The White Devil of Dublin
Ryan O’Clery Mysteries Book #2
By- p.m.terrell
Genre- Romantic Suspense
Published By- Drake Valley Press
Expected Publication Date- September 15th, 2014
When Detective Ryan O’Clery receives a call from a noted historian claiming to have uncovered information about his Irish ancestors, he is certain she is mistaken. But when he arrives for their meeting, he finds the historian murdered and her computer stolen. His investigation will lead him to 12th Century Ireland, to a time of the Viking invasion and conquest, to an albino known as The White Devil of Dublin, and to a shocking secret his family kept hidden for more than eight hundred years. He will also come face-to-face with a present-day albino serial killer, intent on finishing the job he started.
EXCERPT
1169, The Approach to Duiblinn
The mists swirled about the Viking ship, shrouding their approach in an ashen veil. It seemed as though the clouds themselves were reaching toward the waters, parting momentarily to reveal their advance, silent and evil, an apparition on the deadly sea.
He moved as one with the great ship, his feet spread wide and firmly planted behind the dragon’s head that graced the bow. Atop a platform, he had an unencumbered view of the gray waters; though they roiled and tumbled, the waves crashing against the sides of the vessel, he remained unyielding, secure in his position. He towered above those behind him who worked the sail or labored in the rowing stations. He could feel their eyes upon him.
Though he was a young man, his hair was white and reached nearly to his waist. It was wild at the moment, swirling about his body wherever the wind took it. His eyebrows and his lashes were pale against alabaster skin that stretched over taut muscles. His shoulders were broad and his arms powerful, though he now rested them idly behind his back, his fingers entwined. His thighs were strapping and fought at the fabric that dared encase them, moving effortlessly with the sway and tug of the vessel that was more a home to him than any bed and table.
His eyes were the color of blue ice. The pupils were not black but appeared to lack any color at all. He had been told by his men that when he stood at the bow of the ship as he did now, his eyes appeared nearly completely white and otherworldly, a characteristic that unnerved his enemies.
His name was Baldr but he was known simply as Hvitr Bard, The White Devil.
And now, the character bios, as told by P.M. Terrell
Detective Ryan O’Clery is an Irish immigrant who came to America to remain close to his sister Claire, who wanted to attend college in North Carolina after their parents’ deaths. With jet black hair and intense green eyes, he comes from a long line of Irishmen dedicated to law enforcement. He has the Irish temper but also the Irish passion for life, especially when it comes to his wife, Cait, who he met in The Tempest Murders, the first book in the series. Intensely private, he only opens up to those closest to him. He is also the official keeper of the family records, which chronicles his ancestors’ lives throughout a thousand years of history.
Cait is a strong woman whose sometimes quiet demeanor is at odds with her inner strength. She can match Ryan’s temper word for word, yet she is deeply in love with her husband and their two infant (twin) daughters. She is a dedicated wife and mother who left a career in broadcast journalism when she married Ryan. When she must summon the courage to do the unthinkable to protect her family, she proves just how much mettle she actually has.
The White Devil of Dublin is a Viking named Baldr. He is called Hvitr Bard, which means The White Devil, because he is a feared and despised albino. He is young but his hair is white and reaches nearly to his waist. His eyes are the color of blue ice. He lives in Dublin in the 12th century at a time when the Viking occupation had transformed Dublin from a sleepy coastal village to a thriving seaport; but it is also on the eve of the Norman invasion. He is a warrior capable of plundering the Irish countryside and battling its inhabitants. But he is also capable of deep love--which he feels for an Irishwoman named Maeve Kelly.
Maeve is a spirited Irish lass who works at a Dublin orphanage teaching the children how to read and write. She is intrigued by the presence of The White Devil, who she sees watching her from afar, especially as she walks home each night from the orphanage to her father’s home on the outskirts of Dublin. When he rescues her from assailants one evening, their love affair begins and she falls deeply and passionately in love with him. She believes his flowing white hair and his crystal blue eyes are beautiful, and she gives him what he’s never been able to have before - unconditional love.
