It's 1985 in Northern Ireland and a wealthy couple is shot in their Belfast home. When their adult son is found at the foot of a nearby cliff, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) assume murder and suicide. DI Sean Duffy suspects otherwise, and the supposed suicide of the son's girlfriend adds to his doubts. The deaths pile up as an IRA hit man, MI5, the FBI, and even President Ronald Reagan appear to be involved. Duffy, a Catholic in the predominantly Protestant RUC, is a maverick who delights in bending the rules. Sarcastic, literate, moral, and loyal, he seems to lead a charmed life amid the Troubles.
VERDICT This is McKinty's fourth Duffy outing, following the "Troubles Trilogy" that began with The Cold Cold Ground in 2012. Like the earlier tales, it mixes a mordant wit and casual, unpredictable violence that vividly portrays a turbulent time when Duffy, as a matter of routine, checks under his car for bombs. After a dozen novels, McKinty is in full command of language, plot, and setting in a terrifying period of history that sometimes seems forgotten. Fans of gritty Northern Irish crime writers such as Stuart Neville, Declan Hughes, and Brian McGilloway will enjoy this talented author.
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