The Ghosts of Belfast

By: Stuart Neville

Narrated by: Gerard Doyle

Fegan has been a "hard man" - an IRA killer in Northern Ireland. Now that peace has come, he is being haunted day and night by 12 ghosts: a mother and infant, a schoolboy, a butcher, an RUC constable, and seven other of his innocent victims. In order to appease them, he's going to have to kill the men who gave him orders.

As he's working his way down the list, he encounters a woman who may offer him redemption; she has borne a child to an RUC officer and is an outsider too. Now he has given Fate - and his quarry - a hostage. Is this Fegan's ultimate mistake?

©2009 Stuart Neville (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Mystery / Thriller, 2010
• Notable Crime Books of 2009 (Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times)
• The Year’s Most Mesmerizing Mysteries (Maureen Corrigan, NPR)

"Stuart Neville's debut novel about the 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland is harsh, brutal, and unrelentingly grim. With spare, crisp dialogue, and a gift for turning an Irish phrase, Neville plants himself firmly in Adrian McKinty territory. And who better to narrate than Gerard Doyle? Doyle gets it—and so do we. His whine; his growl; his rough yet sensitive, always-passionate performance gives everything a listener could want from an audiobook." ( AudioFile)

"With this stunning debut, Neville joins a select group of Irish writers, including Ken Bruen, Declan Hughes, and Adrian McKinty, who have reinvigorated the noir tradition with a Celtic edge." ( Publishers Weekly)

Gritty, real, disturbing.

You could feel the dull grey skies and the damp mood throughout the book. The characters were raw to me, sometimes I had to turn my head away from my own visualizations. A strong piece of work..a different kind of look at the struggle Ireland went through. The intertwining pain,guilt and absolute evil in the small cast of characters. The realities are not romanced here. Its worth the read.

Engaging. Gritty. Tough.

If you like Adrian McKinty and Stieg Larsson, you'll love this book. Gerard Doyle is one of the best narrators out there - he really helps make the story great.

A great "read"

Gripping, real, intense. And the narration only enhances the experience. I rarely write reviews but this book took my breath away. This is not just another horror tale. This is storytelling at its finest. It is an accomplished exploration of one man's journey through a very real hell. The story enlightened my understanding of the conflict endured by generations of Irish men and women. Very powerful.

Top Shelf

Great narration, the accents are perfect even switching from the rolling Dublin speech to the hard Belfast accent. Characters are spot on, totally real. Edge of your seat plot. Overall a must hear.

Attention: Martin Scorsese

This is a powerful, suspenseful, violent book. It could make a similar film. I listen to audiobooks while walking my dog, and with Stuart Neville leading us on, we just kept going. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to listen to a top flight crime novel. A special thanks to Gerard Doyle for a superb job of narration. I eagerly await Neville's next.

An exciting surprise

I bought this book on a whim not being aware of the title, author or even narrator. I soon found myself involved in a kind of story that I think is unique, The "hero" is a mentally disturbed but repentant IRA killer who returns to killing, this time of the people who lied to him and sent him out to kill innocents. The chapters are short and I started by listening to one or two at a time while driving, brushing my teeth, doing dishes, etc. As the book reached its climax, I kept listening. I could not stop. This is a brutal book. There is much bloodshed and cruelty but the topic is of a time and place where brutality was common and it feels honest. In addition to being an exciting book, I think it has given me a far more nuanced view of The Troubles.

Just a little jaunt in the old country

What did you love best about The Ghosts of Belfast?

Listening with a native Irish speaker made this sublime.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The lead Gerry Fagin as the skilled, flawed and broken thug is compelling. Trying to do the right thing to stop the voices and followers in his head. I could see Liam Neeson doing him justice.

Any additional comments?

Stewart Neville has a convincing and harrowing tale of redemption and damnation all wrapped up into one. Ireland is a beautiful and haunted place that came alive for me in this tale. No one gets out undamaged.

Realism extreme

This was violent and sad enough that it was hard to read but I have ling been curious how the battle between Catholics and Proteatants could continue through the 20th century.

Post "troubles" Belfast

Anyone reading this needs to be able to take frequent strong language. That aside it is a well written story that looks at the violence and politics of Northern Ireland in a different light. Anyone wanting to acquaint themselves with this area could do worse than listening to the book.

Recommended

A highly entertaining (and informative) novel of intrigue and ghostly revenge in modern Belfast. Very well written by the author and expertly read by the narrator.