Erin Quinn, Haunting Warrior

Haunting Warrior

Erin Quinn

Berkley, May 2010, $15.00

ISBN: 9780425234143

Rory MacGrath works at night at the Low Down bar, a dive in which only cockroaches frequent as the place is near the Pacific yet far enough that one cannot smell the ocean. He is haunted at night with recurring dreams that happen even when he dozes while watching ESPN. A woman whose attire looks like it comes from an Irish museum keeps shadowing him and his late grandmother pleads with him to go home.

Finally unable to cope with ghosts and never the same since his dad vanished into the ancient tome The Book of Fennore, he heeds his grandma's plea and travels to Ireland to the very place where his father disappeared. However, instead of modern Ireland's castle ruins, he goes back in time to medieval Eire where he meets the woman of his dreams, Saraid. As they fall in love, both fear their destiny is death, not being together.

This is an interesting Irish time travel romance with a strong support cast in both eras and in the mortal and supernatural realms. The overall enjoyable story line feels unnecessarily stretched in the middle, but fans will still enjoy Rory's adventures; as he meet the Haunting Beauty of his dreams only not in his body but that of her fianc while evil prowls waiting to destroy both of them and their respective families.

Harriet Klausner