There is a bombing on the waterfront which destroys the family home of a prosperous Irish family, the Currans. No one is killed in the conflagration, but the home and surrounding area is destroyed. Shortly after a car bombing is averted, the Currans enlist the aid of fey Nuala Anne and Dermot to find who wants to kill them. The two find themselves involved in the treachery and deceit of the Curran family while reliving that period of Irish history. At the same time Nuala Anne has to cope with Homeland Security in her efforts to obtain her long delayed citizenship papers and to avoid being deported as a "dangerous alien."

This is another delightful story involving Nuala Anne and Dermot and their young children, filled with love and understanding. They and their clan members are all likeable people with charm and intelligence. The book contains a double plot: the attacks on the Curran family and the unsuccessful Irish uprisings involving the saga of patriot Robert Emmet. The narrative of the unknown priest presents a vivid picture of the history of the Irish rebellion against the British and gives the reader an understanding of the conflict. The book can be confusing at times with the shift from the documentary extracts, the Irish and Appalachian dialects and Dermot's internal asides. There is no doubt about the love between Nuala Anne and Dermot and their compatibility expressed sometimes in humorous and explicit terms. The stories of the two entirely different Irish families are told in detail: one badly flawed (the Currans) and the other bright and contented (the Coynes).

Another Greeley triumph.