Beyond the Pale

In Clare O'Donahue's Beyond the Pale, the first installment in the World of Spies mystery series, this tale would leave you at the edge of your seat, clueless, and maybe a bit bewildered. For married couple and college professors, Finn and Hollis Larsson, they lead a very sedentary and normal life. But Hollis wants to travel for their vacation, while Finn prefers to watch baseball. When Hollis's former flame, David Agnelli, who knew her background from Quantico, sent her an email out of the blue, asking to meet him in person, she became curious and brought Finn with her. Later, they found out he wants them to go to Ireland to look for a missing agent and to locate a rare book manuscript. Curious and intrigued, they agreed to go to Ireland and look for clues there. They also ran into some other people who wish to look for the same manuscript, including Interpol, the CIA, MI-6, and a notorious crime organization. Every where they look, they didn't know who to turn or to trust, when they hit some obstacles and death threats along the way. Until they discovered where it was, an unlikely enemy who wishes not to be found out and who would do anything to stop them, it put Finn and Hollis in a precarious situation to set things right and settle the score.

This was a gripping and compelling mystery that has all the elements of a spy novel and plenty of drama to keep you guessing for more. I cared for Finn and Hollis and how they devoted to each other and to their work at the same college. I also loved how they protected each other and had each other's back, every step of the way. The dual locations of Chicago and Ireland were sublime and eye-catching with visual and mesmerizing settings, especially in the Aran Islands too. This would keep you hooked to turn every page and raise a brow or two from start to finish with drama, suspense, action and non-stop intrigue too.

Will you be ready to head to Ireland in Beyond the Pale today?