Diallo Delport is a serial killer who bears a striking resemblance to The White Devil; but he lives in the present day. In The Tempest Murders, he became Ryan O’Clery’s evil adversary, a man who has left a string of women dead and who set his sights on killing Cait. Ryan watched him wash out to sea during the height of Hurricane Irene, and he believed him dead--until a noted historian is killed, her throat slit from ear to ear just as Diallo Delport had killed the others. What drives Diallo is watching Ryan squirm and suffer by threatening the woman he loves. Ryan will do anything to protect Cait and their family, but Diallo will stop at nothing.
Cait is a strong woman whose sometimes quiet demeanor is at odds with her inner strength. She can match Ryan’s temper word for word, yet she is deeply in love with her husband and their two infant (twin) daughters. She is a dedicated wife and mother who left a career in broadcast journalism when she married Ryan. When she must summon the courage to do the unthinkable to protect her family, she proves just how much mettle she actually has.
The White Devil of Dublin is a Viking named Baldr. He is called Hvitr Bard, which means The White Devil, because he is a feared and despised albino. He is young but his hair is white and reaches nearly to his waist. His eyes are the color of blue ice. He lives in Dublin in the 12th century at a time when the Viking occupation had transformed Dublin from a sleepy coastal village to a thriving seaport; but it is also on the eve of the Norman invasion. He is a warrior capable of plundering the Irish countryside and battling its inhabitants. But he is also capable of deep love--which he feels for an Irishwoman named Maeve Kelly.
Maeve is a spirited Irish lass who works at a Dublin orphanage teaching the children how to read and write. She is intrigued by the presence of The White Devil, who she sees watching her from afar, especially as she walks home each night from the orphanage to her father’s home on the outskirts of Dublin. When he rescues her from assailants one evening, their love affair begins and she falls deeply and passionately in love with him. She believes his flowing white hair and his crystal blue eyes are beautiful, and she gives him what he’s never been able to have before - unconditional love.
Diallo Delport is a serial killer who bears a striking resemblance to The White Devil; but he lives in the present day. In The Tempest Murders, he became Ryan O’Clery’s evil adversary, a man who has left a string of women dead and who set his sights on killing Cait. Ryan watched him wash out to sea during the height of Hurricane Irene, and he believed him dead--until a noted historian is killed, her throat slit from ear to ear just as Diallo Delport had killed the others. What drives Diallo is watching Ryan squirm and suffer by threatening the woman he loves. Ryan will do anything to protect Cait and their family, but Diallo will stop at nothing.
Dream Cast as told by P.M. Terrell
Kevin Ryan would be my first choice to play Detective Ryan O’Clery. Kevin is a Dubliner and though his ancestors have been stonecutters for eight generations, he felt a strong pull toward acting. One of his recent roles was in the BBC television series, Copper, in which he played an Irish-born New York detective during the American Civil War. He’s recently filmed his first Hollywood film, The Guru & The Gypsy, which I am anxious to see.
Ryan O’Clery’s wife, Cathleen (better known as Cait) is feisty and sexy. She is one of the few who could stand up to Ryan when needed, but she is also his soul mate, one who he is convinced that he has loved in a previous life. Sometimes soft spoken and passive, she proves her mettle in The White Devil of Dublin by taking matters into her own hands to confront a killer. I would love to see Kendra Anderson play this role. She is beautiful and she’s a versatile and convincing actress. I hope to see her in many more roles in the future.
In the role of The White Devil of Dublin is an albino named Baldr, a Viking who is living in Ireland on the cusp of the Norman invasion. I see Clive Standen in that role, hands down. Though he was born in Northern Ireland, he grew up in England. He is currently playing the role of Bollo in the Vikings television series.
The White Devil is a complex figure, capable of recognizing and defending his soul mate even though they are of different worlds and backgrounds; of being a peacemaker and a cold-blooded killer; and of turning the misfortune of being born an albino into a legend that would stretch for centuries.
