Collusion

Jack Lennon #2

by Stuart Neville

A merciless assassin stalks Belfast and Detective Inspector Jack Lennon has been assigned to the case. As Lennon unravels a far-reaching conspiracy involving collusion among Loyalists, IRA members, and law enforcement, he discovers that his estranged former lover and their daughter are in the killer's cross-hairs. To catch the assassin and save the only family he has, Lennon blurs the line between friend and enemy by teaming up with an enigmatic killer named Fegan.

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

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

I have been a musician, a composer, a teacher, a salesman, a film extra, a baker and a hand double for a well known Irish comedian, but I'm currently a partner in a successful multimedia design business in the wilds of Northern Ireland.

I have published short stories in Thuglit, Electric Spec and Every Day Fiction. THE TWELVE is my first novel, and will be published in the UK and Commonwealth by Harvill Secker, an imprint of Random House, on July 2nd 2009. It will be published in the USA as THE GHOSTS OF BELFAST by Soho Press, New York, and by Random House Kodansha in Japan.

Reviews

[James Thane · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite novels of the last few years was Stuart Neville's brilliant debut novel, The Ghosts of Belfast, a dark, violent and moody tale of life in Northern Ireland in the wake of "The Troubles." This sequel picks up the tale a bit down the road, but many of the same characters appear and issues raised in the first book are still playing out here.

Although the conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland may be officially over, there's certainly no such thing as peace in the land. Violent men still have scores to settle and innocent people are still getting caught in the crossfire.

At the center of this novel is Detective Inspector Jack Lennon of the Ulster police force. Lennon, a Catholic, was disowned by his family after joining the force even though he made what many would think was a compelling argument for doing so: How could the Catholics continue to complain that they were being persecuted by the police unless and until at least some of them were willing to join the force and attempt to moderate it?

Two people central to Jack's life get caught up in the effort by a number of vicious men to settle old scores. Jack is determined to protect them at any cost, even if it means defying his bosses, perhaps losing his job and maybe even sacrificing his own life. Beyond that, it's very difficult to say much more about the plot because it would spoil the suspense of this book and would convey too much information about The Ghosts of Belfast for those who haven't had the pleasure of reading it yet.

Suffice it to say that this is an excellent book that should appeal to any fan of crime fiction who likes his or her action in the noirish vein and who might be looking for a book placed in an excellently-rendered setting. Neville obviously knows the landscape very well, both physically and psychologically. These are great characters in a well-told story, but I would encourage anyone thinking about reading it to read Ghosts first. After reading this one, you will almost certainly want to, and reading the two in order will save you from knowing a lot of spoilers.

[For The Love of books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I previously enjoyed 2 novels by this author so went for a third. Perhaps I needed a break as I found this book lacking what the other two books had offered. Perhaps as I was reading in the wrong order and knew the outcome of this book. I still enjoyed the authors story telling. The book was mostly a build up to the climatic ending. Continuing the story of Jack Lennon and how he came to have his daughter in his life. Throughout the violence of Ireland and it’s many fractions remains imminent and foreboding. It would be interesting to see this author follow Ellen the daughter through to adulthood as she remains an intriguing character. The story still held my attention and perhaps if I had read the books in order, I would have less spoilers. Definitely still a good effort and enjoyable.

[Alexandra Matobookalo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Πολύ καλό βιβλίο και αρκετά διαφορετικό απο το πρώτο. Μπορεί να χαρακτηριστεί αστυνομικο θριλερ έχοντας στοιχεία πολιτικών θεμάτων (ώστε να έχει μια συνέχεια με το πρώτο, το οποίο ήταν μαλλον ένα πολιτικό θρίλερ). Παντώς αυτό είχε πολύ αγωνία ειδικά απο ένα σημείο και μετά και δεν θες να το αφήσεις απο τα χέρια σου. Αυτή η σειρά (Jack Lennon) νομίζω οτι αξίζει. Έχει κάτι ιδιαιτερο.

[Makis Dionis · Rating 4 out of 5]

N. Ireland....Μπελ-φαστ

[Γιώτα Παπαδημακοπούλου · Rating 3 out of 5]

Με αυτή τη σειρά κάτι έχω κάνει λάθος, αφού έχω πιάσει να διαβάσω τα βιβλία της με άτακτη σειρά, ωστόσο, ακόμα κι έτσι, είναι εύκολο να καταλάβω πως ο Neville είναι ένας σύγχρονος συγγραφέας που, αν και ξεκάθαρα εμπνευσμένος από το λογοτεχνικό στυλ και ύφος άλλων μεγάλων συγγραφέων του είδους, έχει μια δική του, πολύ συγκεκριμένη ταυτότητα, μα και μια αφηγηματική προσέγγιση περισσότερο κοινωνικοπολιτική που έχει το δικό της ενδιαφέρον, ενώ παράλληλα προσφέρει τροφή για σκέψη και ενδιαφέρον υλικό προς ανάλυση. Το ίδιο συμβαίνει και με τη "Συνωμοσία της φωτιάς", ένα βιβλίο που καλό θα ήταν να έχετε διαβάσει το προηγούμενό του προκειμένου να τ κατανοήσετε καλύτερα.

Ο επιθεωρητής Τζακ Λένον βρίσκεται για μια ακόμη φορά στην καρδιά του Μπέλφαστ προσπαθώντας να ρίξει φως στην ταυτότητα ενός δολοφόνου που κυκλοφορεί ελεύθερο στην πόλη σκορπίζοντας τον θάνατο. Και οι έρευνές του θα τον φέρουν αντιμέτωπο με αλήθειες που ούτε καν θα φανταζόταν, μα και στην καρδιά ενός "παιχνιδιού" στο οποίο εμπλέκονται πολιτικοί και αστυνομία, κάτι που θα έχει ως αποτέλεσμα να βρεθεί σε κίνδυνο όχι μόνο ο ίδιος, αλλά και η πρώην σύντροφός του και η κόρη τους. Αυτό είναι το σημείο που θα τον οδηγήσει στην απόφασή του να ζητήσει τη βοήθεια του Τζέρι Φέγκαν, πρώην εκτελεστή του ΙΡΑ, που όσο κι αν προσπαθεί να ξεφύγει από το παρελθόν του εκείνο μοιάζει να επιστρέφει και να τον κυνηγά ανελέητα.

Αυτό που αναγνωρίζω στον Neville, στο συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο του, είναι πως αν και ο ίδιος είναι Προτεστάντης, άρα θα μπορούσε να είναι θετικά προσκείμενος σ' αυτούς που εκπροσωπούν τη μία πλευρά της ιστορίας του, εκείνος καταφέρνει να διατηρήσει πολύ καλά τις ισορροπίες. Βέβαια, οι "προοδευτικοί" αναγνώστες μπορεί να ενοχληθούν από κάποιες αλήθειες που ο ίδιος διατυπώνει, όμως δεν είναι η προσωπική του άποψη πάνω στο ζήτημα, παρά η ρεαλιστική και ειλικρινής αποτύπωση μιας πραγματικότητας στην οποία, πολλές φορές, τα όρια ανάμεσα σε θύτη και θύμα είναι πολύ λεπτά και κατ' επέκτασιν, πολύ εύκολο να καταπατηθούν και να οδηγήσουν σε εκρήξεις, πολιτικές, κοινωνικές, θρησκευτικές, μα κυρίως συναισθηματικές, γιατί ο καθένας από εμάς έχει τη δική του φιλοσοφία, την προσωπική του ηθική, τα όρια που αντέχει να ξεπεράσει ή μη.

Από 'κει κι έπειτα, η "Συνωμοσία της φωτιάς" δεν έχει αυτήν την ένταση και το νεύρο που είχαν "Τα φαντάσματα του Μπέλφαστ". Υπήρχε μια σκοτεινή και ανατριχιαστική αίσθηση που στην προκειμένη δεν την αντιλαμβάνεσαι. Ωστόσο, σε καμία περίπτωση δεν θα μπορούσαμε να ισχυριστούμε πως το βιβλίο δεν είναι καλογραμμένο ή πως δεν παρουσιάζει ένα ευρύτερο ενδιαφέρον. Αυτό που του λείπει είναι η λίγη παραπάνω δυναμική, κάτι που θα μπορούσε να το έχει επιτύχει ο συγγραφέας αποφεύγοντας τη χρήση ορισμένων κλισέ του είδους, τονώνοντας την ένταση και την αγωνία μας, ενώ παράλληλα θα επιτύγχανε μια πιο δυνατή κορύφωση. Όχι πως αυτή δεν ήρθε, αλλά κακά τα ψέματα, ακολούθησε έναν πιο αργόσυρτο, πιο αμερικάνικο ρυθμό, που παρασύρεται πολλές φορές από μια διάθεση φλυαρίας και υπερανάλυσης, που μπορεί εκεί να πουλάει, σε πιο ευρωπαϊκές χώρες, όμως, κουράζει.

Συνοψίζοντας, λοιπόν, θα λέγαμε πως η "Συνωμοσία της φωτιάς" είναι ένα ενδιαφέρον βιβλίο, στο σύνολό του, που πέφτει θύμα κάποιων μικρών αστοχιών, με αποτέλεσμα να μας προσφέρει ένα τελικό σύνολο λίγο πιο αδύναμο και φλύαρο απ' αυτό που θα μπορούσε, και απ' αυτό που ίσως θα θέλαμε. Παρ' όλα ταύτα, και παρά την έλλειψη εκπλήξεων κατά την εξέλιξη της πλοκής, ο Neville παραμένει ένας πολύ καλός τεχνίτης της γλώσσας αλλά και της σύγχρονης λογοτεχνικής αισθητικής του είδους, με μια ταυτότητα εύκολα αναγνωρίσιμη και την ποιότητα της οποίας δεν μπορείς να μην εκτιμήσεις. Σίγουρα πρέπει να έχετε διαβάσει το πρώτο βιβλίο της σειράς, και αν και πιθανότατα να βρείτε την συνέχεια αυτή λιγότερο δυνατή, σίγουρα, συνολικά, θ' απολαύσετε το ταξίδι αυτό.

[Eric_W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook: Apparently, this is the second volume to feature Ulster cop (another Catholic among Protestants) Jack Lennon. I wish I had read Ghosts of Belfast first, because at times I felt a wee bit lost as Jack meanders through a tangled web of conflicting loyalties and conspiracies between the assorted Irish terror groups, gangs, Special Branch, and cops. His own loyalty is suspect as he had a child by Marie, the daughter of Michael McKenna, a well-known IRA boss. To make matters worse, the “Traveler,” a troubled killer is taking out people under the direction of a Bull O’Kane boss’s daughter and Lennon has to join forces with Gerry Fagen, another IRA killer. I’m sure I got much of the loyalties mixed up and labeled some as IRA who perhaps weren’t. It’s a very corrupt and confusing world with many different agendas and personal nightmares.
Jack has been rejected by his family who felt he was putting them all at risk by joining the “peelers” following the death of his brother for being a squealer even though Jack knows he wasn’t but was taking the fall for someone else. Jack is very much alone in the world and there is virtually no one he can trust. People are still sorting themselves out after the Troubles, focusing on making money rather than killing each other, yet the killing continues just with different motives. "Belfast was starting to grate on him, with its red-brick houses and cars parked on top of one another. And the people, all smug and smiling now they'd gathered the wit to quit killing each other and start making money instead."

