The Haunting of Drumroe - a Fawcett Gold Medal gothic

This is another one of those gothic novels that I bought some time ago because the cover image resembled the cover of a Nancy Drew mystery (in this instance, the cover to The Secret of Red Gate Farm).  It has been sitting on my shelf with the other books whose covers are similar to Nancy Drew books for years, so I figured it was time to dust it off, pull it out, and actually read it.  When I bought it, I had not even bothered to read what it was about, so imagine my surprise to find it is set in Ireland!  Having visited there just a couple of years ago, I was thrilled to read a book whose setting would bring back some great memories of my trip there.  Plus, it was fun to see how many places in the book I had actually visited, and how many were fictional settings created by the author.  And speaking of the author, as with so many, "Claudette Nicole" is a pseudonym for Jon Messmann, who wrote several Gothics under this name, but also wrote some men's adventure books as "Nick Carter."  It still amazes me how many male authors wrote these romance and Gothic titles back in the day under female pseudonyms.

 

The Haunting of Drumroe was first published in 1971 (with a date of March 1971 on the copyright page) and features a rather dramatic cover, painted by Jeffrey Jones (1944-2011).  Jones was a rather prolific artist, who not only provided cover art for gothic, horror, and fantasy novels in the '60s and '70s, but also contributed to a number of comic book publishing companies with art for DC, Charlton, Marvel, Gold Key, Pacific, Warren, and a number of others.   I was actually surprised to discover that I have a number of comics for which Jones painted the covers (such as Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love, Wonder Woman, Heroes Against Hunger, Heroes for Hope, to name a few).  Jones' art, as can be seen on the cover to this book, is haunting and definitely Gothic in nature.  One can almost hear the drums and feel the wind blowing through the woman's flowing gown as she hides from the hooded figures in the background (which, again, is very similar to the cover of Nancy Drew's The Secret of Red Gate Farm, which has the young detective doing the very same thing!).  

 

The story is not only one of Gothic suspense, but it is one of almost erotic terror.  This is the first Gothic novel I've read where the author makes repeated references to the title character's breasts, and the number of times Eileen Donegan lies naked in her bed could be the target of a drinking game.  It is scenes and descriptions like these that make it clear the author was a man - the constant focus on Eileen's body reads more like a men's adventure tale than a Gothic romance.   However, when you ignore those scenes, the book actually has a really great plot to it.   Eileen is called to Ireland by her aunt, who insists she must come and sign documents that would make her heir to Drumroe should anything happen to her aunt.  Immediately upon arriving, Eileen begins to feel a sense of dread and foreboding - and she realizes her precognition ability is warning her of danger!

 

I like the fact Messmann a/k/a Nicole gives his title character a form of psychic ability, as it adds a new dimension in terror to the story.  Eileen has these visions, but she cannot make sense of them, and the more she tries to fight them, the more insistent they become.  A falling tree, a crash into a lake, a collapsing bridge, and the disappearance of her aunt without explanation make for a very suspenseful read, and the standard trope of two men vying for Eileen's attention leaves the reader tottering back and forth, questioning which one is good and which one is bad - honestly, it could have gone either way!  And when you throw a mysterious devil worshiping cult into the mix, as well as a rather frightening handyman, it seems poor Eileen is not safe no matter which way she turns.  Thankfully, the author provides one steady rock in the story with Molly, her aunt's cook at Drumroe.  Molly is introduced as a caring, very welcoming member of the household - the only one, in fact! - and as I read the story, I kept waiting for the shoe to drop and some revelation to occur that she was not as good as she seemed; yet, it turns out Molly truly was a good person, the only true friend Eileen was able to make and depend on while trying to make sense of the danger around her.

 

There are some ingenious plot twists that make the story well worth the read (so long as you can get past the very strong sexualization of the main character).  The mystery surrounding the missing aunt, the devil cult, and the attempts on Eileen's life, as well as the bitter hatred the townspeople have against the Donegan family, make for a suspenseful story.  One thing I did find rather odd was that at the back of the book, there is a glossary which provides readers with the definitions of many of the Irish terms used throughout the story.  This is the first time I've ever seen such a thing in a Gothic novel; usually, the reader is simply left to look up the definition of any words on his or her own.  And even more surprising is the recipe on the very last page of the book for "Irish Green" or "Erin Sauce," which is a sauce cooked up by Molly for one of the dinners she makes for Eileen within the story.  I have to wonder what prompted Fawcett (the publisher) to include the glossary and recipe into the book!

