The Ghosts of Belfast

Gerry Fegan has ghosts visiting him.  They number twelve, some are soldiers or police, but there are four civilians in the ghostly group that are with him.  All people he was involved in killing during The Troubles.  They torment his waking hours.  One of the ghosts, a young boy, indicates to Fegan that he should kill Michael McKenna, the man who had beaten him before Fegan did the final kill shot.  Fegan wonders if the boy will leave him alone if he does the deed?  The ghost nods.

The death of McKenna could potentially destabilise the peace in Northern Ireland.  South of the border, there are some that are very happy with the death of McKenna.

However, the ghosts of Belfast are not done with Fegan.  Two UDR men want him to kill a mobster named Caffola.  Using the background of a riot a day prior to the funeral of McKenna, Fegan does the deed.  Now only nine ghosts remain.

Dave Campbell is working under cover in the south, but he knows the trouble makers in the north.  As a result if Caffola's death, his handlers want him back in the north.  He returns and is tasked with getting rid of Fegan.  It doesn't take long for him to realise the state of Fegan's mind.

Another death and only six ghosts live in Fegan's mind.  A man he thought he could trust betrayed him, and it cost the man his life.  Next it is a cop who provided the revolutionaries with another cop's name for execution.  Only five ghosts remain now.  But Campbell has Fegan's girlfriend and her daughter.

How will Fegan save the two and can he get rid of his remaining ghosts?  Stuart Neville has written an excellent, fast paced thriller.  I found that I could not put the book down.  I recommend it to anyone who enjoys this kind of book.