From Publishers Weekly
In the eighth installment in Greeley's immensely entertaining Irish series (after 2002's Irish Stew!), Nuala Anne and her husband, Dermot Coyne, once again look into mysteries past and present: the first chronicled in the diaries of Father Richard Lonigan, a 19th-century parish priest in Donegal, Ireland, the second involving poor Damian "Day" O'Sullivan, whom the couple hire to take care of their two Irish wolfhounds. Amid the troubled political and religious environment in Donegal, where mostly poor Catholic villagers are overseen by Protestant Lord Skeffington, Father Lonigan investigates two shootings while striving to prevent further violence. In present-day Chicago, Nuala and Dermot face opposition to hiring Day O'Sullivan from the lad's father, since Day is not only a profound disappointment to the O'Sullivan family but also a convicted felon. The "fey" or psychic Nuala Anne believes the young man has been framed by his family and is determined to find out why Day inspires such loathing and disgust in his own kin. As with previous titles in the series, the sexual antics of Nuala and Dermot lend spice. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist
Greeley continues to churn out his own brand of irresistibly predictable mysteries at an amazingly rapid pace. Although the plot and the characters are somewhat cliched, they provide a cozy level of comfort for fans eager to delve into another caper involving devoted spouses and dueling detectives Nuala Anne McGrail and Dermot Michael Coyne. As usual, it is a simple case of good Irish-American Catholics versus evil Irish-American Catholics. Gentle, artistic Damian "Day" O'Sullivan has been made the scapegoat for all his family's shortcomings. When a friend of his father is run over and killed, an inebriated Day is eagerly offered to the police as a sacrificial lamb by his parents and siblings. After Day becomes an honorary member of the Coyne clan, Nuala and Dermot are determined to prove his innocence by using their stock-in-trade: an unbeatable combination of Dermot's cold, hard logic and Nuala's mystical second sight. Interwoven into the contemporary story is an intriguing historical whodunit that adds a little more substance. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Review
"The prolific cleric plops his psychic singer heroine and her family into a delicious stew of trouble in his latest crowd pleaser. . . . The double plot is rich with detail, while the couple's earnestness and good intentions are never in question."--Publishers Weekly on Irish Stew!"The parallels found between the Coynes and the 1880s Fitzpatricks add a unique dimension and the comical banter between Dermot and Nuala Anne cleverly gives the reader insight into their Irish heritage as well as their Catholic faith. . . . [A] pleasing read."--Romantic Times on Irish Stew!"Greeley fans will be pleased."--Arizona Daily Star on Irish Stew!"Once again, Father Greeley, with his enormous storytelling skill, his knowledge of Chicago, and his mastery of the mystery genre, combines two separate tales in two different eras to give us readers one tantalizing and endearing experience."--Sullivan County Democrat on Irish Stew!"Father Greeley's deep and obvious love for the history and culture of Ireland shines through in his latest contemporary mystery. . . . Greeley skillfully depicts an Ireland flushed with economic success but still carrying the scars of historic poverty."--Publishers Weekly on Irish Love"Greeley has a remarkable way of tying all the loose ends together to create a memorable story. Along the way, he throws in a commentary on racism, intolerance, and a short lesson on the Bill of Rights. Irish Eyes is an appealing installment in the ongoing story of Nuala Anne. . . . Once you get to know these two engaging people, you'll find yourself wanting more. Call it the charm of the Irish."--Bookpage on Irish Eyesf0 "Solid, modest Dermot and fiery, unpredictable Nuala Anne enjoy an ideal marriage: sexy and humorous and unabashedly loving."--Los Angeles Times on Irish Mist" 'Tis a charmin' tale that Andrew Greeley tells in his latest mystery novel. . . . It's a lively novel filled with Irish wit, interesting situations and likable people."--The Chattanooga Times on Irish Whiskey"Like the delicate handwork its title evokes, Greeley's Irish Lace is finely crafted, laced with compelling characters and criss-crossed with strong story lines."--Savannah Morning News"A tale of young love and faith with a cast of characters, Irish and American, that very well may open Greeley's work to a generation of new readers. Yet those who have followed his works in the past will find the same story-telling mastery and the same understanding of the heart."--Chicago Tribune on Irish Gold"May be Andrew M. Greeley's best effort yet. It has more of everything-more plot, denser character development, fresh dialogue and a more solid now story line than his previous novels. . . . Gives a different dimension and personal look at Irish history and its heroes and villains. . . . A first-rate adventure story with the love interest intertwined in the mystery."--Baltimore Sun on Irish Gold


