Official Review: Shamrock therapy

LinaMueller · Post by **LinaMueller** » 15 Dec 2019, 20:02

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Shamrock therapy" by Mark Lowman and Chad Frank.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Shamrock Therapy: Irish Revenge by Mark Lowman and Chad Frank is categorized as a C/T/M/H. The book takes place in North Carolina. Dan Patrick has a degree in psychology and is married to Mary. They both have a five-year-old son named Dylan. After winning a ticket to watch a free baseball game, the son convinces his workaholic father that they should have fun together.

Mysteriously, Dylan disappears, and sometime later, Sheriff Besin calls the couple to identify a severed child's head. After the death is confirmed, the couple's life worsens alarmingly. Dan is always drunk, and Mary asks for a divorce and returns to New York.

Dan went to alcohol rehabilitation and begins to wonder why law enforcement is not making any progress with his son's case. After asking his Uncle Patty for advice, Dan goes after a suspect and discovers a sex ring based out of Hickory. He finds that influential people like law enforcement agents and actresses were part of the scheme. From that moment, Dan becomes a vigilante.

What I liked the most is that the antagonists are portrayed as sick and disgusting beings. Generally speaking, people tend to have some moral scruples, and they are reticent in applying "the eye for an eye" law. But the authors describe such disgusting scenes of pedophiles sexually abusing children and mocking the corpse of innocent boys that the reader begins to want revenge at any cost.

Dan Patrick is like Marvel's The Punisher. But unlike Frank Castle, who was a veteran of the US Marine Corps, Dan Patrick is a therapist who loses his temper after he finds out that his son's barbaric death won't be investigated because a police member was one of the sex ring participants.

Sadly, the editing of the book is awful, and it is the most notable flaw. And I'm talking about basic stuff like improperly space punctuation and improperly bolded text (the first dialogue of chapter 41). If I were the author, I wouldn't write "ChapTer FoUr" that way either because it makes the book look amateurish. Mark Lowman and Chad Frank must insert page breaks as soon as they finish a chapter as well. I understand that the authors wrote this way on purpose, but it is counterproductive. There is no question about it.

All in all, Shamrock Therapy: Irish revenge deserves 3 out of 4 stars. It is an addictive and action-packed book. Unfortunately, the book is not professionally edited. That's why I took one star away. There is a lot of profanity. I recommend this book to adults who like C/T/M/H. But the reader has to keep in mind that content is not for sensitive people.

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Shamrock therapy
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Wyland · Post by **Wyland** » 24 Dec 2019, 01:52

Dan and Mary seem to be the classic definition of a dysfunctional couple if there ever was one. Thanks for the insightful review.

Nerea · Post by **Nerea** » 24 Dec 2019, 02:49

The death of their son was a huge blow to the couple. I will read the book to find out what was life like for Dan and Mary after their divorce. Sorry about the grammatical errors. You did great in your review.

Stephanie Elizabeth · Post by **Stephanie Elizabeth** » 24 Dec 2019, 06:23

Due to the premise, this sounds like it would be difficult to read, and quite heartbreaking. While the book may boast well-developed characters, the lack of editing would be a deterrent for me. Thanks for this insightful review!

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 24 Dec 2019, 09:37

I take it back - losing my memory is not my worst fear, losing one of my children is. This book sounds intriguing but dark. I think it would bother me too much. It is too bad about all of the errors. I hope the author gets those cleaned up. As always, I enjoyed reading your excellent review!

Ellylion · Post by **Ellylion** » 24 Dec 2019, 09:45

Thank you for this great review! Must be a heart-wrenching story with interesting psychological insight. So pity that the book has so many errors!

Kanda_theGreat · Post by **Kanda_theGreat** » 25 Dec 2019, 00:47

Reading your review enlightened me on how the author has manipulated vivid description to develop his plot.
Thank you for the review.

Erin Painter Baker · Post by **Erin Painter Baker** » 26 Dec 2019, 12:38

I don't think I could read this book. Having been a foster parent, I am all too aware of some of the awful things that happen to kids. I tend to choose my fiction to take me away from all that.