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A Traitor in the Family
'While her husband prepared to murder a young man he had never met, Bridget O'Neill completed her packing for Christmas with her in-laws.'
Francis O'Neill is a terrorist, trained to kill for his cause. Bridget is his wife, expected to be loyal and stand by her husband. She has learned not to hope for much more, until the day she glimpses, for the first time, the chance of a new life. A life without violence, without secrets, and without knocks on the door in the dead of night. A life without her husband.
But what if freedom for Bridget means grave danger for Francis?
In A Traitor in the Family, bestselling author, Nicholas Searle, tells a story of shocking, intimate betrayal. Can a treacherous act of the most personal kind ever be, in this darkly violent world, an act of mercy?
Francis O'Neill is a terrorist, trained to kill for his cause. Bridget is his wife, expected to be loyal and stand by her husband. She has learned not to hope for much more, until the day she glimpses, for the first time, the chance of a new life. A life without violence, without secrets, and without knocks on the door in the dead of night. A life without her husband.
But what if freedom for Bridget means grave danger for Francis?
In A Traitor in the Family, bestselling author, Nicholas Searle, tells a story of shocking, intimate betrayal. Can a treacherous act of the most personal kind ever be, in this darkly violent world, an act of mercy?
320 pages, Hardcover
First published April 6, 2017
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May 6, 2017Won in Goodreads Giveaways- Not read, passed on.
March 26, 2017
Nicholas Searle is the author of the bestselling book, Good Liar. I'll admit that I've never actually read it, but Good Liar sounds amazing and I would love to read it in the future. However, I cannot say the same for A Traitor in the Family... it was slightly disappointing.
Francis O'Neill is a terrorist, trained to kill for his cause. Bridget is his wife, expected to be loyal and stand by her husband. She has learned not to hope for much more, until the day she glimpses, for the first time, the chance of a new life. A life without violence, without secrets, and without knocks on the door in the dead of night. A life without her husband.
But what if freedom for Bridget means grave danger for Francis?
When reading the blurb of this book, it sounds amazing; a thriller to keep you on the edge of your seat. But it just didn't do it for me. I was 100 pages in and I wasn't hooked, it didn't interest me, the characters weren't very appealing. I was actually disappointed in myself for not enjoying.
The pace of the book did pick up after around 200 pages. Tensions are high within Francis' close circle and to be honest, I was eager to see how everything would turn out; would they ever be caught?; would Bridget continue in the same life?
What was also interesting is that this book is first set in the 1980s and spans the year to the 2000s. We get to see how a close community works together and fights for what they believe in, we see how the people left on the sidelines of the operations have to deal with loneliness and juggle what is right and wrong. It is a very interesting concept and I think that if the characters were more fleshed out, it would have been more enjoyable. The characters just seemed bland. Which is a huge shame because I feel like the characters WERE the plot. Everything revolved around them.
Even though I was very disappointed with A Traitor in the Family and would have loved to have seen more action, more three-dimensional characters and a better pacing (it seemed rushed), I like the idea that Searle had come up with and I like the concept of showing the organisation over a couple of decades. However, it just fell flat for me.
Disclaimer: this book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Released 6th April
Francis O'Neill is a terrorist, trained to kill for his cause. Bridget is his wife, expected to be loyal and stand by her husband. She has learned not to hope for much more, until the day she glimpses, for the first time, the chance of a new life. A life without violence, without secrets, and without knocks on the door in the dead of night. A life without her husband.
But what if freedom for Bridget means grave danger for Francis?
When reading the blurb of this book, it sounds amazing; a thriller to keep you on the edge of your seat. But it just didn't do it for me. I was 100 pages in and I wasn't hooked, it didn't interest me, the characters weren't very appealing. I was actually disappointed in myself for not enjoying.
The pace of the book did pick up after around 200 pages. Tensions are high within Francis' close circle and to be honest, I was eager to see how everything would turn out; would they ever be caught?; would Bridget continue in the same life?
What was also interesting is that this book is first set in the 1980s and spans the year to the 2000s. We get to see how a close community works together and fights for what they believe in, we see how the people left on the sidelines of the operations have to deal with loneliness and juggle what is right and wrong. It is a very interesting concept and I think that if the characters were more fleshed out, it would have been more enjoyable. The characters just seemed bland. Which is a huge shame because I feel like the characters WERE the plot. Everything revolved around them.
Even though I was very disappointed with A Traitor in the Family and would have loved to have seen more action, more three-dimensional characters and a better pacing (it seemed rushed), I like the idea that Searle had come up with and I like the concept of showing the organisation over a couple of decades. However, it just fell flat for me.
Disclaimer: this book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Released 6th April
February 28, 2017
Opening with the assassination of a British soldier in Germany, this feels packed with authentic knowledge of the IRA campaigns of the late 1980s and 1990s. Searle's writing style and vision are straightforward and uncomplicated, and there are sometimes disconcerting jumps where time passes in an unacknowledged way and we're suddenly years away from what happened in a previous chapter.
There's something almost nostalgic about this kind of homegrown, almost parochial, 'terrorism' in contrast to today's threats, and maybe for that reason this is evocative of a specific time and place. Events are only loosely tied together with a plot, this is more a slice of life involving active IRA units, their commanders and the security services trying to undermine them.
So a straight-from-the-1990s-headlines read but I couldn't help thinking that this would have been a richer and more complicated tale in the hands of someone like le Carré - 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Thanks to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley
There's something almost nostalgic about this kind of homegrown, almost parochial, 'terrorism' in contrast to today's threats, and maybe for that reason this is evocative of a specific time and place. Events are only loosely tied together with a plot, this is more a slice of life involving active IRA units, their commanders and the security services trying to undermine them.
So a straight-from-the-1990s-headlines read but I couldn't help thinking that this would have been a richer and more complicated tale in the hands of someone like le Carré - 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Thanks to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley
April 10, 2017
Thank you #Goodreads for a very enjoyable book by Nicholas Searle A traitor in the family.
Set in Northern Ireland in the times of the troubles this book had me captivated from the first page.
A very well written and thought provoking story that I can highly recommend.
Simply awesome.
Set in Northern Ireland in the times of the troubles this book had me captivated from the first page.
A very well written and thought provoking story that I can highly recommend.
Simply awesome.
May 30, 2017
A Traitor In The Family – All Families Have Dark Secrets
Nicolas Searle second book, A Traitor in the Family, goes inside the family of a Republican fighter during the troubles in Northern Ireland, not an easy subject at the best of times. The book starts in 1989, with a murder of a soldier based in Germany, through to the Good Friday Agreement and beyond. Searle examines the problems of a soldier and his wife have when you feel oppressed by another nation’s armed forces in your own country.
