The Gatekeepers

Science Fiction & Fantasy, General Fiction

By Richard Sutton

Publisher : Saille Tales Books

ABOUT Richard Sutton

Richard Sutton
Former ski mechanic, tree planter, sailboat rigger and adman/designer turned Indian Trader. Originally from San Rafael, CA, Sutton has made his home in NY and in NM for the past 40-some-odd years. He's released four novels so far in his own name, and just released a new one written as W.T. More...

Description

How do you keep a secret from family? Is there any point in trying? The O'Deirgs must protect their ancient Irish legacy. But their family is growing steadily and violence creeps closer than they know. Their simple life is upended again as lost family returns from America. The Irish Civil War, raging in the cities, now threatens to engulf a close family member in its terrible struggle.

Maybe the blame lies with the local butcher, his shady secrets and his well-spiced sausages, or on the O'Deirgs' long history, or on the cousins from America, or on the practices of the Church, or on the local Innkeeper's past, or on the sheep - or maybe not. The Gatekeepers is the sequel to The Red Gate, which introduced the O'Deirg Secret to the world.

The sequel to The Red Gate, this book contains a story told me over drinks by a former New Mexico Legislator who was also a close friend... with his permission, of course! The story takes place in the Confessional and has been re-set in County Mayo, Ireland many years before it actually happened.

A more than worthy successor to The Red Gate.

The writing is yet again beautiful and poetic and the story rich and intriguing, although this time there's a different overall mood. Where The Red Gate is a tale of mystery, discovery and finding your place in the world, The Gatekeepers is much more about family, sacrifice, love and hope. I like how Sutton uses the landscape and weather to set the mood for the story, almost as if they were part of the cast of characters.

Speaking of characters: I was happy to see my favourite character Finn return in a leading role and loved to see how he interacted with his family. He might seem to think you're better born lucky than smart, but he's got his own kind of wisdom that makes him a memorable character.

I hope Sutton will continue to add to his O'Deirg Family Saga, or maybe write about the family history of other characters (like Cora) as this book made me hungry for more. Why should you read it:
If you like historical stories with a hint of the supernatural you really should try this saga.

Review on Amazon by Bersaba