Overall rating and opinion of "House of Eire" by June Gillam

Delaney35 · Post by **Delaney35** » 13 Mar 2020, 17:24

cpru68 wrote: ↑01 Mar 2020, 10:38 I gave this a 3 out of 4. I really enjoyed how this author had the main character having dreams of her mother, and she uses this as a bit of a string to keep us moving along with that character's development. I also thought the way that the scenes of Ireland were described was great. If the author has never been there, it sure seemed like she has. There were a couple of things that I found slightly off-putting, like leaving Claire alone in a bed sleeping while Hilary knows there is a murderer running loose. Overall, though, by the end, I wanted to read the next one as Hilary's hunt for family history continues. I don't know many people who like cozy mysteries, so I don't know who I would tell to read it, but I will send it out on my social media for others to look into.

I agree that the character development was really good.

Ekta Swarnkar · Post by **Ekta Swarnkar** » 14 Mar 2020, 11:04

I haven't got the chance to read it yet but reading the reviews is only making me more curious about it!

djr6090 · Post by **djr6090** » 14 Mar 2020, 11:46

MirageP wrote: ↑11 Mar 2020, 20:37
djr6090 wrote: ↑11 Mar 2020, 11:14 I know this book had received many four star ratings, but to me it was just fair. The bool was pleasant enough but did nor engage my attention as well as some other mysteries I have read. The descriptions of touring Ireland seemed to be the center of the story. And I have no doubt that the historical snippets are accurate. I just expected a more developed set of circumstances to bring it to a logical conclusion.
I agree wholeheartedly! In fact, had the author taken out the murder and labelled the book "other fiction" or even "women's literature", I'd have liked it better. But since I was expecting a C/T/M/H story, I was acutely disappointed.

Perhaps. But slow just the same.

Moray_001 · Post by **Moray_001** » 14 Mar 2020, 17:40

wendilou49 wrote: ↑01 Mar 2020, 04:57 Ii enjoyed reading this book. I loved the intermingling of Irish history and folklore with a good mystery! I loved the relationships in this book, especially Hillary's with her daughter Claire. They were so sweet and honest with each other. The beginning of this book was a little slow. Too much time getting ready to go instead of going and doing. I rated House of Eire 3 it of 4 stars because of the slow take off. I liked to get pulled into a story right away!

I see your point about books that take too long to kick off. They can make the reader lose interest after only a few pages.

Liana Mayhew · Post by **Liana Mayhew** » 14 Mar 2020, 18:28

I rated this book 4 out of 4 stars. I loved the Irish history that the author included. It really added to the believability of the story. The map at the start of the book was a nice touch too. I also really liked the spooky dolls which gave a little chill factor.

micoleon13 · Post by **micoleon13** » 14 Mar 2020, 22:03

I love mystery books, and add to that Irish history and folklore and I really enjoyed it. Hillary is a great, believable character and brings the story to life.

Moray_001 · Post by **Moray_001** » 15 Mar 2020, 13:19

DragonLight877 wrote: ↑02 Mar 2020, 21:27 I gave this book 3 out of 4 stars. I really enjoyed the characters and the story. I liked reading about Hillary following around Claire and Sarah through Ireland. I thought all the characters felt like real people. I just wish the action had started a little sooner in the book. I felt like it took a long time for anything other than just a vacation in Ireland to happen.

I’ve been reading comments about the slow start up and although it’s quite discouraging, I might still give the book a shot.

Carolreads30 · Post by **Carolreads30** » 15 Mar 2020, 16:01

This book is well written and edited, although I did find a couple of places that the words written did not seem to fit into the story. Overall, I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys a good mystery. I gave this a 3 out of 4 mainly because the book doesn't draw the reader into the story until later in the book. I enjoy a book that grabs your attention immediately.

Maríe Wamakima · Post by **Maríe Wamakima** » 16 Mar 2020, 00:47

As a fan of Irish folklore, I will definitely have to read this one. From the great reviews, it sounds like an interesting read.

Gabriel Merêncio · Post by **Gabriel Merêncio** » 16 Mar 2020, 01:57

Overall, I enjoyed the book, but the extremely slow pace did get on my nerves occasionally. As for the ending, it's... okay, I guess. Not particularly interesting for a mystery novel, so I wouldn't recommend it to mystery fans. Still, I rate it 3 out of 4 stars.

Dannyphery · Post by **Dannyphery** » 16 Mar 2020, 08:44

I did enjoy the Irish history and I loved the relationship between Hillary and Claire... The murder mystery did add some spice to it. The book is quite an interesting piece but I would give it a 3 out of 4 because the start was almost boring.

Wordlessly · Post by **Wordlessly** » 16 Mar 2020, 10:44

I haven't started reading it yet and I really want to read it but after reading the reviews about the slow pace, I'm starting to rethink my decision. I still might go for it though because mystery is my most favourite genre.

DragonLight877 · Post by **DragonLight877** » 16 Mar 2020, 12:10

Moray_001 wrote: ↑15 Mar 2020, 13:19
DragonLight877 wrote: ↑02 Mar 2020, 21:27 I gave this book 3 out of 4 stars. I really enjoyed the characters and the story. I liked reading about Hillary following around Claire and Sarah through Ireland. I thought all the characters felt like real people. I just wish the action had started a little sooner in the book. I felt like it took a long time for anything other than just a vacation in Ireland to happen.
I’ve been reading comments about the slow start up and although it’s quite discouraging, I might still give the book a shot.

Well, I still gave it 3 out of 4 stars. It was still a fun book to read.

praise+anyi · Post by **praise+anyi** » 16 Mar 2020, 12:15

This book is quite intriguing even though it began on a dull note. I loved Hillary's spirit and the relationship she shared with her daughter. The other characters were also interesting with their contrasting roles. I'll rate this book a 3 out of 4 stars.

Rwill0988 · Post by **Rwill0988** » 16 Mar 2020, 12:43

Twylla wrote: ↑01 Mar 2020, 09:03 It is a great story, and it includes some interesting history lessons about the country of Ireland. I liked the historical facts included in the story. My favorite line in the book was when Bridget said, “A famine is when there isn’t enough food. ‘A Great Hunger’ is what it really was. Thousands were forced to starve.” Bridget felt like the people of Ireland deserved to know the truth behind the suffering and anguish the country had been through.

I'm curious would you recommend this book to someone who is really interested in Irish history but not as big a fan of the mystery genre. The quote you included makes me want to read the book but I'm not a huge fan of mysteries.