Book Description
Countless readers have been delighted by Father Andrew M. Greeley's bestselling tales of Nuala Anne McGrail, a fey, Irish-speaking woman from Galway blessed with the gift of second sight and a knack for unraveling mysteries, and her hapless husband and accomplice, Dermot Michael Coyne. From Irish Gold through Irish Stew! this spirited couple has untangled many a knotty mystery, both at home in Chicago and back in Erin. Now they return in another captivating blend of romance, humor, and intrigue

Damian "Day" O'Sullivan is a troubled young man who blames himself for a tragic vehicular homicide he may not have committed. Trouble is, Day's entire family seems to be conspiring to pin the crime on the poor lad, which only leads Nuala and Dermot to wonder who really ran over (three times!) Rodney Keefe in the parking lot of a ritzy Chicago country club.

The O'Sullivans are a ruthlessly ambitious clan of South Side Irish, who consider themselves the cream of the Irish-American community. The sensitive Day has always been something of a black sheep in the family---and perhaps a scapegoat as well.

But the twisted saga of the O'Sullivans isn't the only mystery to be unraveled. Having stumbled onto the diary of Father Richard Lonigan, a nineteenth-century parish priest assigned to a remote village in old Donegal, Dermot and Nuala find themselves caught up in the closely guarded secrets and scandals of that desolate time and place, where simmering resentment against the ruling English sometimes erupted into violence and murder....

Irish Cream is another rich and satisfying concoction by one of America's most popular storytellers.


About the Author
A native of Chicago, Reverend Andrew M. Greeley, is a priest, distinguished sociologist and bestselling author. He is professor of social sciences at the University of Chicago and the University of Arizona, as well as Research Associate at the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. His current sociological research focuses on current issues facing the Catholic Church-including celibacy of priests, ordination of women, religious imagination, and sexual behavior of Catholics.Father Greeley received the S.T.L. in 1954 from St. Mary of Lake Seminary. His graduate work was done at the University of Chicago, where he received the M.A. Degree in 1961 and the Ph.D. in 1962.Father Greeley has written scores of books and hundreds of popular and scholarly articles on a variety of issues in sociology, education and religion. His column on political, church and social issues is carried by the carried by the Chicago Sun Times and may other newspapers. He stimulates discussion of neglected issues and often anticipates sociological trends. He is the author of more than thirty bestselling novels and an autobiography, Furthermore!: Confessions of a Parish Priest.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Damian "Day" O'Sullivan is a troubled young man who blames himself for a tragic vehicular homicide he may not have committed. Trouble is, Day's entire family seems to be conspiring to pin the crime on the poor lad, which only leads Nuala and Dermot to wonder who really ran over (three times!) Rodney Keefe in the parking lot of a ritzy Chicago country club." "The O'Sullivans are a ruthlessly ambitious clan of South Side Irish, who consider themselves the cream of the Irish-American community. The sensitive Day has always been something of a black sheep in the family - and perhaps a scapegoat as well." But the twisted saga of the O'Sullivans isn't the only mystery to be unraveled. Having stumbled onto the diary of Father Richard Lonigan, a nineteenth-century parish priest assigned to a remote village in old Donegal, Dermot and Nuala find themselves caught up in the closely guarded secrets and scandals of that desolate time and place, where simmering resentment against the ruling English sometimes erupted into violence and murder.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In the eighth installment in Greeley's immensely entertaining Irish series (after 2002's Irish Stew!), Nuala Anne and her husband, Dermot Coyne, once again look into mysteries past and present: the first chronicled in the diaries of Father Richard Lonigan, a 19th-century parish priest in Donegal, Ireland, the second involving poor Damian "Day" O'Sullivan, whom the couple hire to take care of their two Irish wolfhounds. Amid the troubled political and religious environment in Donegal, where mostly poor Catholic villagers are overseen by Protestant Lord Skeffington, Father Lonigan investigates two shootings while striving to prevent further violence. In present-day Chicago, Nuala and Dermot face opposition to hiring Day O'Sullivan from the lad's father, since Day is not only a profound disappointment to the O'Sullivan family but also a convicted felon. The "fey" or psychic Nuala Anne believes the young man has been framed by his family and is determined to find out why Day inspires such loathing and disgust in his own kin. As with previous titles in the series, the sexual antics of Nuala and Dermot lend spice. (Feb. 1) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews