Northern Spy
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- Create Date：2021-04-08 00:31:07
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Flynn Berry
- ISBN：0735224994
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Summary
An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here。
REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK
The acclaimed author of Under the Harrow and A Double Life returns with her most thrilling novel to date: the story of two sisters who become entangled with the IRA。
A producer at the Belfast bureau of the BBC， Tessa is at work one day when the news of another raid comes on the air。 The IRA may have gone underground after the Good Friday agreement， but they never really went away， and lately， bomb threats， arms drops， and helicopters floating ominously over the city have become features of everyday life。 As the anchor requests the public's help in locating those responsible for this latest raid - a robbery at a gas station - Tessa's sister appears on the screen。 Tessa watches in shock as Marian pulls a black mask over her face。
The police believe Marian has joined the IRA， but Tessa knows this is impossible。 They were raised to oppose Republicanism， and the violence enacted in its name。 They've attended peace vigils together。 And besides， Marian is vacationing by the sea。 Tessa just spoke to her yesterday。
When the truth of what has happened to Marian reveals itself， Tessa will be forced to choose: between her ideals and her family， between bystanderism and action。 Walking an increasingly perilous road， she fears nothing more than endangering the one person she loves more fiercely than her sister: her infant son。
A riveting and exquisite novel about family， terror， motherhood， betrayal， and the staggering human costs of an intractable conflict， Northern Spy cements Flynn Berry's status as one of the most sophisticated and accomplished authors of crime and suspense novels working today。
REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK
The acclaimed author of Under the Harrow and A Double Life returns with her most thrilling novel to date: the story of two sisters who become entangled with the IRA。
A producer at the Belfast bureau of the BBC， Tessa is at work one day when the news of another raid comes on the air。 The IRA may have gone underground after the Good Friday agreement， but they never really went away， and lately， bomb threats， arms drops， and helicopters floating ominously over the city have become features of everyday life。 As the anchor requests the public's help in locating those responsible for this latest raid - a robbery at a gas station - Tessa's sister appears on the screen。 Tessa watches in shock as Marian pulls a black mask over her face。
The police believe Marian has joined the IRA， but Tessa knows this is impossible。 They were raised to oppose Republicanism， and the violence enacted in its name。 They've attended peace vigils together。 And besides， Marian is vacationing by the sea。 Tessa just spoke to her yesterday。
When the truth of what has happened to Marian reveals itself， Tessa will be forced to choose: between her ideals and her family， between bystanderism and action。 Walking an increasingly perilous road， she fears nothing more than endangering the one person she loves more fiercely than her sister: her infant son。
A riveting and exquisite novel about family， terror， motherhood， betrayal， and the staggering human costs of an intractable conflict， Northern Spy cements Flynn Berry's status as one of the most sophisticated and accomplished authors of crime and suspense novels working today。
Reviews
Rachel Calunan-Chiu
，
I was hesitant to start this one as it’s not a story I normally gravitate towards， but oh boy。。 was I glad to start it as I pulled in at Page 2。 The story follows to sisters， Tessa， who works for the news studio， BBC and her younger sister， Marian， a paramedic。 Both women are living within the times when Northern Ireland was divided， and when you think life is caring on as it should be， Tessa sees her sister on the news- in a ski mask holding a gun- the work of the IRA。 This story speaks of a bo I was hesitant to start this one as it’s not a story I normally gravitate towards， but oh boy。。 was I glad to start it as I pulled in at Page 2。 The story follows to sisters， Tessa， who works for the news studio， BBC and her younger sister， Marian， a paramedic。 Both women are living within the times when Northern Ireland was divided， and when you think life is caring on as it should be， Tessa sees her sister on the news- in a ski mask holding a gun- the work of the IRA。 This story speaks of a bond between 2 sisters， their life in times of turmoil， and what they would do for the country they love。 。。。more
BookstagramETC
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Reese Book Club pick for April - looks right up my alley！
Vicki
