The Ghosts of Belfast
The Belfast novels, Book 1
Stuart Neville
Soho Crime
Fiction, Mystery/Thriller
Themes: Cross-Genre, Ghosts and Spirits, Urban Tales
****
Description
The day Gerry Fegan learned he was to be released from the Maze prison, twelve ghosts began to haunt him. Each one was a victim of his bloody work in the IRA, ostensibly fighting for Northern Ireland's freedom. Now, Belfast is changing, and a peace that once seemed impossible is on the horizon. The same men who once hurled Molotov cocktails at police officers and ordered hits on their own neighbors now wear suits and drive Jaguars... except for those like Fegan, the ones sent to do their dirty work and left to take the consequences. Gerry never wanted to take another life, but the ghosts demand retribution. His former bosses may fight with media sound bites instead of guns these days, but they still have much to answer for - and, if the rest of world seems to have forgotten, the ghosts of Belfast remember.
Review
Neville weaves a dark and gory tale of Northern Ireland's dark and gory history, a history that refuses to be forgotten even in this day and age. The people described here - yesterday's cold-blooded killers forgiven as "freedom fighters," hiding from justice behind press conferences while they still work dark deals behind the scenes - doubtless have real-life counterparts in Ireland and many parts of the world. Some of the names and interchangeable thugs ran together, and at least one plot contrivance (the innocent little girl Ellen, daughter of a potential love interest) had me rolling my eyes more often than not. Does Gerry's crusade balance the scales? Can Ireland ever wash its hands without the hate-fueled bloodstains resurfacing in some form or another? Do two wrongs ever make a right? Neville asks these questions and more, without always giving clean answers. The back cover claims that the author plans a series; personally, I don't know that it needs more books. Overall, the story is less mystery and more thriller, and if it wasn't quite my cup of cocoa, it was still a nicely-paced and unpredictable tale that never flinched from its own shadows.