2000
Michael Walker – former IRA volunteer, turned MI5 informer – had his quiet existence shattered when an IRA hit squad was dispatched on his trail to America.
One year on, Walker has been recovering from having his identity blown.
Now living in New York, he is visited by Amy Landish. The former FBI agent is looking for help to find her missing cousin, Lisa.
Walker and his other new ally, Brandon Johnson – a former thief who had robbed him – immediately agree to do anything that they can. The trio are reunited, once again set on a deadly course.
Their investigation leads to the small town of Six Mile, but the last thing they expect is to end up on the hunt for a serial killer.
Walker does not ingratiate himself with the locals or the police, while becoming the target of the killer himself. Just as Walker closes in on his quarry he receives news from home, in Belfast.
Walker moves from one danger zone to another as he finds himself back in IRA territory, where his old comrades want him dead.
Returning to Six Mile, the killer strikes again and closer to home. Walker made a promise to track him down and he doesn’t intend to break it.
Simon Maltman is the author of novels, novellas and short stories, released with various publishers. An Amazon Bestseller from Northern Ireland he writes a range of crime fiction thrillers. A regular guest at festivals and events, he is the tour guide for Belfast Noir, and also a well known book reviewer for the likes of ITV and online journals. An established ‘Ulster Noir’ author, he also writes American-set high concept thrillers.
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My thoughts: I was a teenager in 2000 and flew to the US by myself to stay with family, but my American trip was very different to the one the characters in this book are having. They’re looking for a missing teenage girl, and possibly multiple missing girls as their hunt intensifies.
Asked by his friend Amy to look for her cousin, Michael Walker, former IRA man turned MI5 informant (the worst thing he could do according to his former colleagues) and his sidekick Brandon drive down from New York to have a look. The local police haven’t made much effort and Aunt Rose is getting very worried as this is out of character for her daughter.
The duo interview Lisa’s friends, crappy boyfriend, teachers, neighbours and finally get a lead. Then suddenly Michael is called back to Belfast – his dad’s dying and this might be his last chance to see him. But this puts him directly in the firing line, he’s still on the IRA’s most wanted, despite the peace process being in, well, process. Despite the risk and having to leave Amy to continue the hunt alone, he and Brandon pop back to the old country.
There’s a lot of action in the book, car chases (including in a small car in the Irish countryside), shootouts, vendettas being carried out, innocent bystanders getting caught up in it, fights with idiots in hockey masks, but Michael and Brandon, and indeed at one point Amy, acquit themselves well and mostly survive to see another day, and keep looking for Lisa.
I really enjoyed this book, I’ve been learning a fair bit about Ireland and it’s history (mysteriously absent from the English school curriculum – I wonder why?!) recently and so this was a nice slice of recent politics, and with lots of 90s/00s pop culture references too. It’s also a great thriller and the trio make excellent detectives – perhaps that’s in their future.
I loved Michael’s habit of quoting famous Irish writers and comparing himself and Brandon to famous crime fighting teams. He’s a great character and well supported in both plot terms and in action terms by Brandon and Amy. More please!
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
We are thrilled to share thrilled to share The Leader of the Unborn duology with you this week! Both books will be released on September 6th!
ramblingmads 