I love the Irish accent of Gerard Doyle, but sometimes the colloquialisms baffled me.
Sorting out the different groups, UVA, SAS, UDF, IRA, MI5, and the cops groups is its own nightmare for the non-Irish reader. Heaven only knows how awful it must have been for the people who lived through it.

Now I’m off to listen to Ghosts of Belfast.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband, the Lovely Bry reviewed Stuart Neville’s debut novel The Twelve here last year. Unfortunately I didn’t have the opportunity to read it as it was lent out to friends who lent it to other friends etc etc. However, this time I was determined not to miss out so as soon as Bry turned the last page I snatched the book and devoured it in just one day, taking time out only to see that the children were fed and watered – it was really unputdownable.

I have been assured by Bry that Collusion is an even better read than The Twelve and that you can see how Neville has improved his writing, tightening up the narrative, using short chapters which crank up the tension to an almost unbearable level. Gerry Fegan and the mysterious Traveller both have a slightly supernatural element about them – Gerry is still haunted by his turbulent past as a paramilitary killer but retains his aura of invincibility. Is The Traveller his nemesis?

It’s not a clearcut case of good versus evil here as the baddies far outnumber the goodies and each character is fully fleshed, flaws and all. You really don’t know who to trust from one minute to the next. DI Jack Lennon is a really engaging character. He’d given up so much in order to join the police at a time when Catholic recruits were few and far between and now his once respected superiors seem enmeshed in the filthy mess of collusion – loyalists and republicans even helping each other if there’s money to be made.

In short, a thrilling, taut read – not for those of a nervous disposition or those who object to “strong” language. I’m really looking forward to Stolen Souls, another thriller featuring Jack Lennon, somehow I don’t think he’s going to get the quiet life he’d hoped for!

[Normita Normito · Rating 4 out of 5]

Αναπάντεχα καλό!!
Γρήγορη δράση, προβλέψιμη σε κάποια σημεία, πολύ ξυλίκι, υπερηρωες οι πρωταγωνιστές κ επτάψυχοι. Κινηματογραφική πλοκή.


Έκανα το λάθος κ πήρα το δεύτερο βιβλίο της σειράς οπότε έχω κάποια ερωτηματικά.
Η ιστορία της Ιρλανδίας άγνωστη κ οι σημειώσεις πίσω δεν βοήθησαν ιδιαίτερα. Η μετάφραση δεν ήταν πολύ καλή νομίζω.
Θα αναζήτησω κ τα υπόλοιπα!

[CJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent follow up to "Ghosts of Belfast"; think the mafia is tough? You ain't seen nothing til you've taken a look at Ireland during "The Troubles". Clancy's "Patriot Games" touched on the brutality engendered by the IRA, but "Ghosts of Belfast", set in Ireland, shows just how casual, accepted, and everyday beatings, shootings, extortion, etc. were.
Writing a protagonist like Gerry Fegan, who's a sociopath and a terrorist and managing to make him somewhat sympathetic is nothing short of a literary feat of genius. Gerry remains quite human, never degenerating into the two dimensional combat characters that litter American movies (think Rambo for starters) and are absolutely unstoppable once they've been pushed too far. But he is also someone other people don't want to mess with because he has that flat affect that denotes someone who is pretty much past caring what happens to him.
While you'll never root for Gerry quite the way you root for Dexter, this is one of those "Omigod it's 3 a.m. and I have to get up for work tomorrow" books. While "Ghosts of Belfast" was spooky, "Collusion" is a more straightforward thriller with an ending that will make Hollywood big budget directors positively drool.
The small added touches are what make this book a winner; the almost Greek fate feeling of a man who cannot escape who he was no matter what he wants to be now or how far he runs. And details that make the Irish so...well... Irish. The way that touches of the supernatural, or fey, are simply part and parcel of their world, and people "who see dead people" are spooky but not necessarily con artists. But the otherwordly touches don't prevent these two books book from being gritty, nor do they take over the book and push it into the genre of straight horror.
If you like gritty and noir, Ghosts of Belfast and Collusion should be at the top of your list of mystery/thrillers. Just don't start Ghosts of Belfast at night if you're home alone.

[Kit Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

The universal rule of diminished returns regarding sequels was in full swing on this 'un. Whereas Neville's first novel felt fresh, jarring, and meticulously honed to near-noir-ish perfection, this followup felt rushed and slightly ill-planned. I enjoyed bits of it, but while The Ghosts of Belfast had this brilliantly-directed-and-eerily-filmed-low-budget-Irish-crime-film quality about it, Collusion seemed more like the big budget Hollywood remake of the original that starred Ben Affleck instead of a proper Irish actor. Also, the villain didn't seem very fleshed out and necessary--maybe because the protagonist of the first book was both hero and villain in one. Either way, I'm glad Stuart Neville is around and I do anxiously await his next book.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Ghosts of Belfast, dark and violent though it was.
Collusion was a surprise -- I wasn't aware that Ghosts was the first in a series with Jack Lennon as the central character. Lennon is "okay" (though I found him completely unsympathetic as a protagonist in a later novel of the series), but too bad about Gerry Fegan, who made Ghosts a great read.

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only time I have been in Northern Ireland, all I remember is that feeling of defeat and disappointment. My ferry landed in Belfast and, though the docks looked like most docklands, the rest of the city seemed no improvement. It was a fading black and white photo of a day with the only color seeming to come from graffiti and that not providing any warmth or comfort. I couldn’t wait to get on the train to Dublin. So, when I read stories like the one contained in Collusion, the second in Stuart Neville’s Jack Lennon series, I rather expect the atmosphere to have a bleakness only brightened by the occasional glimpse of humanity within the characters, few of whom would be considered “good guys” in any other story. There is a moral abyss, a valley of the shadow of not only death but despair, into which Neville’s characters have fallen. Yet, I cannot pull myself away from his compelling portrait of these veterans of “The Troubles,” trying to deal with the guilt, the power shift, and the personal demons of recovering from said era.

