Too Close to Home: A gritty Irish vigilante thriller that turns fragile peace into a fight for survival

Recovering Commando

by Finn Og

A covert team keeps eyes on a suspect vehicle. A time of peace, for a recovering community. Families relax, children play and a skint Sam Ireland is forced to find work abroad. Then the operatives watch in real time and technicolour as the car explodes. Sam’s phone lights up and his heart sinks. This one, is too close to home. The best trained undercover operatives in the world watch helplessly as their marks are extinguished, one by one, in front of their eyes. Whoever is at work has very good cause and an unusual skillset. He may even be one of their own. “Written in a gritty style and drenched in the authenticity that only comes when you’ve been there and done it, this is a fantastic book that introduces a realistic - and realistically daunting - new hero. I couldn’t put it down.” USA TODAY bestselling author, Mark Dawson. 'Amazing, gripping yarn. I was a front line reporter in Northern Ireland at the height of the troubles. I’ve never read a book on that conflict since that was half as gripping and half as authentic feeling as Too Close To Home. The Charlie books were great opening acts, make no mistake. This one is the real deal though. Sam and Isla need at least one other outing. Maybe even many many more. (Mike Gaston, Amazon Review) The third book in the page-turning international thriller series noted for its realism, often enjoyed by fans of Reacher, Milton, Orphan X and The Gray Man. A father with a clandestine CV takes on work he hates, to make ends meet. While body guarding someone undeserving, his worst nightmares are played out at home. Sam returns to Ireland, where old habits, guile and surveillance techniques are deployed with ferocious efficiency. Hold on - this one's the bomb. The Sam Ireland Series often deals with what happens behind the headlines. Weaving together elements of Sam’s military past, mystery, covert surveillance and investigation, war, espionage and love - the novels are noted for their authenticity, believability and suspense. They remain, at heart, about the relationship between a father and daughter, who would rather be left alone. 'I’ve read and loved, Lee Child, John Sanford, John Grisham, Jeffrey Deaver, etc and Finn Og leaves them for dead. No comic strip super hero, or unrealistic plots, no feeling it’s fiction, just a totally absorbing, extraordinarily clever and real to life novel that kept me reading. The characters are real and and the way Finn has them relating to each other is what makes the book totally relatable and believable. The plots are amazingly clever and well thought out. You would never want Finn angry and coming after you, because he will get you and get away with it. I have read his 3 novels and can’t wait for him to write more. I could not recommend Finn highly enough.' Lindsay Mc Dougall, Melbourne Australia. 'Finn Og is without a doubt the best I’ve read! Incredibly clever plots, (If the surveillance techniques he writes about are just fiction, then I’m sure the police will soon take a leaf out of Finn's books) the characters are incredibly relatable and make his books even more absorbing and real. No over the top action, just perfectly timed matter of fact ‘reality’. (Amazon Review USA) 5 "I can't remember the last time a book grabbed me and held my attention from the first page to the last. My heart is still racing." (Amazon Review Canada) 5 "The pace is so fast I was out of breath at times. Sam is a flawed character which makes him believable. It's been a while since I read a book in a day but I could not put Charlie down." (Amazon Review Ireland) 5 "A gripping suspenseful thriller.

Genres: Thriller

474 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 22, 2020

About the author

Finn lives and works in Ireland, surrounded by rogues and the sea. He has published three thrillers as well as drama, shorts and comedy using different pen names.

Reviews

[Scott Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sizzling Thriller/ Sam Ireland is a gritty hero


This is the first novel by Finn Og that I have read. It is part of a series featuring Sam Ireland. Nonetheless I was able to pick up Sam's story. Sam, formerly involved with various branches of the British military, is now doing odd jobs on contract. He is recruited by his friend Sinead to protect her sister as she testifies in the case of an internet predator who lures young women to their deaths. There is another witness, a mentally challenged young woman, who had been seduced and molested by the predator. She is to be a witness also and Sam is hired by her father to protect her. For some unknown reason she fails to testify when called to the stand and the predator is found not guilty.

Sometime later the father John hires Sam again to follow his daughter and her friends on a trip to Venice. There the predator reappears and Sam ends up having to kill him as he is making his escape.

Meanwhile back in Ballycastle, Northern Ireland, the guts of the novel begin to unfold. British agents are surveilling a car that has been left in a parking lot for a long time. It is loaded with explosives and intended to be exploded in Belfast to destroy a police station. But the lad who is supposed to drive the car to Belfast is evicted from his rooming house and takes refuge in the car. One day he accidentally detonates the car, resulting in death and destruction in the surrounding area. Nearby is a seaside restaurant which is destroyed , some are killed and many injured. Sam's young daughter, Isla, is in the restaurant with a young friend and the friend's mother. Sam had left Isla in the care of this woman while he was abroad. Fortunately Isla is only slightly injured but her friend is killed.

Sam hurriedly returns from Italy to comfort Isla and the surviving mother. He then embarks on a program of investigation, surveillance and revenge. He is determined to track down all those involved in the plot. Gradually he identifies the players, part of a dissident remnant of the IRA who want no part of the peace process and the new governing structure for Northern Ireland. With some help from old friends in the British services he tracks down the villains and takes care of them one by one.

