Shadow Play By Ger Gallagher

[susanmay]

Having lost her beloved mother at a young age, Liz has always been protective of her younger sister Claire. And after her turbulent teenage years, she finally comes to terms with her father’s relationship with bossy Auntie Rita.

Now married to Richard, Liz finds herself abandoned in the emotional maelstrom of foreign adoption. The advertising agency, which she left a year ago, is trying to woo her back, as they have lost their biggest client in her absence. With the pressure of deciding whether to return to work and worries over Richards mounting apathy towards the adoption, Liz has some important decisions to make. Even best friend Lainey seems to be stalling with her adoption reference.

However, it is Claire’s recent bouts of hostile behaviour that awakens old concerns.

In order to understand the events that are unfolding, Liz must look into the distant shadows of her past to recognise the familiar patterns that are emerging.

But is it too late to stop history repeating itself?

This is another fantastic book by Ger Gallagher. I couldn't put it down. Call me crazy but I'm actually reading it again!

Claire, I'll pass this book on to you. I think your a converted Ger Gallagher fan now!

[Oonagh]

great i have this book I might take this on hols with me.

[Mary]

I've posted a review of Shadow Play on my website if anyone wants to take a look. I loved this book and gave it a five star review for the daily Mail on Sunday.
www.marymalone.ie/page7.html

[megan]

DON'T READ THIS POST IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK.

I finished this book today. It was a very enjoyable read with slow mounting tension. The characters of the two sisters were not straightforward and I enjoyed I trying to figure them out. The more complex the better - and they were! I love that.
I guessed from early on what Claire's condition was and then later who she was having the relationship with. ( a truly horrific scenario). And I was dying to find out why it had happened and how. Unfortunately in that regard I felt let down. Richard's relationship with Claire wasn't explained. We know why she was with him, but why was he with her??? We never got to hear his side of the story. Although he was very busy with his job his marriage with Liz seemed warm and supportive until at least half way through the book, but he must have already being having the affair with Claire by then. I would have liked the nitty gritty of their marriage to have been trawled through so I could understand his horrendous deception. (I mean to do it with your wife's sister is just the end!)
Also I would prefer if Jeff hadn't turned up at the end. It felt too quick for me. But I did love the idea of Liz adopting on her own, and I am delighted that Richard left Claire, but again I'd like to know WHY??? We never really got to know him.
The childhood flashbacks worked for me as I was fascinated by the relationship between the aunt and Liz's father. How awful to witness that as I a child!! And like someone else said,(maybe it was Mary in her review) it was interesting to find out how that angry teenager turned into a confident and successful business woman. The key: Bosca, the loving nun was completely believable and absolutely lovely. One loving person can make a huge difference in our lives.

All in all, a very interesting book.

[fionnuala]

Okay I haven't read the above post but I definitely like the sound of the book!! I've never read any of Ger gallagher's books but I think I'll start now!

[susanmay]

Hi Fionn

I think you should get one of Ger Gallagher's earlier books first before you read this.

It was a fantastic read but I don't think it is the best book of Ger's that I have read.



IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT DONT READ BELOW!!!!!

I agree with what you said Megan. I too would have loved to know more about Richard. It was pretty obvious all along that he wasn't faithful. For example the panic he got into when he left his phone behind before they boarded their flight to go on holiday. These are the things women notice as suspicious!!! What did you think of the Aunt and the Father? My heart went out to the Mother.

[katied]

I just got a copy of this from a lovely girl on bookmooch (check it out) and am really looking forward to reading it. I met Ger last year and if the book is as lovely as she was, it'll be great.

[susanmay]

Ger Gallagher is one of my favourite writers at the moment. She really has a wonderful imagination.

[claire]

Susan I just got this one in the post, thanks girl! Read a few pages over lunch and nearly forgot to bring the kids back to school. I'm pulled into it straight away

[claire]

finished this today. It was a fantastic read, had me tears in the end. I couldn't care less about Richard at all. I just did not want to get to know him at all in the book, he was just too cold for my liking and how Liz ended up with him in the first place I will never know. I was in tears by the time I got to the finish, I loved the way it ended.
I loved the whole lay out too of the book thought it was interesting that there were no chapters but a 'now' and 'then' heading. the flashbacks were really something and shocking how the father treated the mother. it was all clearly explained to me anyway in the end how somethings happened although it is not right what happened in that house. I enjoyed this one as much as her others, and yes Susan, I am now a true fan of hers!

[susanmay]

Glad you enjoyed it Claire.

I keep thinking of the Mother and what she put up with. The Aunt was something else.

[megan]

I know - such a cow! But things like that really do happen. I found that story very believable while at the same time being incredible (if you know what i mean) - brilliantly done.

[Shirley]

Wow, this lady sounds impressive - must try to read some of her stuff!

[claire]

You should, first comes Broken Passions a love story set in 1920's Dublin after the rising. The second one is A Life Left Untold, story of three women, grandmother, mother and daughter, a wonderful unputdownable tale, and very believable. And her third one is Shadow Play, again a true page turner that you will just want to keep reading

[Oonagh]

Ill pass on shadow play to ya shirley at the readers day.
Right

Dont read below if u have not read it.

I agree megan with ya it appeared they were having a good relationship liz and richard. I guessed the way the story was going too. Jeff kinda came out of no where towards the end. gotta go my time is up in the internet cafe

[Shirley]

Aw thanks Oons, that's great!

[Oonagh]

no probs

[Shirley]

DON'T READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ SHADOWPLAY!!










I've just finished this book, and it made me so frustrated! The blurb completely gave away the entire plot - history repeating itself etc. - it was so glaringly obvious from the very, very start that Claire was having an affair with Richard (i.e. history repeating itself - a love triangle like that of the parents and Rita) and the minute she got sick, it had to be a pregnancy, given that Liz couldn't have children - it all just seemed too easy to work out. I read the whole book thinking that surely there must be some other twist - why would the back of a book make what was going to happen so obvious unless there was some other explanation for it? But no, it was what it was. This whole thing overshadowed the entire book for me. It was a shame because the writing flowed so well, and I loved the Then and Now sequence of events. As for Liz ending up with Jeff - God almighty, that nearly had me hurling the book across the room - it seemed like a token happy ending when the fact that she adopted the baby on her own was enough of a happy ending.

[Oonagh]

so true shirley

[megan]

Ah that's a real shame Shirley. I hate when trailers do that for films aswell - You see the whole story before you even sit down to watch the film, and by then what is the point? Lucky for me I didn't twig about the blurb at the back.
And I felt the same way about Jeff being wheeled on at the end of the book. I HATE when authors feel they have to do that (or are perhaps told to). I think a believable happy ending must be very difficult to write - a reader can tell if the ending is 'meant to be' or shoved in as a formulaic ending. I give out about this a lot in books but find myself hugely tempted as a writer to do a happy ending too. I guess we want it for our characters. What I keep telling myself to do though, is to find a resolution at the end rather than everything turning out perfectly with the cherry on the cake. I like that about Cecilia Ahern's books - she doesn't slap on a convenient happy ending - that makes me trust her more as an author.

[fionnuala]

I tried to get into this book but so far haven't had much success so I decided to leave it for a while and then go back to it! Will let you know what I think after this!

[susanmay]

I was the same Fionn and then I went back to it. Totally agree with you Shirley. I had the ending well sussed!