Olivia Wilde would be terrific as Maeve Kelly, the Irish maiden The White Devil falls in love with. Maeve is unafraid; she has spunk and shows independence yet she falls hard and fast for the Viking warrior. Olivia holds dual Irish-American citizenship; though she was born in New York City, her father was an Irish citizen. She studied acting in Dublin and has appeared in movies such as Cowboys & Aliens, In Time, People Like Us and The Words.
Please share your idea of the perfect soundtrack to ‘The White Devil of Dublin’ with us
The song that most depicts the star-crossed love affair between The White Devil of Dublin, the Viking named Baldr, and the Irish lass Maeve Kelly, is Here With Me by Dido. The song with the lyrics can be listened to here: http://youtu.be/g20Pr_fQyzg It’s a haunting song, especially set against the backdrop of Dublin in the 12th century on the cusp of the Norman invasion and a rebellion against the Vikings (known as Ostmen) by the Irish.
For both Maeve and Baldr as well as present-day Irish Detective Ryan O’Clery and his soul mate Cait, Paul McCartney’s song This Has Never Happened Before is perfect. The song and lyrics can be listened to here: http://youtu.be/1GtKOfg-nX4
Please share the playlist you listened to while writing ‘The White Devil of Dublin’ with us.
This is going to sound like a tribute to Alex Band, but I absolutely adore and admire his songs. He is perhaps best known for his song, Wherever You Will Go, which was the most popular love song from 2000-2010, especially after 9/11.
A songwriter with incredible depth, he wrote every song on his album, We’ve All Been There. The word on the street is that he wrote the songs after a painful breakup, and they take you on a musical journey of deciding to leave, going through the grief without the one you love, and finally emerging to find love again. (One of his official videos is here: http://youtu.be/MDDBNu6Tyz8 as he sings Tonight.)
The song I have listened to most often with the first Ryan O’Clery book, The Tempest Murders, as well as this sequel, The White Devil of Dublin, is Will Not Back Down. Ryan would crawl through hell to protect his lover, Cathleen, in The Tempest Murders - and again in The White Devil of Dublin. If the books were ever made into a movie, that would have to be the theme song.
I love listening to romantic music and the voices of the singers can make or break a song for me. I absolutely love the way that American Idol contestant (and runner-up) Jena Irene sings Creep. I would love to know the thought process behind the writing of the words, but the haunting way in which she sings it is what brings me back to it time and again. (http://youtu.be/LZnbsbuDPUQ)
REVIEW
This was a thrilling, suspenseful read that hooked its claws
into me from the first page.
Well-paced with an easy flow that kept the tension running
throughout, this book was heart wrenching and intense. I loved the switch from
past to present and how the stories were intermingled. With plenty of twists
and turns there was never a dull moment, as Ryan fought to find the serial
killer who had haunted his family’s life in the first book, and who seemed
intent on doing just the same in this story.
I was intrigued by how an age old feud made its way through
generation after generation, destroying lives. Delport was obviously crazed and
his sinister acts made for edge of your seat reading.
This book was a stunning thriller with strong characters and
an even stronger plot line. A stellar read.
About the Author
p.m.terrell is the award-winning, internationally acclaimed author of more than 20 books. The first book in the Ryan O’Clery Mysteries Series, The Tempest Murders, was a 2013 USA Best Book Awards Finalist and a 2014 International Book Awards Nominee. Vicki’s Key was both a 2012 USA Best Book Awards and 2012 International Book Awards Finalist. And River Passage was the winner of the 2010 Best Drama Award. The Pendulum Files is a 2014 Best Cover Design Nominee.
Prior to writing full-time, p.m.terrell founded and operated two computer companies in the Washington, DC area. Her specialties are computer crime and computer intelligence, and her clients included the CIA, Secret Service and Department of Defense. Computer technology plays a major role in many of her suspense/thrillers. She is the co-founder of The Book ‘Em Foundation and the founder of the annual Book ‘Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair. She is also the Vice President of the Robeson County Arts Council and is on the Board of Directors for the Friends of the Robeson County Public Library.
Social Media Links
Author’s website: www.pmterrell.com
Thank you for hosting me here today, and thank you for the review. I am very happy that you enjoyed The White Devil of Dublin. I'll be checking back later and answering any questions anyone might have for me.
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