Autumn 1940. Germany invades Britain. Newport is blitzed. Danny O’Shea’s house is bombed, his wife is killed. While taking his young son Adam to neutral Ireland, they witness an attack on a German convoy. The result is brutal.
Autumn 1940. German forces are massed along the French coast, poised to invade mainland Britain. When they do, it is swift and brutal. Newport is blitzed. Irishman Danny O’Shea’s house is bombed and his wife is killed. Horrified by what he witnesses, O'Shea decides to take his young son Adam to the safety of neutral Ireland. Penniless and desperate, they head for Fishguard. But on an isolated Welsh road, they witness an attack on a German convoy by Welsh insurgents. The convoy is carrying mysterious boxes discovered by the Germans in a secret laboratory near Brecon. O’Shea and Adam are detained by the insurgents on a remote farm. Meanwhile, German Captain Eric Weiss, responsible for the boxes' safe transfer to Berlin, knows that his job - even his life - depends on him getting them back. But the insurgents fall out and the boxes disappear. Then O’Shea goes to the aid of a dying woman - and both the Germans and the insurgents believe she’s told him where the boxes are hidden. Suddenly, O’Shea is separated from his son and catapulted into a world of betrayal and brutal double-cross. Pursued by both the Germans and the insurgents, his only concern is to find Adam and get him to safety.
Excerpt
A motorcycle roared into the street and they both jumped. The shiny black sidecar with German insignia lifted off the ground as the driver did a tight turn before sliding to a stop in a shower of dirt.
Everyone in the street turned to look at it. The men fighting the fire stopped in mid swing. And one or two lowered their buckets on the ground. Some women grabbed their children. Others shot back into their houses and slammed the doors.
In less than half a minute the only sound in the street was the purr of the motorcycle.
The soldier in the sidecar took off his goggles and his eyes narrowed against the watery sun. He looked startled by the sea of faces staring back at him. There was a map open on his lap. He glanced down at it then looked up again. The driver sat perfectly still. They both seemed very young. And very nervous.
‘Stupid bastard’s got himself lost.’ Mr Evans came out of the door and squeezed past O’Shea onto the pavement.
Nothing moved and the tension crackled in the stillness. The soldiers were getting increasingly anxious at the way everyone just stood gaping at them as if waiting for something to happen.
The man in the sidecar muttered to the driver and they both looked down at the map.
Then someone dropped a bucket and the sudden crash made the soldiers jump. The driver gave a strange squeal and revved the engine, making it roar like an angry bear. Then the motorcycle shot forward and tore off down Henry Street scattering everyone in its path.
They didn’t know Henry Street was a dead end. When they reached the bottom of the road they skidded to a halt. Obviously flustered now, the driver took a wide swing as he tried to turn around. But he misjudged the width of the street, bounced up onto the pavement and pinned the sidecar against the wall. And he got a flurry of abuse from the man in the sidecar.
The driver tried to move the bike backwards and in his panic he stalled the engine. Ripples of laughter from the watching crowd threw them into even more of a flap and their embarrassment was quickly turning into irritation.
It took three attempts to restart the engine. Then they roared back up the street. Everyone scattered again, running in all directions to get out of the way.
Little Elsie Taylor couldn’t run fast enough. The sidecar caught the back of her legs and threw her up in the air.
Professional Reviews Texas 5.0 out of 5 stars Another good story by a good author. Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 201
Dark September – I loved this well written story but could not stomach the main character. Such a whiner, he expected everyone to help him but he did not lift a finger to help another, including children. Not a smart man but a loving father and husband who had abandoned his mother and sisters after he promised to support them.
Anyway, the storylines are interesting, so much that although I disliked Danny more and more as the pages flew by, I could not put the well edited book down. The characters run the gamut from OK to not very nice to wacky. Yep, quite a few were certainly sideswiped by a mule if not kicked straight on. The pace is continuous, and although not real history but an alternative twist, I found it intriguing and filled with drama and suspense, along with plenty of figuring on my part of what would happen next. Besides wanting to cuff Danny continuously, his mistakes and lack of grey matter created a hard to put down read.
I was lucky enough to read this story in paperback; what a pleasure. The pages were thick enough where you didn't see the print on the other side; the book is a comfortable size for holding; and the serif font was large enough for most people. I contacted the author to review his work. 5
Keith 5.0 out of 5 stars A highly entertaining read Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2015
In an alternative history where German invades Britain, Dark September by author Brendan Gerad O'Brien, tells the tale of a father as he tries to protect his son during world war two. Brendan's début novel reveals him to be fully conversant with all aspects of war as its the authentic tone that had me hooked. A highly entertaining read, full of tension and well drawn characters, as the reader will experience what the characters feel through their love, their loss and their fear. One final note - its very violent in parts, but I suppose that's war!
Mrs Debbie Lane 5.0 out of 5 stars A gripping, powerful and well written story Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 6, 2014 Verified Purchase
This book contains a unique feel that Brendan achieves through his detailed writing and knowledge. He has created characters that flow amazingly well with the story. Being a welsh girl myself I found myself transported to my grandmother's kitchen and reliving the strong welsh accent that I love so much.
Brendan has managed to pack lots of tragic and interesting events into a quick, fast paced read without ever making the reader feel lost or rushed in any way.
The writing is superb and the pace is breath-taking, but there should be a warning about the violence. It was sudden and disturbing. And as for the naughty bits … well!
Anyway, despite all that I’m still giving it top stars.
This is one author that I will definitely be keeping an eye on.
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