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The Devil Passed By
Tá an Saol Aisteach. (Life is strange.)
In 1979, Britain's MI-5 tasks the Directorate to deal with an issue in Belfast, Northern Ireland. MI-5 believes a rogue group, patterning itself after a disbanded British Army unit, is continuing that unit's work, namely murdering IRA members and their families.
Mai wants this mission. One of the killers' targets could be her cousin, Maigret Maitland McDiarmid, a new mother and Belfast's Member of Parliament. Mai, still probationary after two long years, isn't allowed to run ops on her own and has to wait for the availability of her partner, Alexei Bukharin.
Mai and Maigret have a positive reunion until Mai tells Maigret why she's really in Belfast. She finally convinces Maigret the pending attack is real and overcomes Maigret's distrust of anything English. Unknown to Mai, however, Maigret and one of the rogue group's members have a connection, one that fuels a need for revenge.
Alexei's and Mai's team assemble at Maigret's house, but using a relationship from Alexei's past, the killers lure him away, leaving Mai, Maigret, and a Directorate operative known only as Fleming to confront the killers, led by an unconventional ex-soldier, Cari-Lee Felton.
On a rainy, summer night on a street in a Catholic area of Belfast, Mai and Felton face each other.
They both know only one will survive.
In 1979, Britain's MI-5 tasks the Directorate to deal with an issue in Belfast, Northern Ireland. MI-5 believes a rogue group, patterning itself after a disbanded British Army unit, is continuing that unit's work, namely murdering IRA members and their families.
Mai wants this mission. One of the killers' targets could be her cousin, Maigret Maitland McDiarmid, a new mother and Belfast's Member of Parliament. Mai, still probationary after two long years, isn't allowed to run ops on her own and has to wait for the availability of her partner, Alexei Bukharin.
Mai and Maigret have a positive reunion until Mai tells Maigret why she's really in Belfast. She finally convinces Maigret the pending attack is real and overcomes Maigret's distrust of anything English. Unknown to Mai, however, Maigret and one of the rogue group's members have a connection, one that fuels a need for revenge.
Alexei's and Mai's team assemble at Maigret's house, but using a relationship from Alexei's past, the killers lure him away, leaving Mai, Maigret, and a Directorate operative known only as Fleming to confront the killers, led by an unconventional ex-soldier, Cari-Lee Felton.
On a rainy, summer night on a street in a Catholic area of Belfast, Mai and Felton face each other.
They both know only one will survive.
522 pages, Paperback
Published July 15, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
October 29, 2026
The Devil Passed drew me in with its intriguing mix of espionage, family loyalty, political tension, and revenge. Set in Belfast in 1979, the story brings together personal relationships and a dangerous mission in a way that makes the stakes feel deeply personal.
What I particularly appreciate is Mai’s determination to protect her cousin, Maigret Maitland McDiarmid, despite the challenges she faces as a probationary Directorate agent. Their reunion becomes even more complicated by Maigret’s distrust of the English and her hidden connection to one of the very people Mai is trying to stop. Alexei’s past also becomes a dangerous weakness, while Cari-Lee Felton stands out as a formidable adversary whose final confrontation with Mai promises a tense fight for survival.
I love how the story explores the way old grudges, political divisions, and the desire for revenge can become tangled together, putting family and personal loyalties to the test. The image of Mai and Felton facing each other on a rainy Belfast street is particularly powerful because it brings all that tension to a single, decisive moment.
What makes this story so compelling is that beneath the espionage and danger lies a deeper question: when hatred keeps passing from one person to another, can the cycle of violence ever truly end? The combination of suspense, complex relationships, and the human cost of revenge makes The Devil Passed a memorable and thought-provoking thriller.
What I particularly appreciate is Mai’s determination to protect her cousin, Maigret Maitland McDiarmid, despite the challenges she faces as a probationary Directorate agent. Their reunion becomes even more complicated by Maigret’s distrust of the English and her hidden connection to one of the very people Mai is trying to stop. Alexei’s past also becomes a dangerous weakness, while Cari-Lee Felton stands out as a formidable adversary whose final confrontation with Mai promises a tense fight for survival.
I love how the story explores the way old grudges, political divisions, and the desire for revenge can become tangled together, putting family and personal loyalties to the test. The image of Mai and Felton facing each other on a rainy Belfast street is particularly powerful because it brings all that tension to a single, decisive moment.
What makes this story so compelling is that beneath the espionage and danger lies a deeper question: when hatred keeps passing from one person to another, can the cycle of violence ever truly end? The combination of suspense, complex relationships, and the human cost of revenge makes The Devil Passed a memorable and thought-provoking thriller.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review