Irish Crystal: A Nuala Anne McGrail Novel (Nuala Anne McGrail Novels) [Paperback]

Andrew M. Greeley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 6, 2007 | Series: Nuala Anne McGrail Novels

"There's evil people around, Dermot love. . . . I knew about them even before me dream. Really evil people. Won't we have to fight them!"

This latest tale of Nuala Anne McGrail, the engagingly fey heroine of such irresistible books as Irish Cream and Irish Lace, begins with a foreboding dream of some terrible impending evil. Dermot Michael Coyne, Nuala's adoring husband and spear-carrier, knows better than to ignore his wife's second sight, but from whence does this nameless peril originate? From the Homeland Security goons determined to deport the Irish-born Nuala on the basis of nothing more than vague suspicions and accusations? From the spiteful neighbors campaigning against their family's beloved Irish wolfhounds? Or from the tangled dealings of the Currans, a prosperous clan of Irish-American aristocrats, with whom Nuala and Dermot have recently become acquainted?

The true danger becomes shockingly apparent when a catastrophic car-bombing rocks the Chicago riverfront. Uncovering the twisted minds behind the bombing is not easy; Dermot and Nuala soon find themselves enmeshed in a complicated tapestry of lies and secrets. Nuala's preternatural instincts also lead her to a forgotten manuscript revealing the treachery and deceit behind a tragic chapter in Irish history: the saga of bold Robert Emmet and the failed uprisings of 1798 and 1803.

Between the past and the present, our heroine and her devoted spouse have more than enough mysteries to contend with, but the two of them are bound to make the truth just as clear as . . . Irish Crystal.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Nuala Anne McGrail, fey Irish singer and part-time psychic problem solver, takes on another mission of the heart in her 11th adventure (after 2007's Irish Linen). Maria Angelica Sabattini Connors is a widow and real estate whiz whose Elegant Homes software helps users create their own designer homes. John Jack Patrick Donlan is a wealthy widower and investment broker who meets Maria when they become business associates. They fall in love and marry despite some nasty backlash from Jack's daughters and his dead wife's family, who believe rumors that Maria sleeps around to advance her business. Maria's unsavory mob-connected brothers, a sneaky businessman and a creepy politician lurk in the background. Maria and Jack turn for help to Nuala and her husband, who must find a way through in their inimitable and indomitable fashion. Greeley's slightly patchy narrative, laced with his trademark Irish humor, serves as a reminder that faith and courage can make marriage succeed at any age and against any adversity. (Feb.)
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Review

"Greeley's lovable part-time sleuths always deliver."--Publishers Weekly on Irish Crystal

 

"Greeley has hordes of fans who devour his books as fast as he can write them."--Booklist

 

"Immensely entertaining."--Publishers Weekly on Irish Cream

"'Tis a charmin' tale that Andrew Greeley tells. . . . It's a lively novel filled with Irish wit, interesting situations, and likable people."--The Chattanooga Times on Irish Whiskey

"The prolific cleric plops his psychic singer heroine and her family into a delightful stew of trouble in his latest crowd pleaser. . . . The double plot is rich with detail, while the couple's earnestness and good intentions are never in question."--Publishers Weekly on Irish Stew!

"The comical banter between Dermot and Nuala cleverly gives the reader insight into their Irish heritage as well as their Catholic faith."--Romantic Times on Irish Stew!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books (February 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765342375
• ISBN-13: 978-0765342379
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #509,151 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A native of Chicago, Father Andrew M. Greeley, is a priest, distinguished sociologist and bestselling author. He is professor of social sciences at the University of Chicago and the University of Arizona, as well as Research Associate at the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. His current sociological research focuses on current issues facing the Catholic Church-including celibacy of priests, ordination of women, religious imagination, and sexual behavior of Catholics.Father Greeley received the S.T.L. in 1954 from St. Mary of Lake Seminary. His graduate work was done at the University of Chicago, where he received the M.A. Degree in 1961 and the Ph.D. in 1962.Father Greeley has written scores of books and hundreds of popular and scholarly articles on a variety of issues in sociology, education and religion. His column on political, church and social issues is carried by the Chicago Sun Times and many other newspapers. He stimulates discussion of neglected issues and often anticipates sociological trends. He is the author of more than thirty bestselling novels and an autobiography, Furthermore!: Confessions of a Parish Priest.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fast paced paranormal thriller, February 8, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Irish Crystal: A Nuala Anne McGrail Novel (Nuala Anne McGrail Novels) (Hardcover)

