Enough to Make the Angels Weep by Ernesto Patino is the story of a private detective investigating a murder case that has been cold for four years. Detective Joe Coopersmith follows the trail which leads to several more dead bodies and a conspiracy over 150 years in the making.

A hidden diary recounts the little-known events of Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine, eager to make a new life in America. They joined the US Army for the promise of good pay and found themselves in a war with Mexico which pitted them against members of their own Catholic faith.

This book reads like an old gumshoe novel. I kept picturing Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade in the Maltese Falcon. I heartily enjoyed reading this riveting historical fiction novel. While the bulk of the story is fiction, there really was a St. Patrick’s Battalion made up of Irish soldiers who fought on the side of the Mexicans during the Mexican American War. This is a fascinating true story told in a very interesting way, which kept me turning the pages as I read with great interest to see how the author was going to tie these events to the murder Detective Coopersmith was investigating.

The author remains focused on the Irish soldiers, highlighting their contribution to history throughout the story. This is certainly a fascinating piece of history that I didn’t know about and appreciated learning about. I felt that the mystery driving the story forward could have used a stronger motive to explain the murders, but it serves as a decent vehicle to deliver an intriguing murder mystery in a historical setting.

Enough to Make the Angels Weep is a captivating war fiction novel with fantastic historical elements that color the entire novel. This enthralling murder mystery is filled with compelling characters that will entertain any fans of crime fiction or historical fiction novels grounded in reality.

Pages: 218 | ASIN: B09FJ4Q136