My latest book Before The Storm is set the day after the Brexit referendum in 2016. Novels work on many levels and as a writer, it’s great when a reader or reviewer sees beyond the immediate plot to look at the larger theme or story. Of course, I am equally pleased when someone says, ‘It was a great read that had me guessing all the way to the end.’
‘This is where we jump back to 1981 and see Vince, Sammo and Macca as street toughs. Macca is the leader and also a bully, and generally just a nasty piece of work. Sammo is good-hearted and Vince is your kind of middle of the road, just going with the flow type of guy. You can see he doesn’t really want to be bad, but he doesn’t stand up to Macca either. When we see Macca in the present day we understand that he is still just as dislikable as he was in the flashbacks to their youths.’
The paragraph above was from a review of ‘Before The Storm’ on https://theartsyreader.com/. The writer of the review touched on a central element in the Liverpool Mysteries trilogy, how the experience of the characters young and old determine their approach to society. Here she pinpoints Vinny, Macca and Sammo, each of these represents an attitude, how they respond to events in the story is symbolic of how different groups or sections of workers respond to problems in our society. Later on the same reviewer notes;
‘I really found myself beginning to feel for Sammo as the book went along. As a reader you start wanting people to help him, side with him, and you start feeling a bit angry at the way he is treated and the way his life spirals. The author does a great job showing just how tough life was back in the early 80s, and also how little the government did to help its citizens, even those who fought for the country.’
The debates between the youngsters in Before The Storm and the context in which they act, prefigure the debates about and within the working class about how to live in our society. The way the characters react to events show the alternatives we face. Macca becomes the voice of reaction, a real and present threat to anyone who opposes him as he tries to hold onto his lifestyle and the reality that Brexit and the end of Empire entail. Vinny is conscious of what’s happening around him but rarely has the courage or initiative to act. Sammo instinctively wants to help, to be a part of a larger community, unfortunately, his willingness to act is abused by the government and army and he’s sent off to fight in Iraq, and undercover in Ireland. These experiences leave him broken, and yet even in the darkest times, there is light.
Vinny’s ex-partner Anne, always a seeker of truth, is throughout the three books never afraid to act on the knowledge she gains. In the different situations in each book, she is part of the solution because she is willing to act. In Before The Storm together with family members, she sets the example of collective action being the only lasting solution to the many and varied individual problems faced by working people. This includes finding the truth about killings, ending coverups by the state, a continuing issue in the last outpost of Empire, Northern Ireland. If you think this sounds a bit too heavy, again our reviewer comes to the rescue.
Despite the ofttimes heavy and harsh subject matter you don’t ever feel the book itself is heavy. It’s actually a very light, fast read, all in all, and I’m glad I picked it up for this tour! I think it would appeal to people who like crime novels, historical novels set not too far in the past, and readers of suspense novels in general.
Jack Byrne 
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