Northern Spy by Flynn Berry

It’s twenty years after the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 and the IRA is still active in Ireland. Tessa is a single mother working for the BBC in Belfast. Her sister, Marian, is a paramedic who Tessa believes to be on vacation. Then, after an IRA robbery of a gas station, Tessa sees Marian’s image on the screen as someone involved with the operation. Tessa does not believe her sister is a member of the IRA.

As Tessa begins trying to find her sister and then learns the truth from Marian herself, she must make choices. These choices affect her core beliefs, her family, her career and may result in death.

I loved the writing in this book. I could feel the fatigue of Tessa and the residents of Ireland as they wonder when and where the next terror attack will occur. I liked the way Tessa was challenged and realized there was validity in the philosophies of both sides. As a librarian, I also loved that “Join the IRA” graffiti was edited to read “Join the Library” (true story!)! I honestly know little about the Troubles in Ireland and the aftermath, so I learned a lot from this book.

Check out Northern Spy by Flynn Berry at the Library (https://catalog.lclibs.org/polaris/search/title.aspx…) or through the eLibrary at https://lclibs.overdrive.com/media/5665399.