Francis O’Neill has been brought up in a strong republican family in West Belfast and his family would be well known amongst the families along the Falls Road. He had been taken under the wing of Gentleman Joe Geraghty who guided him and taught him in the ways of the Republican Army and pressed him into active service.
Having been brought up in Carrickcloghan, Bridget had dreams of going to University to study English and make something with her life. When her sister left for Cork, her mother convinced her to put off University for a year or so. She found work in the local post office on the counter and still loved her reading when she was at home. Her world was turned upside down when she met Francis O’Neill in a pub, she knew his reputation, but she was in love, her life was never the same again.
When they were allowed to fly to Singapore for a wedding it was Bridget’s first time out of Ireland and she did not really want to mix with others in the wedding party. Wandering around she met Sarah who would become a friend, and she found herself enjoying her company and she enjoyed her time. Whereas Francis went out hard drinking, even though many were English, he did not allow that to get to him, until he was picked up by the local police. In the police station, he met an English spook who did all the talking and gave him his number to remember, Francis was not going to help him.
Bridget never talked to Francis about his work and where it took him so that she could not say anything if the RUC ever came calling, which they would. But Bridget had Sarah to talk to, which she did on a regular basis and even though she was careful she did not want anyone to know about their meetings.
It was a job in England, a flatbed truck with a device to take out a power substation should cause maximum damage and cause chaos in London. They all stuck to the plan, made sure nobody was following them, made sure that all of his team knew their jobs and got on with it. While taking a pit stop on the M25, Francis was arrested by armed anti-terrorist police, his interviews would consist of him saying no-comment. It did not matter, he was sentenced to 41 years in prison, and he was sure that someone had given the mission up, and handed him over to the police on a plate. Francis wanted answers even if it would take the whole of the 41 years.
Francis had served 7 years by the time he was eligible for early release as part of the Good Friday Agreement and he went home to brood. He wanted answers still, but none were going to be provided, and one person he suspected wanted to kill him. Even when he was spirited away in the dead of night he and Bridget would not be safe, who could aid them now?
An engrossing thriller, that while you may not like Francis you are full of sympathy for Bridget, a story full of twists and surprises. A Traitor in the Family delivers on every level.
Nicolas Searle second book, A Traitor in the Family, goes inside the family of a Republican fighter during the troubles in Northern Ireland, not an easy subject at the best of times. The book starts in 1989, with a murder of a soldier based in Germany, through to the Good Friday Agreement and beyond. Searle examines the problems of a soldier and his wife have when you feel oppressed by another nation’s armed forces in your own country.
Francis O’Neill has been brought up in a strong republican family in West Belfast and his family would be well known amongst the families along the Falls Road. He had been taken under the wing of Gentleman Joe Geraghty who guided him and taught him in the ways of the Republican Army and pressed him into active service.
Having been brought up in Carrickcloghan, Bridget had dreams of going to University to study English and make something with her life. When her sister left for Cork, her mother convinced her to put off University for a year or so. She found work in the local post office on the counter and still loved her reading when she was at home. Her world was turned upside down when she met Francis O’Neill in a pub, she knew his reputation, but she was in love, her life was never the same again.
When they were allowed to fly to Singapore for a wedding it was Bridget’s first time out of Ireland and she did not really want to mix with others in the wedding party. Wandering around she met Sarah who would become a friend, and she found herself enjoying her company and she enjoyed her time. Whereas Francis went out hard drinking, even though many were English, he did not allow that to get to him, until he was picked up by the local police. In the police station, he met an English spook who did all the talking and gave him his number to remember, Francis was not going to help him.
Bridget never talked to Francis about his work and where it took him so that she could not say anything if the RUC ever came calling, which they would. But Bridget had Sarah to talk to, which she did on a regular basis and even though she was careful she did not want anyone to know about their meetings.
It was a job in England, a flatbed truck with a device to take out a power substation should cause maximum damage and cause chaos in London. They all stuck to the plan, made sure nobody was following them, made sure that all of his team knew their jobs and got on with it. While taking a pit stop on the M25, Francis was arrested by armed anti-terrorist police, his interviews would consist of him saying no-comment. It did not matter, he was sentenced to 41 years in prison, and he was sure that someone had given the mission up, and handed him over to the police on a plate. Francis wanted answers even if it would take the whole of the 41 years.
Francis had served 7 years by the time he was eligible for early release as part of the Good Friday Agreement and he went home to brood. He wanted answers still, but none were going to be provided, and one person he suspected wanted to kill him. Even when he was spirited away in the dead of night he and Bridget would not be safe, who could aid them now?
An engrossing thriller, that while you may not like Francis you are full of sympathy for Bridget, a story full of twists and surprises. A Traitor in the Family delivers on every level.
June 16, 2017
A Traitor In The Family. Francis O' Neill is a terrorist who will kill for the cause. While her husband prepared to murder a young man he had never met, Bridget O'Neill completed her packing for Christmas with her in-laws.
May 29, 2025
A claustrophobic and tense, slow-burn thriller
April 19, 2017
This is a book that ordinarily I wouldn't read, which is why Goodreads is so good as it enabled me to get my own copy and try it.
I have to say, I found it gripping. I read it rather quickly just to get to the end, so I had to reread the end as it is not a book to rush as it is easy to miss clues that are dropped in the book.
I have to say, I found it gripping. I read it rather quickly just to get to the end, so I had to reread the end as it is not a book to rush as it is easy to miss clues that are dropped in the book.
May 1, 2020
If you have nothing better to do with 10 hours of your life, go ahead. If you're looking for an enjoyable story, you won't find it here.
It was slow and lifeless from beginning to end. I wanted Bridget and Sarah to start having an affair just to make the story interesting.
In the end, I was just wanting everyone to discover the others betrayal and for it all to come to a massive bloodbath and for the annoying Bridget to die.
It was slow and lifeless from beginning to end. I wanted Bridget and Sarah to start having an affair just to make the story interesting.
In the end, I was just wanting everyone to discover the others betrayal and for it all to come to a massive bloodbath and for the annoying Bridget to die.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2018
Nothing for the white knuckle-ride lovers, but a gem for those interested in the ins and outs of the Northern Irish struggle and how everyone involved loses their innocence in it. No black and whites, no clear cuts. Just my thing.