In typical Neville fashion, the Collusion alluded to in the book’s title is restricted to neither of the traditional sides in the struggle nor to any of the “sides” represented in the plot. We see enough of Jack Lennon in this book to understand why the series purports to be built around his character, even though he was virtually inactive in Ghosts of Belfast, the first or, maybe, prequel to the series. Ghosts of Belfast makes its readers care about three people: an ex-Irish Republican Army killer/enforcer, a wife of an officer in the Royal Ulster Constabulary, and an innocent child whose father abandoned her to live in the “killing zone” between the Catholic and Protestant forces. In Collusion, we discover the climax within the lives of two out of the three and a loose thread is pulled taut in the life of the third.

Collusion draws some of the most sophisticated portraits of evil that I’ve ever read or seen. The main bad guy is a mosaic of contradictions. He is blatant cruelty mixed with subtle manipulation, impulsive violence and destruction mixed with intricate preparation, and overconfident arrogance mixed with paranoid fear. He is both clearly in control and out of control. What a strong bouquet of complexity followed by a finish of the bitter tannin of human degradation.

Yet, Collusion effectively demonstrates the razor wire upon which one must clamber over in order to survive in an environment of hate, hostility, and mistrust. Yet, even the protagonist has blemishes from his selfish compromises and the former hit man/enforcer brings about empathy because one senses how the villain has become (or perhaps always was) a victim. One cannot help but see how human frailty and selfishness has led to these circumstances both in the macro-environment of Northern Ireland’s politics and in the micro-environment of these individuals and their toxicity to themselves and those people and causes they thought they cared about.

Collusion doesn’t seem as well-paced as Ghosts of Belfast in terms of alternating the twists of betrayal and the intensity of action scenes, but there were plenty of both types of scenes for me. Reading Neville’s books leads to intense experiences. I wonder where this powerful narrative sequence goes from here.

[Kmalbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, Neville is such an amazing writer. His plot development and pacing in both this book and The Ghosts of Belfast, are spot on and he reveals nothing until the exact moment you start asking the question. You know this author is in complete control of his characters. He reminds me a bit of Nesbo in his intensity. On the other hand, what other serious mystery writer would have the confidence and skill to walk the literary line of (dare I say it?) "magical realism"?

[Χρήστος Καψάλης · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Ο τύπος ξέρει να γράφει" επιμένει ο Ellroy για τον Stuart Neville που έγινε γνωστός για τα “Φαντάσματα του Μπέλφαστ”. Το δεύτερο βιβλίο που εκδίδει ο Neville είναι άξια συνέχεια του πρώτου, με αδύνατα αλλά και δυνατά σημεία.

Η “συνωμοσία της φωτιάς” είναι ένα καλογραμμένο και σκληρό αστυνομικό βιβλίο. Η “συμπαιγία” (collusion) όπως είναι ο πρωτότυπος τίτλος του συνεχίζει από εκεί που μας άφησαν τα φαντάσματα του Τζέρι Φέγκαν. Πρωταγωνιστής πια, είναι ο Τζακ Λένον, πρώην σύντροφος της Μαρί ΜακΚένα και πατέρας της μικρής Έλεν. Ο Τζέρι Φέγκαν αυτοεξόριστος στη Νέα Υόρκη κοιμάται και ξυπνά με τον εφιάλτη της μικρής που κινδυνεύει κι έχει μέρα νύχτα δίπλα του το κινητό που το νούμερό του ξέρει μόνο η Μαρί. Δεν μπορεί να ξεχάσει ότι ένα απόγευμα στο Μπέλφαστ, η μικρή της κόρη άγγιξε το χέρι του (και την ματωμένη συνείδησή του).

Αντίστοιχη φιγούρα του Φέγκαν είναι ο Ταξιδιώτης. Τσιγγάνος του Ιρλανδικού Νότου, πληρωμένος δολοφόνος, αναλαμβάνει να ξεπληρώσει τα χρέη του Μπουλ Ο'Κέιν. Του θρυλικού γέρου που μια φορά κι έναν καιρό ήταν ο φόβος και ο τρόμος των δρόμων και σήμερα βρίσκεται καθηλωμένος και ανήμπορος στην αναπηρική καρέκλα. Ο Φέγκαν είναι ο εφιάλτης που τον στοιχειώνει. Οι επιζήσαντες από το μακελειό στη φάρμα του πρέπει να πεθάνουν ένας ένας. Ο Ταξιδιώτης ξεκινά το ιρλανδικό ταξίδι θανάτου.

Ο Τζακ Λένον, χαμένο κορμί, πότης, κυνηγός γυναικών, λίγο διεφθαρμένος και λίγο αποτυχημένος μπάτσος, ψάχνει απεγνωσμένα την κόρη του. Ανακαλύπτει σιγά σιγά τη συνωμοσία που στήθηκε από Βρετανούς, Πιστούς και Ρεπουμπλικάνους γύρω από τη σφαγή στο κτήμα του Μπουλ Ο'Κέιν.

Ο δικηγόρος Πάτσι Τόνερ, πρώην άνθρωπος του ΜακΓκίντι, ομολογεί:

“Συνωμοσία” απάντησε ο Τόνερ, και η φωνή του βγήκε χαμηλή, θυμωμένη, συριστική. “Όλοι μιλάνε για συνωμοσία. Οι μπάτσοι, οι Βρετανοί, οι Πιστοί, ήταν όλοι τους χωμένοι. Αν ακούσεις τι λένε θα νομίσεις ότι οι Πιστοί δεν πάνε ούτε για χέσιμο αν δεν είναι να τους σκουπίσει τον κώλο η ΜΙ5 και ο Ειδικός Κλάδος”.