But as he is pursuing the ringleader Sean Gillen Sam comes to the attention of the corrupt British agents who have been monitoring the dissidents and indeed are implicated in their plot. He is almost caught but manages to slip away in his sailing vessel with his friend Sinead and his daughter Isla onboard. They sail away to parts unknown..

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel which I obtained via Kindle Unlimited.

[Mal Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate to be a pre release reader and, as with the other 2 books, Finn has done it again.

Somewhat like a chess master Finn places various story lines around giving a hint at the direction of moves to follow.

As each paragraph and chapter develop so the plot unfolds and draws seemingly disparate plays together.

Each character is carefully profiled giving a growing overview of their role and place in the twisting tentacles of interactions.

Morality, immorality, payback and justice is both explored and the outcomes delivered sometimes in unexpected ways.

There is plenty to feed and stoke the imagination along with exposing questions that can lead to uncomfortable answers that go beyond black and white.

Sam Ireland along with Isla are very engaging and draw you deeper into their world and that of their tight circle of friends.

Finn has nailed it again, with one heck of a read that I read pretty much straight through, leaving the way open for Sam to return in more adventures.

Can’t come soon enough for me.

[Keith Withers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding drama

A thoroughly outstanding and drama filled action novel. From start to finish, through many curves and deserves this book leads you staggering through as many different situations and scenarios as to cause total distraction and the inability to stop and put the book down
Riveted to your seat would be a gross understatement. Sam Ireland, ex marine,ex army and former spook sets out to revenge, himself on those who have crippled his,and his 7 year old daughter's, lives. A bombing which goes horribly wrong ,killing a young friend of his daughter, brings him in contact with a group of Irish dissidents who he decides need his attention. This brings a him in opposition with a number of intelligence and law enforcement groups who are intent to destroy him.

[Mike Gaston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good, I read it twice. In fact I read the entire trilogy twice. I covered the troubles as a reporter in the 80s and 90s. When I read fiction about the conflict and it’s legacy, I usually end up squirming at the lack of accuracy, authenticity and local voice. Not with Finn’s writing. It’s dead on. Sam is a thoughtfully and sensitively drawn character, with the flaws of thoroughly believable PTSD that would be inevitable from events in his backstory. His relationship with daughter Isla is complex and compelling. The plots are riveting and hard to put down.

[Viragored · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third of this series of Finn Og's books to draw me in - this series really appeals to me. I thought the first book was good, the second book better, and now I rate the third as the best of the three.
This one has action, intrigue, double crossing, espionage - the works! And a lead character struggling with emotions, raising a child and - well, the list goes on.
If you like action books, don't hesitate - grab a copy and get reading. But you might like to start with the first in the series and work your way through them.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

I spent over two + hours trying to get into this book. Even after two hours I had no idea what was happening. At the same time I was reading another action book that I was whipping through but not as well written as Finn's book. Maybe this book might have made a better movie for me but I finally had to give it up. That doesn't mean it isn't a good book. It just wasn't a good book for me.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Og is a new author to me and this was a free book, so not much risk on my part. I really enjoyed the storytelling. The good guy is devoted to loving and supporting his young daughter, then uses his special forces skills to eradicate everyone who puts his daughter at risk. Fun to read with a very emotionally satisfying ending.

[R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plz plz love Sam and Isla.....more books plz

Excellent characters
Excellent read
Excellent pace
Love the plots and entanglements
Plz write more amazing stories to loving read. Thank you.

[ukkindlecustomer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never Ending Story

Gritty political thriller reviving the Northern Ireland Troubles with no heroes and no winners. Sensitive handling of family relationships and the aftermath of violence.

[Rose Scarrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exmarine or terrorist

Interesting plot and read, but a bit confusing as the story seesaws back and forth between several different scenarios and it takes some time to get into the rhythm a
nd where the plot is situated and who the players are.

[Annelle Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

This was my first book about Sam & Isis. It was great story about their adventures. I learned a lot I didn't know about Ireland & the dissidents. I enjoyed it because my maternal ancestors were from Ireland.
Thank you for a bird's eye view of Ireland.

[Jacqueline M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam Ireland, by Finn Óg

This book started slowly, but then someone jumped out and pushed pushed hard! I liked reading this book, Too Close to home a vigilante on the sea.
Buy it read it, review it .

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

I loved this series, it was very well written and easy to read I would highly recommend this book. I really think that everyone should read this author's book

[Kim A. Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

Exceptional story
Really enjoyed the writing even if I didn't understand all the lingo since I'm an American but I really did enjoy the book.

[GW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too Close to Home

This was a pretty good read. Slightly awkward to my US understanding of the English language. The Irish slang was fun but sometimes difficult to navigate.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riverting

A good solid read, I got bogged down in some of the detail at one stage, but it was fleeting and all became clear as the story unfolded.
All in all an excellent read.

[Charles Harris]

Great book!

This book was well written! I loved the plot and the character development. I found the story suspenseful and absorbing with many p!it twists.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story with lots of twists and turns. Some of the Irish language/slang was difficult to decipher.

[Mrs Vanessa Bentley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complicated . . .

A gripping plot that threatened to have too many twists for too many characters for me to follow but it worked!

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

good read