March 30, 2018
Karfreitag
Während Bridget ein scheinbar normales Leben führt, in dem sie ihrer Schwiegermutter gefallen will, ist ihr Mann Francis in den späten 1980ern für die IRA unterwegs. An verschiedenen Orten kann es sein, dass er sich mit einem Team zusammenfindet, um Anschläge vornehmlich auf englische Soldaten zu verüben. Dabei läuft nicht immer alles glatt und gerade, wenn es die falschen trifft, beginnt auch Francis zu überlegen, ob dieser bewaffnete Kampf noch zeitgemäß ist. Seine Frau, der schon klar ist, was ihr Mann so treibt, kommt ins Überlegen über den Sinn. Wäre es nicht doch besser, nicht mehr wie unter einer Dunstglocke aus Misstrauen, Geheimhaltung und möglichem Verrat leben zu müssen?
Der Konflikt um und in Nordirland ist seit der Unterzeichnung des Karfreitagsabkommens etwas in Vergessenheit geraten. Mit diesem Buch erinnert der Autor an die Vorkommnisse hauptsächlich in den Jahren bevor die Vereinbarung abgeschlossen wurde. Die eher in ärmlichen Verhältnissen lebenden Katholiken, die ihren gerechten Anteil von der privilegierten Minderheit der Protestanten per Terror einklagen. Der Konflikt im Rahmen der englisch-irischen Geschichte ist für einen Festlandeuropäer, der immer im Frieden gelebt hat nur schwer nachzuvollziehen. Ein wenig hilfreich ist hier das Nachwort des Autors, das allerdings auch einen guten Anreiz bietet auf eigene Faust weiter zu forschen. Nicht zu unterschätzen ist wahrscheinlich auch der Hinweis von Nicolas Searle, die Erfolge des Abkommens könnten durch den Brexit bedroht sein. Zwar kann man überhaupt nicht sicher sein, ob man es selbst besser gemacht hätte, manchmal fragt man sich aber dennoch, wer da mit welchen Gedanken über was wie abgestimmt hat. Nun, es gilt für die Politik, eine Lösung zu finden.
Vor diesem Hintergrund erscheint das Buch in Deutschland gerade im richtigen Moment. Auch wenn zunächst in relativ trockenen und unberührten Worten geschildert wird, wie Briget und Francis ihre Ehe erleben, wird doch recht bald deutlich, dass beide auf ihre eigene Art mit ihrer Verbindung zur IRA hadern. Als Ehefrau ist Bridget nicht direkt betroffen, dennoch sorgt sie sich hinter ihrer glatten Fassade des nicht Wissens. Auch Francis kommen nach verunglückten Aktionen Bedenken an der Rechtmäßigkeit des Kampfes. Etwas woran er als kleiner Befehlsempfänger eigentlich nicht zweifeln darf. Doch über dieses Thema herrscht Schweigen zwischen den Eheleuten. Wo sich also ein Ausweg bieten könnte, sehen sie nur die Möglichkeit des Stillhaltens, des weiter so, um nicht aufzufallen. Seltsam still sind sie in diesem Buch, vieles wird nur angedeutet, wenig deutlich ausgesprochen. Und auch die mitwirkenden Briten scheinen immer auf mehreren Hochzeiten zu tanzen. Doch wie eigenartig wird die Situation erst, wenn der Kampf durch das Abkommen beendet wird und alles, um das man bisher herum geschwiegen hat, auf einmal nicht mehr gefragt ist.
Ein eindringlicher Roman, der einige Details der näheren irischen Geschichte aufzeigt und der die Besorgnis weckt, wie sich die Dinge nach dem Brexit entwickeln werden.
Während Bridget ein scheinbar normales Leben führt, in dem sie ihrer Schwiegermutter gefallen will, ist ihr Mann Francis in den späten 1980ern für die IRA unterwegs. An verschiedenen Orten kann es sein, dass er sich mit einem Team zusammenfindet, um Anschläge vornehmlich auf englische Soldaten zu verüben. Dabei läuft nicht immer alles glatt und gerade, wenn es die falschen trifft, beginnt auch Francis zu überlegen, ob dieser bewaffnete Kampf noch zeitgemäß ist. Seine Frau, der schon klar ist, was ihr Mann so treibt, kommt ins Überlegen über den Sinn. Wäre es nicht doch besser, nicht mehr wie unter einer Dunstglocke aus Misstrauen, Geheimhaltung und möglichem Verrat leben zu müssen?
Der Konflikt um und in Nordirland ist seit der Unterzeichnung des Karfreitagsabkommens etwas in Vergessenheit geraten. Mit diesem Buch erinnert der Autor an die Vorkommnisse hauptsächlich in den Jahren bevor die Vereinbarung abgeschlossen wurde. Die eher in ärmlichen Verhältnissen lebenden Katholiken, die ihren gerechten Anteil von der privilegierten Minderheit der Protestanten per Terror einklagen. Der Konflikt im Rahmen der englisch-irischen Geschichte ist für einen Festlandeuropäer, der immer im Frieden gelebt hat nur schwer nachzuvollziehen. Ein wenig hilfreich ist hier das Nachwort des Autors, das allerdings auch einen guten Anreiz bietet auf eigene Faust weiter zu forschen. Nicht zu unterschätzen ist wahrscheinlich auch der Hinweis von Nicolas Searle, die Erfolge des Abkommens könnten durch den Brexit bedroht sein. Zwar kann man überhaupt nicht sicher sein, ob man es selbst besser gemacht hätte, manchmal fragt man sich aber dennoch, wer da mit welchen Gedanken über was wie abgestimmt hat. Nun, es gilt für die Politik, eine Lösung zu finden.
Vor diesem Hintergrund erscheint das Buch in Deutschland gerade im richtigen Moment. Auch wenn zunächst in relativ trockenen und unberührten Worten geschildert wird, wie Briget und Francis ihre Ehe erleben, wird doch recht bald deutlich, dass beide auf ihre eigene Art mit ihrer Verbindung zur IRA hadern. Als Ehefrau ist Bridget nicht direkt betroffen, dennoch sorgt sie sich hinter ihrer glatten Fassade des nicht Wissens. Auch Francis kommen nach verunglückten Aktionen Bedenken an der Rechtmäßigkeit des Kampfes. Etwas woran er als kleiner Befehlsempfänger eigentlich nicht zweifeln darf. Doch über dieses Thema herrscht Schweigen zwischen den Eheleuten. Wo sich also ein Ausweg bieten könnte, sehen sie nur die Möglichkeit des Stillhaltens, des weiter so, um nicht aufzufallen. Seltsam still sind sie in diesem Buch, vieles wird nur angedeutet, wenig deutlich ausgesprochen. Und auch die mitwirkenden Briten scheinen immer auf mehreren Hochzeiten zu tanzen. Doch wie eigenartig wird die Situation erst, wenn der Kampf durch das Abkommen beendet wird und alles, um das man bisher herum geschwiegen hat, auf einmal nicht mehr gefragt ist.
