"Deb Stover cooks up more romance for the magical Mulligans"
For generations Caisleάn Dubh had been cursed, as had
the
Mulligan family, until they had boarded it up and moved to
the cozy cottage where Maggie had grown up. The curse had
been
the result of inconsolable grief. Young Bronagh for whom
the village of Ballybronagh had been named, had fallen in
love with Aidan Mulligan, then lost him to his sense of
duty. He had married another and she had taken her life.
Sineάd had willed the same grief upon the Mulligans,
until
the time when the pair was properly united in another life.
That curse had ended when Brigit had come to Ireland and
married Maggie's brother Riley. Or had it? The family had
moved back into their castle where Brigit had opened her
restaurant Mulligan Stew. So why was Maggie, fresh out of
university, so reticent to call the castle home? Why was
she now hearing the whispers that had ceased for Riley when
he'd found his true love? Known legend had not revealed all, for the family tragedy
had truly begun with another pair of star-crossed lovers.
Once Sineάd had given her body, heart,
and soul, to
her one
true love. But though Fergus returned her love, he had
loved the church more. He had turned from her and become a
priest, and he had stood on that duty when he'd refused a
Christian burial for Sineάd's beloved Bronagh. Her
fury had
known no bounds. Never would he know that the girl had not
been her orphaned niece, but the child born out of their
one moment of passion. He had begged her not to damn
herself with the spell, but to no avail. She had unleashed
the curse that would bring tragedy to future generation of
Mulligans. In the end he could not save her soul, or her
life. Nick Desmond was no stranger to duty, or to tragedy. For
him they had walked hand in hand. He had followed his
father into the NYC police force. As a vice squad
detective, his first assignment had been to bring down the
Fazzini crime family. Nick had been warned to turn the
other way, or he would loose what he loved most. But Nick
was a honest as the Desmond men before him. and it had cost
him dearly. The price had been his father's life, and his
job, but
he would have his revenge. He would bring Fazzini down
without a badge. Of course he had to make a living in the
meantime. In fact that was what his meeting with the
mysterious Mrs. F was all about. To Nick's surprise, Mrs. F turns out to be Mrs. Angelo
Fazzini, mother of his nemesis. Maureen Fazinni has a
daring scheme up her sleeve, and having done her research
she has concluded that Nick would make the perfect
bodyguard for her venture. The Irish born Mrs. F had
fallen in love with an American soldier and had made a life
with him before discovering his secrets. Their son had
followed her husband into the family business. When her
granddaughter was born, Maureen had begged Angelo, Jr., to
change his ways. He had refused, and soon thereafter Erin
had been kidnapped. She had never been found. Now Mrs. F
was prepared to fake her death and make a life with the
child she had hidden from her son. Nick was to help them
settle into the Irish town his own ancestor's had hailed
from, in exchange for the evidence he need to put Angelo
Jr. behind bars. It was an offer too good to refuse. Thus Nick finds himself in Ballybronagh. There his job is
so easy that he almost feels guilty about his lucrative
paycheck. In fact his masquerade as the nephew of Maureen
O'Shea and her granddaughter Erin has become very
complicated. They were quickly filling the empty space in
his heart where his lost family had once dwelled. A
certain attractive school teacher had caught his eye as
well. She was quickly becoming an obsession. Now he was
hearing voices. The one he identified as good, urged him to
save her, the evil voice was definitely a threat.
Was he going insane? Or had he discovered a more pressing
need, than his thirst for revenge? Wow! If you enjoyed MULLIGAN STEW you will love MULLIGAN
MAGIC. This story is a heady blend of romance,
suspense,
and intrigue. As with Brigit and Riley, Nick and Maggie are
soulmates, with all those lovely implications. Paranormal
lovers will enjoy learning more about the castle curse and
the ghosts of the past, while getting a taste of a modern
magick in the bargain. The battle between good and evil
will keep you in your seat until the last page is read. All
the threads now seem to be wrapped up in a tidy little bow,
however I found Maggie's Wiccan friend to be a very
intriquing character. Although I was sad to hear that this
would be the last book of the Irish Eyes series, I hope Ms.
Stover can find a venue for Ailish, perhaps in a paranormal
line. I highly recommend this gripping magical tale of
second chances. Copyright © 2003
Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch
Posted April 10, 2003
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Mulligan fans will also enjoy "A Mulligan
Christmas", a gift from Deb Stover! Mulligan Magic:
Maggie Mulligan was thrilled to be back in Ballybronagh,
surrounded by her lively Irish clan. All she wanted was to
raise enough money to keep the local school open so she
could keep her teaching job. So why was she suddenly
preoccupied with the mysterious new American who recently
arrived in Ballybronagh? Working undercover had taken former New York City police
detective Nick Desmond to Ballybronagh, where he planned to
gather enough evidence to take down his father's killer.
But it wasn't long before Nick felt torn between his long-
held yearning for revenge and his owverwhelming desire for
the beaturiful schoolteacher. If he wasn't careful, his
longing for Maggie would overtake him, generating
repercussion that were far mor dangerous than his original
mission. Genre: Paranormal Romance, Ghost
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