Irish Magic.

Irish Magic

Anita Whiting

Whiskey Creek Press

P.O. Box 726, Lusk, Wyoming 82225

www.whiskeycreekpress.com 307-334-3165

ISBN 1593740956 $15.95 (available electronically at $3.99)

With visions of a plane falling out of the sky, you meet Abby, a sweet, interesting Irish-American, who has chilling dreams that tend to come true. In a few chapters you get a feel for this feisty, clairvoyant woman, enjoy her quick wit and learn of her tendency to dream of bloody scenes. In no time, the novel's strong start shifts from Abby's gruesome nightmares and charming but mystical Irish ancestry to the building of a modern, go it alone character, who has yet to fall deeply in love and who doesn't seem to care. Not until we read a hilarious scene do we learn that Abby is pretty fair at karate and very able to take care of herself. After landing a guy on his overbearing, male chauvinist ass, Irish Magic turns into a romance because, from his awkward position, a position most men would find humiliating, Jake, the handsome friend of a friend, is done for. Never worrying about his ego, poor Jake is captivated and so, it turns out, is Abby.

The relationship between Jake, the detective and Abby, the author, pretty much dominates the next hundred pages. The characters are likable and their pairing is written so well that readers can practically see the twinkle in their eye, feel the chemistry in the air and appreciate their sparing. But, what was fun at first turned boring. Abby's trip from feisty combatant to starry-eyed lover was way too simple for me. That would have been alright had it not been for reading the same words and actions over and over and over again. For too much of the story, the nightmares, the Irish ancestry, the witchcraft or whatever you want to call it, takes a back seat to too many predictable head on the chest scenes of rising passion and everlasting declarations of love.

Maybe I'm just jealous, after all, Jake will never need anything like Viagra and never finds it difficult to express his love, but I need more complexity and found myself losing patience with the predictability of it all. When mystery finally moved forward, I felt as if I already knew who'd done it. Oh, I was hoping that I was wrong, that no author would give it away so early, so I waited for the tension to build, thinking it would and that I had been cleverly fooled. That didn't happen. All that was left was for me to pay attention to details and their inconsistencies.

For example, if readers are to accept that Abby is a clairvoyant with magical powers, shouldn't she have those powers throughout the story? And, if she can foresee how and when a relative stranger is about to face danger and be able to avert it, why not do the same when a lover is threatened? Also, if readers are to believe that Jake is the bright detective we are told he is, shouldn't an attempt to lure him into harms way require sophistication if it is to be successful? As for the killer and his motivation, the author lost her opportunity for suspense by limiting her characters. Then she weakened her story by not sticking to one reason for the killer's killing, one pattern and one type of victim. Still, Anita Whiting has created likable, charming characters and as Irish Magic stands now, it is a simple story and an easy read.

Isobel Kleinman, Reviewer

www.isobelkleinman.com