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The O'Deirg Legacy #1
The Red Gate
An unexplained drowning...a muddy fall. A chain of unexpected events, a discovery and an ancient secret threaten the future. The story begins with a rainy funeral in Dublin in 1912. It tells how a very traditional, Western Irish sheep raising family learn of a secret holding them to their land and to an ancient promise. In the process of unexpected discovery they must put aside personal insecurities and failings and open up their lives to defend themselves. A devious plan hatched by a greedy academic attempts to reveal their secret to the world for his own gain. This they must prevent at all cost. Their good humored manner of removing obstacles, both figurative and solid, reminds the reader that not all sources of strength are apparent. Despite loss and fear, they learn that help can come from sources seen and unseen, as they discover their place in the greater world. Listed as an Awesome Indie title, and recipient of the 2013 Book Reader's Appreciation Medallion. Be sure to follow the O'Deirg family's adventures in The Gatekeepers, the sequel, published 2010
417 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
2 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Richard Sutton
9Ìýbooks117ÌýfollowersFrom San Rafael, California on a windy January in 1952, it's been a wild ride. My folks never settled down until long after I'd moved to a cabin I built on a commune in Oregon, but I couldn't sit still -- the wanderlust was in my blood. I hitchhiked to New York City in 1973. There I met my wife on Canal Street and finally found a home.
I learned my craft post-college, spending 20-plus years in the trenches of NYC advertising and publicity as a graphic designer, marker-pen-jockey, art director and copy writer. I served the needs of a wide range of clients from corporate multinationals to non-profits and small retail businesses. I now limit my design and marketing work to book covers and collateral marketing for authors.
Our other family business, since 1985 has been trading and retail in the authentic American Indian arts, primarily Southwestern cultures. Indigenous cultures world wide, have an amazing resilience. We could learn some lessons from them. Much of my work deals with intolerance, diversity and the clash of cultures.
I've worn lots of different hats and hung them all over the place. Finally, I have the chance to concentrate on what I really love about being alive; to read and write what I like, when I like; and to listen to and make the kind of music that gives me peace.
I learned my craft post-college, spending 20-plus years in the trenches of NYC advertising and publicity as a graphic designer, marker-pen-jockey, art director and copy writer. I served the needs of a wide range of clients from corporate multinationals to non-profits and small retail businesses. I now limit my design and marketing work to book covers and collateral marketing for authors.
Our other family business, since 1985 has been trading and retail in the authentic American Indian arts, primarily Southwestern cultures. Indigenous cultures world wide, have an amazing resilience. We could learn some lessons from them. Much of my work deals with intolerance, diversity and the clash of cultures.
I've worn lots of different hats and hung them all over the place. Finally, I have the chance to concentrate on what I really love about being alive; to read and write what I like, when I like; and to listen to and make the kind of music that gives me peace.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 28, 2011
The Red Gate scores top marks with this reader. It does have its own voice, mature but not patronising, quietly confident and distinct. There's intrigue, & darkness, too, in the plot and the characters develop into fully rounded beings as the story progresses. One of the many outstanding virtues of this work is the descriptive power with which the atmosphere of the key scenes is imbued, especially those relating to the wildness of the Mayo landscape. There is no razzmatazz here; just a competent artisan at work. Having known a couple of academics in my time I know the author has 'bottled' the essence of that walk of life and decants it in just the right measure. Highly recommended, as a sensitive, enduring and engrossing novel. Robert Davidson. The Tuzla Run
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October 22, 2020Author's Note:
I've recently re-released this novel (2/2012) with the editing oversights corrected. It should read much better now. If you paid for your copy, and were unable to finish, please contact me for a free replacement copy. It all happened as a result of not renaming the edited filename, which was published inadvertently. Still, it's no excuse. Thanks everyone for your patience. More information on my blogsite:
The Red Gate was just honored by the Book Readers Appreciation Group, with a
I've recently re-released this novel (2/2012) with the editing oversights corrected. It should read much better now. If you paid for your copy, and were unable to finish, please contact me for a free replacement copy. It all happened as a result of not renaming the edited filename, which was published inadvertently. Still, it's no excuse. Thanks everyone for your patience. More information on my blogsite:
The Red Gate was just honored by the Book Readers Appreciation Group, with a
June 4, 2011
An Irish shepherd, early in the twentieth century, narrowly avoids a muddy death, and escapes with an ancient relic. A good luck charm? Not much. The academic world casts an acquisitive eye on the site, and isn’t too particular how they get it.
