Cathy C. (cathyskye) - , reviewed on 7/4/2021 + 2269 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

In An Irish Hostage, the writing team known as Charles Todd shows us how explosive matters were in Ireland after the end of World War I. There may not be bombs and gunfire, but Bess is in just as much danger as she was when she was nursing in aid stations at the front lines in France. An Irish Hostage is steeped in tension, in hatred, in claustrophobia. Bess is reduced to doing a lot of sneaking around after dark, and the only reason why she's (usually) left alone is because this is a small, isolated village with no doctor, and her nursing skills come in handy.

This is also a book about the futility of unreasoning hatred and grief, so much so that the book can be difficult to read at times. But it's also a book about a woman who's had four years of making her own decisions and living her own life now being expected to return to the role of dutiful daughter now that the war is over. Bess Crawford knows that there's no way she can return to that life. As this series progresses, it will be interesting to see the life she makes for herself.

The bright spot that made me exclaim "It's about time!" is that-- after how many books now?-- the penny finally drops for Bess concerning Simon Brandon. It's something that all the fans of this series have been waiting for so long that, no matter what the main plot of the next book is, we're all going to want to know what's next for Bess concerning the more personal side of her life.

An Irish Hostage brings readers right into the heart of the Irish fight for independence with all its danger and high emotion, and it has an escape scene that will have readers at the edge of their seats. I can't wait for the next book.

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)

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