Ein eindringlicher Roman, der einige Details der näheren irischen Geschichte aufzeigt und der die Besorgnis weckt, wie sich die Dinge nach dem Brexit entwickeln werden.
April 10, 2025
DNF 4/10 hours in.
Just not for me. I nearly fell for the sunk cost fallacy and wanted to ride it out because I'd already listened to almost half, but the story really wasn't coming together at all and I realised I didn't want to spend another 6 hours listening. It's a slow-build type of story, which I can do, but I found didn't fit the genre as I just wasn't feeling the tension of getting to know a spy family. There was a lot of mundane-ness related to Bridget's life and even the Francis-centred chapters didn't have much bite.
I did like the travel to Singapore/Malaysia - I'm from that part of the world and do like it when books unexpectedly take me on a trip home - and the backstory of Francis' family, but again that wasn't built up effectively in the plot. It's possible that it happens later in the book, there's a lot to go at the point where I decided to give up on it, but I was struggling to stay invested at this pace.
This one also didn't work well on audio, at least on the version that I had on Borrowbox: There were two narrators (which was nice), but one was significantly quieter than the other. To the extent that I found myself having to adjust the volume at the start of each chapter, otherwise the choice was not being able to hear one narrator or feeling like the other was yelling in my ear, and this tinkering was getting quite annoying. Not the fault of the book per se, of course.
Just not for me. I nearly fell for the sunk cost fallacy and wanted to ride it out because I'd already listened to almost half, but the story really wasn't coming together at all and I realised I didn't want to spend another 6 hours listening. It's a slow-build type of story, which I can do, but I found didn't fit the genre as I just wasn't feeling the tension of getting to know a spy family. There was a lot of mundane-ness related to Bridget's life and even the Francis-centred chapters didn't have much bite.
I did like the travel to Singapore/Malaysia - I'm from that part of the world and do like it when books unexpectedly take me on a trip home - and the backstory of Francis' family, but again that wasn't built up effectively in the plot. It's possible that it happens later in the book, there's a lot to go at the point where I decided to give up on it, but I was struggling to stay invested at this pace.
This one also didn't work well on audio, at least on the version that I had on Borrowbox: There were two narrators (which was nice), but one was significantly quieter than the other. To the extent that I found myself having to adjust the volume at the start of each chapter, otherwise the choice was not being able to hear one narrator or feeling like the other was yelling in my ear, and this tinkering was getting quite annoying. Not the fault of the book per se, of course.
January 12, 2019
Well, I seem to have a higher regard for this book than a few of the high profile reviews I've seen, which have fairly dismissed the book for a lack of understanding of the 'Irish Problem.'
I thought it dealt pretty well with the two sides involved in The Struggles, both the Irish Northern and Southern who wanted/still want, a United Ireland and their reasons - Britain - for doing so. And the British, holier than thou attitude to them, and their reasons for having that attitude -tradition and the Unionists.
I was alive (!) all the way through the '70s, which were the years of the troubles covered here. I was out in Birmingham when the pub bombs went off. I've been in the underground pub which was blown up, and the idea of a bomb going off down there, is something the mind recoils from. What the reviews miss, and what politicians miss, is the general feeling I got, that the man in the street in Britain, maybe less so now that the troubles may be behind us, wouldn't have minded if 'they' towed Northern Ireland out into the middle of the Atlantic and left it there. Some would have recommended sinking it of course. Just so it would go away. That Unionists wanted to be a part of the UK - well, they should remember that 'we' didn't want them. Let the Irish have the place, I'm sure an Irish Govt would look after the place better than a British one. Whether the IRA, etc, would want to be under and Irish Government of the sort that is/was in power in the south, is something else entirely.
I didn't realise that Searle was an Intelligence man, and can sympathise with The Guardian on the point that some of the judgements on both side are a little simplistic. But maybe The Grauniad is missing that he's only describing the people here, in this book. I never got the feeling that he was trying to write a book that would define all aspects of the situation.
The main character(s) are IRA man Francis O’Neill and his wife Bridget. They are done very well, I thought. Of course as an IRA man, unrepentant and driven, as a Brit, you can't sympathise with his motives. But I will defy anyone not to feel his anguish at finding the world has changed around him and his sticking to the principles he thought he was fighting for, when confronted with the new realpolitik world his 'boss' “Gentleman Joe” Geraghty has moved into. I will admit to some sympathy and a shaking of the head, at the end of his story. Bridget's hopes for her future, are actually dashed when she falls for Francis, but she doesn't see it that way at the time. Her recruitment (happens early on, so it's not a spoiler), you can see coming and understand. Her loyalty to Francis also was well done, as I didn't really expect it to be so. What I got from both, was a feeling that they knew they were trapped, too far in to their lives, would like to get out, but were afraid to and so couldn't break free. They need a push, but will they get it? Is she the traitor in the family? I wasn't sure she was...
In the end, as Francis experiences in his physical world, it is about being imprisoned. His imprisonment is also mental, in the world he has entered, there is no time off for good behaviour, no parole and once inside, the only release, is death. Bridget is likewise imprisoned with Francis in his world, because of Francis and all that his world represents. She is watched over by the other family members and other wives and girlfriends, as securely as if she was in The Maze herself.
On the whole, it lead up to a period of looking like it was going to be really tense and really nail-biting, but didn't really get there. There is a lot of it under the surface, for anyone who was around at the time, and should have been a whole lot more tense to really hit home hard. However, it is well worth reading, and I am going to say 'try it' I think you'll get a lot from it.
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I thought it dealt pretty well with the two sides involved in The Struggles, both the Irish Northern and Southern who wanted/still want, a United Ireland and their reasons - Britain - for doing so. And the British, holier than thou attitude to them, and their reasons for having that attitude -tradition and the Unionists.
I was alive (!) all the way through the '70s, which were the years of the troubles covered here. I was out in Birmingham when the pub bombs went off. I've been in the underground pub which was blown up, and the idea of a bomb going off down there, is something the mind recoils from. What the reviews miss, and what politicians miss, is the general feeling I got, that the man in the street in Britain, maybe less so now that the troubles may be behind us, wouldn't have minded if 'they' towed Northern Ireland out into the middle of the Atlantic and left it there. Some would have recommended sinking it of course. Just so it would go away. That Unionists wanted to be a part of the UK - well, they should remember that 'we' didn't want them. Let the Irish have the place, I'm sure an Irish Govt would look after the place better than a British one. Whether the IRA, etc, would want to be under and Irish Government of the sort that is/was in power in the south, is something else entirely.
