"The thrilling saga concludes...."
Reviewed by Debbie Wiley
Posted March 17, 2019
Women's Fiction Historical | Saga
THE SECRET OF THE IRISH
CASTLE picks up right where the prior book, THE DAUGHTERS OF IRELAND, ended. Bridie Doyle,
now the Countess di Marcantonio, has bought the Deverill's ancestral
home and Kitty Deverill Trench is incensed. Worse yet, Kitty's first love,
Jack O'Leary, has finally returned to Ireland but he has a wife and
children. Meanwhile, Martha Wallace has gone in search of her birth
mother and encounters JP, where it's love at first sight for these two
young adults. Will the secrets of the past destroy them all or has the
time come for the curse on the Deverills to end? THE SECRET OF THE IRISH
CASTLE is the third book in the
Deverill Chronicles and must be read in the context of the
series as a whole in order to be enjoyed. The complexity of the
relationships as well as the multitude of betrayals by the characters
have been developed over the course of the prior two books and a new
reader will miss the nuances of the storyline. I love the ghostly presences of the Deverill heirs we visit within THE SECRET OF THE IRISH CASTLE.
We've had a few glimpses of Adeline Deverill (and more than one
mention of her cannabis tea) but Santa Montefiore starts to fill us in
more on the curse plaguing the Deverills. As always, the stories aren't
necessarily pretty and some of the betrayals that have happened are
horrific, but I love the paranormal touch to the storyline. And speaking of betrayals... I've despised Grace Rowan- Hampton for
most of the series and THE SECRET OF
THE IRISH CASTLE solidified that dislike. Santa Montefiore did a
great job at humanizing most of the characters, but Grace is nothing
but manipulative and selfish. I won't reveal spoilers but fans of the Deverill Chronicles will
particularly relish how some scenarios are resolved, particularly in
regards to Grace. THE SECRET OF THE IRISH
CASTLE is a brilliant conclusion to the Deverill Chronicles! Santa Montefiore is a master
at writing sweeping historical sagas and it clearly shows in the Deverill Chronicles. I'm a little
sad to see the series end, but I'm thrilled with how Santa Montefiore
concluded it!
SUMMARY
1939: Peace has flourished since the Great War ended, but
much has changed for the Deverill family as now a new
generation is waiting in the wings to make their mark. When Martha Wallace leaves her home in America to search for
her birth mother in Dublin, she never imagines that she will
completely lose her heart to the impossibly charming JP
Deverill. But more surprises are in store for her after she
discovers that her mother comes from the same place as JP,
sealing her fate. Bridie Doyle, now Countess di Marcantonio and mistress of
Castle Deverill, is determined to make the castle she used
to work in her home. But just as she begins to feel things
are finally going her way, her flamboyant husband Cesare has
other ideas. As his eye strays away from his wife, those
close to the couple wonder if he really is who he says he is. Kitty Deverill has come to accept her life with her husband
Robert, and their two children. But then Jack O'Leary, the
love of her life, returns to Ballinakelly. And this time his
heart belongs elsewhere. As long-held secrets come to light, the Deverills will have
to heal old wounds and come to terms with the past if they
hope to ensure their legacy for the future.
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