House of Eire- A Hillary Broome Novel by June Gillam

“Teddy-Heart2005” – Will this password be able to break the code of Bridget’s computer or is it going to dig hard into the ancestral history of Hillary’s past? June Gillam in her House of Eire has set her stage for multiple themes – search for identity, love, loss, betrayal, supernatural, murder, and mystery.

Fabricated into three chapters, “House of Eire” is another book featured in the “Hillary Broome Series” written by June Gillam. The story is told from the point of view of Hillary, who is a ghostwriter as well as a reporter. The plot opens with a cool, loving family ambience with Hillary, her husband Ed, and their child Claire. Hillary’s life is continuously haunted by her past – the sudden departure of her mother, leaving no reason to speculate. She cannot accept it. The tragedy tears her apart even in her sleep.  Sarah is another family member who is a kind old woman whom Hillary loves as her mother. The plan of a late honeymoon takes the whole family from California to Ireland. Hillary, who waited for years to reach her homeland, to know the past and to know the truth, becomes very excited at this shift in her life. She needs to get rid of those illusory nightmares and face reality.

“One day she would dig for the courage to go find her mother. Confront her and put to rest the nightmares.” (Page 15)

The plot seamlessly glides through Hillary’s search for her ancestral root, and the dark history behind the tapestry of apparently innocent ‘Dermot Project’ where Bridget, Hillary’s friend becomes a controversial figure. Bridget discovers ‘the shady side’ of Dermot’s Project and the real scheme. So, Bridget has to die.

What will Hillary do to crack the mystery of Bridget’s murder? Who is on the list of suspicion? Who is that fortune teller? Why does Sarah die just after she was foretold about the death? Will Hillary be able to rescue the documents from Bridget’s computer? Why is Bridget’s computer dead after Seamus tries to copy the documents? Will it be wise for Hillary to believe Seamus?  What game is Seamus going to play with little, innocent Claire? Why?

Alvina’s Verdict:

I can feel your goosebumps, as the level of curiosity is ready to burst. Wait. June Gillam’s House of Eire is here to satiate your trust.

So many intrigues are here in this novel and of course, you are not going to miss any of them. Every part of this book starts with the lines of W.B. Yeats’ “The Second Coming”. It connotes some evil. And in every part, the lines of “The Second Coming” echo the tone of the plot. It adds a new intensity to the author’s creative journey.

The plot is Hillary-centric. Ed has very little to do here except helping and supporting Hillary. This book will fascinate readers who like to indulge in family drama packed with murder mysteries. I thoroughly enjoyed the book except for some factors. Ed’s character has no such exposure except being a kind companion to Hillary. What happens to Seamus remains in mystery. Again, sometimes the plot seems overwhelming with so many layers. But ignoring these minor factors it is a wonderful journey for me. There are minor editorial glitches that one can easily ignore. I rate the book 5 out of 5. The author has blended all the themes perfectly within two cover pages. The novel is like an action movie, always filled with suspense, new information, and hidden truths unfurling.