"A beautifully clever and compelling historical crime novel imbedded among the Irish struggle for independence."
Immensely fascinating, atmospheric, and rewarding, I found myself totally engrossed from the first chapter through to the last. In early 1921 IRA intelligence officer Tom Harkin is sent by his boss to investigate an ambush that went badly wrong. The blend of life after the First World War and during the Irish War of Independence makes an unforgettable setting. W. C. Ryan has created characters and a location that feel vividly alive, and as though you are standing in an unsettling slice of history. While the Author’s Note states there are similarities with events that actually occurred, it confirms this is very much a work of fiction. This has the feel of a classic mystery with the number of potential suspects increasing as each new character is introduced. Even with my own list of suspects I had no idea of the destination as I traversed the twists and turns along the way. Tom Harkin sits as an engaging main character, his past haunts his present and allows access to an element of otherworldly that feels entirely real. When I reached the hugely satisfying ending I felt sad to be stepping away from the pages that had so consumed me. I love it when a novel so involves you it encourages you to delve into the history of the time once you’ve finished reading, and that’s definitely my next port of call. The Winter Guest so successfully sends shivers of understanding coursing through thoughts and feelings it just had to be chosen as a LoveReading Star Book.
| Primary Genre | General Fiction |
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