has been a dump, a US Coast Guard Station, a ship graveyard, & a predominantly Irish immigrant shanty town.]. She tells the story of Terry and Lena Tierney, Irish immigrants who are struggling not only to make on Whiskey Island in the 1880s but to save money to bring their families to America. When Terry is tragically injured, Lena needs to make more money than she does feeding the terriers at the docks. When offered a position in one of the finest homes in Cleveland, she believes it to be an answer to her prayers. But it seems owner James Simeon, one of the wealthiest men in the city, has more nefarious reasons for hiring the beautiful young Irish woman.

Richards tells both the stories in present day as well as the historical portion with the same finesse, each several chapters at a time. It seems just as I would get caught up in the historical story, Richards would take me back to present day and vice versa. But deeply caught up in both stories I was and it didn't take more than a paragraph or two for me to get just as involved in the next story; not an easy feat for a writer to accomplish.

Suspense, mystery, history, romance - this book has it all. The historical portion of the book is interspersed with journal entries from Father Patrick McSweeney whose parish includes Whiskey Island. How the two stories connect and how Father McSweeney becomes a truly instrumental character in the story isn't revealed until the very end (no fair peaking!) The journal entries are told as Niccolo is asked to transcribe the entries by the current parish priest. How the two stories meld together will have even the most discriminating reader glued to the page.

Not only does the book have plenty of action to keep the reader riveted, the rich characterization that Richards is famous for keeps the reader involved in even the parts of the story without so much action; the reader feeling as if they actually know Donaghue sisters and will want to visit Whiskey Island Saloon for themselves for a taste of Rosaleen's Irish Stew followed by a pint of Guinness. Fortunately, that Irish Stew recipe along with the recipe for Megan's Soda Bread can be found on Emilie Richard's web site .... Readers will also be happy to know that more of the Donaghue sisters' story will be told the next offering from the talented Ms. Richards, THE PARTING GLASS, available in hardcover this summer.

Rating:
Summary: A very special read.
Review: The Whiskey Island Saloon is a longtime favorite watering hole in Cleveland. Run by Megan Donaghue, she is the 5th generation Irish-American to share the recipes used by her ancestor, Rosaleen Donaghue in thee 1880s.

Although Megan has been running the restaurant/saloon alone, she is soon to be joined by her prodigal sisters, Casey and Peggy, who arrive one evening and are immediately welcomed by a carjacking in the saloon parking lot, which is broken up by one Niccolo Andreani who just happens to be walking in the area. But who is the mysterious man who both Niccolo and Casey saw lurking out of darkness? A man credited with saving lives that night?

Casey returns to Whiskey Island with a young child, Ashley in tow. Not willing to talk too much about the four-year-old, why she has her, or when her mother will take her back, it is clear though that after social worker Casey is unable to prevent a tragedy at her job in Chicago, she has quit and returned to the home she left years before after an argument with her older sister, Megan.

Returning with Megan is the baby of the family, Peggy. Their mother having died shortly after Peggy was born, both Megan and Casey had helped their aunt raise her after their father's mysterious disappearance. Peggy has been working and attending medical school and her arrival home is also quite a surprise. Why is it though that she is so reluctant to return?

Niccolo, who has been slightly injured in his attempt to save the three strangers, is cared for by Megan, while Peggy and Casey help little Ashley get settled. Niccolo is immediately drawn to the capable woman who runs the saloon, and it appears that the feeling is mutual. But will Megan feel the same way when she learns Niccolo had been a priest?

Jon Kovats seems to come and go in the most mysterious ways seemingly teasing Casey who is surprised to see her childhood playmate has turned into a sexy young prosecutor. Jon has waited for years for Casey to return but he's not going to be an easy catch. Casey isn't so sure if she wants a relationship of any kind but when she sees how caring he is with young Ashley, helping get her out of her shell, her heart just melts, as with this exchange:

He lifted the doll whose dress he'd fingered and held it out to the little girl. "Would you like to play with her, Ashley? I think she gets lonely sitting on the shelf."
Ashley frowned but she broke her silence. "She has friends."
Jon nodded solemnly, "It's a well-known fact that dolls get tired of each other's company. They need people to hold them and play with them."
"Jon, that's a very valuable doll," Casey warned.
"Not half as valuable as a little girl."

