The Delaney Woman

Rating:
Summary: An Irish Murder Mystery and More!
Review: Irish fiction has always been a favorite of mine, and this book fits the bill. Full of irish scenery, small villages, friendly people and romance, The Delaney Woman is a perfect example of irish storytelling. Jeanette Baker manages to mix the aspects of a murder mystery with sweet romance and family tradition perfectly to create a book well worth it's cover price.

Kelly Delaney is a broken woman when she returns to Ireland to search for clues in the death of her brother and nephew. While looking for the killer, she checks into a local inn, run by he mysterious Tom Whelan. A number of clues lead her to wonder if the quiet, gentle Tom Whelan is really who he says he is. Is he her brother's killer? Or is he simply an innocent bystander? Kelly has to fight her romantic feelings toward the handsome irishman, and find out why her enigmatic brother's life was ended so abruptly.

Don't expect your typical romantic storyline with this one. A number of twists, turns and suprises will keep you on your toes and flipping pages. The Irish/English conflict also plays a major role in this one, so those of you who are unfamiliar with the violence of this ongoing battle, read up. It's important to know why these people are fighting for their freedom.

All in all, Jeanette Baker is a fantastic writer with talent to spare. Irish or not, she is a storyteller, plain and simple.

Rating:
Summary: Characters I came to care for
Review: Kellie Delaney adored her widowed brother and his son; they were the most important parts of her world. That all changes is a moment when the police come to her door to announce their deaths in a tragic car wreck, one that was not an accident.

Kellie can not seem to get her life back on track after this, not until she knows why her family was destroyed. Her quest for the truth gives her a name to go on, Tom Whelan. She sets out to meet him and find out his connection to her brother. Instead of the killer she was expecting to find, she finds a man she can love. However, Tom is still married, though the marriage is essentially over, with his wife in prison and someone he no longer loves. Tom also has a troubled past with the IRA, and that part of his life is about to cause problems, as is his wife's return, and Kellie's own secret. Her deception puts lives at risk, and could destroy her future.

***** THE DELANEY WOMAN was one I expected to be a gentle meandering trip through Ireland. Instead, I got a thrilling mystery with warm moments and a to die for, mature hero with a heroine I could sympathize with easily. You can feel Kellie's pain if you have ever loved and lost. Tom's daughter is a charmer as well, but not a kid that overwhelms the plot. I am hoping for a sequel; there are characters worthy of exploration left with their stories untold. *****

Rating:
Summary: exciting romantic suspense
Review: Kellie Delaney loves her widowed brother and treats his son as if she gave birth to the lad. The two male Delaneys are everything to Kellie until the police inform her that her two beloved relatives died in a car crash in Wales. Wrecking her already shattered psyche, she learns the collision was deliberate to eliminate Connor, who worked undercover.

Kellie obsesses over learning why her brother was marked for death. She learns of a Tom Whelan of Ireland though she cannot see his connection to her sibling, but assumes he is probably the killer. When Kellie meets Tom, she realizes he is not what she expected as he is a caring person that she is half in love with even though he is married. When his wife leaves prison, Tom's IRA past surfaces placing Kellie, the woman he now loves, in peril, especially since she hides her agenda from everyone.

THE DELANEY WOMAN is an exciting romantic suspense tale that includes a powerful cast especially the grieving heroine who readers will empathize with and understand her motives. Though issue resolution is a bit too simplistic, the story line moves rapidly forward yet contains depth so that the reader comprehends the complexities and contrasts of opinions. Secondary characters strengthen the plot so the appreciative audience receives a fine thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: exciting romantic suspense
Review: Kellie Delaney loves her widowed brother and treats his son as if she gave birth to the lad. The two male Delaneys are everything to Kellie until the police inform her that her two beloved relatives died in a car crash in Wales. Wrecking her already shattered psyche, she learns the collision was deliberate to eliminate Connor, who worked undercover.

Kellie obsesses over learning why her brother was marked for death. She learns of a Tom Whelan of Ireland though she cannot see his connection to her sibling, but assumes he is probably the killer. When Kellie meets Tom, she realizes he is not what she expected as he is a caring person that she is half in love with even though he is married. When his wife leaves prison, Tom's IRA past surfaces placing Kellie, the woman he now loves, in peril, especially since she hides her agenda from everyone.

THE DELANEY WOMAN is an exciting romantic suspense tale that includes a powerful cast especially the grieving heroine who readers will empathize with and understand her motives. Though issue resolution is a bit too simplistic, the story line moves rapidly forward yet contains depth so that the reader comprehends the complexities and contrasts of opinions. Secondary characters strengthen the plot so the appreciative audience receives a fine thriller.

Harriet Klausner