Welcome to Litsy!

Loved this book. Loved, loved, loved. Read in a state of suspended animation. Gorgeous writing, wonderful characters. And the plot! Had to read the final third really fast then twice slowly. Highly recommend. Literary Thriller, but so much more.

Eddy Charcoal says we all need deep breaths today. Keep on trudgin‘.

Set in Northern Ireland in the present,Tessa is a young,divorced mother of a baby who works for the BBC.Her world is turned upside down when her sister is caught on camera during an IRA attack&identified as a terrorist.Slowly Tessa gets sucked into the world of the IRA&MI5.This book does something many novels no longer do:entertain&guide the reader through a “world” they‘ll never “see” while addressing universal themes such as motherhood,family.

I love Flynn Berry. I have never disappointed in a book by her. In this one, Tessa is told her sister, Marian, is part of the IRA. Tessa doesn't believe it, but there is video. What follows in a story of sisters, of Tessa the mother, and a troubled country.

It's not the beach, but the pool will do.

Another book I'd read a chunk of but haven't finished. I adore Flynn Berry and I know from her socials that the sequel will be out next year.

I‘ve read many historical fiction novels, but none about the IRA. This was great writing and I kept wanting more. I don‘t understand how someone in the “witness protection program” can have contact with anyone from their former life, that part left me with a facepalm. Book #40 in 2023

I‘ve read many historical fiction novels, but none about the IRA. This was great writing and I kept wanting more. Book #40 in 2023

Loved it

I rattled through this thriller at the weekend set in Belfast as a peace treaty may bring the end of the troubles. When bbc producer Tessa sees on a news flash an appeal for witnesses to a robbery she recognises her paramedic sister as one of the IRA gang . The ensuing story is a tense tale of where truth lies amidst conflicting loyalties. Certainly a page turner.

Book 94

Northern Spy was a book club pick that I am so happy to have read! It is set in Ireland during a time of lengthy political unrest, when safety isn't an expectation. Tessa, single mother to a newborn and CNN producer, shockingly learns that her sister, Marian, is a spy.

Just okay. I feel like the synopsis on the back of the book gives you everything you need to know on the inside. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Up next….

Such a great story! I loved that it intertwined the struggles and complexities of politics, family structures, marriage, siblings, and motherhood.

Tessa, a Northern Irish native works for the BBC when one day she sees a still from CCTV footage of an armed robbery. The police are asking for info on the the suspects who are considered IRA terrorists. The middle suspect is a woman looking towards the camera. There's no doubt in Tessa's mind that the woman is her sister.

What would you do if you were in her shoes?

Loved this, 4 thumbs up!

Finally finished a book .. it‘s been awhile!! Great book .. Irish espionage at its best!! 🥰📚

A few #TwoWord titles I‘ve read this year. #FallTreasures

This was a great #audiobook. The narrator's accent is lovely. I've heard that this book is a bit of a slog, but I would definitely recommend the audiobook. This is my August IRL #bookclub pick.

⭐️⭐️💫

This was semi-suspenseful and Tessa‘s relationship with her son and sister were moving. However, it also has some plot holes and a confusing, misleading timeline, giving the impression this is what life is currently like in Northern Ireland (although the author isn‘t from there). It seemed to dilute the complicated conflict into a one-sided perspective that didn‘t feel authentic to me. 🎧 #reesesbookclub

After a week of extremely disappointing reading I was thrilled to find I enjoyed this. Tessa is an interesting character. I felt for her as her world fell out from under her. Several times! Her love for her son, nearly equal love for her sister, & having to make choices while balancing between them brought a lot of tension for me. I only know the bare bones of the conflict in Northern Ireland so I liked learning about it while recognizing that ⬇️

I mean, of course I had to check out #ReesesBookClub new book box. You get to pick you book from her selections, and then also get the adorable scarf, bookmark, coffee samplers, cookie (vegan GF) samplers (1 pkg already eaten by husband & self), and the Cutest. Candle. Ever. I should have shown how it arrived wrapped up, but alas…

This was a gripping read, except for 2x use of words that didn't fit (for me) in the sense it was used.

How can two words make such a difference to a read? Anyone else get "thrown out" of a book like this? Any tips on ignoring it?

Tomorrow, according to Seamus's plan.... Damian will kill him with a single sniper shot....

The police will be out on the roads after the murder, but they won't search for the killers here. The guests are too wealthy, they wouldn't be involved. Seamus was excited with this plan, the cleverness of having us stay in place instead of running, hiding in plain sight. "He reads Agatha Christie," says Damian. "He's fucking delighted."

I wanted to like this book mainly because of the story‘s setting but I struggled with it. I‘m working on just letting books go if they don‘t speak to me by 1/2 way through the book. So, this was a bail for me.

