Whiskey Island

It's hard to put into words how much I loved this book. Author is so good at developing her characters that you know them as friends. Great story of hard & good times from early Irish immigration to Cleveland & generations later.

And keep you reading page after page till you find out what the great secret that the Donaghue family has been hoarding for generations. This is not only a story about three motherless sisters, Megan, Peggy and Casey, who were abandoned by their dad at an early age but it is also a story about Lena, Terry, Rowan and Father Patrick back in the late 1800s. And Richards manages to tie both stories in brillantly ~~ till the last page is done. It is a fast-paced read ~~ a wonderful story about love and relationships and secrets and truths. Megan is the owner of Whiskey Island Saloon set in Cleveland near Lake Erie where her Irish ancestors have once worked. When her sisters come home for various reasons, Megan begins a journey of self-realization ~~ especially when there is a man involved. There is Casey who has a secret regarding the little girl she brought home from Chicago. There is Peggy, who was supposed to be in her last semester of college but decided to stay home instead. And this is their stories. Once again Richards prove that she is an excellent story-teller. This is one fast read ~~ one that will keep me hopping till I read the sequel. She has a talent of making her characters seem as real as you and I. And the relationships between the sisters are like mine. It's a fun and captivating read ~~ especially since it has a dollop of history thrown in it. I am a native Ohioan and now my curiousity has been piqued about Cleveland's history. Only a good author can do that.9-9-03

Whiskey Island was a terrific read-Lots of twists and turns of the characters you thought you were beginning to know. All the while educating you on the Irish immigrant and other topics. I dont't want to mention as I want you to be as surprise as I was. Ms. Richards is a facinating story teller. I am anxious to read another book authored by her to see if it was because of the subject matter or if she is indeed a good as I think she might be.

Whiskey Island is the compelling story of the Donaghue sisters whose past is full of pain but whose history is about to be traced back to three men whose love for Lena Tierney irrevocably sets in motion a chain of events that lead to a terrible tragedy and a horrifying scandal.Niccolo Andreani, a former priest, agrees to transcribe the journal kept by Father Patrick McSweeney who valiantly tended to his flock of Irish immigrants over a hundred years ago. Niccolo finds himself with more questions than answers when he comes into contact with the Donaghue sisters, the little girl under their protection, and the old man who harbors the truth to a murder that took place years ago. An old man who might be their father. Richards has crafted a powerful story as she allows readers to become acquainted with characters from the present as well as the past. The length of this novel is appropriate because it gives the author the means of exploring the lives of the Donaghues of the present and, more importantly, the struggle endured by the Tierneys. A tragic struggle witnessed years ago by their best friend, Rowan Donaghue, and counseled by their priest, Patrick McSweeney. The characterizations, drawn by Richards, of all these people are strong and distinctive. Her audience will be swept away by the powerful history of Whiskey Island and the intrigue of its present state. Furthermore, the author has so intricately intertwined the two to create a story whose development will have you turning pages in anticipation and feeling bittersweet, yet satisfied, with its conclusion.

A marvelous story about three strong, resourceful, but very different, Irish American sisters. "Whiskey Island", an Irish Pub located in Cleveland, is the heart of the story which stretches from the original Irish immigrants until today. There are several wonderful romances, a suspenseful murder and a keen look at family relationships. I found myself so caught up in this book that I tried to read it and cook dinner!

In the dark parking lot of Cleveland's Whiskey Island Saloon, two would be carjackers threaten sisters Casey and Peggy Donaghue and their charge Ashley. Former priest Niccolo Andreani is passing by when he sizes up the situation and intervenes to keep everyone from being hurt. Niccolo is grazed even as the police capture the two thugs. Casey and Peggy's older sister Megan, owner of the bar, is very thankful for Niccolo's help. However, she rejects his notion that a homeless person also assisted them.An obsessed Niccolo cannot resist trying to find the homeless person. He wants to help the man because he is filled with guilt from his failure to assist another homeless individual who froze to death. As Niccolo and Megan become acquainted they fall in love, but neither knows how to trust. At the same time, Ashley's abusive father is closing in on the child and her protectors. The mystery of the identity of the homeless person leaves the siblings to wonder if he may be their dad.Though filled with mystery, intrigue, and romance, WHISKEY ISLAND is a superb relationship drama that deserves a wide readership. The story line is loaded with several subplots that all tie back to the main tale. The charcaters feel genuine and their motives seem so real that Cleveland appears more alive than Drew Carey or Jacobs Field has ever painted the city. Emilie Richards shows why she is so revered and should be back in her familiar spot on the bestseller lists.Harriet Klausner