Name: Tiffany Lawson's review of Northern Spy by Flynn Berry
Item: Northern Spy
Rating: 3
Author: Tiffany Lawson

Flynn Berry

"A producer at the Belfast bureau of the BBC, Tessa is at work one day when the news of another raid comes on the air. The IRA may have gone underground after the Good Friday agreement, but they never really went away, and lately, bomb threats, arms drops, and helicopters floating ominously over the city have become features of everyday life. As the anchor requests the public's help in locating those responsible for this latest raid--a robbery at a gas station--Tessa's sister appears on the screen. Tessa watches in shock as Marian pulls a black mask over her face. The police believe Marian has joined the IRA, but Tessa knows this is impossible. They were raised to oppose Republicanism, and the violence enacted in its name. They've attended peace vigils together. And besides, Marian is vacationing by the sea. Tessa just spoke to her yesterday. When the truth of what has happened to Marian reveals itself, Tessa will be forced to choose: between her ideals and her family, between bystanderism and action. Walking an increasingly perilous road, she fears nothing more than endangering the one person she loves more fiercely than her sister: her infant son. A riveting and exquisite novel about family, terror, motherhood, betrayal, and the staggering human costs of an intractable conflict"--

A Novel

Northern Spy

Tiffany Lawson

Lisa Lindquist 

Elaina 

3.5. Different than what I normally read. My boss who never reads recommended it so I decided to give it a go. I loved the writing style, but didn’t feel super connected to the MC. I definitely know a lot more about Ireland’s political system now though, so I’m counting that as a win :)

Kristen Claiborn

For most of my life I read books haphazardly, and that was fine. I had a few favorite authors I followed, but other than that I just picked books at random. In 2019, I started paying attention to Goodreads, and when the best books of the year list was released, I realized I hadn’t read most of them. At that point I started paying attention to some of the famous people who have “book clubs.” I have always loved Reese Witherspoon, so hers was one of the first I followed. I have loved just about every one of her picks so far, giving them four or five stars each. This one…not so much
	This book follows Tessa and how she became involved with the IRA (the Irish Republican Army). She was a new mother, single, and had a job working for the BBC (the IRA hated all things associated with Great Britain). Turns out her sister was working with the IRA, and Tessa found out that shocking information while watching a news report of a robbery; she recognized her sister, and it went downhill from there. 
	This book was a painfully slow burn for me. It’s billed as a thriller, but it was more like a day-in-the-life of a single mom who happened to have a rogue sister. When Tessa discovered her sister’s involvement, she was livid, and determined to have nothing to do with her or that situation. When she made the decision to allow her sister back into her life, she somehow managed to get roped into also assisting the NRA. None of any of that made sense to me. Why would Tessa’s sister even put Tessa in that position? Why would Tessa say yes, knowing she was putting her life, and her son’s life, in danger? I had such a hard time with the decision-making. Aside from this book completely flabbergasting me, it was bland, right up until the last 20% or so. It finally picked up the pace and was more interesting, but then I got to the end and I was just mad. This is the first time I have actually been disappointed with one of Witherspooon’s picks.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tessa and Marian are sisters living in Northern Ireland. One day at work, Tessa sees her sister on TV-as a member of the IRA.

The plot is a spy thriller about the two sisters, Tessa’s baby, Finn, and their involvement in espionage. But it’s not fast-paced. It’s more of a novel about the characters, especially Tessa. What are you willing to do as a mother, a sister, daughter, to ensure a safe future for those you love?

I personally loved reading from Tessa’s perspective. A thought-provoking read.

Cheri McElroy

Kerry Kalinoski

I would say 4.5 stars, such a good book & storyline and one of the easiest books I’ve read in a while

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK 'You'll devour Northern Spy . . . I loved this thrill ride of a book' Reese Witherspoon 'A sharp, moving thriller: you lose your breath for adrenalin' Abigail Dean, author of Girl A 'An exciting thriller... A domestic noir with a difference' Adrian McKinty, author of The Chain 'A chilling, gorgeously written tale' New York Times 'Nerve-shredding suspense' Daily Mail 'Thrillingly good... Flynn Berry shows a le Carré-like flair for making you wonder what's really going on at any given moment' Washington Post A producer at the Belfast bureau of the BBC, Tessa is at work one day when the news of another IRA raid comes on the air: as the anchor requests the public's help in locating those responsible for this latest attack - a robbery at a gas station - Tessa's sister Marian appears on the screen, pulling a black mask over her face. The police believe Marian has joined the IRA, but Tessa knows this is impossible. But when the truth of what has happened to her sister reveals itself, Tessa will be forced to choose: between her ideals and her family. Praise for Flynn Berry 'Breathtaking . . . Berry writes thrillingly' New York Times 'Beautifully paced and satisfyingly ominous' Guardian 'Mesmerizingly effective' The Times 'A thrilling page-turner' Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train 'Berry's clever, thrilling writing wound me in and left me heartbroken' Fiona Barton, author of The Widow 'What a book! A skillful and compelling exploration of families, crime, and class' Clare Mackintosh, author of I Let You Go

A Reese Witherspoon's Book Club Pick

Jeff Brown 

I enjoyed this book, I believe. It ticked a lot of the boxes for me: Northern Ireland; based during The Troubles; audiobook with an Irish narrator. But it didn’t quite feel nearly like a perfect book. Tessa works for the BBC. Her family are against the Republicans, but Tessa sees her sister on video doing a robbery. The story follows how true family ties are. But there was some disconnect for me. Not quite a 4. A 3.75.

Lauren Attaway

Sister relationships are a basically a subgenre that I will never tire of reading. This book has sisters/spies/suspense, and asks what a sister will do for another, what limits are never too much to cross. I really enjoyed this book and I’m glad it was a Reese pick, as I probably wouldn’t have heard of it otherwise.

Shawna Gavas

Although It took me a bit to get into, by the mid-point of this novel I was sitting on the edge of my seat holding my breath! My head is still spinning from all the twists and turns!

Claire

Loyalist propaganda written by someone who clearly doesn’t understand the Northern Irish political climate. Posits itself as a nuanced exploration of ~both sides~ while also fundamentally misunderstanding the Good Friday Agreement and painting the IRA as evil terrorists. Tessa is the textbook definition of a bootlicker – I was so confused when she said she was Catholic because she seemed to have a very Prod view of the world.

Rachel Crouch

Solid, original thriller-esque story about family and sisters. Anyone ever fascinated by the Troubles in Ireland will probably enjoy. I found it genuinely unnerving at times but they never felt like cheap scares.

Megan Rose

** spoiler alert **
           This was such a fast-paced and thrilling read! I really enjoyed Tessa as a narrator, and I liked seeing her perspective as a mother in a conflict-torn country and how that drives her decisions. It was also interesting to see how her role as a mother impacted her role as a sister. I liked reading about her relationship with her sister, Marian - even though some of their scenes and conversations made me pretty anxious… 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book!

Tiffany Lawson &
Northern Spy by Flynn Berry

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Tiffany Lawson &Northern Spy by Flynn Berry

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Tiffany Lawson &
Northern Spy by Flynn Berry