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“Northern Spy” by Flynn Berry， Viking， 288 pages， April 6， 2021。Tessa Daly， a political news producer at the Belfast bureau of BBC radio， is at work one day when the news of another raid comes on the air。 The IRA may have gone underground after the Good Friday Agreement of 1998， but they never really went away。 As the news reporter requests the public's help in locating those responsible for a robbery at a gas station， Tessa's sister， Marian， appears onscreen。 Tessa watches in shock as Marian pu “Northern Spy” by Flynn Berry， Viking， 288 pages， April 6， 2021。Tessa Daly， a political news producer at the Belfast bureau of BBC radio， is at work one day when the news of another raid comes on the air。 The IRA may have gone underground after the Good Friday Agreement of 1998， but they never really went away。 As the news reporter requests the public's help in locating those responsible for a robbery at a gas station， Tessa's sister， Marian， appears onscreen。 Tessa watches in shock as Marian pulls a black ski mask over her face。 The police believe Marian has joined the IRA。 Tessa doesn’t believe it because the sisters were raised to oppose violence。 Marian， a paramedic， is supposed to be on a diving vacation on the north coast。 Tessa goes to the police station and says Marian had to have been coerced。 Marian is pregnant。 Tessa， a single mother， has a 6-month-old son， Finn， with ex-husband， Tom。 Police have also interviewed their mother， who plans to visit a friend’s IRA-member son for advice。 Then one day Marian shows up。 She tells Tessa that she has been in the IRA for years， but she says that she is now an informant for the government。 Tessa is faced with impossible choices when Marian asks her to be her go-between with MI5。 The police don’t know that Marian is an informant。The underlying themes of the novel are family and conflict。 The characters are good， but the plot is implausible。In accordance with FTC guidelines， the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
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This is a twisty and tense novel of what happens when familial devotion and politics collide。 Tessa had no idea whatsoever that her sister Marian， a paramedic in Belfast， is an active member of the IRA。 Now， she's coping with the shock of that revelation as well as her own life as a single mom to Finn。 When Marian comes to her with a request， she's conflicted but goes along， which pulls her into a web more complicated than she ever imagined。 Everyone is suspect in Belfast and every action is a r This is a twisty and tense novel of what happens when familial devotion and politics collide。 Tessa had no idea whatsoever that her sister Marian， a paramedic in Belfast， is an active member of the IRA。 Now， she's coping with the shock of that revelation as well as her own life as a single mom to Finn。 When Marian comes to her with a request， she's conflicted but goes along， which pulls her into a web more complicated than she ever imagined。 Everyone is suspect in Belfast and every action is a risk （a scene in a shop is a compelling reminder）。 Who can she trust？ Does Tessa make good decisions？ Up to you to decide because no spoilers from me although frankly。。。。。。 What sings though is her love for Marian and for her son， who she wants to protect more than herself。 Berry does an excellent job with creating tension - you'll hold your breath several times- as well as atmospherics。 Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC。 This is a well written page turner with good characters and a plot that keeps you guessing。 Highly recommend。 。。。more
Beth
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Emotional， strong look at how two sisters became involved in the contemporary IRA movement。 Count me as one of the people who thought the Troubles were over in Ireland。 In fact the IRA is still active and both sides -- the activists and British government -- attempt to recruit followers/informants in subtle， incremental ways。 This book explores several sides of the ongoing conflict and the way it affects a single family。 A powerful story， highly recommended。BTW: yes， I understand there are issue Emotional， strong look at how two sisters became involved in the contemporary IRA movement。 Count me as one of the people who thought the Troubles were over in Ireland。 In fact the IRA is still active and both sides -- the activists and British government -- attempt to recruit followers/informants in subtle， incremental ways。 This book explores several sides of the ongoing conflict and the way it affects a single family。 A powerful story， highly recommended。BTW: yes， I understand there are issues with some of the plot details， but I let that go and instead focused on the bigger story。The audiobook was wonderfully narrated by Katharine Lee McEwan， who infused her delivery with the complex feelings of the characters without crossing the line into the melodramatic。 Gripping performance that will make you want to listen all in one go。 。。。more
Martha Brindley
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Set in Northern Ireland， at the time of The Troubles。 Northern Spy is centred around two sisters who become involved with the IRA。 It reflects on family ties， motherhood and the desire for peace。 It was moderately paced and was well written with good characterisation and a good plot twist but just lacking in a bit of detail。 Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC。
Teri
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Northern Spy delves into the close relationship of two sisters， how they became involved in the IRA and all of the complications that ensue。 A page turner， with lots of plot twists， fear， intimidation and at the heart of it all the love between sisters。**I received an electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review of this book。