Ο Λένον γέλασε. “Κοίτα ξέρω για τους Πιστούς. Όλοι ξέρουν-”

“Όλοι τα ξέρουν όλα αλλά κανείς δεν λέει τίποτα. Άκου, η συνωμοσία πήγαινε προς όλες τις κατευθύνσεις, ήταν παντού. Ανάμεσα σε Βρετανούς και Πιστούς στο Στέμμα, ανάμεσα στην Ιρλανδική κυβέρνηση και στους Ρεπουμπλικάνους, ανάμεσα στους Ρεπουμπλικάνους και στους Βρετανούς, ανάμεσα στους Πιστούς και στους Ρεπουμπλικάνους”. Ο Τόνερ ήταν ξέπνοος. Το πρόσωπό του είχε κοκκινίσει. Τράβηξε μια λαίμαργη τζούρα κι έβηξε.

“Προς όλες τις κατευθύνσεις, παντού. Ποτέ δεν θα μάθουμε μέχρι πού έφτασε. Όλα τα ασήμαντα και όλα τα σημαντικά πράγματα. Οι Πιστοί που προμήθευαν τους Ρεπουμπλικάνους με DVD μαϊμού και χάπια έκσταση. Οι Ρεπουμπλικάνοι που πουλούσαν νοθευμένη ντίζελ και νοθευμένη βότκα στους Πιστούς. Τροφοδοτούσαν το μίσος και καμώνονταν ότι μάχονταν για τον γαμημένο Αγώνα τους, όταν, συνεχώς έκανε ο ένας τον άλλον πλούσιο. Και οι δολοφονίες. Πόσους δικούς μας αφήσαμε να καθαρίσουν οι Πιστοί; Πόσους δικούς τους πούλησαν οι Πιστοί σε μας; Πόσες φορές πήρα ταξί για να πάω σε κάποιο κλαμ�� στη Σάνκιλ, με ένα όνομα σε ένα φάκελο, κι δύο μέρες μετά ένας άτυχος μαλάκας από τη Φολς βρισκόταν νεκρός;”

Η περιγραφή του βούρκου στον οποίο κυλίστηκε ο αγώνας για τα ιδανικά και από τις δύο πλευρές, βάζει στην ίδια μοίρα τον απελευθερωτικό αγώνα των Ρεπουμπλικάνων με την τρομοκρατική δράση των Πιστών στο Στέμμα, πιστών οργάνων της βρετανικής θηριωδίας. Όσο κι αν πονάει τον προοδευτικό αναγνώστη, συμπαραστάτη του πόνου του Ιρλανδικού λαού και του αγώνα του IRA, ο Neville δίνει στοιχεία πραγματικότητας. Είναι Προτεστάντης, γράφει για το πιο δύσκολο θέμα που θα μπορούσε ποτέ να επιλέξει και σε γενικές γραμμές τα καταφέρνει καλά. Φυσικά οι ίσες αποστάσεις ανάμεσα στους θύτες και στα θύματα εν γένει είναι πρόβλημα. Αν οι πολιτικές και ιδεολογικές σας καταβολές σας εμποδίζουν να δεχτείτε την ισοπέδωση, διαβάστε αμέσως μετά (για να έρθετε στα ίσια σας) τα ημερολόγια φυλακής του Μπόμπι Σαντς (εκδόσεις Καινά Δαιμόνια), προσφάτως εκδοθέντα με αφορμή τα τριάντα χρόνια από τον μαρτυρικό του θάνατο.

Ανεξαρτήτως πολιτικής, με τη δεύτερη εμφάνισή του ο Neville βάζει το Μπέλφαστ στο χάρτη των σημαντικότερων πόλεων τη αστυνομικής λογοτεχνίας. Ο Jerome Charyn στη Νέα Υόρκη, ο Chandler και ο Ellroy στο Λος Άντζελες, ο Ian Rankin στο Εδιμβούργο, o Jean-Claude Izzo στη Μασσαλία, ο Leo Malet στο Παρίσι, ο Jo Nesbo στο Όσλο και άλλοι ουκ έστιν αριθμός. Ζεις και ανασαίνεις στο Μπέλφαστ, στη μετά πολέμου εποχή, με όλη την ιδεολογική και πολιτική παρακμή που συνοδεύει νομοτελειακά την οικονομική ακμή.

Ανεβάζει τον πήχη ο Stuart Neville με το δεύτερο βιβλίο του; Δύσκολα. Τα φαντάσματα του Μπέλφαστ είχαν μια άγρια κι ανατριχιαστική αίσθηση. Ήταν ιδιαίτερο βιβλίο. Η Συνωμοσία της φωτιάς είναι μια καλογραμμένη ιστορία που όμως δεν αποφεύγει τα κλισέ. Το μεγαλύτερο όλων, που συναντάται και στα “Φαντάσματα” (όμως εκεί συγχωρείται) είναι η κινηματογραφική κορύφωση του τέλους με μια μεγάλη μάχη. Υπερβολική χολιγουντιανή επιρροή. Ακριβώς όπως και στο πρώτο βιβλίο της σειράς, ο Τζέρι Φέγκαν πηγαίνει άοπλος στους διώκτες του. Παραδίδεται, κι ενώ όλο το βιβλίο στήνεται πάνω στο αβυσσαλέο μίσος των διωκτών του που θέλουν τη ζωή του πάσει θυσία, ο Neville αργά αργά και αφελώς δίνει όλη τη δυνατότητα να γυρίσει η πλάστιγγα της μάχης. Η υπερβολική και πολυσέλιδη περιγραφή της τελικής κορύφωσης, ενθουσιάζει τον Αμερικάνο αναγνώστη, κουράζει τον Ευρωπαίο. Ο Neville ως βέρος Ιρλανδός (έστω και Προτεστάντης) οφείλει να είναι στη μέση της κουλτούρας ανάμεσα στη γηραιά και τη νέα ήπειρο.

