"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," said the bard, William Shakespeare. The same can be said for the fury of an abusive, scorned but spoiled son of an American Mayor. Fionnha Brennan has taken a sabbatical leave to escape her furious, former fiance, Rick Harper. Wanting to diminish the intense fear and nightmares from her last physically shattering encounter with Rick, Fio is going to study her past and culture in Ireland. While finally relaxing in the first-class section of her flight to Ireland, she meets a rich woman who invites her to share a home central to the places Fio wishes to study. Kathleen Burke is accompanied by her sharp husband and seemingly playboy son, Niall.

There's more than meets the eye from this point to the harrowing end of a plot involving the IRA, CIA, gun runners, Irish castles and mansions, bomb explosions, hit men and of course, the jealous women who would do just about anything to keep Niall from his growing enchantment with Fionnha. It's a small world, indeed! The world of Niall's business interests crosses the paths not only of romantic revenge but also with the American Harper family's secret financial connections.

Judy Mays accomplishes these transitions with deft skill and a tensely unfolding plot that holds the reader through the time when other non-reading tasks should have been accomplished. One can feel the ebb and flow of the mercurial temperature surrounding Fio and Niall's evolving romance. Hesitations and close-call eruptions call for tantalizing and infuriating patience and pursuit. Will compassionate perception on a day-to-day basis break through the suspicions and terrorizing fears of Fio? Can a playboy move past his hunger for instantaneous gratification to awareness and care of a "real" and committed relationship? Should a matchmaker Mom have left well enough alone or is her present choice of a wife for her son justified? Where is the separation between meddling and caring parenting?

This is an intense but a fun read! This novel contains enough "accidents" to infuse the story with raucous humor as well as to rescue this novel from being overly loaded with the usual Irish "troubles" that have been overdone or not done well at all. The relationships are credible without too much heavy depth. Motives for revenge are cleverly differentiated to cover the violence that ensues and make one root for the overcoming of terrorizing, palpably horrific encounters. Does good always prevail over the evil nature of men who make their living from other's violent choices?

Grab a comforting drink and cozy seat to enjoy this romantic suspense story that promises many thrilling hours of reading and a most satisfying conclusion!