Ceecee
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Tessa works for the BBC in Belfast on a weekly political programme and gets the shock of her life when her sister Marion appears on TV participating in an IRA robbery of a petrol station。 What unfolds is a scary journey for Tessa whose overriding thoughts are about protecting her baby son Finn。 The story is told by Tessa。 First of all， the book definitely grabs your attention and there are certainly some scary and tense scenes as the threat level in Northern Ireland escalates。 I like the premise Tessa works for the BBC in Belfast on a weekly political programme and gets the shock of her life when her sister Marion appears on TV participating in an IRA robbery of a petrol station。 What unfolds is a scary journey for Tessa whose overriding thoughts are about protecting her baby son Finn。 The story is told by Tessa。 First of all， the book definitely grabs your attention and there are certainly some scary and tense scenes as the threat level in Northern Ireland escalates。 I like the premise of just how well do you actually know someone as Marion sure fools Tessa for years and it also about how a parent will do all they can to survive in order to protect a much loved child。 However， I have major issues with the book。 The writing is very dispassionate except when describing Finn but I’ll give the author the benefit of the doubt on that one and assume that is deliberate and that Tessa’s actions are out of numbness rather than lack of emotion。 I think the book would have been much more interesting and revealing if we’d had Marion’s perspective， after all its mostly her story。 There are big plot holes such as Marion’s unmasked revealed face at the petrol station （she did put it on）， that’s a rookie error that someone with seven years experience in the IRA would not make。 Once the NI police know that Marion is IRA then no way would the cell ask Tessa to scout for them as they know Tessa would be under surveillance nor would Marion then attend a wedding for the same reason。 I could go on as there’s at least one more especially towards the end。 My biggest problem is that it describes the province during the Troubles and not years on from the Good Friday Agreement。 I checked three times that it is set post GFA！ I absolutely acknowledge this is a work of fiction and also that the problems have not magically gone away but I think it’s misleading。 However， that’s just my opinion and others may feel differently。 On a smaller point although I really like how the book gets its title， Northern Spy apples are not widely available in the UK and I’d never heard of them before！！ Overall， I really liked Flynn Berry’s previous books and I’ll always want to read what she comes up with but this one is not for me。 There are some very good sections in it however not sufficient to outweigh my issues。 With thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for the arc in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Eva
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I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。BBC producer and single mom Tessa and her sister Marian live in Northern Ireland， where despite peace having been officially reached decades earlier， the IRA is still active and tensions in the community remain high。 One day， much to Tessa’s shock and confusion， Marian is caught on video participating in an armed robbery。 Police believe Marian has joined the IRA， but the very idea of this goes against everything Tessa I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。BBC producer and single mom Tessa and her sister Marian live in Northern Ireland， where despite peace having been officially reached decades earlier， the IRA is still active and tensions in the community remain high。 One day， much to Tessa’s shock and confusion， Marian is caught on video participating in an armed robbery。 Police believe Marian has joined the IRA， but the very idea of this goes against everything Tessa knows about her sister， with whom she has a very close relationship。 The plot and pacing of the story get more intense as Tessa slowly becomes embroiled in a world of espionage and her life spins out of her control。 But through it all she remains focused on what is most important to her – the through line guiding all of her actions is her love and concern for her son， Finn。 Tessa’s fear and desperation are palpable， as is her love for her family。 The book contains beautiful depictions of motherhood， and captures the devotion （and frustration） of sisterhood， as well as including some gorgeous descriptions of the Irish scenery。 This book was beautifully written， and the plot kept me flying through the pages。 It’s the first book I’ve read by Flynn Berry， but now I’m definitely interested in looking into her other works。 。。。more
Allyson