Παρόλα αυτά η ιστορία είναι απολαυστική. Σκληρό αστυνομικό. Η πλοκή είναι μάλλον η αναμενόμενη, αλλά πάντως το ύφος και το στυλ δείχνουν έναν τεχνίτη του είδους. Διαβάστε το, εκτός κι αν δεν έχετε ήδη διαβάσει τα Φαντάσματα του Μπέλφαστ, οπότε καλό είναι να ξεκινήσετε από την αρχή. Το τρίτο βιβλίο της σειράς εκδόθηκε ήδη στην Ιρλανδία και τον Γενάρη του 2012 κυκλοφορεί και στη Νέα Υόρκη. Δυστυχώς θα λείπει η ανεπανάληπτη σκοτεινιά του Τζέρι Φέγκαν. Ίσως να είναι παρούσα η τρομακτική φιγούρα του Ταξιδιώτη.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sequel to Stuart Neville's terrific debut novel, "The Ghosts of Belfast" and continues the stellar qualities that made that book so engrossing. We have much more of Detective Inspector Jack Lennon in this book (I still maintain that the first book didn't feature him in any meaningful way) and come to understand his character. This will matter in the series as it moves forward, but for my money, the character I care more about is Gerry Fagen, the protagonist from Ghosts. But wait, there's more... More of some of the characters we met in the last book, and several new antagonists, the most impressive of which is simply known as The Traveler.
It's difficult to say more about the story without spoiling it for those who wish to read it. I will say, however, that for full enjoyment, read this series in order-- Ghosts of Belfast first, and then Collusion. Both are excellent, as are Neville's subsequent offerings. It's rare for me to want to read books by the same author in succession, but Mr. Neville is a very talented writer and I look forward to continuing this series and the world he portrays so skillfully.

[Effie Saxioni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Μετά τα εκπληκτικά Φαντάσματα του Μπέλφαστ,αυτό το βιβλίο μου θύμισε φτωχό συγγενή.Στο πρώτο μισό ακολούθησε την "πεπατημένη" παραθέτοντας, όπου χωρούσαν, πληροφορίες και στοιχεία που αφορούν την κατάσταση στην Ιρλανδία,ενώ το γόητρό του σώθηκε στο δεύτερο μισό,όπου η επιστροφή του Φέγκαν έδωσε λίγη ζωή στο πόνημα που κυριολεκτικά χαροπάλευε στα χέρια του Λένον-ενός άχρωμου και αδιάφορου ήρωα,που επιβεβαίωσε στο έπακρο τους λόγους που τον αντιπαθησα στο Πέπλο Σιωπής.3⭐,που οφείλονται ξεκάθαρα στις τελευταίες 150 σελίδες.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid northern Irish police procedural. Like it better than the Ghosts of Belfast.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I shouldn’t have read this at the same time that I watched Bloodlands—I kept getting the plots confused! Both had Belfast and IRA and corrupt police and touts. Loved it though!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in Stuart Neville's Belfast Noir Jack Lennon series. The first book, The Ghosts of Belfast, really only featured Detective Inspector Lennon as a minor character - the main character was the anti-hero Gerry Fagan, a former IRA killer who was now haunted by the ghosts of his victims. Fagan was so batshit crazy he scared everyone, and when "everyone" decided they wanted him dead, a bloodbath ensued.

Now, Lennon has settled into his new role as an underpaid detective on the force. His family has disowned him for becoming a "peeler" (cop), and he has few friends. Then he finds out that the "special branch" of the police has been concealing things, like the whereabouts of his ex (a Catholic girl who also suffered unpersoning for having hooked up with a cop) and his young daughter. Lennon does not hesitate to turn over rocks and derail his own career to find them.

Meanwhile, Gerry Fagan had escaped to New York where he wanted to just fade into the shadows, working as an undocumented laborer. Of course the boys back home aren't going to allow that. Bull O'Kane, his old nemesis, has put out a hit on him, and the hitman is a dangerous, almost unworldly assassin known only as the Traveller.

The Traveller stalks through this book like Anton Chighur, intrigued by Gerry Fagan, who seems like a man just as dangerous and fearsome as himself. The difference being that the Traveller is remorseless and conscienceless, while Fagan is trying to atone for his past sins.

Lennon's ex is caught up in all this - she was part of the feud that ignited the original bloodbath back in Belfast, so she's a loose end to be tied up.

Obviously, there is going to be a climactic showdown between Gerry Fagan and the Traveller. Jack Lennon is almost a secondary character in his own series.