 

I am definitely intrigued with Messmann a/k/a Nicole's writing, and I am already on the haunt for more of his Gothic novels!

 

RATING:  9 beds of violets turned away from the sun out of 10 for a story filled with plenty of dark mystery, dangerous romance, and deadly Gothic terror!

Harlequin Gothic Romance Series No. 32006 - Double Masquerade

"She was unaware of the bizarre web of deceit being spun around he - until it made her its target..." (cover blurb)

 

This is the second of the two Harlequin Gothic Romance novels written by Dulcie Hollyoak, the other being published just two books prior to this one (An Innocent Madness).  Hollyoak is the first author in this series to have two books published in it (although there are other authors who have more than one book in the series - Hollyoak is simply the first).  As with the first book, this one is set in Ireland during the 19th Century, during the great potato famine that occurred between 1845 and 1852, which resulted in mass starvation, disease and emigration in the country.  As with Hollyock's prior entry into this series, the story is dark, and the young lady in distress faces some what appears to be inescapable circumstances!

 

Double Masquerade (the title made me think of the Nancy Drew mystery, The Twin Dilemma) is the story of Hannah McCabe, an adopted peasant on the Irish countryside during the harsh conditions of the potato famine in the year of of our Lord, 1848.  Hannah's adoptive father has died, and her mother is being evicted from their home.  Hannah assumes she will go with her mother, Anna, and her two adopted sisters; however, fate has other plans.  It seems Anna has willingly given Hannah to be returned to the Big House, Balaleigh, where she was born to a lady's maid to the countess who resided therein.  The house is run by Mr. Scott-Ryan and his wife, Mrs. Scott-Ryan, with the overly stern housekeeper, Mrs. Rundle, and her nosy maid, Katie.  The countess, who will 103 this particular year, only returns to Balaleigh on special occasions.   Hannah is uncertain why she was brought back to the great house, and no one will tell her - but one thing is crystal clear - no one wants her there, and everyone things she is up to some devious trickery.

 

Poor Hannah is a lot like Victoria Winters was during her tenure on Dark Shadows - completely clueless as to what is going on around her, and sadly naive enough to believe the things she is told. Hannah even has the same dark hair as Victoria, and the disclosure of her ultimate true identity bears a striking similarity to the revelation that would have occurred with Victoria had she remained on the show.  But in the early part of the book, Hannah is filled with questions that remain unanswered and succumbs to the fact that she has no other choice but to do as she is told in a household of people who appear to resent her.  Well, not everyone does.  There is Richard Ralston, a man whose position in the house is unclear, but to whom, Hannah finds herself becoming attracted, even if only because he treats her with some small level of respect.  It does not take long, however, for the terror to begin.

 

Hannah gets tricked into being locked in a dungeon, only to escape with the help of a wild-haired old man that she thinks may be a ghost! She is nearly crushed by a rock that comes crashing down from the high wall of one of the turrets (p. 39).  This seems to be a common trope in these gothic novels, as I can recall several books other than this one where someone pushes a rock, a gargoyle, or some other heavy object from a high wall in an effort to do away with the young ingenue.  She is sexually assaulted (but thankfully not raped!), and she is tricked several times into wearing clothes that belonged to the master's dead wife or going into places where she has been warned never to go.  Ultimately, she learns the truth behind the countess' longevity and Mr. Scott-Ryan's plans for her, which all lead to her being locked up like Rapunzel in the high tower room with no hope for rescue.  And even after all this, Hollyock is not content to give her a reprieve, for when she does find a way of escape, Hannah is tricked a final time, where she finds herself trapped in a workhouse with other orphan girls, all of whom will be shipped off to Australia to become servants to the upper class living there!  Does the poor girl have any chance at a future?  Well, this is a typical gothic, so what do you think?