Amidst haunting, evocative descriptions of the Irish countryside, Sutton presents the Irish country folk with a remarkable dignity of character. They’re simple in their lifestyle, but they’re definitely no fools. And he contrasts these with villains you’ll love to hate. The outcome is intriguing and mysterious, with a uniquely Irish touch of the paranormal.
Amidst haunting, evocative descriptions of the Irish countryside, Sutton presents the Irish country folk with a remarkable dignity of character. They’re simple in their lifestyle, but they’re definitely no fools. And he contrasts these with villains you’ll love to hate. The outcome is intriguing and mysterious, with a uniquely Irish touch of the paranormal.
October 18, 2011
I'm afraid I did have some editing issues with this book, but nothing can alter the fact that this was an excellently conceived story set in the early 1900s in the harsh Irish wilderness.
A young, honest, hardworking farmer's son, Finn, finds a little more than a fistful of mud when he slips and falls during inclement weather whilst tending his sheep � a curious little bead with strange markings. An encounter with a prominent professor of archaeology during a dig in a nearby town triggers a chain of events which entails ruthless greed and ambition, deceit and murder. This little bead, it seems, is the key to a much greater and significant ancestral history buried beneath the land owned by Finn and his father. Unscrupulous characters seeking fame and fortune underestimate the intelligence and quick-wittedness of those they perceive as simple, illiterate farmers. Greed has its price.
This book was for the most part well-written: you could feel the hardship and simplicity of the farmers' lives, but the acceptance of their lot was almost endearing, no words of complaint ever left their lips; there was a smile-raising cosiness about the warmth of the family and their support of each other; the growing relationship of Finn and the innkeeper's daughter who was teaching him to read was heart-warming; the pompous professor's and his devious assistants' villainous intents were well crafted. Clearly, a tremendous amount of background research of Irish heritage was carried out and it was well integrated into the plot of this book.
The author has an engaging style, and very deftly brought to life the essence of Ireland � the rugged countryside was almost tangible, the use of Irish dialect was charming (though not always clear!) and I swear I could hear the strains of a merry little Irish jig in the background! The plot is original and compelling.
Although I can recommend this book, I do hope that it is put through a stringent editorial mill for the next reader(s).
This review was originally written for The TBR Pile
A young, honest, hardworking farmer's son, Finn, finds a little more than a fistful of mud when he slips and falls during inclement weather whilst tending his sheep � a curious little bead with strange markings. An encounter with a prominent professor of archaeology during a dig in a nearby town triggers a chain of events which entails ruthless greed and ambition, deceit and murder. This little bead, it seems, is the key to a much greater and significant ancestral history buried beneath the land owned by Finn and his father. Unscrupulous characters seeking fame and fortune underestimate the intelligence and quick-wittedness of those they perceive as simple, illiterate farmers. Greed has its price.
This book was for the most part well-written: you could feel the hardship and simplicity of the farmers' lives, but the acceptance of their lot was almost endearing, no words of complaint ever left their lips; there was a smile-raising cosiness about the warmth of the family and their support of each other; the growing relationship of Finn and the innkeeper's daughter who was teaching him to read was heart-warming; the pompous professor's and his devious assistants' villainous intents were well crafted. Clearly, a tremendous amount of background research of Irish heritage was carried out and it was well integrated into the plot of this book.
The author has an engaging style, and very deftly brought to life the essence of Ireland � the rugged countryside was almost tangible, the use of Irish dialect was charming (though not always clear!) and I swear I could hear the strains of a merry little Irish jig in the background! The plot is original and compelling.
Although I can recommend this book, I do hope that it is put through a stringent editorial mill for the next reader(s).
This review was originally written for The TBR Pile
April 18, 2012
The Red Gate begins with the body of a man being discovered. It then goes back in time a bit and starts to follow a simple Irish family. When a sinkhole appears in one of the pastures Finn is almost sucked in. He manages to survive long enough for his father to come find him and take him home. Upon arrival Finn discovers a strange bead that must have been from the mud around the hole.
When Finn and his father make their normal trip to town to stock up on supplies they find out an archaeologist is around looking at some stone pillars. They show him the bead and he is so amazed by it he pockets it, telling Finn it's worthless. What follows is mystery and intrigue as the professor tries to use the bead to further his own ambitions and Finn and his father excavate the hole to find a very strange chamber.
This is a great book for fans of historical fiction, but I found that parts of it drug a bit for me. The characters are pretty well done though, I really liked Finn and seriously disliked the professor who was trying to take advantage of him. I will say however that the end really picked up, there is a bit of mystery revealed and I'm very curious to see where the rest of the series ends up.
