Part of Irish Country, book 2
First published 2008
Barry Laverty has just started working as an assistant to the eccentric Dr. Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly in the Northern Ireland village of Ballybucklebo. The young doctor feels at home in this colorful community until disaster strikes. A patient dies suddenly under Barry's care, and the grieving widow threatens to sue him. The village gossips begin to whisper, and Barry's future in Ballybucklebo hangs in the balance. He waits anxiously for postmortem results that might clear his name while working to rebuild trust one patient at a time. Barry treats a shop girl with a strange rash and helps a pregnant young woman who faces scandal. Meanwhile, a greedy developer wants to buy the village pub, the Black Swan, and turn it into an expensive tourist attraction. Barry and Dr. O'Reilly must save the beloved gathering place locals call the Mucky Duck. The story follows Barry as he learns that being a country doctor means more than treating illness. He must become part of the community's fabric.
Genres: fiction, medical, mystery, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Ballybucklebo, Northern Ireland
Period: 20th-century
432 pages · Hardcover · Forge Books