 

Hollyock keeps the story set entirely in Ireland, and in particular, the slowly dying area around Balaleigh. While no such house exists (that I was able to find), there is a townland in Ireland called Balally in County Dublin.  There is also the Thoor Ballylee Castle near the town of Gort in County Galway, Ireland.  Thus, Hollyock may have taken her name from either of these Irish settings.  However, Hollyock does make several mentions of Australia in the story, as Richard Ralston is establishing a life for himself there and intends to take his new bride (will it be Lady Caroline or Hannah?) to live there as well.  Yet, Hannah seems to have no knowledge of Australia, and Richard must tell her about the koalas and kangaroos and the fight for survival there.  Some research reveals that Hollyock based her workhouse girls on historical facts, as it seems more than 4,000 young female orphans from Irish workhouses were deported to the Australian colonies during the years of the potato famine to be sold as household servants for the wealthy.  As for Hannah's lack of knowledge of Australia, that is somewhat odd to me, since the research shows that Irish were going to Australia as early as the late 18th Century; however, in the early years, a large portion of those transported were convicted criminals - free settlers did not really start emigrating there until the 1840s when the famine began.

 

Another factual reference in her story is Hannah's reading of the serial, "Vanity Fair," in Punch (p. 60). As it turns out, Punch was a weekly British magazine which began publication in 1841, just seven years prior to the setting of this story.  The story, "Vanity Fair," written by William Makepeace Thackeray, was a 19-episode serial published from 1847 to 1848 in Punch, and therefore, when Hannah is said to be reading the issue (Spring of 1848), she would have been near the end of the story, since it concluded in the July 1848 issue.  Thus, once again, Hollyoack is accurate in her use of factual instances, whether it be historical events or published works.

 

I do like the fact that the author uses a locket as a key focal point of the story.  From the moment Anna McCabe thrusts the locket into Hannah's hand just before she is whisked off to Balaleigh, to the time when it is taken from her and she is accused of stealing it from the Scott-Ryan family, the reader knows that the locket holds something vital that could change everything.  The gold locket seems to go from hand to hand and person to person (sort of like that pesky bleeder valve in Dark Shadows), and when the contents are finally revealed and Hannah learns the truth, it comes as a huge relief to the reader - a sign that, in the end, everything is going to work out and Hannah will finally get the happiness she deserves.  There always seems to be some inanimate object that is the focal point of these gothic stories - whether it be lockets, broaches, letters, albums, or other items - and they manage to become the clue that provides a solution to whatever mystery is lurking behind the ancient walls of the dark, brooding homestead where the young, innocent woman finds herself.  It is part of what makes the gothic mystery so enjoyable, and it is something that carried over into the early children's mysteries of the first half of the 20th Century, such as in Nancy Drew (The Clue of the Broken Locket, anyone?), the Dana Girls, and their contemporaries.

 

Another great win for both the Harlequin Gothic Romance line and for Dulcie Hollyock, librarian and author!

 

RATING:  10  plates of stale bread and cheese out of 10 for spinning a gothic tale of terror, mystery, and suspense that keeps the reader fully engaged from the first page to the last!

Harlequin Gothic Romance Series No. 32004 - An Innocent Madness

"What strange dark presence transformed the majestic Rathmay into a prison?  Charlotte only knew it must be destroyed..." (cover blurb)

I definitely have to hand it to Harlequin - whey they made the decision to publish this Gothic Romance line of books, they definitely sought out some great writers and some fantastic stories.  Four books into the series, and I have found each and everyone of them to be engaging, well written, and thoroughly enjoyable.  This fourth book is written by Dulcie Hollyock, which is the author's real name and not a pseudonym.   Hollyock (1914-2004) is an Australian author who served as the Chief Librarian of the Victorian Teaching Training Colleges for more than twenty years.  She authored a number of short stories and articles, and it was not until she was in her 70s that she had her first two novels published, both in the Harlequin Gothic Romance line.  Ironically, both of her stories are set in Ireland, and both books feature a male protagonist by the name of Richard.  More information about Hollyock can be found at University of Melbourne Archives - Dulcie Hollyock.