The "Collusion" of the title is between all the parties in the still-violent and roiling world of modern Ireland, post-Troubles. Cops, criminals, unionists, IRA, everyone is now passing names and money to each other, selling each other out, all just trying to stay aboard the money train, while the few people who actually have principles - whether legal, like Detective Lennon, or amoral, like Gerry Fagan - are just more people in the way, putting their own loved ones in danger when they won't let the bodies lie. Neville's series is gritty and hardboiled, sour like whiskey, violent like Belfast, tough like the Irish.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack (John) Lennon was plagued with right and wrong early on. After the death and cover up of his brother, Jack become a voice of the people, committed to do the right thing and bring justice to those who sought to be outside of the law. Entwining circumstances leave him straddled between the world he’s sworn to protect and a world of corruption.
Poor decisions, and government collusion, puts Jack’s career in jeopardy. And possibly his daughters life in peril. Now Jack is charged with protecting his daughter and ex-girlfriend against a “cleaner” and the police. In Collusion Jack discovers friendship only goes as far as your wallet and corruption of many is deep.
Belfast is inundated with a string of killings; clean up killings the police have turned a blind eye on, even going as far to help a killer complete his mission.
Jack has one thought on his mind protect his daughter and her mother, both who he turned his back on. Is redemption his salvation? The good the bad and the vengeful play powerful roles in this book. You never know what side a character is on. Even the bad might be good.
This book has political undertones along with the protestant vs catholic struggles. In the first twenty pages more than five people found their lives cut short, with many more meeting the same fate. It’s an us vs them kind of book with plenty of bloodshed and excitement.
Gripping tale, great character development and dialogue. A worthwhile read.
This book is a follow up to Ghosts in Belfast, a book I’ve yet to read but after this exciting journey I can’t wait to read.
Thank you Goodread for the signed hardback copy!

[Michael Martz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved 'Collusion', the 2nd of Stuart Neville's Belfast series. It's a very fast-paced novel that follows a Belfast cop (Lennon) trying to make sense out of a series of murders that to him are obviously linked, but to his superiors aren't. Integral to the story are his attempt to make contact with his ex-wife and daughter, as well as the involvement of Fegan, the assassin introduced in the "Ghosts of Belfast'. Something isn't right with the murders, Lennon can't locate his ex and daughter, Fegan's hideout in NYC is discovered by people aware of his past, and another key figure from his first novel, O'Kane, is pushing the buttons of the guy who's carrying out the connected murders. It helps to have read 'Ghosts of Belfast' prior to this one, since there's more action than character development involved, but the writing is great and the story is pretty believable, so even without the background you'd do well to get into 'Collusion'.

What I really like so far about the Belfast series is the complicated environment they're in. Protestants, Catholics, Northern Ireland and the Republic of...., cops on both sides of the border, ex-IRA, Loyalists, ex-paramilitaries, British police divisions involvement- it adds a number of complicated layers to a story set in a city about 1/30 the size of the Chicago area in a country the size of Connecticut.

Without giving away the ending, I'd say it was pretty well telegraphed but didn't necessarily happen quite as expected. Again, great plot, fine writing, good dialogue, lots of action, fast pace... this book and series are real winners.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED The Twelve (The Ghosts of Belfast in the US), and while this was also a gripping, authentic crime thriller, I didn't find it quite as engrossing. Collusion is a sequel to The Twelve/The Ghosts of Belfast, and it is essential to read that first. While Collusion introduces us to Jack Lennon and goes some way in developing the character of the Catholic PSNI officer, it doesn't do much to further our understanding of the characters we met in the first book. Marie becomes little more than, as she herself puts it, "a fucking damsel in distress", and Gerry, who was so artfully depicted as a conflicted ex-paramilitary hitman with a passion for the guitar, becomes more one-dimensional as Marie and Ellen's fierce guardian. However, Collusion maintains the fast pace, colorful and accurate dialogue (although there was one place where a character said "puke" and I couldn't help thinking that it was probably originally my favorite Northern Irish-ism "boke" ), wonderful sense of place, and thought-provoking examination of the state of post-Good Friday Agreement Northern Ireland that made The Twelve/The Ghosts of Belfast such a success. As a character, Lennon has a lot of potential and the Traveller, with his traumatic history in the Balkans and mysterious identity, could also prove an interesting protagonist in the future. I would love to see Neville introduce some interesting and dynamic female characters and look at their roles in the post-conflict power struggles -- Orla O'Kane was interesting but minor. Looking forward to whatever he comes out with next.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

COLLUSION does not live up to the simple "magnificent" in quotation marks on the copy of COLLUSION that I read. But I read the book on the basis of previous experience, not on an author blurb (which I never believe, anyhow).

COLLUSION is the second book in a series by Stuart Neville. I had previously read the fourth book in this series, THE FINAL SILENCE, which was truly magnificent, a five-star read. So I had high expectations of his other books.

Obviously, I am not reading this series in order. (I have never read a book series in order. I buy the books as I find them in used book sales.) A book in a series should be able to stand on its own and not depend on previous books in the series. But COLLUSION's first half confused me. If I had read the first book in the series, I might have understood more background about Detective Inspector Jack Lennon. Or maybe it is Neville's style to be deliberately evasive.

Also, throughout this book was (what I thought was extreme) violence. I am not a prude. What bothered me was not each violent incident but the totality of violent incidences. It was just too much, so much it was like watching a violent video game.

So it seems to me that COLLUSION is about three things: (1) Lennon trying to find his young daughter so he can keep her away from the violence, (2) the political factions in Northern Ireland not only committing violence against each other but colluding with each other, and (3) violence. Above all, this book is about violence and who can be more violent and take it like a man.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remnants of the paranormal bloodshed of 'The Twelve' are evident through ripples of sanctioned hits and untimely deaths of those unlucky enough to have survived the tilde wave of violence that was Gerry Fegan. Having exorcised his demons, the haunting's of murdered past take a back seat to the shotgun police procedural and corrupt peelers of Belfast in 'Collusion', the action packed sophomore novel by Stuart Neville. Bull O'Kane was spared Fegan's wrath and has set about wiping all trace of the bloodshed from 'The Twelve' by putting hits out on the witnesses and crafting an elaborate plot to take down Fegan once and for all. Enlisting the services of the prolific killer dubbed 'The Traveller', O'Kane periodically erases his nightmare while trying to maintain a sense of hardness and feared criminal facade despite his dwindling physical state. Introducing some new characters and giving more attention to those introducted in 'The Twelve', Neville establishes a clear sense of continuity while laying the foundation for future novels with slightly skewed protagonists - broken and honest DI Lennon is one who springs to mind. There's enough of the paranormal to provide context to the happenings of 'The Twelve' but 'Collusion' is all about noir - pure unadulterated hard boiled crime noir in all its blood letting glory - a genre fans delight. 4 Stars.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gripping, well written and bloody book - not for the squeamish. Jack Lennon is a cop in Belfast. His world involves working with criminals - often letting some of the worst walk free so as to keep a balance of power on the streets. For American readers, it's a frightening look at the underbelly of Belfast. I kept reminding myself that I'd been there, and in that peaceful year it seems no more dangerous than Los Angeles or New Orleans.