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This was soooooo good。 Just finished it and my heart is still pounding。 Main character （Tessa） has six month old and author's portrayal of Tessa's actions， motivations， and emotions felt like gut punches-- I completely felt what she was feeling。 Visceral reading experience， well developed sense of place and politics。 I put it down many times bc it was too tense but picked it right back up bc I had to know what was going to happen next。 This was soooooo good。 Just finished it and my heart is still pounding。 Main character （Tessa） has six month old and author's portrayal of Tessa's actions， motivations， and emotions felt like gut punches-- I completely felt what she was feeling。 Visceral reading experience， well developed sense of place and politics。 I put it down many times bc it was too tense but picked it right back up bc I had to know what was going to happen next。 。。。more
MarySue
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This exploration of the complex challenges in the "Troubles" brought me a new sensitivity and appreciation for the eventual resolution of the violence。 A truly amazing accomplishment。 It also spurred thought on the many areas of conflict that exist today。 Is there hope？ I certainly have a deeper appreciation of the sacrifice and compromise and dedication that led to peace in Northern Ireland。 This exploration of the complex challenges in the "Troubles" brought me a new sensitivity and appreciation for the eventual resolution of the violence。 A truly amazing accomplishment。 It also spurred thought on the many areas of conflict that exist today。 Is there hope？ I certainly have a deeper appreciation of the sacrifice and compromise and dedication that led to peace in Northern Ireland。 。。。more
Nancy McFarlane
，
As a single mom the most important thing in Tessa’s life is her infant son， Finn。 She would do anything to protect him。 But she never dreamed that protecting him and ensuring him a peaceful future would mean she has to make choices she never would have even thought about making before he was born。 The second most important thing in Tessa’s life is her sister Marion。 A sister who as herself had been born right after ‘the troubles’ in Northern Ireland but who was not political at all。 She was a pa As a single mom the most important thing in Tessa’s life is her infant son， Finn。 She would do anything to protect him。 But she never dreamed that protecting him and ensuring him a peaceful future would mean she has to make choices she never would have even thought about making before he was born。 The second most important thing in Tessa’s life is her sister Marion。 A sister who as herself had been born right after ‘the troubles’ in Northern Ireland but who was not political at all。 She was a paramedic and like Tessa just tried to be safe when the occasional IRA activities became more prevalent。 Only， as it turns， out Marion is not apolitical – she is seen on camera during a robbery with known IRA members。 Soon everything changes and Tessa is drawn into a life of danger that she never dreamed possible。 A Northern Spy is not your ordinary spy thriller。 It is full of the typical secret meetings， double agents， foiled plots， and just trying to stay alive but it is also a study of a mother’s devotion and a rationale for the choices that she makes when she essentially decides she has no choice but to become a spy。 。。。more
Joann Im
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A moving portrait of motherhood and sister in the backdrop of a divided society during the conflict in Northern Ireland。 A producer at the Belfast Bureau of the BBC， Tessa receives news at work of another raid from the IRA in regards to a robbery at a gas station。 Tessa's life is turned upside down when her sister Marian appears on the screen in connection to the robbery。 The police believes Marian has joined the IRA， but Tessa is in doubt。 As the truth of Marian's identity begins to unfold， Tes A moving portrait of motherhood and sister in the backdrop of a divided society during the conflict in Northern Ireland。 A producer at the Belfast Bureau of the BBC， Tessa receives news at work of another raid from the IRA in regards to a robbery at a gas station。 Tessa's life is turned upside down when her sister Marian appears on the screen in connection to the robbery。 The police believes Marian has joined the IRA， but Tessa is in doubt。 As the truth of Marian's identity begins to unfold， Tessa will be forced to choose between her family and beliefs。 Flynn Berry's exquisite writing grasps the intricacy of humanity。 Most importantly， it's a human story for those involved in activism and the violence many grapple with。 Flynn Berry's in-depth exploration on motherhood felt intimate and beautiful。 Tessa's relationship with her son Finn felt realistic and memorable。 The story was moderately-paced with in-depth atmospheric and characteristic details that truly breathed life。 My only minor thing that bothered me about this book were several plot holes in certain part of the story and its characters。 But these minor details will not take away from the essence of the story: family， motherhood， activism and the toll it takes on human lives stuck in a conflict。 Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Mary McBride
，
Contary to other reviews， I think Flynn Berry has matured as a writer。 This was such an intriguing story of two sisters in Northern Ireland and their involvement with the IRA。 Reflecting family and motherhood as well as loyalty to their country， this was a nail biter。 Great background too on the struggle for peace in Ireland。
Kim McGee
，
