Finding Fionn – A Mystery Inspired by the Kidnapping of the Irish Racehorse Shergar by M. J. Evans Book Tour, Guest Post & Giveaway! {Ends 11/13/23}

Review By LAWonder10:

I am thrilled to once again read another of this talented author’s books! She did not disappoint me.

‘Finding Fionn’ is a story created from an actual occurrence. It is about a young man’s dream of becoming a jokey, a famous horse, and it’s disappearance. The author just filled in the blanks in what she hoped would happen.

The characters were very real and believable. The action and drama were continual, The mystery of “who’s the culprit?” is ongoing and will possibly surprise the reader in the end. 

The Title was well chosen. The “jury is out’ on the Cover Image. It is somewhat eye-catching. It has a lot of color but the images are somewhat distorted in a slightly abstract way. However, it does depict the main point of the story, it just isn’t the type of art I find appealing.

I love the fact this writer not only captivates the reader’s/listener’s attention but keeps the language clean.

I offer a Five Stars rating.

This book was gifted me with no pressure to post a positive review. This is my honest review.

In your book, you make several references to “The Troubles” in Ireland. What can you tell us about that part of Irish History?

“Finding Fionn” is a horse story set in the early 1980’s. The inspiration for this Young Adult mystery was a true crime that took place on February 8th, 1983. It was a typical Irish night, foggy and cold, with a light drizzle falling from the low-hanging clouds. A Granda pulled a heavy, two-horse trailer up the driveway of the Ballymany stud, located thirty miles west of Dublin, and kidnapped the most famous and beloved horse in Irland, the thoroughbred named Shergar.
Sadly, the ransom was never paid, the horse was never seen again, and the crime has, to this day, never been solved.
At the time Shergar was kidnapped, I was a young mother living in Oregon with my husband and three children. The news of the crime piqued my interest, being a horse-lover. At that time, most people speculated that it was the work of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). They had been known to kidnap Irish businessmen and hold them for ransom to finance the war they were waging.
Before I did my extensive research for “Finding Fionn,” I always thought The Troubles in Ireland were a religious war of Protestants versus Catholics. I have since learned that religion had almost nothing to do with it.
The Troubles, also known as the Northern Ireland Conflict, lasted for about thirty years from the late 1960’s to 1998. The violence erupted between the Unionists, who were predominately Protestant, and the Nationalists, who were predominately Catholics. But the issue wasn’t religion. The Unionists were fighting to keep Northern Ireland a part of Great Britain. The Nationalists, which included the IRA, wanted Northern Ireland to become a part of the Republic of Ireland, thus making the entire Island one nation.
Many people speculated that it was the IRA who stole Shergar. But that was only one of the many theories.
The great thing about being an author is that you can rewrite history the way you would like to have it turn out. I combined three of the most popular theories into one and solved the crime with a happy ending.
I hope you will enjoy reading it!

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