I didn't realise that Searle was an Intelligence man, and can sympathise with The Guardian on the point that some of the judgements on both side are a little simplistic. But maybe The Grauniad is missing that he's only describing the people here, in this book. I never got the feeling that he was trying to write a book that would define all aspects of the situation.
The main character(s) are IRA man Francis O’Neill and his wife Bridget. They are done very well, I thought. Of course as an IRA man, unrepentant and driven, as a Brit, you can't sympathise with his motives. But I will defy anyone not to feel his anguish at finding the world has changed around him and his sticking to the principles he thought he was fighting for, when confronted with the new realpolitik world his 'boss' “Gentleman Joe” Geraghty has moved into. I will admit to some sympathy and a shaking of the head, at the end of his story. Bridget's hopes for her future, are actually dashed when she falls for Francis, but she doesn't see it that way at the time. Her recruitment (happens early on, so it's not a spoiler), you can see coming and understand. Her loyalty to Francis also was well done, as I didn't really expect it to be so. What I got from both, was a feeling that they knew they were trapped, too far in to their lives, would like to get out, but were afraid to and so couldn't break free. They need a push, but will they get it? Is she the traitor in the family? I wasn't sure she was...
In the end, as Francis experiences in his physical world, it is about being imprisoned. His imprisonment is also mental, in the world he has entered, there is no time off for good behaviour, no parole and once inside, the only release, is death. Bridget is likewise imprisoned with Francis in his world, because of Francis and all that his world represents. She is watched over by the other family members and other wives and girlfriends, as securely as if she was in The Maze herself.
On the whole, it lead up to a period of looking like it was going to be really tense and really nail-biting, but didn't really get there. There is a lot of it under the surface, for anyone who was around at the time, and should have been a whole lot more tense to really hit home hard. However, it is well worth reading, and I am going to say 'try it' I think you'll get a lot from it.
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May 1, 2017
Never having really understood the causes and effects of the 'Troubles' in Ireland I opened the book (kindly sent through Bookreads) with some trepidation. And wow, my whole thinking process was blown apart as the author vividly wrote about the people related or attached to the main protagonists. The emotions of these people in a need to protect and survive were wrenched in all directions. I wouldn't say it was a pleasant read but it was one which showed life in the raw during those terrible times. I finished with a sense of understanding much more clearly on the hows, whats and wherefores and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in the Irish troubles. Another book I couldn't put down.
October 10, 2017
Not a patch on The Good Liar, this bleak drama centered around the Troubles about how slowly and systematically the Irish terrorists and dissidents were targeted by the British Establishment who managed to hook the big fish by closing deals with their families and spouses, it was instructive to see the now-familiar history play out in a fictional world and the psychological burden of bringing the politics home.
Searle's historical co-ordinates are well-anchored, but the characters, chiefly the lead couple, who each have different private and projected aspirations of safety, future and affection for each other, are forever more exposed to the reader than to each other. Throughout the book, Searle keeps his readers five paces ahead than the pool of the characters making it read like a terrorist-cell bust re-enactment docu-drama. There are no big reveals, no changes of heart you didn't see coming. It just plods on with the dreary decades and the backwater anonymous lives exchanged and dispensed with for the Cause. Weirdly, I persisted to the end because of the credible re-imagining of the atmosphere, the messy business of finding-and-nurturing-a-mole angle, the erosion of Movement with Time and the institutional politics.
Searle's historical co-ordinates are well-anchored, but the characters, chiefly the lead couple, who each have different private and projected aspirations of safety, future and affection for each other, are forever more exposed to the reader than to each other. Throughout the book, Searle keeps his readers five paces ahead than the pool of the characters making it read like a terrorist-cell bust re-enactment docu-drama. There are no big reveals, no changes of heart you didn't see coming. It just plods on with the dreary decades and the backwater anonymous lives exchanged and dispensed with for the Cause. Weirdly, I persisted to the end because of the credible re-imagining of the atmosphere, the messy business of finding-and-nurturing-a-mole angle, the erosion of Movement with Time and the institutional politics.
August 2, 2020
This focuses on the lives of a Volunteer in the IRA and his wife during the Troubles and beyond the Good Friday Agreement. A very bleak tale with no light relief which paints a picture of the difficulties lived by participants on all sides. Though I learned a lot about this period in history, the relentless gloom, the unsympathetic characters and the inability of Bridget, the wife, to stand up for herself just once were enough for me to wish for the audiobook to end as fast as possible. There were also jumps in the narrative which upset the flow and some of the secondary characters were thinly sketched. 2 1/2 Stars.
October 17, 2018
This book set during the "Troubles" in Ireland has a really super blurb on the back. But I didn't feel the book lived up to the promise on the cover. The writing was very dense and often the characters inaccessible.
April 6, 2019
A story of murder and betrayal.
The basic story was good and the writing was solid, but there were too many peripheral characters, the plot started to drift about half way through and some of characters did things without reason / out of character.
Reading time around six hours.
The basic story was good and the writing was solid, but there were too many peripheral characters, the plot started to drift about half way through and some of characters did things without reason / out of character.
Reading time around six hours.
August 22, 2017
Too sedate. Was waiting for absolute treacherous behaviour but left waiting.....and wanting more :(
September 22, 2019
Inget för mig
July 18, 2018
Der Verlag hat seinem Autor überhaupt keinen Gefallen getan: Auf der Innenseite des Buchumschlags von „Verrat“ wird fast die komplette Handlung nacherzählt. Das vernichtet leider einen Großteil der Spannung. Dabei ist die Geschichte rund um den IRA-Soldaten Francis gerade jetzt wichtig, wo die Brexit-Verhandlungen vieles aus der Zeit der Troubles und des Good-Friday-Abkommens wieder aufwirbeln. Und wer schon mal in Nordirland war, merkt gerade in Städten wie Belfast und Derry sofort, dass die Folgen des Nordirlandkonflikts bis heute spürbar sind und die Probleme keinesfalls komplett der Vergangenheit angehören. Nicholas Searle greift in seinem Thriller viele interessante moralische und zwischenmenschliche Aspekte dieser Zeit auf, ohne sich eindeutig auf eine Seite zu stellen. Dadurch schafft er eine eigentlich fesselnde Geschichte mit komplexen Figuren.
