Gallowglass Author:Barbara Vine In ancient times, the gallowglass stood poised at the right hand of a Celtic chieftain. It was this warrior's duty to lunge in front of an axe or spear, to taste food and drink, to sacrifice his life, if required, to protect his chieftain. — In and out of the hospital for depression, Joe is about to throw himself in front of a commuter train ... more »when he is pulled away from the tracks by Sandor, a total stranger. Joe dedicates his life to Sandor's service and to Sandor's obsession: kidnapping a wealthy well-protected women for ransom.
When his wife leaves him, Paul Garnet gives up teaching inner-city teenagers and moves with his daughter to Jareds, an estate where he takes on the duties of bodyguard to Mrs. Apsoland. His sense of duty and his feelings for her make him willing to risk anything to keep her from harm.
Told in alternating points of view, from Joe to Paul Garnet, from gallowglass to gallowglass, this story moves like an express train to a stunning finale, in the finest Barbara Vine tradition. Gallowglass is a remarkable novel of obsession and betrayal by a novelist at the very peak of her craft.« less