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- Tom Gahan's Harmony Bay Reviewed By Maria Savva of Bookpleasures.com
Tom Gahan's Harmony Bay Reviewed By Maria Savva of Bookpleasures.com
- By Maria Savva
- Published January 20, 2011
- GENERAL FICTION REVIEWS
Maria Savva
Reviewer Maria Savva : Maria is a lawyer and writer from the UK. She has published four novels and three collections of short stories and she is currently editing her fifth novel. She is also a resident author/moderator for BestsellerBound.com. You can find out more about Maria by following on her WEBSITE.
Author:
Tom Gahan
ISBN: 978-1-4327-6663-4
Publisher: Outskirts Press,
Inc.
Click Here To Purchase Harmony Bay: An adventurous slice of waterfront life where mystery surrounds history...
An exceptional debut novel. Set against the backdrop
of the idyllic waterfront location of Harmony Bay, Tom Gahan has
weaved a wonderful tale, full of intrigue, mystery, adventure,
action, and a twist of romance.
Dory McDonough is a young widow;
taking her ten year old son, James, she moves to Harmony Bay, a small
town, hoping to build a better life for herself and her son.
Dory soon learns that there are perils that lurk in the bay that
could be just as dangerous as any found in a big city. There
are quite a few nail-biting moments contained in this
action/adventure.
As Dory and James settle in to life in the
waterfront town, they get to know their neighbours, some of whom are
eccentric, but all of whom are friendly and welcoming. The
community in Harmony Bay soon becomes like an extended family for
Dory and James. The backstory about the mysterious Christian
Carroll—once a resident of the bay—is enchanting.
The
portrayal of Dory, the single mother wanting to do the best for her
son, with all the financial challenges, and her nervousness about
introducing a new man into her son’s life, is all very realistic
and believable. The book is filled with larger than life, well
developed characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and could
hardly tear myself away from it.
Tom Gahan is a truly gifted
author who is able to fully engage the reader with his prose. I would
recommend this book to readers of all ages who like escapism and
adventure.
With the references to the American Revolution, the
information about shellfish research, fishing techniques, among other
things, there is much to learn from this book. It would be a
great addition to any English Literature book lists for secondary
schools, as I believe young readers would be enthralled by ten year
old James’s adventures. I also thought that the way the
characters relate to each other and the moral messages contained in
the story would make it an appropriate book to be included in the
school curriculum.
The author has created a book that reels the
reader in, keeps them interested and entertained. Harmony Bay
seems like a real place, and as you read the book you can almost feel
the warmth of the community.
I was sad to reach the end of ‘Harmony Bay’, and hope to read more from this talented author in the future.