FREE: An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor

The year is 1964. The village is Ballybucklebo in Ulster, Ireland. It's winter, and Christmas is fast approaching. Dr. Barry Laverty is assistant to the infamous Dr. Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly, whose florid nose turns alabaster when he's angered. Barry lives in a little upstairs room at Number One Main Street with Fingal, his efficient and fuss-pot housekeeper Mrs. Kinky Kincaid, a white cat named Lady Macbeth, and a daft black Labrador named Arthur Guiness. Barry's mind is fully occupied these days not only by keeping busy in the surgery (meaning the doctor's office) but also with whether or not his beautiful young girlfriend Patricia Spence will make it home from college for the holidays. Dr. O'Reilly has also been setting aside treasured memories of his long-dead wife Deidre in favor of a certain Ms. Kitty O'Halloran, who herself has taken up visiting the doctor on more frequent social calls.Occupying both doctors' time, other than treating patients in surgery and on-call, is the upcoming Christmas pageant.