Irish Lace (Nuala Anne McGrail Novel) [Hardcover]

Andrew M. Greeley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 22, 1997 | Series: Nuala Anne McGrail Novel

A second story to feature Dermot Coyne and Nuala McGrail. Reunited in Chicago they continue their romance, but when Nuala begins to have visions of dying men at an old notorious Union prison camp, they know they will soon become involved in another mystery. From the author of HAPPY ARE THE OPPRESSED and HAPPY ARE THOSE WHO MOURN.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Greeley takes a big step forward with the second in this new series (after Irish Gold, 1994) starring Nuala ("Noola") Anne McGrail. The 20-year-old Irish immigrant is beautiful, psychic, a gifted singer, charmingly fey and now in Chicago. Specifically in Fr. Greeley's Chicago, peopled by large Irish-Catholic, Democratic families of overachievers. An exception is hero and narrator Dermot Michael Coyne, who has made an accidental killing on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and retired, at 25, to write. He also moons over Nuala: they love each other but are not about to rush the relationship. As in Gold, there are two mysteries here, one modern, the other historical. The first involves recent robberies in Chicago's upscale art galleries that an an ambitious prosecutor links to an I.R.A. conspiracy; the second centers around the major psychic pain Nuala Anne has suffered at the site of a Civil War prison camp. As Dermot unearths the story of the Camp Douglas conspiracy to set Confederate prisoners free, Greeley uses a long (fictional) letter of real-life Letitia Walsh to tell the story of her Peace Democrat father's trumped-up arrest. Moving effortlessly between the (fictional) conspiracies of 1864 and 1995 Chicago, Greeley is at his top page-turning form, throwing in a few stinging words about racism and xenophobia and delivering a rousing defense of the Bill of Rights. When he's good, as he is here, Greeley is very, very good.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Greeley's second offering in a series featuring Nuala McGrail (the first was Irish Gold, LJ 11/1/94) finds the winsome 20-year-old recently transplanted from Ireland to Chicago. Nuala is romantically involved with Dermot Coyne?just the back-up she requires, given her penchant for attracting dicey situations. Nuala's "gift," experiencing visions from the past, allows the plot to careen back to Camp Douglas, a Union prison in Civil War-era Chicago. From thence the story proceeds, tenuously, to envelop a contemporary art theft, Irish terrorists, and corrupt city officials. Much of the book centers around when the couple will marry and whether or not Dermot can restrain his lust until they do. Further slowing the plot is Nuala's Irish brogue, which some may find charming but many will find tedious. Only libraries with a strong Greeley readership should consider.
-?Terrill Persky, Woodridge P.L., Ill.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 303 pages
• Publisher: Tor (August 22, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0330355627
• ISBN-13: 978-0330355629
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,977,134 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

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars As Herself would say, "Dead fockin' brill", July 15, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Irish Lace (Nuala Anne McGrail Novels) (Hardcover)

"Irish Lace" with it's beautiful irish quips and sayings constantly brought me back to the green pastures of Ireland. I thought that the relationship that Dermott and Nuala Anne shared refreshing. My only criticism was that some of the "reports" sounded too much like a history lectures and didn't really integrate well with the modern aspects of the book. Although, I really don't think that was the case for 'Titia's letter, which I enjoyed immensely. Overall, I felt like I'd lost a friend when it ended.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnifique, August 26, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Sunnyvale, Californis) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Irish Lace (Nuala Anne McGrail Novels) (Hardcover)

My first book by Andrew Greenly was "Irish Gold" and I could not wait to read "Irish Lace". What really interested me was the information on the Civil War. I was not aware that there were prison camps during this period and of the suffering that occured. Did the government hide it or am I naive on the subject? Nuala is the most enjoyable character that I have been exposed to. The Sunnyvale library closed for the summer for renovations, and I checked out five books, all by Andrew Greenly.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Simple and non-memorable, August 27, 2004

By 

Reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: Irish Lace: A Nuala Anne McGrail Novel (Nuala Anne McGrail Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

While this book was written in a simple and easy to read fashion, it was not memorable or particularly engaging. I never actually connected with any of the characters. Nuala was too perfect and Dermot was too stupid. I found the language idiosyncratic and the plot trite and boring. I never got into the book; I was always checking to see if I was close to the end. I would recommend this book to someone who does not like stories that are too complicated or clever.