.... the whip-round continues until it reaches sport, at which point everyone feels comfortable not listening. A few people read the newspapers on their laps while Harry says something about rugby. We're all grateful to sport, though, since they can fill any dead space on air, they're so used to talking about nothing.

I'm only about 30 pages in but this is already grippy.
Author imagines the Troubles have flared up again.

#LitsyAtoZ #N✔️

My 1st book of Berry‘s even though I own Under the Harrow. I REALLY enjoyed this one. Nice, short chapters add to the thriller pace. I enjoyed getting to know the narrator & her sister. (Blanking on names ahh- I finished it last week!) this would make a good film. I really enjoyed Berry‘s prose: easy to read yet sophisticated. Loved learning about Northern Ireland & its landscape. The setting was very well established. Looking to read more of her!

#NorthernSpy #FlynnBerry #BookSpinBingo

The is a story of 2 sisters, Tessa & Marian, who are entangled with the IRA. It is a tale of espionage, betrayal, family, motherhood and terror. There is a special bond between these 2 sisters but Marion has been keeping secrets from Tessa and when Tessa finds out that Marian has joined the IRA, she faces impossible choices but realizes she needs to protect her son, Finn. I would highly recommend this book.

🎧 I enjoyed this audiobook! I feel the narration added half a star. Solid quick book worth the time!

Northern Ireland, IRA, a sister who is a paramedic, another who is divorced with a baby. They‘re a close family & suddenly one is suspected of being a terrorist in the IRA while the other is trying to stay ahead of the police until she can sort things out.

⭐️⭐️⭐️3/4 👇🏻

After being let down by Arsenic and Adobo, I really hope this is a good one 🥺

A modern day NI/IRA drama. I didn‘t find it thrilling until the very end, but even still was slightly anticlimactic. Otherwise, I enjoyed the development of the MC‘s inner thoughts re: parenthood and family in light of the IRA/internal affairs of her surrounding area. Looming terrorism and potential danger are the tension building elements in this one. A decent read, albeit with some bits being a tad rushed to conclude. #fiction #reesesbookclub

⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really enjoyed this one. I'm not sure I'd call it a thriller, though it kept me on the edge of my seat. It was more of a slow burn similar to Jane Harper novels. The ending fell just a bit flat for me, but overall it was a great book.

I've read about 75% of Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine Book Club Books and this is the first since The Last Mrs. Parrish that was like "wait! what?" I don't like physlogical thrillers so these keeping me guessing books have really surprised me. Questioning the protagonist and leading characters, I'll admit I likely wouldn't have picked up these books otherwise. ↩️

I've already got 2 books on the go, but I couldn't wait to start this one. One chapter in, and I'm really enjoying the writing style.

Hoping all of your mornings are full of good books and coffee. ☕

My Mother's Day gift from the husband was to take me to the indie book shop I never can get to and buy all the ones I wanted. I think I showed restraint. 😁

Now, which to read first? 🤔

I can‘t speak to the accuracy of this book as far as how active the IRA is in modern Belfast. But I think it captures well the feeling of having to make choices in a dangerous situation that you never asked to be in. It took until Part 2 to really pick up. I didn‘t like the narration of the audiobook bc the accent was off. It grated that she mispronounced Cillian, for one thing. I liked the story well enough to try the author again.

#CurrentlyListening — I tend to like Reese‘s picks, and @WanderingBookaneer gave it a thumbs up. So far so good. And I love the audiobook narrator!

Irish Noir is interesting and a book about Irish sisters is just what I need right now. I grew up in an Irish-American Catholic mining town. I was an adult before I could count on my second hand friends who weren‘t that. It was legendary for gun-running in the 70s so my perspective is a wee skewed. I need to read more about The Troubles.

Tessa is a BBC producer and in the middle of a live show when a tv screen broadcasting another show catches her eye. It shows suspects of an IRA attack, and one of them is her sister. She must have been coerced, right? I just loved this book. Berry deftly layers in story and complexity while building tension. I was on the edge of my seat. So good!

Think I may start book 3 .... but am feeling a bit sleepy 😴... not sure how far I will get
#deweys24 #deweys24hourreadathon
#reesesbookclub

This was a different type of thriller. It focuses on the impact of the conflict in Northern Ireland and one family‘s involvement with the IRA. There was so much psychological angst in this book, and some nail-biting suspense at the end. Wow! Solid read. #reesesbookclub

This is going to be a finish in one day type read I can tell.

Book 47/150. #reesesbookclub

A spy story about two sisters caught up with the IRA set in Northern Ireland. Such a great premise but the action portion of the book just fell a bit flat for me. It was a good book but I feel it could‘ve been so much better.

If you want a story about the love of a mother for her baby boy this is a five star read. If you‘re reading it for the a plot surrounding the IRA this is a so-so read. There were moments of tense suspense and intrigue but the plot vehicle to get to this few and far between moments was weak in my opinion. Had so much potential. I feel a bit let down.