Scottish book of the week

Sins Of The Fathers By James E Mack, Achnacarry Press, £9.99

James E Mack, who lives in St Cyrus, gained widespread recognition for his 2017 debut novel Only The Dead – set in war-torn Libya. His latest, Sins Of The Fathers, is a similarly action-packed book based around the troubled and complex history of covert operations in Northern Ireland.

A former Royal Marine himself, Mack spent more than 20 years serving in many of the world’s troubled hotspots. Now, he prefers to fuse the intensity of frontline action into his writing.

Sins Of The Fathers begins in the year 1973 in republican west Belfast where a team of undercover soldiers are completely unaware of the catastrophe that awaits them. After a courageous fight-back from one of the young female soldiers, the devastating impact and precision of the ambush gets the better of her.

After this explosive opener, Mack transports us to mid-nineties England where a young upcoming recruit, Marcus Vaughan, is beginning to make a reputation for himself. When he is deployed to Belfast, tasked with protecting a highly respected double agent code-named GRANITE, little does he know he will unearth dark, personal secrets related to the novel’s opening events.

As the top echelons of the IRA hunt for an informer in their midst, a web of treachery and deceit stretching back decades is uncovered, and Marcus soon realises the dark forces involved will stop at nothing to cover their tracks.

As Mack points out himself, and as precisely detailed as many of the references in the novel are, the purpose behind this novel is not to provide a social commentary of The Dirty War. Rather, Sins Of The Fathers is an entertaining read brimming with pace, unexpected plot twists and authenticity.

The storyline’s complexity is engaging; all of the major turning points lead down unexpected paths, making for a gripping read throughout. Mack’s characterisation is also notable, especially with Marcus who is evidently a figure not fazed by his scarred and troubled past that creeps up on him on many occasions throughout the novel.

This is a gripping and entertaining story that feels authentic throughout.

Review by Jamie Wilde. 9/10