An Innocent Madness, the first of Hollyock's two gothic novels, is the story of Charlotte Bolton, a young British woman whose grandmother has decided she is of the age where she must be married. Charlotte wants to marry for love, but her grandmother arranges a marriage with one Richard Chivers, the heir of the Chivers' fortune and homestead, Rathmay, better known as Rathmaiden.  The only problem is, Charlotte arrives in Ireland and is unceremoniously dropped at a crossroads with her large trunk of belongings. Leaving the trunk behind, she makes her way to the small town of Newton Maiden, only to discover that no one at the old house knows who she is, nor are they aware of the arranged marriage.  She is reluctantly allowed to stay the night at Rathmaiden until the matter can be sorted out.  Charlotte soon learns that her intended is deceased, and the new heir is actually her betrothed's cousin.  To make matters worse,  the cousin (also named Richard) lives in the tower house behind the Raithmaiden, as the original Lord Chivers lost the main house in a gambling debt to a not-so-gentlemanly man by the name of James Giles, who is the new lord of the manor.  His housekeeper, Mrs. Kirby, makes it clear she does not want Charlotte there, but Mr. Giles seems to have other ideas (none of which appeal to Charlotte at all!).  When her trunk is not only not brought to the house, but is said to have disappeared, Charlotte is left with no clothes, no money, and nowhere to go!

Hollyock definitely puts poor Charlotte through the ringer in this mystery.  Giles and Kirby doubt Charlotte's story, and even Sarah (who makes it clear she is not the maid!) has her doubts.  When Dorothy Giles arrives, Charlotte thinks everything will be cleared up, as she had met Miss Dorothy a number of times at various social functions in England - but her hopes are dashed when Dorothy looks at her and claims to have no knowledge of her!  (She later recants and admits she knows who Charlotte is, not that it seems to matter to James Giles or Mrs. Kirby!)  The housekeeper continues her taunts to get Charlotte to leave, and Charlotte wonders how far the woman will go. A ruined dress, a warning note, and the discovery from the post office in town that someone at Rathmaiden had picked up Charlotte's trunk days ago leads Charlotte to suspect something much more sinister is going on in that house.  Charlotte manages to get a secret message mailed off to England, in the hopes her grandmother, or perhaps her grandmother's attorney, will see it and send help - but before that help can arrive, Mrs. Kirby plays the ultimate trick and accuses Charlotte of stealing Dorothy's clothes!  Charlotte is sent to jail, and there is an interesting turn of events as her godfather's nephew, Jeremy Carstairs, arrives with Lord Chivers to help prove her innocence - and Dorothy herself proves to be the very witness that could gain Charlotte her freedom.

The further one gets into the story, the more the readers begins to think that everyone is exactly who they say they are.  The wicked, nasty ones are just that - the evil villains; while the more reserved, caring ones are those who can be trusted and believed.  But after the trial, the continued delays in taking Charlotte home and the secrecy of some of the characters makes one think that perhaps everything here is not what it seems.  And one of the characters suddenly reveals themself to be Charlotte's ultimate enemy, the one that has been working behind the scenes the entire time to get rid of her - and the climactic scenes definitely take a very dark and twisted turn that makes this story well worth the read!

A few factual tidbits about the book.  While Hollyock refers to the town in Ireland as "Newton Maiden," it turns out the town of Maiden Newton is actually in Dorset, England, not Ireland.  There is, however, a Rathmaiden in Ireland, which is likely where Hollyock pulled the name for this story.  Hollyock also makes use of the real novel, The Widow Barnaby by Frances Milton Trollope, which Charlotte picks up in the library and reads while she is trapped at Rathmaiden (p. 38).  She refers to the book as being "just published" - and since the book was originally published in 1839, that would set this story taking place around that time.

For once, we do not get the standard two men - one good, one evil, but which is which? - story; no, Hollyock plays the tale different for this gothic mystery.  Instead, we get one man with a secret past that haunts him - a past that ultimately comes back to haunt poor Charlotte as well and nearly costs her her life!  I love the payoff at the end of the book, and Hollyock knows how to not only shock and surprise her readers, but also to provide her protagonist with a well-deserved resolution.  If Hollyock's second gothic in this series is half as good as this one, it will still be worth the read.

