Northern Ireland, 1994, and it’s the tail-end of the Troubles, the long conflict winding down. But that doesn’t mean the violence is over and Detective Desmond Maguire is the sole survivor of a squad of police ambushed after a botched sting. The sting was set up on the word of an informant, known as Ruby, but Ruby has now disappeared. Knowing he’s under suspicion, Maguire goes in search of the informant, a pursuit that leads him to the island of Lough Derg and the community of pilgrims who call it home.
I really enjoy books set in Ireland during the Troubles as it’s a historical conflict that interests me. My family come from Ireland and as a current affairs journalist I worked on many stories that covered aspects of the conflict. A number of writers have set stories in the period, not least Adrian McKinty’s Sean Duffy series, Stuart Neville’s various titles, Anna Burns’ Milkman, David Keenan’s For The Good Times and Michael Hughes’ Country.
Turncoat doesn’t disappoint and is set to join the canon of really good novels that explore this conflict and its legacy. Like Adrian McKinty’s character Sean Duffy, the protagonist in this tale, Detective Desmond Maguire, is a Catholic in a still predominantly Protestant police force. Sectarianism remains an ugly fact of life in Northern Ireland (though not nearly as bad as in the past) and this is a factor that complicates Maguire’s efforts to prove his innocence.
Much of the novel takes place on Lough Derg and in some ways this novel reminded me of stories like The Wicker Man. Though this novel doesn’t deal with pagan sacrifices and other such supernatural phenomena, Maguire is an outsider in an isolated setting and amongst a community of believers.
This is a really good novel, very atmospheric, and highly recommended.
4 out of 5 stars
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