The Killer by Jack Elgos

The Killer

Jack Elgos

This novel, about a young Belfast man who joins the IRA so that he can avenge the death of his mother, is short and extremely violent. The style is bleak and the language is basic and obscene. Dialogue and events dominate and the pace of the read is fast and furious. If you like plenty of intrigue and action, this might be one for you. It could also be the starting point for more serious reading on Ireland's recent history.

Extract
The Shankhill Butcher gave up no further information. He couldn't, as Darren slowly cut his face to pieces. Those in the room; a tall, bearded, tatooed man and three battled hardened Provo activists, would later report having left the cellar before the job was finished, two of them even admitting to vomiting outside. Only one man, a short, stocky Spaniard, stayed to witness the whole thing. Just before midnight, Darren McCann had entered an old, boarded up building, but as the sun rose on the next day, The Butcher of Belfast emerged.
Parallels
  • Field of Blood by Gerald Seymour
  • Eye of the Storm by Jack Higgins