Review copy provided by the author.
When Finn and his father make their normal trip to town to stock up on supplies they find out an archaeologist is around looking at some stone pillars. They show him the bead and he is so amazed by it he pockets it, telling Finn it's worthless. What follows is mystery and intrigue as the professor tries to use the bead to further his own ambitions and Finn and his father excavate the hole to find a very strange chamber.
This is a great book for fans of historical fiction, but I found that parts of it drug a bit for me. The characters are pretty well done though, I really liked Finn and seriously disliked the professor who was trying to take advantage of him. I will say however that the end really picked up, there is a bit of mystery revealed and I'm very curious to see where the rest of the series ends up.
Review copy provided by the author.
October 18, 2011
All that was good about this book was shattered by the countless errors: bad punctuation lack of commas, full-stops), inadvertent and inconsistent use of capitals, poor dialogue punctuation (missing quotation marks), the ubiquitous its instead of it's, lack of attention to continuity, POV and so many more. I will always finish a book, no matter how bad it is. This wasn’t a bad book, but the jarring poor quality of editing nearly presented me with a first. I'm angry and frustrated. I so want to be able to give this book more stars, but it was let down in a big, big way by presentation. I almost thought I was reading a draft copy. This edition was clearly one that the author had put the final word to and decided that no read-through or edit was required. Harsh words, but poorly edited work is not well-received or tolerated, certainly not by this reviewer!
This book deserves to do well: the author has an engaging style, the essence of Ireland is very evident, the plot is original and compelling; but until it has been through a much more detailed editorial process, success will elude it.
August 5, 2011
For those interested in family background searches and discoveries, especially of the Irish variety, The Red Gate would certainly be quite an enjoyable piece of reading. Obviously the result of much extensive and sincere research, the author’s literary effort is both passionate and intelligent with a writing style that flows with the lilting accent of its characters. The repeated habit of missed punctuation throughout was unfortunate, but for me it didn’t take away too much from the story itself.
Although I am not Irish and have no relatives that I know of, I have visited the Emerald Isle before and have a number of friends there, and reading this book made me smile thinking of their voices, their tales and unique personalities. A very special quality with which the author was able to embue his work. “The Red Gate� is great example of how family history can be made interesting and accessible to the newer generations.
Although I am not Irish and have no relatives that I know of, I have visited the Emerald Isle before and have a number of friends there, and reading this book made me smile thinking of their voices, their tales and unique personalities. A very special quality with which the author was able to embue his work. “The Red Gate� is great example of how family history can be made interesting and accessible to the newer generations.
June 5, 2011
A beautifully written historical fantasy set in the early years of the 20th century.
I think I love the writing in this book even more than the story. It's lyrical and descriptive and that alone made this book a joy to read. That being said: I also loved the story. It's intriguing and suspenseful with very likeable as well as despicable characters. The viewpoint switches from time to time to give you an overall picture of events and I felt myself fuming when seeing things from the viewpoint of one of the characters I didn't like. All in all Sutton managed to get me totally engrossed in the life of the O'Deirg family (especially Finn, my favourite character) and although the book luckily doesn't have a cliffhanger ending, I'm curious what's next for the O'Deirg family and their sheep.
I think I love the writing in this book even more than the story. It's lyrical and descriptive and that alone made this book a joy to read. That being said: I also loved the story. It's intriguing and suspenseful with very likeable as well as despicable characters. The viewpoint switches from time to time to give you an overall picture of events and I felt myself fuming when seeing things from the viewpoint of one of the characters I didn't like. All in all Sutton managed to get me totally engrossed in the life of the O'Deirg family (especially Finn, my favourite character) and although the book luckily doesn't have a cliffhanger ending, I'm curious what's next for the O'Deirg family and their sheep.
August 25, 2015
Both the Red gate and The Gatekeepers are well written books. They easily evoke the era in which the stories are set. An Ireland struggling to emerge from British colonial rule. A simple family of farmers find themselves the guardians of an ancient secret and it is their destiny to keeep it safe until it can be revealed. The stories tell of how they manage to safeguard their livilihoods and guard their secret legacy during the turbulent polical times and against unscrupalous schemers. The characters are engaging and well rounded. The stories themselves are good, but I was disappointed that there wasn't more magic or fantasy in them. As this is a series, i expect that there is more magic to come in future books.
August 22, 2021
Awesome Indies Book Awards is pleased to include THE RED GATE (The O'Deirg Legacy #1) by RICHARD SUTTON in the library of Awesome Indies'
Badge of Approval
recipients.
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