Der Klappentext endet damit, dass Francis aus der Haft entlassen wird und sich an seinem Verräter, den er nicht kennt, rächen will. Ich habe erwartet, dass der Großteil des Buches danach spielt. Aber weit gefehlt. Francis wird auf Seite 297 entlassen – das Buch hat aber nur 342 Seiten. Die wichtigsten Wendepunkte (was passiert mit Francis‘ Bruder Liam, verrät Bridget ihren Mann etc.) werden alle auf dem Umschlag vorweggenommen. Das empfand ich als extrem frustrierend. Der Autor beschreibt beispielsweise höchst intelligent, wie die britische Spionin Sarah schrittweise das Vertrauen von Francis‘ Ehefrau Bridget gewinnt und sie für ihre Seite anwirbt. Da der Klappentext aber direkt bekannt gibt, dass Bridget zur Verräterin wird, baut dieser wichtige Handlungsstrang null Spannung auf. Dabei liest es sich faszinierend, wie aus der lebenshungrigen jungen Bridget eine resignierte Hausfrau wird, die sich zunächst alles von ihrem Mann gefallen lässt und sich plötzlich gegen ihn stellt. Natürlich kann der Autor nichts dafür – aber mein Lesevergnügen hat das trotzdem stark eingeschränkt. Wirklich schade. Wer „Verrat“ genießen möchte, sollte nur den Klappentext auf der Buchrückseite lesen, aber nicht die lange Zusammenfassung im Inneren des Umschlags. Dann sollte ein spannendes Leseerlebnis möglich sein.
Der Klappentext endet damit, dass Francis aus der Haft entlassen wird und sich an seinem Verräter, den er nicht kennt, rächen will. Ich habe erwartet, dass der Großteil des Buches danach spielt. Aber weit gefehlt. Francis wird auf Seite 297 entlassen – das Buch hat aber nur 342 Seiten. Die wichtigsten Wendepunkte (was passiert mit Francis‘ Bruder Liam, verrät Bridget ihren Mann etc.) werden alle auf dem Umschlag vorweggenommen. Das empfand ich als extrem frustrierend. Der Autor beschreibt beispielsweise höchst intelligent, wie die britische Spionin Sarah schrittweise das Vertrauen von Francis‘ Ehefrau Bridget gewinnt und sie für ihre Seite anwirbt. Da der Klappentext aber direkt bekannt gibt, dass Bridget zur Verräterin wird, baut dieser wichtige Handlungsstrang null Spannung auf. Dabei liest es sich faszinierend, wie aus der lebenshungrigen jungen Bridget eine resignierte Hausfrau wird, die sich zunächst alles von ihrem Mann gefallen lässt und sich plötzlich gegen ihn stellt. Natürlich kann der Autor nichts dafür – aber mein Lesevergnügen hat das trotzdem stark eingeschränkt. Wirklich schade. Wer „Verrat“ genießen möchte, sollte nur den Klappentext auf der Buchrückseite lesen, aber nicht die lange Zusammenfassung im Inneren des Umschlags. Dann sollte ein spannendes Leseerlebnis möglich sein.
May 12, 2017
Francis O’Neill is a terrorist, trained to kill for his cause. His wife, Bridget is expected to be loyal and remains at her husband’s side. One day, she glimpses the chance of a new life, one without violence. But what if freedom for Bridget comes at a terribly price for Francis?
This novel is a thriller/ spy novel, I am not really a fan of spy books, I find them too slow and I end up losing interest so am not too sure what appealed to me about this! Searle sets an atmosphere and an idea of a plot but I do not really feel that it was rigidly stuck to. Personally I did not enjoy this novel and I lost interest. Towards the end the plot does pick up and I was more involved in it and wanting to know what happened. Unfortunately this exciting aspect was soon lost.
The blurb sounded quite interesting, exploring a long-suffering wife trying to escape her husband and their lifestyle but I felt that Searle went away from this a bit and I did not think the whole plot was about Bridget’s attempt to escape. Do not get me wrong, it does feature and is a heavy part of the novel but Searle does step away from it. What Searle does achieve is capturing the atmosphere of The Troubles and both sides are mentioned, one obviously more than the other, but the mood of the 90's is recreated perfectly.
The other confusing aspect for me was Searle jumps in time, location and character perspective without any clear identification of this, so I spent most of the novel confused as to where I was and who I was following. I got used to the style of writing but I do think it ruined the flow of the novel a bit. The characters of Bridget and Francis are semi-fleshed out, the nature of Francis’ job means he is a secretive character, so the reader never gets a full idea of what he is like, although a shame it allows for imagination!
Overall, ‘A Traitor in the Family’ was just not for me. I cannot really say you will not like it, if you enjoy spy novels then you probably will, for me there was nothing to grab my attention and keep it.
This novel is a thriller/ spy novel, I am not really a fan of spy books, I find them too slow and I end up losing interest so am not too sure what appealed to me about this! Searle sets an atmosphere and an idea of a plot but I do not really feel that it was rigidly stuck to. Personally I did not enjoy this novel and I lost interest. Towards the end the plot does pick up and I was more involved in it and wanting to know what happened. Unfortunately this exciting aspect was soon lost.
The blurb sounded quite interesting, exploring a long-suffering wife trying to escape her husband and their lifestyle but I felt that Searle went away from this a bit and I did not think the whole plot was about Bridget’s attempt to escape. Do not get me wrong, it does feature and is a heavy part of the novel but Searle does step away from it. What Searle does achieve is capturing the atmosphere of The Troubles and both sides are mentioned, one obviously more than the other, but the mood of the 90's is recreated perfectly.
The other confusing aspect for me was Searle jumps in time, location and character perspective without any clear identification of this, so I spent most of the novel confused as to where I was and who I was following. I got used to the style of writing but I do think it ruined the flow of the novel a bit. The characters of Bridget and Francis are semi-fleshed out, the nature of Francis’ job means he is a secretive character, so the reader never gets a full idea of what he is like, although a shame it allows for imagination!
Overall, ‘A Traitor in the Family’ was just not for me. I cannot really say you will not like it, if you enjoy spy novels then you probably will, for me there was nothing to grab my attention and keep it.
May 7, 2017
Bridget O'Neill was swept off her feet by her husband, a man from Belfast with links to the IRA, married him and settled into uneasy domesticity in the remote border country of Armagh. Francis O'Neill is a trained operative with the IRA, executing terrorist acts in Britain and the Continent, and controlled by 'Gentleman Joe', a high ranking leader. During a trip to Singapore both Francis and Bridget are separately approached by British intelligence to act as 'touts', however Francis' younger brother has recently been executed by the IRA for just this. Years later and Francis is involved with a plot to bomb and army barracks but is caught and sentenced. Francis knows he was betrayed and so does Gentleman Joe.
