I think it’s pretty safe to say that we here at the Free For All are huge fans of traveling…whether from the safety of our armchairs (or blanket forts), or in reality.  We’re also fascinated by the worlds that books can open for you, whether it’s through reading travel guides, or tales of the adventures of others, or journeys through time, space, and across fantastical words, we’ve logged more literary frequent flyer miles than most.

So I thought it might be fun if we started assembling reading lists from various, specific places, and offer you a selection of books that will allow you vicariously explore a country’s past, present, people, and scenery through the books and films available at the Library.  Fiction is often a surprisingly helpful source for exploring new places–authors can make commentary on social issues and culture that non-fiction works can’t always incorporate, and the way that people tell stories are often deeply influenced by the world in which they were brought up.  So these reading lists are going to feature a good deal of fictional works, as well as an non-fiction.  This way, you’ll be able to explore both the terrain and the soul of a place–all without the jetlag, or the risk of having your suitcases mangled or lost!
Our first stop is Belfast, a city I’ve talked about here in the past.  Though it is making a concerted effort to present the best possible face to tourists and to its people, Belfast is still a city with a dark history, and a very long memory.  Because of The Troubles (sectarian violence between Protestants, Catholics, and forces of the British government), Belfast was, for a number of years, the most bombed city in Europe, and the scars can still be seen on a walk around the city.  Perhaps this is why crime novels set in Belfast, or featuring Belfast citizens, are so popular, and so darn good.  Authors who truly engage with the history inherent in the city can make stunningly beautiful observations while telling a ripping good tale–the perfect combination for someone looking for a bit of an escape.  So here, without further ado, is our Wanderlust Reading List of crime novels set in (and around) Belfast, Northern Ireland:

The Cold Cold Ground: Adrian McKinty has lived in many places, and his novels feature a number of diverse locations.  My favorites, however, are still the Sean Duffy mysteries, set in 1980’s Belfast, during some of the most frenzied years of The Troubles.  Sean Duffy is a Catholic policeman in the Protestant-dominated Royal Ulster Constabulary.  He lived in a mostly Protestant neighborhood, and, as a result, doesn’t take a single day for granted.  Nevertheless, he still manages to keep a fairly level head on his shoulders, and remains devoted to his work in spite of the many  complications and prejudices that stand in his way.  In this, his first outing, Sean is forced to confront the fact that there has never been an Irish serial killer…until now?  When two bodies are found mutilated in a way that intimately links them together, Sean realizes that his first case in Belfast may be the most important–and deadliest–of his career.  Adrian McKinty does a sensational job capturing the near suffocating tensions of his city, especially in this novel, where young IRA prisoners are dying in British prisons of a hunger strike, ensuring that tensions between Catholics and Protestants are treacherously high.  Sean’s love of music only adds to the atmosphere–and provides a sensational soundtrack for those who are interested.

The Journeyman Tailor: Gerald Seymour rose to become one of the best known thriller-writers in Ireland, thanks to this book and Harry’s Game, which both deal with British intelligence operatives and their desperate attempts to infiltrate the IRA.  This book, however, deals much more with the politics of rural Northern Ireland, and the effects of the Troubles on women–those married to IRA leaders, those married to British civil servants, and one remarkable, enigmatic woman at the heart of British intelligence.  Getting into this story is a bit of a struggle, as Seymour shifts perspectives without warning, but once you get used to his style, this is a book that will keep you up at night–even after it’s over.

The Ghosts of Belfast: I mentioned this book in my last discussion of Belfast books, but I think it deserves to be mentioned once again.  This book is a thriller, yes, in that it deals with a former hitman with a vendetta, and on the run from British spies and his own comrades alike, but more than anything, this book is a memorial to the Troubles, to the impossible decisions that people were forced to make, and to the unimaginable pain that they caused so many people.  Couching his work in fiction allows Stuart Neville the necessary perspective to talk about life in Belfast, but make no mistake–none of the stories here are entirely false.  For those that want to read more from Neville, be sure to check out Ratlines, which is set in the Republic of Ireland right after World War II.