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Primed
Gary Lawlor's life ended the day a bomb killed his two young sons. For twenty years, he's lived in the wreckage—a former detective turned cybersecurity officer, haunted by the certainty that IRA bomber Rab Harper murdered his children.
Then a photograph arrives. Harper is alive. In California.
Lawlor slips away from Belfast without a trace, drawn across an ocean and a continent by the promise of revenge. But in the sun-bleached sprawl of Los Angeles, nothing is what it seems. And as bodies pile up from Santa Monica to the Malibu Mountains, Lawlor discovers the real conspiracy runs deeper than he imagined—back to the corridors of power in Belfast and Washington, D.C.
Because the bomb that killed his sons wasn't meant for them. It was meant for him. And the man who gave the order has been hiding in plain sight for two decades.
Racing between betrayals past and present, hunted by gangsters and government fixers alike, Lawlor must untangle a web of corruption that stretches from child exploitation networks to presidential politics. His only allies are a traumatized widow seeking her own justice and a woman who knows too much about everyone's secrets.
PRIMED is a searing thriller about the corrosive cost of revenge, the institutions that protect predators, and the impossible choice between justice and survival. Perfect for readers who appreciate morally complex characters, intricate plotting, and thrillers that pull no punches about power, corruption, and the things we do to protect the people we love—or the memory of those we've lost.
Fans of Mick Herron, John le Carré, and Tana French will find a new obsession in this explosive thriller from Northern Ireland.
Then a photograph arrives. Harper is alive. In California.
Lawlor slips away from Belfast without a trace, drawn across an ocean and a continent by the promise of revenge. But in the sun-bleached sprawl of Los Angeles, nothing is what it seems. And as bodies pile up from Santa Monica to the Malibu Mountains, Lawlor discovers the real conspiracy runs deeper than he imagined—back to the corridors of power in Belfast and Washington, D.C.
Because the bomb that killed his sons wasn't meant for them. It was meant for him. And the man who gave the order has been hiding in plain sight for two decades.
Racing between betrayals past and present, hunted by gangsters and government fixers alike, Lawlor must untangle a web of corruption that stretches from child exploitation networks to presidential politics. His only allies are a traumatized widow seeking her own justice and a woman who knows too much about everyone's secrets.
PRIMED is a searing thriller about the corrosive cost of revenge, the institutions that protect predators, and the impossible choice between justice and survival. Perfect for readers who appreciate morally complex characters, intricate plotting, and thrillers that pull no punches about power, corruption, and the things we do to protect the people we love—or the memory of those we've lost.
Fans of Mick Herron, John le Carré, and Tana French will find a new obsession in this explosive thriller from Northern Ireland.
356 pages, Paperback
Published November 8, 2025
47 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Paddy Hirsch
12 books80 followersPaddy Hirsch is an author and Murrow award-winning journalist. His first novel is The Devil's Half Mile, an historical thriller with a financial twist, set in New York in 1799.
He is the author of Man vs Markets; Economics Explained, Plain and Simple. Publisher's Weekly called the book " “A straightforward, accessible, and often hilarious overview of our financial and economic systems, products, and concepts."
He works as a supervising editor at NPR's planet Money. He is also the creator and host of Marketplace Whiteboard, an award-winning video explainer of financial and economic terms.
He is the author of Man vs Markets; Economics Explained, Plain and Simple. Publisher's Weekly called the book " “A straightforward, accessible, and often hilarious overview of our financial and economic systems, products, and concepts."
He works as a supervising editor at NPR's planet Money. He is also the creator and host of Marketplace Whiteboard, an award-winning video explainer of financial and economic terms.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 2, 2026
EXCITING BUT…
Just too many characters, too many names to remember, too many places too many dates.. but it was so well written you wanted to keep reading so you could find out who the bad guy was. a long story and I just wanted to keep reading. I didn’t wanna go to the end and just read it and find out I wanted to see how GARY Lawler would find the bad guy.. if you like those kind of long stories, then you will like this just keep everybody straight or you will get very confused. Good story, but not sure if I’ll read any more of his books
Just too many characters, too many names to remember, too many places too many dates.. but it was so well written you wanted to keep reading so you could find out who the bad guy was. a long story and I just wanted to keep reading. I didn’t wanna go to the end and just read it and find out I wanted to see how GARY Lawler would find the bad guy.. if you like those kind of long stories, then you will like this just keep everybody straight or you will get very confused. Good story, but not sure if I’ll read any more of his books
February 8, 2026
This book took a long time to find its footing for me. The beginning moved very slowly, and it was not until well past the halfway point that I truly felt engaged in the story. Because of that, it was a challenging read to get through. That said, I am glad I stuck with it and made it to the end, as uncovering the truth behind the plot was ultimately satisfying. I’m glad I finished because it’s very hard for me to leave a book unfinished, but I can’t say I would ever pick this book up again or really recommend it to other people.
December 23, 2025
A good story. Started out a little slow, but came into it's own after a while. Glad I read it.
February 26, 2026
Was given this book for Christmas. Thoroughly enjoyed it. The pace and tension of the plot ramp up from a start based on the emotional scars of a man that had lost his two young sons to violence aimed at their father. Characters develop in a way that have you rooting for them. Lots of twists and turns - had to get to the end to see how it all panned out. Would recommend.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews