An Irish Country Village    by Patrick Taylor Order:  USA  Can Forge, 2009 (2009) Hardcover, Softcover, CD Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Unfortunately, I missed the first of the wonderful Irish series by Patrick Taylor, An Irish Country Doctor. Fortunately, I haven't missed the second, An Irish Country Village. If you are in need of a feel-good story, this is the book to open. Once open, it's hard to put down. I became enveloped by Ballybucklebo, a small village in Northern Ireland, fell in love with its residents, and the whole idea of living their lives for a short while. Young doctor Barry Laverty has come to Ballybucklebo to act as assistant to Dr. Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly. Laverty has begun to settle into the village, feeling he has found his place in the world. To his dismay, one of his patients dies and the village is inclined to blame him for the death. He has his share of what could be considered normal physical complaints from his patients. A mysterious rash, a troubled pregnancy, as well as myriad other problems. But the unexpected death plagues him and he seems to feel as though his career just went up in smoke. A developer has set his eyes on a local watering hole - the Black Swan (called the Mucky Duck by its patrons) - to turn into a resort. But where will the locals congregate to toast each other's health? To stop the developer will entail a long drawn out fight that they would probably lose. Patrick Taylor, M.D. certainly has a way with words. His tale rolls off his keyboard as though it were his own life story. Perhaps it is. Whether that's the case or not, this book is too delicious to miss. And the very good news is that there are already two more in this series. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Contemporary books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews