A Christmas Grace 2 - The End (Pages 70 - end)

 

RATING: GOOD

SPOILERS!!!

Emily wakes up in the middle of the night and notices the terrible storm, and when she looks out of the window, there is a ship that is having problems. When she asks Susannah, she tells her to go and call Fergal, Maggie's husband. Emily watches as the men work together on the beach, and there is a man who they rescue and take to Susannah's, but there is no trace of other men.

When the man wakes up, he just remembers that his name is Daniel, but he doesn't know anything else. Daniel is a very sociable man and is inquisitive. Emily discovers that Daniel opens wounds as seven years ago something similar happened. A ship sank and a man was rescued. Conor Riordan asked many questions, and then he was murdered. Emily realises that this is the reason why her aunt asked her to come because she wants to know who killed Conor because the shadow of suspicion is killing the village.

As she investigates, she unveils some secrets. A neighbour Colleen Flaherty who is widowed and has a son, Brendan, is overprotective of him, as she wants him to be like his father but at the same time she doesn't want him to be like him, that is, a drunkard and a womaniser. It seems that Brendan and Conor became good friends, and Colleen feared that he would be a bad influence. With Daniel she fears the same, and when the woman blows a gasket, Brendan leaves.

It seems that Maggie and Conor had a good relationship which caused her husband's jealousy. Maggie tells Emily that Conor was very different from Fergal but she was never in love with Conor.

Then Emily decides to go to Galway to discover what Susannah's husband found out. From asking in the church, she discovers that Conor's mother worked in a foundling house, so she goes there. What she discovers is that Conor knew that Padraic Yorke was not originally Irish. Her mother came to the Foundling House as she had a son and no husband after serving in England. Emily realises that Padraic killed Conor to protect his name.

Emily returns to Connemara and finds Brendan on the way. They travel togehter, and Emily tells him that if he wants to leave the village, he should do so and talk to his mother. Emily talks to the priest and goes for a walk near the sea where she sees Colleen Flaherty, who attacks her, saying that she has been to persuade her son to leave. The woman almost drowns her, but Padraic saves her. When Emily wakes up in the house, the priest tells him that Padraic is dead. Emily says that now it is his decision to tell the truth about Padraic.

I enjoyed the book and the mystery, but the ending was weak.