The virtue of some men can be measured
not by who they are, but by who they kill.
Polar Bear—the first novel in an espionage trilogy spanning 3 decades—chronicles the exploits of Kerrigan Conlon a.k.a. Polar Bear: Bowdoin College Professor/CIA Operative.
Polar Bear is witness to Conlon at the top of his game; a twenty-eight year old man who believes his actions—regardless of how brutal or callous—are justified in so far as they are perpetrated to achieve an altruistic end.
A few days before the end of Fall semester and the start of Christmas break, Conlon is summoned to investigate an unsubstantiated rumor that a renegade Irish terrorist cell operating in the UK may have obtained access to a former Soviet biological weapon. He travels to Sligo, Ireland merely to validate or to disavow the existence of such a group. When an attempt is made on his life, Conlon’s reconnaissance uncovers the very real existence of the Tuatha De Danann terrorist network. True to his training and nature, Conlon affords no quarter. He is merciless in his retribution.
Sometimes, the journey you least want to
take becomes the most wondrous of all.
The night I arrived home, my sister took me aside and said: "I wanted to wait until you got back from your trip to give you this." She handed me one of my brother's drawings. It was a drawing I'd never seen before, and it was as radiant and masterful as any work of art I had seen throughout the greatest galleries of Europe. It was of us—him and me—as little boys. My brother looked to be somewhere between two and three years old, which meant that I was about a year. It seemed to capture a moment of spontaneous cherubic love at a time when we were supposed to be posing for formal photographs—my brother's left arm draped protectively around my neck, over my left shoulder; his tiny hand coming to rest upon my heart; his laugh-puffed left cheek pressed against the smiling roundness of my own. To look at it made me feel happy, safe, and strong. (excerpted from Shaun Cooney's Spreading Ashes)
“Spreading Ashes is the well written story of a brother’s final gift that begins with obligation and ends with love. It is a raucous yet enlightening trek through Europe that races to an ending that will steal your heart away. What a great read.”
— Ed Dee, author of The Con Man’s Daughter
“The story is so captivating and beautifully written, I could barely put it down. I did, in fact, finish it in a weekend. Despite opening with a death - which typically represents an ending - it is the beginning of a journey that every armchair traveler can enjoy, with vivid descriptions of the people and places throughout France, Italy, Monaco, Switzerland, Scotland, Ireland and England. If you've ever traveled through Europe, it will bring back warm memories; if you haven't, you'll want to pack a bag tomorrow.”
— Stephanie Rogers, Culture Junkie