 

Finally, no idea who the cover artist is - but I love the scene and expression on Charlotte's face.  This depicts a scene near the end, when Charlotte is held captive and opens her long-lost trunk, only to discover it contains something other than her clothing!

RATING:  10 black taffeta skirts and cashmere shawls out of 10 for spinning a new take on the typical gothic tale with way more villainous characters than one would expect to find!

Nancy Drew Mystery Stories # 168 - The Bike Tour Mystery

What better way to celebrate my 750th blog post than to not only review one of the later Nancy Drew digests (which is how fans refer to the later books in the original Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series) and compare it with my own trip to Ireland.  Yes, that's right - David and I recently joined my Dad on a trip to Ireland, so in anticipation of that trip, I read the 168th Nancy Drew mystery story, The Bike Tour Mystery.  I was curious to discover whether any of the places referenced in the book actually existed in Ireland and whether any of the facts described in the book were real.  Well, surprisingly enough, there was actually quite a number of references in the book that were grounded in reality, leaving me to wonder if the author of this story had actually visited Ireland, or if he/she simply did considerable research to be able to integrate the reality of Ireland into the book.  Whichever the case, such realities made this story all the more enjoyable!

The Bike Tour Mystery brings Nancy, George, and Bess to Ireland for an adventurous bike tour along the western coast of the Irish countryside.  "They're looking forward to spectacular scenery, romantic ruins, local entertainment, and, at the end of the day, cozy inns to welcome them" (back cover).  Of course, this being a Nancy Drew book, that idyllic vacation quickly turns into yet another mystery to solve.  Someone seems to be targeting the tour group, as the trip is filled with mishap, missteps, and mistaken identities.  Not everyone on the tour is who they say they are, and several are hiding secrets that could very well spell disaster for the whole group.  Nancy is determined to get to the bottom of it all, but she finds herself blocked at every turn, as no one is willing to open up, and everyone keeps telling her that the "accidents" are nothing to worry about!

There's Bob Prendergast, the tour group leader who is insistent that nothing is wrong.  Carl Thompson is the assistant college professor from Boston who is also a chemist ... and a geologist ... and perhaps something more?  Jim and Natalie de Fusco are the young couple from San Diego, California - he works in construction and she manages a surf shop - so why are they in Ireland at the height of surf season?  Rhonda and Rachel Selkirk are the sisters from Australia who are expert bikers, and who also appear to be the target of the attacks. Terry O'Leary is the rumpled Irishman with the gloomy expression who will be the tour group's driver.  Derek Thorogood is the handsome playboy who likes to flirt, while Camilla Collins is his girlfriend who seems oblivious to his flirtatious nature.  But everyone is not who they say they are.  One of them is a reporter looking for a big story; one of them is hiding a troubled past; one of them is fearful of their father's overwatchful eye; one of them is willing to keep another's secret; and one of them is careless enough to lead the entire group into terrible danger! 

And one mustn't forget the man in black (no, not THAT man in black!).  Described as "broad-shouldered ... in a black wool overcoat..." there was "something about his heavy-browed, tight-mouthed face [that] made Nancy uneasy" (p. 4).  That, and that fact that she immediately noticed "that the little finger was missing from his left hand" (p. 4).  With a description like that, you know this man is going to be trouble, and his connection with two of the members of the tour group definitely doesn't look good.  Why is it that the villains in a Nancy Drew book are never described as beautiful or handsome?  Instead, they are always disfigured or otherwise "ugly," as if good-looking people can never be bad.

In any event, Nancy does solve the mystery, with the author managing to integrate a little Gothic spookiness through the nighttime adventure into a foggy bog.  For astute readers, many of the clues are easily seen, and the ultimate revelations are not really that big of a surprise.  But for me, it was not the mystery itself that held my attention - it was all of the wonderful descriptions of Ireland that had me captivated.  I read the book on the flight from Florida to Dublin (and with eight hour flight time, I had plenty of time to read the book and take notes) so that by the time I reached Ireland, I would have the story fresh in my mind to see if I could find any of the locations from the story!