A single mom of an infant balancing little sleep， hormones and a job with the BBC is stunned when she sees her sister on a security camera in a robbery and working with the IRA。 Tessa and Marion are close and Tessa cannot believe that her sister would be a part of this but she will not turn her sister in。Soon Tessa is pulled into a very dangerous game of helping Marion pass information to MI5。 If either of them is caught there will be no second chance or time to say goodbye to Finn。 This tight p A single mom of an infant balancing little sleep， hormones and a job with the BBC is stunned when she sees her sister on a security camera in a robbery and working with the IRA。 Tessa and Marion are close and Tessa cannot believe that her sister would be a part of this but she will not turn her sister in。Soon Tessa is pulled into a very dangerous game of helping Marion pass information to MI5。 If either of them is caught there will be no second chance or time to say goodbye to Finn。 This tight political thriller shows us both the violent and very human side of these activists。 This tie to motherhood and family loyalty shows us a very different side to what you see on the news。 My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy。 。。。more
Chelsea
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Couldn't get through this。 Main character purports to be "neutral" but the author only ever describes the big bad IRA as "terrorists" and nothing more。 No examination of the origins of the conflict， how it changed throughout the decades， doesn't even mention the word Ulster。 It is possible and would be perfectly fine to write this book from the stance of anti-violence but I was hoping for a lot more background since I expect this will be read widely by an American audience who has absolutely no Couldn't get through this。 Main character purports to be "neutral" but the author only ever describes the big bad IRA as "terrorists" and nothing more。 No examination of the origins of the conflict， how it changed throughout the decades， doesn't even mention the word Ulster。 It is possible and would be perfectly fine to write this book from the stance of anti-violence but I was hoping for a lot more background since I expect this will be read widely by an American audience who has absolutely no knowledge of the Troubles other than that it was "catholics vs。 protestants。" I kept waiting for a description of Loyalist violence or even a tiny bit of history of the incredibly complicated conflict but all I got was "the IRA is bad and made my sister read Marx and now she's Patty Hearst。" 。。。more
Stephanie Crowe
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Northern Spy by Flynn BerryBerry has penned a tense roller coaster ride in her latest novel。 Two sisters， Marian and Tessa， get caught up in the conflict between the IRA and British in Northern Ireland during the Troubles。 And to further complicate the matter， Tessa， has an infant and her dilemma is intense。 I almost felt as if I were with these two and experiencing their fear and anxiety。 A riveting read and I finished in one sitting！
J Todd wilkins
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For anyone who has ever held any interest in 'The Troubles' or Northern Ireland in general， NORTHERN SPY by FLYNN BERRY should be on your 'To Be Read' list。The reader follows the protagonist Tessa as she balances her job as a BBC producer and being a single mother with a small child。 Added to the everyday pressures of those two situations， is the fact that， like everyone in Northern Ireland， she's living life under a constant threat of terrorism from factions of the IRA。 When her sister mysterio For anyone who has ever held any interest in 'The Troubles' or Northern Ireland in general， NORTHERN SPY by FLYNN BERRY should be on your 'To Be Read' list。The reader follows the protagonist Tessa as she balances her job as a BBC producer and being a single mother with a small child。 Added to the everyday pressures of those two situations， is the fact that， like everyone in Northern Ireland， she's living life under a constant threat of terrorism from factions of the IRA。 When her sister mysteriously disappears， she fears the worst has happened。BERRY delves deep into the psyche of her main character and superbly describes the feelings and emotions one feels as a new parent and the lengths at which she will go to protect her family。 As the mystery of her sister's whereabouts unfolds， there are no easy decisions and a single wrong decision has life and death consequences。 Having studied the cease-fire and peace agreements in college， I was immediately interested in this book when I read the description。 It is a departure from the types of thrillers I read， but I'm glad I did。 While the physical action and danger comes in starts and stops， the psychological peril is constant and relatable。 Berry does an amazing job of dropping the reader into the mind of Marian and we are actively rooting for events to fall in her favor。。。 despite all the odds of them doing so。I'll definitely be checking out Berry's other books A DOUBLE LIFE and UNDER THE HARROW 。。。more
Melissa
