Brilliant.

I have really enjoyed listening to this book. It is a complex and coherent story, it is interesting from a political perspective and I found the narration exceptionally helpful to the understanding of the unfolding of the story. I look forward to the authors next book.

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Excellent if slightly marred

This was almost the perfect first novel but the suspense and writing creativity tapered off to produce a slightly under par ending. Unfortunately the narration is pretty bad but the book is generally so good that you learn to ignore that. I'll definitely read Stuart Neville's next based on the strength of this.

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The Twelve

I enjoyed this gritty story and look forward to Stuart Neville's next novel.
The follow up to this one 4/5

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Builds into a classic page turner

Testament to great writing that you can actually find yourself routing for a character who you know was a monster.
Great story and very well narrated

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1 person found this helpful

brilliant

Excellent listening, some of the characters based on real life ones I wonder?

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Cracking story

Great book, although the ghosts are central to the story, it doesn't take away from the gritty nature of the tale. Well written novel set in post conflict Belfast.

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Good yarn, poorly told

Stuart Neville has produced a creditable first novel set in 'post conflict' Ulster. It is a gritty plot with moralistic overtones as the main character Gerry Fagan comes to terms with his past terrorist deeds pushed on by the ghostly apparitions of those he has killed. Those who are familiar with the political and terrorist characters in Northern Ireland will quickly recognise the thinly disguised characterisations and backdrops.

Unfortunately what is a reasonable story, is spoiled by very poor and inappropriate narration. The narrator (Gerard Doyle) cannot carry the accents of Northern Ireland (and elsewhere) in anything like a credible way and narrates the story in a voice that is more suited to Darby O'Gill than the back streets of West Belfast! This is a real shame because the story deserves better.

If you can overcome this (as I eventually did) then it is worth a listen. However, if poor accents annoy you give it a miss.

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4 people found this helpful

Different

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the Ghosts were a very clever concept. I have gone on the listen to Collusion the second book in what I hope is going to be a series of books by this writer and enjoyed it as well

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Great story & good deep characters across the line

If you’re interested in the Troubles and newer Northern Irish history, this is a great story. Besides being an exciting and violence story it also shows the cost of the conflict in terms of human and emotional strain. No side, neither the British, The Nationalist or the Loyalists comes out looking particularly clean. I really enjoyed the narration by Gerald Doyle, who has great NI & Scottish accent range. I can wholeheartedly recommend.

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Sorry, flat narrator killed the story for me

The Troubles is rightly a fascinating topic for a mystery. The device of a man haunted by his ghosts is also potentially really powerful. Unfortunately, for me the delivery failed both in terms of story (lacked subtlety) and narration- flat.

I did not get beyond the first hour so cannot comment on the rest of the story etc hence the freeform rather than guided review

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