 

 

The book starts off with the girls arriving in Ireland via the Shannon Airport (p. 12) - which is a real international airport located in County Claire, lying half-way between Ennis and Limerick.  Bess accurately describes Ireland, with its "[t]hatched-roof cottages, woolly white sheep, crumbling stone walls..." (p. 2).  Of course, that "crumbling wall" reference made me think of the 22nd Nancy Drew Mystery Story, The Clue in the Crumbling Wall, published back in 1945.  But Ireland definitely has its fair share of sheep and stone walls - and is most certainly "one of the greenest places on Earth" (p. 7).  What is interesting is that, like Jim describes in the book, mortar was not used to build a lot of those dividing walls.  "They just pick up stones from the fields and fit them in place.  But they're remarkably strong - some of those walls are well over a hundred years old" (p. 12).  On our journeys through the country, we saw plenty of lush, green land, many a herd of sheep, and a lot of those stone walls.

The girls' first night in Ireland is spent at the Ballyrae House in a town called Lahinch (p .13).  While Lahinch is a real town on the northwest coast of County Clare, there is no Ballyrae Hotel - but there is a Ballyroe Heights Hotel on the southwest coast of Ireland (Ballyroe Heights Hotel) and there is a Ballyrane House Estate on the southeast coast of Ireland (Ballyrane House).  So, the author could have been using either of these as his/her inspiration for the place where the girls stay on that first night in Ireland.  (NOTE - David and I did not see either of these places in our jaunts around Ireland, as they were not in the path of our tour at any time.)

We did, however, experience the same awestruck wonder that Nancy felt when she visited the Cliffs of Moher, where the bike tour stopped for a picnic lunch (p. 33).  The author's description does not truly capture the majestic nature of these cliffs:

Stretching ahead before them, for about five miles, was a stretch of spectacular coastal cliffs, their sheer sides ribboned with five layers of different-colored rockface.  One the stone ledges nestled huge flocks of puffins and other seabirds.  To the left the Atlantic Ocean gleamed and danced.  (p. 36)

The view from the cliffs is truly awe-inspiring, and David and I walked from one end (where there was a small tower) to pretty nearly the other end (we didn't quite make it all the way due to time constraints).  And while we were told that we were visiting right at the end of the puffin season, we did not see any of those birds along the cliffs, although we did see some other white seabirds hanging out along the cliff sides.  And, just like Nancy, we were able to see the Aran Islands from where we were standing on the cliffs (p. 37).

 

Nancy and her friends, along with the rest of the bike tour troupe, end their evening at a local bar called Currach Pub (p. 39), where they were able to enjoy delightful Irish sea chanties (p. 40) and watch the Irish step-dance (pp. 100-01).  First,  there really is a Currach Irish Pub - but it's located in New Zealand and not in Ireland!  But, even without the Currach Pub, we did manage to enjoy an evening out at Taylors Three Rock in Dublin (Taylors Three Rock), which offered up a band playing Irish music, as well as some wonderfully fun Irish step-dancing - even offering members of the audience an opportunity to get up and join the dancing!  (No, David and I stayed in our seats and simply watched all the fun!)  And I could definitely understand how Nancy, despite how tired she was from all of the bike riding, couldn't help but get caught up in the spirit of the music and enjoy herself (p. 40) - because despite how tired we were after the long flight over the Atlantic and very little sleep, we still had a great time that night!

