"Present danger" by Stella Remington - Northern Ireland backdrop!
This book is published by Quercus in 2010 and has 336 pages.
Liz Carlyle works for MI5 at Thames House. She and her boss love each other but have never acknowledged it to each other. When wife of boss dies, MI5 decides to transfer Liz to head counter terrorism desk in Northern Ireland. An Irish-American called Sheamus Piggot is running an organization that hasn't accepted peace accord in Northern Ireland. A French arms dealer is involved. MI5 collaborates with French intelligence. But everything goes haywire.
Will there be a threat to Northern Ireland peace process? What is Piggot's ultimate objective? What went wrong? Will Liz acknowledge love?
The concept of splinter IRA groups not agreeing to the peace process is not often used for fictions. It's an interesting angle. An action taken in the heat of the moment turns out to be a costly mistake. British and French intelligence collaborate.
Liz is the central and only important character. She heads counter terrorism and is a confident woman. She loves her boss but has never confessed it. She cares for her friends and colleagues and doesn't mind putting her life in danger for them. However, in the matter of heart she acts on hearsay. This particular action goes against the grain of her character built by the author. This action also opens up possibilities that position the story for a sequel.
The graph of the novel, however, is not ascending. When the story moves out of Northern Ireland, it loses its USP and becomes like any other thriller.
Why did I read this book? It was on hand.
What I didn't like? Liz's acting on hearsay.
What did I like? Northern Ireland backdrop.
Not a must read.
