Review: Fin Rising

• Fin Rising
• Written by Paul W. Newman
• Published by Really Blue Books on May 20, 2013
• 253 pages; Literary Fiction
• Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Finn Rising is a romantic mystery and black comedy set in Ireland. Fin McGrath loves and fishes in equal measure, and when the twists of the present cause the questions of the past to arise suddenly, he begins to wonder where the truth lies. Will the dark twists of the past be finally revealed? Will Fin have everything or nothing? Will love be reborn or lost again, this time, forever?

This book is all about second chances. The question is who is entitled to get that second chance. There are so many ghosts, as well, that may prevent those second chances from being earned. Finally it is up to Lord Henry Comerford to decide each character’s happily ever after.

During his life, Lord Henry Comerford made some very questionable decisions regarding his life and his family. He is alone; accept for when each year his children and friends gather for a dinner. This particular dinner changes everything. In the beginning, I found that Lord Henry was a pleasant, old school Earl. However, as the story unfolds, he is not so pleasant, especially to his wife and children.

Fin is the family favorite. He has lived the majority of his life on the estate near the lake that he loves. However, due to the death of his mother many years before, he can’t truly be happy there. Also, with a love lost, he needs to find his own path outside of Ireland. Fin represents all that is good and he is opposite of Lord Henry’s son, Roger. Fin and Roger, as children, were like brothers. However, when Lord Henry favors Fin, Roger turns away from both Fin and his father.

Besides his quarrel with Roger, Fin, also, have his nemesis in the lake. A rainbow trout named the King is forever taunting him. It is man versus nature. Eventually, they come face to face and it is a thrilling moment in the book. Roger, likewise, faces the lake and finds a little bit of his childhood that he thought was lost. I always find it remarkable how nature can bring goodness back into someone’s soul.

There is another character that was lost in the beginning but later is found. Lorelei really finds herself when she comes home. So many things are revealed to her that could have crumbled but she didn’t. She embraced those revelations and is able to move forward in her life. By the end of the story she is a completely different person. Maybe she became the Lorelei of old. At the end, I liked her quite a bit.

In my opinion, Fin Rising would make a wonderful independent film. I love the quirky Irish movies. They have so much charm and humor. Fin Rising could very easily become one of those.

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