Mist across the Pond: A triangle of intrigue, deceit and violence Kindle Edition

“Mists across the Pond” establishes a triangle of intrigue, deceit and abuse as the story encompasses Dublin, Liverpool and New York.Dublin 1941 Marianne McNamara loved the feel of the fresh sheets next to her skin. The nurses were so kind and the care and compassion they had shown brought tears to her eyes. Still, she couldn’t tell them who did this to her. If her father went to jail, then she and her siblings would be sent to an institution. She had been found by the roadside, drifting in and out of darkness, when a woman wrapped her in a coat; a coat that would change her life forever.Liverpool 1943 Four girls meet while working in the Roots factory making armaments. The girls become firm friends, sharing a run-down house near to the factory. There, they shared fun, laughter, tears and secrets. There was always the fear of being bombed by the Luftwaffe bombs, being so close to the Port, where the enemy was targeting ships that carried essential supplies. However, they were determined the war wasn’t going to take away their youth. When America joined the war, Liverpool suddenly came alive once more. There seemed to be GIs everywhere in their smart uniforms, offering gifts of chocolate and nylon stockings. This was also a time when backstreet abortionists were making money from desperate girls. For one girl however, the crude procedure scarred her both mentally and physically for life, as she watched her baby being thrown on the fire.Dublin 1945. When the war eventually came to an end, rumours were rife of babies being sold from Catholic mother and baby units to Americans couples who took them to the States. All that was needed was to be a Catholic and have the money for the ‘donation’. Certificates were forged and handed out, as young, naïve mothers were forced to sign their babies away. Some babies were lucky, others were not.In Dublin 1949 Molly’s McNamara’s baby, Alice, was born prematurely. She was different. She knew things before they happened. According to Peggy O’Connor, Molly’s closest friend, Alice had ‘the gift.’ Molly was frightened for her child. Frightened she may be taken away. Her husband Joseph had already named her the ‘Retard’.The 1960s was a time of live bands, discos, and short dresses. Angela Murray was thrilled to be going to her first party, a party which was to be her last. Not only was she almost raped but blamed for encouraging the guitarist. She was innocent, yet she was sent to an institution where she meets a girl who had been there all her life. Best friends, who were cruelly separated after being overheard discussing astral travelling. Joseph McNamara swears to god he is being haunted by the ghost of a girl. Friends laugh and blame the drink, but he knows what he sees. His wife has disappeared, leaving him to pursue girls, priding himself on his looks and charm. Why was he being haunted, and who was the girl that stood at the bottom of his bed dressed in a white gown? He begins to wonder if he is really drinking too much.New York 1970s. The girl’s mother let out another groan. She had been given stronger medication, but the effects of the drug weren’t as lasting now. The woman who lay in the hospital bed bore little resemblance to her once beautiful mother. Her frail body had shrunk into skin and bone, and her cheeks were hollow. When the final day came, the girl knew her life would never be the same again, but soon realised losing her mother was just the beginning of her heartache.Will the girl find what she’s looking for? Will the new man in her life fulfil his ambition to solve a murder at last, and will the girl he fell in love with be strong enough to handle all the secrets her mother took to her grave?Three different countries, yet people would come together through mystery, murder and family secrets. This is a powerful triangulation of life in New York, Dublin and Liverpool. Read more