In Search of Brigid Coltrane
It is 1941 in Ireland; Peter Coltrane and his young daughter, Brigid, are fishing in Loch Gorm when they witness the executions of two men. They attempt to slip away undetected before the assassins realize there are witnesses, but they are unsuccessful. This begins a long chase and hunt in order to eliminate Peter and Brigid. While on the run, the two become separated, but we stay with Peter while he searches for his daughter and attempts to stay one step ahead of his pursuers. Although Ireland is neutral during WWII, British MI6 agents, Nazi officers from the German Embassy in Dublin, and the Irish anti-communist organization called the Blueshirts all play a tangled role in this story. Throw in a few church officials, English and Nazi collaborators, IRA sympathizers, ordinary Irish citizens, and a mercenary, and we have a novel full of action and conflict.
This is strictly a plot-driven story with non-stop action. The book suffers from a lack of character development and an overabundance of characters. Beirne’s narrative is inconsistent, with a mix of Irish and American words and phrasing, which jars any reader familiar with Irish expressions out of the story. He also interrupts the narrative to educate the reader with side explanations such as “moonshine, known locally as poitin,” even though a glossary of Irish idioms is included in the back of the book. Despite these drawbacks, I would recommend this book for the reader who enjoys a complex political scenario played out on the sidelines of WWII and packed with action and intrigue.
