14. - 811.) Collusion by Stuart
Neville – After the rampage of Gerry Fegan in Ghosts of Belfast executing former associates from “The Troubles”
in Northern Ireland there are many powerful forces who want the loose ends to
go away permanently.
For Bull O’Kane vengeance is both
personal and professional. Permanently damaged and forced to a wheelchair he
wants Fagan dead. O’Kane, beyond being crippled by Fegan, cannot stand that
Fegan is the only man he fears in the world.
O’Kane reaches out to an
independent assassin, The Traveler, a fierce killer of gypsy background. He
hires The Traveler to dispose of the loose ends and draw out Fegan who has
disappeared. The Traveler is indifferent to his motivations.
In Belfast Detective Inspector
Jack Lennon, a Catholic, is living with his own demons. He has been estranged
from his family for 15 years for having joined the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
He is under constant suspicion within the police for having lived with Marie McKenna
and fathered a daughter. McKenna is the daughter and niece of powerful
Republicans. The constant tension is wearing upon him.
When Lennon, on surveillance,
prevents a Loyalist gangster from killing another Loyalist thug in an internal dispute
over turf and criminal ventures he gains increased responsibilities within the
police services.
In New York City Fegan is trying
to work quietly but his sleep is still haunted. While the ghosts from Belfast
have faded he is plagued by visions of fire and smoke and a screaming child.
At the same time Lennon, who had
abandoned McKenna and his daughter Ellen, desperately wants to re-establish
contact. They have equally gone away and he cannot penetrate Special Branch.
As The Traveler carries out his
contract and the bodies begin to mount Lennon does not accept there are no
connections. His superiors are content with convenient solutions.
The depths of the scheming are made
clear to Lennon:
“Everybody knows it all, but no one says anything. Look,
collusion worked all ways, all directions. Between the Brits and the Loyalists,
between the Irish government and the Republicans, between the Republicans and
the Brits, between the Loyalists and the Republicans …… All ways, all
directions. We’ll never know how far it went.”
A degree of paranoia can be
healthy in Northern Ireland as there may be a vast conspiracy around you.
It is a tribute to Neville’s skill
that he can create a thriller filled with hard men and hard women. Ordinary
thrillers require a hero. Neville does not need a hero to carry his plot. His
story drives forward into a contemporary heart of darkness. (Apr. 4/15)
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Neville, Stuart - (2011) - The Ghosts of Belfast; (2012) - "N" is for Stuart Neville
It certainly sounds as though it does, Bill. The Troubles were such a sad, traumatic time for so many people that I'm not surprised they have these effects on these characters. And you make a well-taken point that when the story line is well-constructed and engaging, you don't need a 'hero.' Glad you thought this was one of those.
ReplyDeleteMargot: Thanks for the comment. The hard men and women of Northern Ireland suffer the psychological consequences of "The Troubles" long after the bullets stopped flying.
DeleteBill, The Troubles in Northern Ireland can be a very interesting setting for a novel, especially if one has read about the historical events of the last century. The author has told a good story in that backdrop, I think. I have read a few thrillers set in and around Ulster.
ReplyDeletePrashant: Thanks for the comment. It is becoming an older story with the active conflict over 15 years in the past.
DeleteI recently read a short story by Stuart Neville, which made me want to read more by him, so this could be the book I need...
ReplyDeleteMoira: Thanks for the comment. I would recommend reading Ghosts of Belfast before reading Collusion. I cannot see a reader going back to Ghosts of Belfast if they have already read Collusion.
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