Saturday, May 4, 2019

BOOKS: Dublin Student Doctor and Unhallowed Ground

A Dublin Student Doctor - Patrick Taylor   🎧 (15 h 30 min)

This sixth book of fifteen was another wonderful outing. Doctor Fingal O'Reilly, the elder doctor in Ballybucklebo, while presently training his new doctor, remembers life as a student doctor just before the war in the 1930s, and when he met Nurse Kitty O'Halloran. Lots of previous situations show how O'Reilly became the doctor he did, and the other doctors he trained with who occasionally show up. There is a present day story intertwined with the olden days, and we know that Fingal and Kitty will meet up in later days as well.

These books always start off slowly for me, but then suddenly I'm on a listening binge and can't stop with the story. The narrator, John Keating, does a wonderful job with the voices and the Irish accent, presuming though that it is not an accent for him. Luckily, my library has recently acquired all the audiobooks in this series, so there will be lots more for me to listen to. 



Unhallowed Ground - Mel Starr (240 pages)

Book 4 of 11 in the Hugh de Singleton Chronicles

This series, a relatively realistic look at life in the late 1300s England, would be great for fans of the Brother Cadfael series. Hugh is a surgeon who trained in Paris, but then is hired to be a Bailiff for a local lord near Oxford. This causes him to investigate any deaths. By this fourth book, Hugh has married and beginning a new life with his wife. 

A local scoundrel is found hanged and while most hope he killed himself, Hugh suspects murder. As a side note, I'm not sure anyone in this family is left to be killed, as the atte Bridges have been the main plot of most of these books! Hugh grapples with investigating the possible suspects as the whole town had motives and everyone is happy he died. 

Just a great solid read with the historical element adding to the enjoyment.