Having read Searle's first novel 'The Good Liar' I knew that this would be a fast-paced and twisty story but this second book is way beyond the first. Given recent events in which former leaders of the opposing sides in the Conflicts have been prominent there has been a lot of looking back at the bad times of the 1980s and 1990s, the shootings, the bombings and the general sense of fear. Searle looks at the impact on the communities and the individuals, the reader feels empathy for Francis, caught up in something that he can't get away from, and also for Bridget, her life limited to an isolated house and a distant husband. The title refers to both the O'Neill family and also the bigger IRA family and there is a dark sense of humour here, the obsession with cups of tea and cleaning the house, but there is also a rattling good storyline. The final twist is excellent - I didn't suspect who was the traitor.
Having read Searle's first novel 'The Good Liar' I knew that this would be a fast-paced and twisty story but this second book is way beyond the first. Given recent events in which former leaders of the opposing sides in the Conflicts have been prominent there has been a lot of looking back at the bad times of the 1980s and 1990s, the shootings, the bombings and the general sense of fear. Searle looks at the impact on the communities and the individuals, the reader feels empathy for Francis, caught up in something that he can't get away from, and also for Bridget, her life limited to an isolated house and a distant husband. The title refers to both the O'Neill family and also the bigger IRA family and there is a dark sense of humour here, the obsession with cups of tea and cleaning the house, but there is also a rattling good storyline. The final twist is excellent - I didn't suspect who was the traitor.
April 24, 2018
Terroranschläge sind heutzutage wieder (fast) alltäglich geworden. Sie sind entsetzlich und grausam. Und werden meistens mit Islamischen Organisationen oder Menschen in Verbindung gebracht, die sich mit den Grundsätzen solcher Organisationen identifizieren oder glühende Anhänger dieser sind. In Vergessenheit könnte beinahe geraten, dass es auch in Europa Terrororganisationen gab. Die IRA war/ist eine davon.
Die Irisch Republikanische Armee wollte 90 Jahre lang die Unabhängigkeit Nordirlands vom Britischen Königreich erwirken. Mit brutalen Bombenanschlägen und gegen britische Armeeangehörige und Persönlichkeiten in der Politik. Erst seit 2005 ist der Konflikt offiziell beendet und die Waffen schweigen. Doch unter der Oberfläche brodelt es nach wie vor. Wir bekommen davon nur nichts mit.
Nicholas Searle ruft diesen Konflikt mitten in Europa mit diesem Thriller wieder in Erinnerung. Er zeichnet ein gut vorstellbares Bild der Menschen, die diese Terrorakte durchführen oder unterstützen. Wie die Hintermänner agieren, wie die Familien der beteiligten dazu stehen. Aber auch von Menschen, die gegen diese Gewalt sind und mit allen Mitteln, die ihnen zur Verfügung stehen, gegen diesen Terror arbeiten. Immer in dem Bewußtsein, dass, sollten ihre Machenschaften entdeckt werden, dies für sie das Todesurteil bedeuten könnte. Denn wer gegen die IRA arbeitet, gehört zum Feind, arbeitet gegen ihre Sache, die in deren Augen das alleinige Richtige ist. Auch wenn diese Menschen aus den eigenen Reihen kommen, zur Familie gehören.
Wie die meisten Leute auf beiden Seiten des Konflikts kannte Francis Joe Geraghty als fähigen Mann. Seine getragene Stimme, freundlichen Worte und sie sanfte, selbstkritische Art erfüllten die Herzen fehlgehender Freiwilliger mit Angst und Schrecken
S. 128
Sprachlich ein gut zu lesender Thriller mit einer Thematik, die nicht in Vergessenheit geraten sollte. Die Täter, junge Männer, die einzig und allein der Sache dienen. Ohne wirklich zu hinterfragen, manipuliert von den Hintermännern. Immer mit dem Gedanken, dass das was sie tun richtig ist. Und die Menschen, die im Geheimnen gegen die Organisation arbeiten.
Als junge Frau hatte Bridget große Träume. In Belfast wollte sie studieren, rauskommen aus dem nordirischen Nest indem sie aufgewachsen ist. Doch dann kam alles anders. Bridget, dazu erzogen vernünftig und gehorsam zu sein, gab dem Wunsch ihrer Mutter nach und blieb. Lernte Francis kennen und lieben. Seine Stellung in der IRA hinterfragte sie nie. Selber stand sie zwar nicht hinter der Sache, sie lebte ihr Leben, akzeptierte das Tun ihres Mannes. Erst mit den Jahren entwickelte sich Bridget, aber nur im Verborgenen. Ihr verschrecktes graue Maus Dasein behielt sie sich bei. Neben Bridget gibt es noch ein paar andere Charaktere aus den eigenen Reihen, die gegen die Organisation arbeiten. Sie sind aber so im Verborgenen, dass man sie erst zum Ende hin richtig Wahrnimmt.
Mein Fazit:
Ein fesselnder Politthriller mit gut durchdachten Charakteren. Man kann sich gut in die Menschen hineinversetzten. Bridget mag als Frau auf den ersten Blick zu unterwürfig wirken, was sie natürlich auch ist. Doch passt sie ihre Persönlichkeit zu der familiären Kulisse: der Mann hat das Sagen, die Frau hat zu gehorchen. Francis entwickelt sich genau so, wie ich mir das erwartet habe. Einst ein netter fürsorglicher junger Mann, wurde er mit den Jahren zum skrupellosen Mörder und fordernden rücksichtslosen Ehemann. Auch die restlichen Charakter passen sich der Geschichte gut an. Ein wirklich gut dargestellter Thriller. Nicht unbedingt zur IRA Thematik an sich, aber wie Terror aussieht, wie er funktioniert, und wie die Menschen zu dem gemacht werden, was sie sind.
Die Irisch Republikanische Armee wollte 90 Jahre lang die Unabhängigkeit Nordirlands vom Britischen Königreich erwirken. Mit brutalen Bombenanschlägen und gegen britische Armeeangehörige und Persönlichkeiten in der Politik. Erst seit 2005 ist der Konflikt offiziell beendet und die Waffen schweigen. Doch unter der Oberfläche brodelt es nach wie vor. Wir bekommen davon nur nichts mit.
