The Bombmaker

by Stephen Leather

Andrea Hayes was one of the IRA’s deadliest killers—until a misplaced bomb ripped into a group of passing children. Now, years later, she has a whole new life and a family, and her days of violence seem a distant memory. But then her daughter is kidnapped by persons unknown, and she’s blackmailed into building a massive explosive device for them—target unknown.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Ireland

416 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 23, 1999

About the author

Stephen Leather was a journalist for more than ten years on newspapers such as The Times, the Daily Mail and the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. His bestsellers have been translated into more than ten languages. He has also written for television shows such as London's Burning, The Knock and the BBC's Murder in Mind series. For much of 2011 his self-published eBooks - including The Bestseller, The Basement, Once Bitten and Dreamer's Cat - dominated the UK eBook bestseller lists and sold more than half a million copies. The Basement topped the Kindle charts in the UK and the US, and in total he has sold more than two million eBooks. His bestselling book The Chinaman was filmed as The Foreigner, starring Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan and grossing more than $100 million.

Reviews

[Mike Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the best of the Stephen Leather books I have been acquiring but a solid action packed read anyway.

Andrea Hayes is an ex IRA bomb maker lured back to her trade by the kidnapping of her daughter. Lots of detail on how fertiliser bombs are constructed.

Chief Inspector Denham ran Andrea as a British agent in the troubles and is asked back from retirement to help find her and daughter. His chain smoking made me feel asthmatic as I read.

Overall a good read.

[Neale Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, unfortunately it was the readers digest condensed version. If this was the first of this authors books I had read I would definitely look to read more by the same author.

[Maddi Petro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really surprised me! It's one of those books I got from a book exchange while traveling and knew very little about when I picked it up. Usually I pick based on being in English, not too heavy for my pack (paperback only, which I prefer even when I'm not backpacking), and decent physical quality cuz it's gonna get smushed in my pack and if it's already falling apart, it will be even worse. This copy actually had some of the cover falling off so I repaired it with electrical tape before leaving it at my last hostel 😂

It didn't steal my mind from my everyday life like how some fantasy books tend to be the only thing I can think about. I didn't crave this book like that, impatiently waiting my next chance at free time to read it. But! When I did pick it up, it was difficult to put down! I think it was good for reading before sleep because it's not so meaty of a book. It's easy to follow, but most importantly is intriguing to follow!

Right when you're sucked into 1 character's life, you get ripped away (which now that I think of it is fitting considering the story centers on kidnapping) and sucked into another. But each character is interesting on their own that the one I was previously sucked into was no longer on my mind. I was fully captivated by whichever character I was currently reading. Then when I got back to another character I read about previously, I was as excited to find out what happens next as I was when I finished their last section.

Never heard of this book or the author before, but now I recommend!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good amount of detail in this book to keep you reading.
would happily read all books by this author. enjoyable.

[Eric_W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every parent's nightmare. A child is kidnapped and held under threat of death to force the parent to do something that may result in the deaths of hundreds of people.

Andy is a former IRA bomb-maker. Retired from the IRA after a bomb accidentally kills some children who were not the targets, she has another secret that we only learn mid-way through the book, but which has profound implications for everyone's actions. Martin, her husband, knows nothing of her past. Katie, their daughter, has been taken by a group of ostensible terrorists who want her to construct a massive fertilizer bomb, a la Timothy McVeigh, the kind of bomb that had been Andy's specialty. (Their ultimate motivation stretches credulity, but never mind.) In return they will keep Katie safe, they promise, but if Andy fails to follow instructions precisely, her daughter will die. Andy soon realizes that part of their plan is to tag the IRA for the bombing. Why, remains a mystery until almost the end.

Neither Andy nor the readers know the motivations of the "terrorist" cell, composed of a mix of true-believers (but in what?) and common criminals. We learn early on it's related to a shadowy Chinese general, whose motivations are equally suspect. That makes for a volatile mix but Andy and Katie are not without their own resources. Then throw in MI-5 to spice things up.

The actions and feelings of the participants struck me as very realistic, and one gets the feeling that these are real people dealing with what could be a very real situation (except for the Chinese motivation) and that ratchets up the tension considerably.

Great mowing/traveling listen.

[Imke Janssen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was gripping, but it was to slow. It wasn’t until 90 pages before the end that it really captivated me.

[Danni The Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stephen Leather never fails to give you some action packed reading.
I just read a super boring book and needed some action.
This one is a stand alone book. There was anticipation from the get go. A simple story but very effective. The characters were good. I knew how they felt and their thoughts through out.
The character Denham almost seemed like he didn’t really need to be there, the story would have been fine without him but I wish I could have heard more from him.
Really enjoyed this, I got my fill. Can’t wait to read more!

[Yemic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was shocked by this one and did not expect to like it the way I did from how slowly it progressed at the beginning. Having said that it is a good story. I was on the edge of my seat at some point, things started to happen quickly, secrets were revealed and a certain person was at risk of dying.
Katie was the bravest and her action at the end made me smile.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ex IRA bombmaker is forced into making a huge bomb by the kidnapping of her daughter. Really well written with well fleshed out characters and a good sense of pacing.

[Sambasivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blurb says that the author is in the same class as Forsyth and I agree. The pace of the story is relentless and the credible plot adds further zing to it. Well done.

[Tui Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know how to make a bomb now!!

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mother is faced with her past as her seven year-old daughter is kidnapped from their home. Andrea Hayes is forced to use her skills as a bomb maker to keep her daughter alive. No one knows where her daughter is, but the police are suspicious as the school Secretary Miss Mara has complained to the Headmistress. Suspicion falls on Martin, the father and husband, but Martin has bigger problems. People are watching him and he wants to get his wife and daughter back. Martin doesn't know what to do or where to turn, but the kidnappers have made it clear that if he goes to the police his daughter is dead. But the kidnappers underestimate both Martin and his wife Andrea. Even the little girl Katie should not be underestimated.

A book with increasing suspense that will keep you turning pages. But the biggest surprise is the real motivation of the people behind the kidnapping.

[Laura Bagnall · Rating 2 out of 5]

5.9.2020
bought in a charity shop whilst having lunch in Mansfield awaiting my nail appointment
had crispy pork belly for lunch with a glass of wine £12

love Stephen leather once i start one of his books its unputdownable
ruthless gang child kidnap big kahoona behind it all the backstory comes to light slowly IRA and Non IRA MI5 SAS CIA something called Echelon GCHQ its all there and he has really done his research on the fundamentals of fertiliser and chemical reactions for this bomb its fascinating
I love it am still in the middle of it
12.9.20 finished what a great story

[Sam Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been a while since I have read a Stephen Leather book and I now wonder what took me so long to return to this author. The Bombmaker is classic Leather with his mix of fast paced action and engaging characters. Traditionally twist and turns are evident and the book is a real page turner. Another excellent read, I wouldn't leave it so long between Stephen Leather books next time.

[Amy Fitzjohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually really like Stephen Leather's books, he's one of my favourite authors. This isn't one of the better ones. I never connected with any of the characters and the story was pretty 2 dimensional. Nevertheless I did finish it, which itself is worthy of note as I give up quickly on books that aren't satisfying.

[Rhona Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging and gripping right to the end. Thankfully, not a book in a series! Read too many of those lately ... The characters in this book were all beautifully drawn and fully rounded - even the villains were people, no matter how much you disliked them. I will definitely read Leather again!

[Simon Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping book that I could not put down. I will read this book again in the future.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

another good book by stephen leather.

[Glenys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Far out....Ten years ago Andrea Hayes was the IRA's most brilliant bombmaker. Then sickened by an incident that went horrifyingly wrong, she gave it all up. Now she lives a safe suburban life, her true identity hidden from even her husband and daughter Katie. But when Katie is kidnapped, Andrea realises that her past has come back to haunt her. The tension mounts page by page in this superb thriller.

I couldn't put the book down, I swear I was alongside Andrea or her husband as they dealt with what was happening... Katie was a smart kid and coped well too, I was emotionally wrung out when I closed the book.

[Karen wadey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately its difficult to feel any empathy with the characters in this book apart from the child Katie. I am old enough to remember the death and distruction that the IRA caused in the 70's and 80's
and any sympathy for the main character Andrea Hayes- the bombmaker is non-existant.
Annoyingly the blurb on the cover of the book really gives the plot away, so it's not a surpise to the reader only to the bombmaker!!!

[David Perrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A typical Stephen Leather, white knuckle ride thriller about a housewife who in a previous life built bombs for the IRA, having her child kidnapped to force her into building a bomb for a sinister unknown organisation.
The story takes a while to gather momentum but if you like tension filled, suspense busting stuff, stick with it. I found it hard to put it down!
I must admit though, the ending wasn't quite what I was expecting...

[Roz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Long and drawn out, that is the phrase that comes to mind when thinking about this book. I was hoping for a thriller that would keep me on the edge of my seat. Instead, I got a book that kept me rolling my eyes as nothing continued to happen.

Well, I suppose this answers a question: Nope, I won't be following this author further. I tend to like my action real, rather than implied.

[Robert Pimm · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid, gripping thriller with strong characterisation and well-developed personal relationships. I thought the Chinese angle, however, felt a little bolted-on and let down the rest of the plot. Hence only three stars.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent thriller. Tight plot, well held together by convincing characters. This kind of book does not make you see the world differently, but it's an entertaining story nevertheless.
Sean Barrett narrates on audible as brilliantly as ever.

[Graeme Bell]

Good book, but wasn't it made into a TV drama starring Rachael Weiz as Andrea????

[Susan Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the book. I liked the characters and the twist in the middle of the book.

[Nick Winkle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy fast paced read

[Tore Knudsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok history, fast pace, no hazzle.

[Usman JagatPuri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable Enough to finish

[Sarah Dolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy, gripping read. Links to Ireland which was relatable