Dermot, the husband of the beautiful, enticing and caring Nuala Annie McGrail, adores his fey wife. Her mystic powers have led them into solving mysteries that have saved lives and brought criminals to justice. When Nuala Annie wakes up screaming about spies being around them, Dermot knows that her dream is a vision and they will be plunged into another mystery very soon.

At a party celebrating that Nuala Anne has finally becoming a citizen, an explosion rocks the foundation of the building; Nuala knows that the home of John and Estelle Curran just blew up. Having recently had dinner with the Currans, Nuala and her husband want to help them; they get a chance to do so when the couple, on the advice of a detective (who knows Nuala's history), ask for their assistance. Two more attempts are made on the family and Nuala realizes someone is spying on them. With the information Dermot collects from the various family members she tries to figure out who it is but there is a plethora of suspects.

There is plenty of action and excitement in this exciting who-done-it. Andrew M Greeley's heroine, a mystic, singer, wife, mother and investment counselor accountant is a total charmer with her husband as totally enamored of and bemused by her as is readers. There are enough colorful suspects to keep the reader guessing who the spy is until the author the chooses to reveal that person's identity in this fast paced paranormal thriller.

Harriet Klausner

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Overall, another worthy entry in the Nuala Ann series..., April 23, 2006

By 

William E. Adams (Midland, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Irish Crystal: A Nuala Anne McGrail Novel (Nuala Anne McGrail Novels) (Hardcover)

Andrew Greeley's affluent Irish Catholic families in modern-day Chicago are more fantasy than reality anyway, especially Dermot and Nuala. The trouble is, they are so damn appealing to us remaining hopeless romantics. They are sexy and talented and witty and decent and in every book, in danger. So we root for them to figure out who the bad guys are, and neutralize them. As with the other novels in the series, to accompany the contemporary mystery, there is a bit of Irish history thrown in with a mystery aspect of its own for Nuala to solve. This time, the historical one is a bit less dramatic than its predecessors. Father Greeley, by and large a good writer, paints with a broad brush some of the flaws of federal agents and of the recent administration's attempts to keep us safe from real terrorists. Take the plot for what it is, however, an entertainment device to tell a story with a few gentle lessons in morality, religion and Irish Catholic culture. I agree with an earlier reviewer that a little of character Cindasue Murphy's Appalachian dialect goes a long way, but I don't think it has ruined this book for fans. Greeley, as with most priests I've known (and most writers) has virtues which outweigh his flaws, and pros which count more than his cons.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Formula Greeley, February 20, 2007

By 

AMOVIEBUFF "AMOVIEBUFF" (NH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Irish Crystal: A Nuala Anne McGrail Novel (Nuala Anne McGrail Novels) (Paperback)

Don't get me wrong. I love the series and I love the characters. I love the interplay of the Irish history past (a painless way of learning more about Irish historical characters) with the "charming" family life of Nuala and Dermot. I have read the entire series.

However like all series there comes a point where it begins to look like the author has lost a bit of his enthusiasm. I so enjoyed the earlier books watching the romance grow between the two leads-Irish Gold I think was the best. I think that is less focus on that and we are suppose to believe after 3 children Nuala still looks and acts like 19.She and Dermot have inordinate amount of time to ravish each other-the children,of course, wise beyond their years (although the middle child barely gets a mention) and have superhuman amounts of energy not only to solve crimes but to sew Communion dresses.

It is a nice fairy tale world where there is lots of money and everything works out in the end. And I will continue to read -I love the family but for once it would be nice to see Nuala act a bit more like a mother of 3 and be a little frazzled.