But the story of the three Donaghue sisters isn't the only story Richards tells in WHISKEY ISLAND [Whiskey Island (the land mass) is actually a peninsula & can be found at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio. A distillery was built there in 1836, hence its name. The island has suffered multiple incarnations: it has been a dump, a US Coast Guard Station, a ship graveyard, & a predominantly Irish immigrant shanty town.]. She tells the story of Terry and Lena Tierney, Irish immigrants who are struggling not only to make on Whiskey Island in the 1880s but to save money to bring their families to America. When Terry is tragically injured, Lena needs to make more money than she does feeding the terriers at the docks. When offered a position in one of the finest homes in Cleveland, she believes it to be an answer to her prayers. But it seems owner James Simeon, one of the wealthiest men in the city, has more nefarious reasons for hiring the beautiful young Irish woman.

Richards tells both the stories in present day as well as the historical portion with the same finesse, each several chapters at a time. It seems just as I would get caught up in the historical story, Richards would take me back to present day and vice versa. But deeply caught up in both stories I was and it didn't take more than a paragraph or two for me to get just as involved in the next story; not an easy feat for a writer to accomplish.

Suspense, mystery, history, romance - this book has it all. The historical portion of the book is interspersed with journal entries from Father Patrick McSweeney whose parish includes Whiskey Island. How the two stories connect and how Father McSweeney becomes a truly instrumental character in the story isn't revealed until the very end (no fair peaking!) The journal entries are told as Niccolo is asked to transcribe the entries by the current parish priest. How the two stories meld together will have even the most discriminating reader glued to the page.

Not only does the book have plenty of action to keep the reader riveted, the rich characterization that Richards is famous for keeps the reader involved in even the parts of the story without so much action; the reader feeling as if they actually know Donaghue sisters and will want to visit Whiskey Island Saloon for themselves for a taste of Rosaleen's Irish Stew followed by a pint of Guinness. Fortunately, that Irish Stew recipe along with the recipe for Megan's Soda Bread can be found on Emilie Richard's web site .... Readers will also be happy to know that more of the Donaghue sisters' story will be told the next offering from the talented Ms. Richards, THE PARTING GLASS, available in hardcover this summer.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Story
Review: There is a reason why 16 previous reviewers gave this book 5 stars. I originally picked it up and DIDN'T get caught up in the story. I think I didn't want to read a long book (500 pgs)at the time. But I took it on vacation and couldn't put it down. I learned so much about the details of the Irish immigration and I really enjoyed 'flawed' characters. These were real people. The relationships, mysteries and time periods were fantastically woven together so that each character stood on their own. Another reviewer commented it would be great to have a sequel. The story was completed. But it was so good, you do want to revisit and find out more details about Peggy, Father McSweeney and Lena and Rowan.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Story
Review: There is a reason why 16 previous reviewers gave this book 5 stars. I originally picked it up and DIDN'T get caught up in the story. I think I didn't want to read a long book (500 pgs)at the time. But I took it on vacation and couldn't put it down. I learned so much about the details of the Irish immigration and I really enjoyed 'flawed' characters. These were real people. The relationships, mysteries and time periods were fantastically woven together so that each character stood on their own. Another reviewer commented it would be great to have a sequel. The story was completed. But it was so good, you do want to revisit and find out more details about Peggy, Father McSweeney and Lena and Rowan.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read
Review: This book kept me glued to its pages. A real family saga. Written with the unique ability to join the the past and present.The character development was great. I felt I got to know each character on personal level. This is a new writer for me,but I can only hope we will be hearing from again soon. A sequel would be really appropriate.