Northern Spy delves into the close relationship of two sisters, how they became involved in the IRA and all of the complications that ensue. A page turner, with lots of plot twists, fear, intimidation and at the heart of it all the love between sisters.

**I received an electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review of this book.

BBC producer and single mom Tessa and her sister Marian live in Northern Ireland, where despite peace having been officially reached decades earlier, the IRA is still active and tensions in the community remain high. One day, much to Tessa’s shock and confusion, Marian is caught on video participating in an armed robbery. Police believe Marian has joined the IRA, but the very idea of this goes against everything Tessa knows about her sister, with whom she has a very close relationship.

The plot and pacing of the story get more intense as Tessa slowly becomes embroiled in a world of espionage and her life spins out of her control. But through it all she remains focused on what is most important to her – the through line guiding all of her actions is her love and concern for her son, Finn. Tessa’s fear and desperation are palpable, as is her love for her family. The book contains beautiful depictions of motherhood, and captures the devotion (and frustration) of sisterhood, as well as including some gorgeous descriptions of the Irish scenery. This book was beautifully written, and the plot kept me flying through the pages. It’s the first book I’ve read by Flynn Berry, but now I’m definitely interested in looking into her other works.

Good thriller for fans of Irish history and family drama (don't they always seem to go hand in hand?). I'm a Troubles nerd and this one did not disappoint!

I liked this book a lot. It was propulsive and compelling. Its specificity of scope made for an excellent and intriguing portrait of life in Northern Ireland.

So I have somewhat mixed feelings about this book. The historical,side was fascinating but the ultimate ending and a number of situations just didn’t ring true and seemed very far fetched. I liked the early half but it went on a downward slope around then

Since Patrick Radden Keefe's "Say Nothing," I've been drawn to literature that takes place in Northern Ireland and this book is a thrilling complement.

I just finished it and my heart is still pounding. Main character (Tessa) has six month old and author's portrayal of Tessa's motivations and emotions felt like gut punches-- I completely felt what she was feeling. Visceral reading experience, well developed sense of place and politics. I put it down many times bc it was too tense but picked it right back up bc I had to know what was going to happen next. Fast paced but also thought provoking and introspective.

A moving portrait of motherhood and sister in the backdrop of a divided society during the conflict in Northern Ireland. A producer at the Belfast Bureau of the BBC, Tessa receives news at work of another raid from the IRA in regards to a robbery at a gas station. Tessa's life is turned upside down when her sister Marian appears on the screen in connection to the robbery. The police believes Marian has joined the IRA, but Tessa is in doubt. As the truth of Marian's identity begins to unfold, Tessa will be forced to choose between her family and beliefs.

Flynn Berry's exquisite writing grasps the intricacy of humanity. Most importantly, it's a human story for those involved in activism and the violence many grapple with. Flynn Berry's in-depth exploration on motherhood felt intimate and beautiful. Tessa's relationship with her son Finn felt realistic and memorable. The story was moderately-paced with in-depth atmospheric and characteristic details that truly breathed life. My only minor thing that bothered me about this book were several plot holes in certain part of the story and its characters. But these minor details will not take away from the essence of the story: family, motherhood, activism and the toll it takes on human lives stuck in a conflict.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Highly charged family drama set during the recent past in Northern Ireland, this tense story unfolds over several months between two sisters. Tessa sees her sisters participation in an IRA robbery on television - and is convinced her sister was abducted and forced to participate. Soon, she realizes that Marian's double life has been years long and is drawn in to her duplicity. The highly tense and emotional situations and narration make this a real page turner, as Tessa struggles with her sisters lies, her own new motherhood, and is slowly pulled deeper into the IRA's activities and violence. Highly recommend.

I have enjoyed all three books written by Flynn Berry. Northern Spy takes place in Belfast, Northern Ireland and deals with the involvement of two sisters in the troubles between the Catholics and Protestants. For a good part of the book I was trying to figure out which side the sisters were helping, either the IRA or MI5. I also felt that I needed to suspend belief at times, there were a lot of plot situations that left me wondering why the characters acted the way they did. These negatives were overcome by the writing of Flynn Berry. She has such a lovely way with words and especially captures the emotions of her characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed Under the Harrow so I was super excited to see that Berry had a new one, and even more excited that it took place in Ireland. Like with many mystery/thrillers, it requires some suspension of disbelief in order to enjoy it, but personally I'm totally okay with that when it comes to this genre. As long as you're just along for a ride this is a solid read.