Nicholas Searle ruft diesen Konflikt mitten in Europa mit diesem Thriller wieder in Erinnerung. Er zeichnet ein gut vorstellbares Bild der Menschen, die diese Terrorakte durchführen oder unterstützen. Wie die Hintermänner agieren, wie die Familien der beteiligten dazu stehen. Aber auch von Menschen, die gegen diese Gewalt sind und mit allen Mitteln, die ihnen zur Verfügung stehen, gegen diesen Terror arbeiten. Immer in dem Bewußtsein, dass, sollten ihre Machenschaften entdeckt werden, dies für sie das Todesurteil bedeuten könnte. Denn wer gegen die IRA arbeitet, gehört zum Feind, arbeitet gegen ihre Sache, die in deren Augen das alleinige Richtige ist. Auch wenn diese Menschen aus den eigenen Reihen kommen, zur Familie gehören.
Wie die meisten Leute auf beiden Seiten des Konflikts kannte Francis Joe Geraghty als fähigen Mann. Seine getragene Stimme, freundlichen Worte und sie sanfte, selbstkritische Art erfüllten die Herzen fehlgehender Freiwilliger mit Angst und Schrecken
S. 128
Sprachlich ein gut zu lesender Thriller mit einer Thematik, die nicht in Vergessenheit geraten sollte. Die Täter, junge Männer, die einzig und allein der Sache dienen. Ohne wirklich zu hinterfragen, manipuliert von den Hintermännern. Immer mit dem Gedanken, dass das was sie tun richtig ist. Und die Menschen, die im Geheimnen gegen die Organisation arbeiten.
Als junge Frau hatte Bridget große Träume. In Belfast wollte sie studieren, rauskommen aus dem nordirischen Nest indem sie aufgewachsen ist. Doch dann kam alles anders. Bridget, dazu erzogen vernünftig und gehorsam zu sein, gab dem Wunsch ihrer Mutter nach und blieb. Lernte Francis kennen und lieben. Seine Stellung in der IRA hinterfragte sie nie. Selber stand sie zwar nicht hinter der Sache, sie lebte ihr Leben, akzeptierte das Tun ihres Mannes. Erst mit den Jahren entwickelte sich Bridget, aber nur im Verborgenen. Ihr verschrecktes graue Maus Dasein behielt sie sich bei. Neben Bridget gibt es noch ein paar andere Charaktere aus den eigenen Reihen, die gegen die Organisation arbeiten. Sie sind aber so im Verborgenen, dass man sie erst zum Ende hin richtig Wahrnimmt.
Mein Fazit:
Ein fesselnder Politthriller mit gut durchdachten Charakteren. Man kann sich gut in die Menschen hineinversetzten. Bridget mag als Frau auf den ersten Blick zu unterwürfig wirken, was sie natürlich auch ist. Doch passt sie ihre Persönlichkeit zu der familiären Kulisse: der Mann hat das Sagen, die Frau hat zu gehorchen. Francis entwickelt sich genau so, wie ich mir das erwartet habe. Einst ein netter fürsorglicher junger Mann, wurde er mit den Jahren zum skrupellosen Mörder und fordernden rücksichtslosen Ehemann. Auch die restlichen Charakter passen sich der Geschichte gut an. Ein wirklich gut dargestellter Thriller. Nicht unbedingt zur IRA Thematik an sich, aber wie Terror aussieht, wie er funktioniert, und wie die Menschen zu dem gemacht werden, was sie sind.
May 29, 2017
Bridget O’Neill’s husband Francis is an IRA operative. They live in a remote border area of Armagh. Francis is ‘actively’ killing in the UK and Europe being handled by Joe Geraghty a high ranking commander.
Both Francis and Bridget are separately approached while on a trip to Singapore by British Intelligence to act as spies. Francis’ brother was betrayed by Francis to the IRA and they murdered him as a result.
This book looks at the effects of the IRA violence on the victims, the individuals perpetrating it plus their families.
Francis is deep deep in and cannot extricate himself. His wife Bridget is living a lonely existence with a husband who is never ‘with’ her even when she is standing beside him.
Finally Francis is caught and sentenced for a plot to bomb an army stronghold. Francis knows he was betrayed and searches his mind to find his betrayer.
The twist at the end was excellent. Overall a gripping read and highly recommended.
Both Francis and Bridget are separately approached while on a trip to Singapore by British Intelligence to act as spies. Francis’ brother was betrayed by Francis to the IRA and they murdered him as a result.
This book looks at the effects of the IRA violence on the victims, the individuals perpetrating it plus their families.
Francis is deep deep in and cannot extricate himself. His wife Bridget is living a lonely existence with a husband who is never ‘with’ her even when she is standing beside him.
Finally Francis is caught and sentenced for a plot to bomb an army stronghold. Francis knows he was betrayed and searches his mind to find his betrayer.
The twist at the end was excellent. Overall a gripping read and highly recommended.
October 19, 2023
Gripping and nicely paced. Easy to read but some things were left unsaid/unexplained, this is particularly true when there are jumps in time between chapters and the reader is left to try and work out what has happened. All in all this contributes to a shady feeling, or the feeling that comprehension is just out of sight in the corners of the room. This of course mirrors the experience of the main characters.
For me, reading about the experience/perspective of the partner of a terrorist was novel and thought-provoking. Will definitely read more from this author.
For me, reading about the experience/perspective of the partner of a terrorist was novel and thought-provoking. Will definitely read more from this author.
September 30, 2017
Second novel from the author and - while it is a rapid departure from his first novel in term of characters, plot and period - it is nonetheless another excellent read. The underlying fear and terror of the Troubles permeates throughout this book, touching every character and results in some very unsettling scenes and an unflinching air of desperation for all involved. Can't wait to see what next from this author.
January 6, 2020
Another in my obsession with the troubles crime novels. This is less a thriller than a foray into the psychological depths of an oppressed Irish wife married to an IRA assassin and a culture that doesn't value her as human. Talk about troubles. While we follow Francis on a few of his hits, they are all business compared to the horror his wife experiences as the woman left behind.
February 19, 2020
The tension brings home the reality of life during the troubles of Ireland. Human nature, loyalties and values are all tested.
Story is told from several perspectives giving a rounded picture of the couple struggling to exist with purpose In a world where power is in the hands of others at every turn.
Told with respect. A page turner.
Story is told from several perspectives giving a rounded picture of the couple struggling to exist with purpose In a world where power is in the hands of others at every turn.
Told with respect. A page turner.
August 15, 2018
A very interesting novel describing the social complications of IRA membership. The period covered is from the Troubles to well after the Good Friday agreement. Well written, realistic and a reminder of the turmoil of the time which, probably, is still a strong memory for those involved.
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