Closure - a book review

Closure

New novel by  David Magee

 

 I rarely read novels these days but once I started this one I was compelled to keep turning the pages – there are 430 of them. After the first few chapters it was clear that there were going to be many unexpected twists to this tale: a tale expertly crafted to keep the reader ensnared. Obviously the local content was of special interest to me but I think even for strangers to Northern Ireland this would be intriguing – as a detective story/murder mystery.  The characters were all well developed and all quite believable.

 

The author clearly has much personal knowledge of the intricacies of the ‘troubles’ – of the convoluted interconnection of terrorists, criminals, police intelligence and government bodies. While this is not the purpose or focus of the storyline the Northern Irish reader will not miss the relevance of reference to an underworld that still exists: a world where the media, to this very day, can only venture into when given the nod from above.

 

“ Tony Byrne left his Belfast home to go to work and vanished for no apparent reason. His disappearance gave rise to all sorts of rumours. Some claiming he was an IRA informer who was now residing under the latest stretch of motorway. Others had him running off for an illicit romance with someone he'd met on one of his frequent trips abroad. But the most plausible, and probably the most acceptable, to those who knew him, had him down as the unfortunate victim of a sectarian killing. So who did take Tony Byrne? Was it the IRA? Was it the UDA? Or did Tony Byrne have his own, more personal reasons for not wanting to be found? After a three year investigation the police have unofficially accepted that he was the victim of a sectarian killing, and have all but parked the case. But the missing man's wife refuses to give up and hires a private investigator to continue the search. The man she hires is Jack Brennan, a former SAS man turned private investigator.”

You will want to read this to the very end and then you will want more. Closure is the first of three novels by this Northern Irish writer who now resides on the North Antrim Coast.

Willie Drennan

Available on Amazon:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Closure-Mr-David-Magee/dp/1495425711