A.R.R - The O'Leary Enigma by Bob Purcell

The O'Leary Enigma by Bob Purssell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Blurb From Goodreads

Secrets pervade Navy Lt. Barbara O'Leary's life. Who is her biological father? What caused her beautiful and troubled birth mother's death? How did Barbara help her mentor outmaneuver a corporate rival? Why did she accept the assignment to Chad and that dangerous journey through a civil war?These personal and professional secrets, buried throughout her life, collide as Barbara moves between her quests for personal fulfillment and success in her professional career. Powerful psychological forces are difficult to keep in check, and they threaten to ruin what she wants to accomplish. In her personal life-the one her superiors must not learn of-Barbara continually battles her secret urges. Accomplished, gutsy, and intelligent, she is drawn into an ever-widening vortex of secrets that culminates in a secret mission executed during a civil war in Chad. It tests not only the young officer's cunning, but her raw courage. In her war between undercover triumphs and under-the-covers transgressions, Barbara must step gingerly to save her career, her reputation, and possibly her life.

My Review

Well I thought this was going to be about O'Leary's career in later life and all the war side of it, however it was totally different. The story starts with papers handed over with a legal side to it that to be honest I got quite lost in. Howeve as the story went on we are introduced to Barbara's life and start at a very young and innocent age to adult hood. The family dynamics, teenage years, sexuality, spirituality and eventually her adult working life.

I think the book is aptly titled "enigma" as it totally is. One minute we are following a young girl who is having problems dealing with how she looks and her sexual maturity and needs, to a strong minded woman in the prime of her career caught up in politics and a war.

I enjoyed the relationship side of the book with her parents and trying to come to terms with her biological background and the secret(s) that surrounded it but personally felt we could have had much more detail and exploration there. There is a lot of underlying issues in this book I felt with the emotional struggling through teenage years (which YA readers may identify with) and on a deeper level how her relationship with her mother changes as she does.

The latter part of the story deals with her career and some of it is quite graphic but by then I was more interested in her personal development and couldn't quite get on with this side of the story however I am sure some people will be delighted with the change in pace of the story. Overall 3/5 for me.

I would like to thank the author for the opportunity to review their work.

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