For anyone who has ever held any interest in 'The Troubles' or Northern Ireland in general, NORTHERN SPY by FLYNN BERRY should be on your 'To Be Read' list.

The reader follows the protagonist Tessa as she balances her job as a BBC producer and being a single mother with a small child. Added to the everyday pressures of those two situations, is the fact that, like everyone in Northern Ireland, she's living life under a constant threat of terrorism from factions of the IRA. When her sister mysteriously disappears, she fears the worst has happened.

BERRY delves deep into the psyche of her main character and superbly describes the feelings and emotions one feels as a new parent and the lengths at which she will go to protect her family. As the mystery of her sister's whereabouts unfolds, there are no easy decisions and a single wrong decision has life and death consequences.

Having studied the cease-fire and peace agreements in college, I was immediately interested in this book when I read the description. It is a departure from the types of thrillers I read, but I'm glad I did. While the physical action and danger comes in starts and stops, the psychological peril is constant and relatable. Berry does an amazing job of dropping the reader into the mind of Marian and we are actively rooting for events to fall in her favor... despite all the odds of them doing so.

I'll definitely be checking out Berry's other books A DOUBLE LIFE and UNDER THE HARROW

Flynn Berry has a new book out! And with all the publishing book buzzes I've watched online this year I somehow hadn't heard about this one before a few weeks ago, so there's a small delight in this ridiculous year, in which I have now read one good novel set in Ireland and written in the present tense. This was meant to be my read-on-work-breaks book for the week but instead I absolutely inhaled this, missing the atmosphere and the characters and Berry’s impeccably lovely little details when I had to do anything other than continue with it. Her writing is just as rich and ethereal as ever, and though this is a tense but not air-tight thriller about the IRA for reasons I’ll get into in a moment, the real delight and heft of the story lies in Tessa relationship with her baby Finn, whom she is raising mainly alone, Finn’s dad Tom on the periphery for parenting time with his son on Sundays. I adored Tessa’s devotion to her son and all of the little facets about caring for a baby that are easy to forget about since it’s been over ten years since I was in that game. How it physically aches to be away from him, the unbelievable exhaustion and how damn delightful he is in spite of it. Sometimes life just sits in its groove and does its thing and you let slip from your mind the wonder that you’ve made a whole other person and how remarkable and marvelous that is (especially when they happen to be a totally awesome smart-ass genius like my particular person) and I loved how much Tessa cherished her son.

The only bummer of this book is that the more I pick at the plot the more it unravels like a ratty sweater. (view spoiler) However, one of my very favorite books ever is The Likeness, the premise of which is absolutely mad on its face and that doesn’t stop me from loving it to bits, nor shall the suspension of disbelief required to read this book keep me from loving it as well. At some point Tessa asks herself, “Why would I need help? I have my son. I have my body, I have food, weather, a stack of books to read,” which is so like what I tell myself in gratitude every night of every day I’m allowed that it made me pause and wonder if Berry was in my brain (this is nonwithstanding the fact that Tessa, much like all of us, has suffered quite a bit of trauma and does definitely need help) and it feels worth four stars just for that.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Tessa lives in a house with her new son. She is close to her sister and is terrified when she recognizes Marian's face in the CCTV footage of an IRA-linked robbery. Tessa is called in for questioning and Marian is missing. This nail-biter of a thriller kept me guessing about loyalties right to the end.

Netgalley supplied an Advanced Readers Copy of this title in exchange for an impartial review.

I am beginning to suspect that Berry's first novel was the one she had to write and, thus, her best. This is the first follow up that feels a tad undercooked. Northern Spy is about just that: sister spies in the IRA. I found the inner workings of the IRA to be fascinating content. And I think, as always, Berry does an great job of creating emotional moments. Her look at motherhood, for example, is clear-eyed and moving. But I think this story could have benefitted from multiple points of view. A way into the heads of both sisters would have gone a long way to selling their behavior and subsequent actions. Still a solid and entertaining read.