Princess Jennifer is rescued from kidnappers by the World's Most Wanted Man.
Tiara is a unique novel on Northern Ireland based on the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. It takes a dark turn into the shadowy world of terrorism that brings us right alongside modern day headlines. Its politics, its characters and its storyline are controversial and intriguing, turning this into a first-rate page-turner.
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Princess Jennifer is a widowed member of British royalty who pursues a vision quest in attending the negotiations at Stormont leading to the GFA in NI of 1998. She becomes a fantasy object to Berlin Mansfield, a terrorist who finagles his way into the peace talks to meet the Princess. Unknown to both of them, she is also the target of the Ulster Defense Association, a loyalist gang intent on holding her hostage to stop the negotiations. She is kidnapped by the UDA, and Mansfield offers his services to the rival IRA to try and rescue the Princess. CIA agents Jon Stevens and Slash Scimitar are in NI on a mission and end up helping the British track down both Mansfield and the kidnappers.
Professional Reviews
A great action thriller and a very unusual love story
There are not many books that can get behind the personalities, involved in the tragic conflict of Northern Ireland, and portray them in all their gruesome corruption. This novel is one that undoubtedly does. The various terror organisations, which operated in that sad country, are shown to us in all their murderous madness.
The heroine of the story is Princess Jennifer, (a fictionalised young beautiful British Royal), who tries to bring peace to this very troubled part of her country. Things don't go too well and she ends up being kidnapped. The action mainly revolves around the various attempts to find and rescue her, as well as all the political manoeuvrings, as the various political and terrorist factions try to make capital from the situation. There is also a love story. I won't give anything away by revealing the details. Suffice it to say, that must be one of the most original and startling love stories ever to appear in a book.
Lovers of action will find plenty of it in this book. The many fights scenes and gruesome assassinations should satisfy the connoisseurs of extreme violence. This is not to say, that anything is simply gratuitous. A story about terrorism would not be authentic without descriptions of blood and mayhem.
As a final few words, can I say author of this book shows a very real knowledge of the situation, as it was in Northern Ireland before the peace agreements. He also displays a real insight into the minds and motivations of terrorists. This book really deserves five stars I am giving it.
Love it!
First off, I don't give stars away easily. Secondly, this is usually not the type of books I read.
Finally (indulge me), it is a standalone book that is complete but at the same time, I really really hope that a sequel follows that continues into the intrigue, political betrayals and most of all love conflicts that this book has ignited, finding a way to overcome the obstacles between the main characters.
*Spoiler Alert*
Having said that, when I began the book, I had to adjust myself to give it a fair and unbiased shot and I'm sooooo glad I did. It begins with the story of Princess Jennifer, a noble, kind soul who becomes a widow (frankly, considering the man her husband was, she's so much better off) whose gentle but firm spirit and honest intentions lead her into making decisions that all others fear to make for the sake of her country. However, these bring about enemies who are just fine with the underlying chaos that the country faces, and opts (recklessly) to abduct the princess.
When Berlin Mansfield's character is introduced, (who's strength, character, hard heart but soft tone for the Princess he has never met), one's interest is kicked up several notches and your interest is permanently captured.
It is a story packed with action, thrills and well developed characters that draw you in (assassins, MI6, CIA etc), and the main story is laced with forbidden love between the princess and the second most wanted man after Osama Bin Laden,(in literal terms, good and evil fall in love). It is well integrated to provide an enjoyable reading experience for sexes, without it being all action or all romance but a perfect mixture of the two.
I'm not going to reveal anymore spoilers but its definitely a refreshing read from the various books out there whose plots have become so monotonous and similar.
You know there are some books you read and at the end, you feel like it was a waste of time? This is DEFINITELY not one of them. Enjoy!
Audacious political thriller
My partner was born in Belfast and remembers waking at night, as a frightened small boy, to the sounds of explosions and gunfire, before his family emigrated to Australia. But even if it weren’t for this personal connection, I, like so many others around the world, looked to the 1998 Good Friday agreement at Stormont as the best chance in decades to bring an end to sectarian violence.
‘Tiara’ is a dramatic, fictional account of events that might have destroyed the peace process for yet more decades, based on an audacious premise. What if there was a ‘Princess of Edinburgh’, a member of the British royal family dedicated to bringing peace, and what if she was kidnapped at the eleventh hour? What if an international mercenary, nicknamed ‘The Golden Terror’ was offered a large sum to kill her and he refused, devoting himself, instead, to finding and rescuing her?
The backbone of Dizon’s novel is the hunt for the captured princess, while both sides of the political divide – the IRA and the UDA - fight amongst themselves, and the small group of militants responsible for the kidnapping move from one hideout to another. MI6 and the CIA are also heavily involved. The action is fast-paced and furious, and I recommend ‘Tiara’ to all readers who enjoy thrillers, in particular those with a strong political connection.
A sub-plot of the story revolves around ‘A Place to Pray’, originally conceived as part of a cover plan, but growing into its own as a community plea for peace.
