Drinks with Reads: Daniel DeSilva & Baileys with Coffee

Nancy Keith Kelly joins us for Drinks with Reads and she's been devouring Daniel DeSilva's THE MARCHING SEASON...

I found that having a pot of fresh brewed coffee with Bailey’s Irish Creme to be the perfect beverage while reading Daniel Silva’s The Marching Season during a recent cold snap. Within just a few pages, I was pulled into the intrigue as Silva’s protagonist, Michael Osborne was lured back into the CIA after a brief retirement.  Seems he and his wife were  the targets of a very skilled killer for hire who goes by the code name October.  Osborne’s father in law is the newly named Ambassador to the Court of St. James, and unbeknownst to him,  October has him in his sights.    

Set in Northern Ireland, with London, Washington DC, and the island of Mykonos each playing a role, the story included great history on the IRA and the ‘Troubles’  occurring in Northern Ireland in the late 1960’s and throughout the 1970’s and 80’s.    

While Silva has created a great series with his Gabriel Allon lead, I enjoyed his character of Michael Osborne and for those readers who do follow the Allon series, you’ll discover that some characters from that series also play prominently in the Osborne stories as well. Nice to see a bit of crossover and learn some back history on characters you’ve come to know.   

I also found myself intrigued by October and learning of his past and just how he came to be a paid killer was well plotted out by the author.   

Given the chilly weather it was a treat to be curled up in a comfy chair with a fire going, and adding, as my Mom would say, ‘ a good snort’ of Bailey’s to a hearty cup of java. I don’t just enjoy it with reading — it's also my ‘go to’ sleep aid on long international flights. 

Baileys & Coffee

6 ounces of your favorite piping hot coffee
2 ounces of Baileys Irish Creme (or if you want to get really fancy, Baileys Salted Caramel Irish Creme)