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I received a copy of this from Netgalley and Viking in exchange for a review。Flynn Berry has a new book out！ And with all the publishing book buzzes I've watched online this year I somehow hadn't heard about this one before a few weeks ago， so there's a small delight in this ridiculous year， in which I have now read one good novel set in Ireland and written in the present tense。 This was meant to be my read-on-work-breaks book for the week but instead I absolutely inhaled this， missing the atmos I received a copy of this from Netgalley and Viking in exchange for a review。Flynn Berry has a new book out！ And with all the publishing book buzzes I've watched online this year I somehow hadn't heard about this one before a few weeks ago， so there's a small delight in this ridiculous year， in which I have now read one good novel set in Ireland and written in the present tense。 This was meant to be my read-on-work-breaks book for the week but instead I absolutely inhaled this， missing the atmosphere and the characters and Berry’s impeccably lovely little details when I had to do anything other than continue with it。 Her writing is just as rich and ethereal as ever， and though this is a tense but not air-tight thriller about the IRA for reasons I’ll get into in a moment， the real delight and heft of the story lies in Tessa's relationship with her baby Finn， whom she is raising mainly alone， Finn’s dad Tom on the periphery for parenting time with his son on Sundays。 I adored Tessa’s devotion to her son and all of the little facets about caring for a baby that are easy to forget about since it’s been over ten years since I was in that game。 How it physically aches to be away from him， the unbelievable exhaustion and how delightful he is in spite of it。 Sometimes life just sits in its groove and does its thing and you let slip from your mind the wonder that you’ve made a whole other person and how remarkable and marvelous that is （especially when they happen to be a totally awesome smart-ass genius like my particular person） and I loved how much Tessa cherished her son。 The only bummer of this book is that the more I pick at the plot the more it unravels like a ratty sweater。 （view spoiler）[To start with， why didn’t Marian just put her balaclava on before she was on camera and avoid the whole mess？ If the police were already watching Marian’s apartment， doesn't it stand that they'd be watching Tessa at least part of the time， maybe taking an interest when she suddenly starts having tense conversations in public with a woman with bleached hair？ And the idea that the IRA would think that the sister of a volunteer who's known to the police would make a good scout seems bonkers to me; it seems like she would invite more scrutiny from the police just by association。 Also， once Tessa is presumed dead， doesn’t anyone in Tom’s family wonder where Finn has gone？ If Finn’s mom is dead， surely the expectation would be that Tom would get custody of his son， not that his son disappeared into thin air but Tom needs to start taking all of these mysterious trips to Dublin all of a sudden; also， how could Finn ever be allowed to come and visit Tom？ Or maybe I don’t know enough about custody or parenting time in Ireland and everyone supposes that Finn has gone away with Tessa’s mom， but that seems like at the very least it would be an awfully complicated court battle。 （hide spoiler）] However， one of my very favorite books ever is The Likeness， the premise of which is absolutely mad on its face and that doesn’t stop me from loving it to bits， nor shall the suspension of disbelief required to read this book keep me from loving it as well。 At some point Tessa asks herself， “Why would I need help？ I have my son。 I have my body， I have food， weather， a stack of books to read，” which is so like what I tell myself in gratitude every night of every day I’m allowed that it made me pause and wonder if Berry was in my brain （this is nonwithstanding the fact that Tessa， much like all of us， has suffered quite a bit of trauma and does definitely need help） and it feels worth four stars just for that。 。。。more
Jennifer
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Netgalley supplied an Advanced Readers Copy of this title in exchange for an impartial review。I am beginning to suspect that Berry's first novel was the one she had to write and， thus， her best。 This is the first follow up that feels a tad undercooked。 Northern Spy is about just that: sister spies in the IRA。 I found the inner workings of the IRA to be fascinating content。 And I think， as always， Berry does an great job of creating emotional moments。 Her look at motherhood， for example， is clear Netgalley supplied an Advanced Readers Copy of this title in exchange for an impartial review。I am beginning to suspect that Berry's first novel was the one she had to write and， thus， her best。 This is the first follow up that feels a tad undercooked。 Northern Spy is about just that: sister spies in the IRA。 I found the inner workings of the IRA to be fascinating content。 And I think， as always， Berry does an great job of creating emotional moments。 Her look at motherhood， for example， is clear-eyed and moving。 But I think this story could have benefitted from multiple points of view。 A way into the heads of both sisters would have gone a long way to selling their behavior and subsequent actions。 Still a solid and entertaining read。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Northern Spy
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Northern Spy&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Northern Spy&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0