This novel was first published in 1996 but the second and current edition came out in kindle and paperback in the winter of 2012. It presents a timeless story validated by its occupation, for a short time, of #1 in its genre in the Amazon Kindle store in March, 2013.
THIS BOOK IS #1 IN THE BOYD 'stand alone' series, where each book has a separate stand alone tale involving the Cumbrian detective, Boyd, and his Special Crime Unit.
The timeless Fragile Peace...
Genre:
Historic Fiction
Book Description
A thriller of violent prejudices and
divided loyalties. About the province where no-one talks, this story tells it
like it is. This Ulster novel reaches to the very roots of sectarian life and
death. Written by a member of the security forces, it penetrates behind the
media-screen to reveal a human landscape that is unknown, yet startlingly
believable. It is a world where sworn enemies may exchange confidences over a
game of snooker; where a kneecapping operation turns into a deadly vendetta
fuelled by sexual jealousy and where the fate of the United Kingdom could rest
in the hands of one punch drunk bruiser with a dangerous addiction. Everything
is here, from the glamour of hi-tech intelligence work to the despairing
pub-talk of men locked in the past. Trace the origins of these relentless
tit-for-tat killings, often starting in childhood and see how the lives of
vastly different people may by mysteriously linked forever against the fatally
beautiful backdrop of Northern Ireland
~
Review:
The Fragile
Peace is an important book if you have any interest at all in the war between
the Catholics, Protestants and the British Government in Northern Ireland. The
setting of the story is from 1969 to 1995. As the reader, you are not given
a tutorial of the war, you are dragged
into the middle of it. You are the IRA man, the RUC patrol, the informer, the
British Intelligence agent, the anti-terrorist detective and the victim. It is
quite evident that the author, Paul Anthony, lived this story in his former
life as a member of a Scotland Yard anti-terrorist team. It is a work of
fiction, but the book is so vivid and realistic there can be no other
explanation. The way the book is written males the reader fell like a part of
the story. I highly recommend the book. I highly recommend the book. I read the
original edition and I understand it has been rewritten for kindle because Paul
Anthony has learned much about writing since he first wrote The Fragile Peace
in 1996. The story is powerful. You will not be disappointed.
Mike
McNeff, Author of the GOTU series
REVIEW:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Storytelling at its Best
21 Feb 2013
By Dan
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
"The Fragile Peace" is an excellent read. I remember the times
recalled by the author very well and anyone reading the book will come
to realise the traumas borne in the "troubles" which are still in living
memory and therefore, not all that long ago.
The characters are believable and are brought to life by some very descriptive writing.
An excellent novel with a thrilling climax. Storytelling at its best.
The characters are believable and are brought to life by some very descriptive writing.
An excellent novel with a thrilling climax. Storytelling at its best.
~
Review
"The
Fragile Peace" by Paul Anthony (@paulanthonyspen) is an excellent read,
and one I highly recommend. It tells a story of the "Troubles," the
decades-long conflict in Northern Ireland between those who wanted the
six-county Province to be joined with the Republic to the south, and those who
wanted to remain a part of the United Kingdom. Thousands died in this conflict,
by bombings and bullets, and thousands more had their lives shattered by the
violence. Religion was the key: the "Republicans" were Catholic; the
"Loyalists" were Protestant. But if religion was the dividing line,
both sides played by much the same rules: tit-for-tat violence, intimidation,
murder. The Provisional Irish Republican Army, the "Provos," and
other splinter groups of the PIRA and IRA faced off against the British Army,
the police of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), and Protestant paramilitary
groups like the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR). Before that tentative peace can
be found, the Provos take their fight to England in an attempt to turn public
opinion sour on the Province. Executions, gunfights and Bombs exploding in
London mean the Provos now also have to worry about the Intelligence Service
and Special Crime Units on the mainland. Don't worry if you don't know the
background going in: "The Fragile Peace" isn't a history lesson or
alphabet soup of group names. There is a very human face put on the "Troubles"
in the form of Liam Connelly, a Provo soldier, and Detective Inspector Billy
Boyd, two men who find themselves on opposite ends of the battle but connected
by their love of someone else. Beginning in 1970, the early parts of the book,
probably to the halfway point, set the stage for the exciting conclusion in
1995 after a tenuous ceasefire -- a temporary halt to the violence that
factions on both sides distrust -- was put in place. I won't spoil the finale
with too many details, but it is gripping and I stayed up into the early hours
this very morning to finish it.
Those early
glimpses of the development of Liam and Billy are seen in vignette, at critical
crossroads on their way to finally meeting. Some may find this jumping around
in time a bit confusing, but for me it felt just right; the key players are
introduced and the missing pieces of information are provided in a very natural
way. The motivations of players on both sides of the conflict are muddied;
while the "soldiers" of Active Service Units believe they are serving
a great cause many Provo leaders earn big money running drug and protection
rackets. In a similar way, some RUC and British police fight based on strongly
held beliefs of right and wrong while others let ambition and ego color their
actions.
The authenticity and sure-handedness of
the tale are no surprise given Mr. Anthony's resume: "Working as a
detective, he served in the CID, the Regional Crime Squad in Manchester, the
Special Branch, and other national agencies in the UK." (from his
Amazon.com author page).
Scott Whitmore, Author of 'Carpathia'
And a review without words from a friend in Cape Verde...
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