All Lennon has in the world is his daughter, Ellen, who disappeared with Lennon's lover, Marie, years ago. Now, in the midst of the decades-old sectarian violence, Lennon is driven to find them - something that leaves him allied with the deadly Gerry Fegan, an IRA assassin trying to leave the business.

Neville is a talented writer, who has drawn nuanced, motivated characters caught by byzantine yet tragically believable circumstances. I didn't read Neville's first book in this series, and was initially slightly overwhelmed by a dump of names in this one. That ended very quickly, and I was drawn into this web of a story.

Have to say my sleep suffered for the reading - both because it is a page-turner and because of the disturbing, believable violence.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Collusion Neville does show even a hint of the sophomore slump. Continuing on after the events of the previous book in such a way that they could be read as one long novel and pretty much upping the ante in every way, the story is violent, bitter, tense but also suspenseful and page turning. Neville has spent his time with Lehane, Ellroy, and McCarthy but never apes them, and on his second novel he is good as or better than them (except McCarthy) at a similar point in their careers. Also, the relentless noir of Richard Stark and Ted Lewis (and characters named Eddie Coyle and Jim Thompson aren’t coincidences either). So this is an excellent noir/hardboiled (an overused set of terms I know but I prefer them) or thriller ( a term I loathe but some people like) that is successful as an entertainment but is so immersed in the bitter history and present(sadly quite timely as the economic slump seems to be inspiring a new wave of violence) of Northern Ireland that it cuts a little deeper as a novel of politics and violence and the despairing individuals who commit them. Neville matches his English companion Nick Stone at the best at this type of writing on that side of the Atlantic.

[Rob Kitchin · Rating 4 out of 5]

At one level, Collusion is a fairly straightforward thriller – The Traveller hunts down O’Kane’s victims and Fegan and Lennon try to stop him. It rises above average fare though by being a multilayered tale with noir sensibilities – no real heroes or neat resolutions, just people with complex, troubled and intertwined histories. The writing is excellent, with well constructed prose and scenes. The characterisation is strong and the plotting sound, with pages flying by as the end nears. I would have liked a bit more backstory and time with some of the characters, and a little more plot elaboration in places, but that’s just personal taste. And, although it’s not essential to read The Twelve, Neville’s previous novel first, it would certainly help as just about all the characters in Collusion first appear there and this is very much a sequel. Overall, an entertaining read, with the best opening scene I’ve read for a while. Whilst there are a pack of Irish crime writers flourishing at the minute, it’s not clear if one is going to break free and join John Connolly in the mega-sales league. Stuart Neville may well be that writer on the strength of his first two novels.

[A. Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a great deal of nose shattering in this novel, set in the midst of corruption of all sorts, almost constant violence, and heaps of coarse language. Neville exposes idealism gone bad, as republicans and loyalists and police engage in blackmail, torture, murder, prostitution, and everything else that is not lofty. The book opens with chapters that move among characters, weaving those threads into a thick braid of plot points, and eventually brings them all to the same place. One of the most sinister figures is strangely humanized by his devotion to a child. The only survival that seems safe is Jack Lennon's, because he's the series protagonist, even though he is on the brink of catastrophe more than once. Everyone else is on the verge of death most of the time. As a departure from a steady diet of literary fiction, the book reads well, with only occasional disappointing moments. It goes on a bit longer than it needs to, but it's a gripping novel because one really wants to know if anybody at all, even passersby, gets to the end alive.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neville creates very scary bad guys and good guys. They are almost superhuman. This book features Jack Lennon, a cop in Belfast, who is searching for his former girlfriend,Marie, and his daughter. Jack is a rake, and abandoned Marie when she became pregnant. Now full of regrets, 5 years later, he searches for them. Jack is kind of a jerk - his Catholic family turned him out and shuns him, because he joined the police after his younger brother was killed in the Troubles. Another bad guy, Gerry Fegan is also searching for Marie and her daughter. To add to the mix, there's "the Traveler", a man with many fake identities, who may or may not be a Traveler. The title "Collusion" refers to the notion that many so-called enemies - MI5, the Special Branch, Protestant paramilitaries, Catholic paramilitaries, politicians and cops - are all in cahoots. Drug running, prostitution, betrayal and more.
I like Neville's style of writing short chapters that move between characters and places. It kept me moving through the book to a climatic end to find out who survived.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Collusion” is the wonderful sequel to “The Ghosts of Belfast”. A sequel that I enjoyed just as much as the first book in what I hope is going to be a continuing series.

“Collusion” carries off where the previous book left off…with Gerry Fegan just as haunted as before and doing his best to protect Marie and her daughter Ellen, who he dragged into battle with him in “The Ghosts of Belfast.” Missing from the first book but very present here is Jack Lennon, Ellen’s father…who wants nothing more than to see his child and be a part of her life.

I love all the characters in this book….from Fegan to Lennon….all the way to the ‘bad guys’ Bull O’Kane and the Traveler, who seems to epitomize evil and a heart without any feeling but hate. Stuart Neville is superb at writing this type of action/thriller that totally delivers where it counts: plot and characterization. Waiting anxiously for the next book…