Nancy, Bess, and George eventually make their way to Galway (p. 77), which was the last town we stayed in during our trip.  The author provides a fairly accurate description of the town:

 

"Lots of people think Galway City is Ireland's prettiest city," [Bob] said.  "The downtown area is remarkably well-preserved and quaint, but there's a university here and lots of arts and culture.  In its heyday as a port, Galway had a thriving trade with Spain..." (p. 77)

The girls plunged into the narrow medieval streets of downtown Galway City.  Like a maze, the streets twisted and wound between overhanging old buildings.  (pp. 77-78)

There can be no doubt that Galway is a beautiful city, and much of its history has been preserved.  From the old stone churches to the canals that run through the heart of the city to the remnants of the wall that used to surround the city (including the Spanish Arch that is still in place today - one of Galway's most recognizable landmarks that bears testament to its importance as a medieval seaport!) - the city is still well-preserved and filled with culture and history!  In fact, while I was wandering the streets of Galway (my Dad and David were off on an excursion to see Kylemore Abbey), I stumbled across this glass-enclosed area which featured what appeared to be stone foundation poking out of the dirt.  It turns out "The Hall of the Red Earl" was discovered by archaeologists during redevelopment work at Galway Custom House - a portion of the old castle that belonged to Lord Richard de Burgo, the red Earl!  And a portion of the building unearthed dates back o the 13th century!

Later in the story, the tour group eats dinner "at a seafood restaurant on Quay Street, near the Galway harbor" (p. 84).  There is a Quay Street (pronounced "key" street) in Galway that runs through downtown to the harbor, and there are plenty of restaurants along the street, so without a doubt, Nancy and her friends could have easily found a seafood restaurant there.

The book goes on to reference Rossaveal (p. 93), which is a village in the Connemara area of County Galway, as well as Kilronan (p. 93), which is the main setlement on Inishmore, one of the Aran Islands.  It is there where the girls visit Dun Aengus (which is also spelled "Dun Aonghasa"), which the author describes as:

...broken stone ruins, perched at the edge of the cliff ... It had been built in three concentric circles, the highest int he middle.  Shallow depressions in the sparse grass showed where missing parts of the once-grand design had lain.  The remaining stones, bleached pale by years of sea wind, reflected the sunshine with a hard glitter ... The stern gray stone was softened by patches of velvety moss and greenish gray lichens, flourishing in the wet sea air.  (p. 95)

David and I, unfortunately, were unable to make it over to the Aran Island during our all-too-brief stay, but information about the Don Aengus can be found online (Dun Aengus).  It is definitely something we want to check out if we visit Ireland again some day!

A few fun facts that were in the book that I discovered to be true while in Ireland.  Nancy is talking with George and informs her that the police are called "Garda" in Ireland (p. 83) - which is actually true!  We saw plenty of cars traveling the streets of Dublin, Cork, and Galway that had the word "Garda" printed on the side of the vehicles.  And when Bob informed the girls that "the same is true all over western Galway and Donegal.  Look at the road signs; town names are usually in Gaelic as well as in English" (p. 93).  We found this to be true throughout all of Ireland.  Our tour guide informed us that Ireland is slowly working its way back to having Irish as its primary language, and English secondary - which is why nearly all the signs we saw had the words in Irish on top, with the English translation underneath. And the references to just how rainy Ireland is ("This is Ireland, and I can promise it will rain" (p. 7) and "Here comes one of those famous Irish rain showers" (p. 112)) are pretty accurate - although we got lucky, and it only rained twice during our week in Ireland.

Now for a funny story- while on the bus traveling one day, my Dad starts to tell me about how the tour guide the previous day had discussed what the people did with "peat" - before he could continue, however, I interrupted him to describe the process to him:

"A bog is - well, its a bog.  The ground is soft and mucky for miles. The surface is what we call peat: a sort of gluey, dense soil.  People cut it into chunks, cart it away, and let it dry into hard bricks to use for fuel.  Most folk hereabouts hear their homes with peat fire." (p. 138)

He was shocked I knew what he was going to talk about, as I was not with that particular tour. He asked how I knew about that process, and I told him I learned it in the Nancy Drew book!  So, I guess it seems that the digests (at least this one) continued the tradition of Harriet Stratemeyer Adams in having educational facts in the stories.

Overall, the book was a fairly decent read, even if it was fairly simple to figure out.  Of course, for me it was less about the story itself and more about the Irish elements in the book that I was able to discover for myself while in Ireland!  For those headed to Ireland (or even for those who live there!), this is definitely a book to check out.

RATING:  9 falling pub signs out of 10 for merging the real elements of Ireland with the suspense and Gothic mystery of Nancy Drew to create a pretty good tale!