Four Shots in the Night, Henry Hemming
Four Shots in the Night, Henry Hemming
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Four Shots in the Night
A True Story of Spies, Murder, and Justice in Northern Ireland

Author: Henry Hemming

Narrator: Jamie Parker, Henry Hemming

Unabridged: 9 hr 4 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: PublicAffairs

Published: 04/02/2024


Synopsis

Four Shots in the Night is the story of a political murder: the killing of an IRA member turned British informant. 

The search for justice for this one man's death—his body found in broad daylight, with tape over his eyes, an undisguised hit—would deliver more than the truth. It exposed his status as an informant and led to protests, campaigns, far-reaching changes to British law, a historic ruling from a senior judicial body, a ground-breaking police investigation, and bitter condemnation from a US Congressional commission. And there have been persistent rumors that one of the country’s most senior politicians, the Sinn Fein leader Martin McGuinness, might have been personally involved in this particular murder.

Relying on archival research, interviews, and the findings of a new complete police investigation, Four Shots in the Night tells a riveting story not just of this murder but of his role in the decades-long conflict that defined him--the Troubles. And the questions it tackles are even larger: how did the Troubles really come to an end? Was it a feat of diplomatic negotiation, as we've been told--or did spies play the decisive role? And how far can, or should, a spy go, for the good of his country? Four Shots in the Night is a page-turner that will make you think.

About Henry Hemming

Henry Hemming is the author of several works of nonfiction, including Misadventure in the Middle East and Churchill's Iceman. He has written for numerous publications, including the Daily Telegraph, the Washington Post, and FT Magazine. Henry lives in London with his wife and daughter.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Brendan on February 06, 2024

When I think of the word quagmire, I often associate it with the Troubles of Northern Ireland. Growing up in an Irish Catholic family, it is something I never personally experienced but heard a lot about. As complicated a subject as it was during my youth, it has become even more complex in a post-9......more

Goodreads review by Taylor on February 18, 2024

It dawned on me while reading this that I don't think I've ever met a book about the Troubles that I haven't liked. I dunno, is that a bit morbid, actually? There's just something about it, as an historical conflict, that has always slightly blown my mind: the sheer number of factions involved, the......more

Goodreads review by Mary on July 30, 2024

Eye-opening and chilling, this book is a factual account of how British intelligence agencies infiltrated the IRA during The Troubles in Northern Ireland. The book focuses on one Irishman from the city of Derry, Frank Hegarty, a longtime IRA member who was persuaded to become a British spy. After se......more


Quotes

"One of the most compelling books I've read in a very long time. An absolutely extraordinary tale of secret intelligence, infiltration and murder, FOUR SHOTS is a brilliantly pieced-together psychological drama that is all the more gripping - and unsettling - for being real rather than fiction. The story is expertly woven together, exploring the characters and motivations of the four main characters into a truly page-turning, compulsive and also profoundly moving narrative. Superb."—James Holland

"Gripping, urgent, superbly reported and brilliantly written. Henry Hemming unfolds a true story of violence, politics and spycraft that sits right at the edge of journalism and history."—Dan Jones

"Both a sinewy spy thriller and a wider history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, Four Shots in the Night is edge-of-seat stuff: beautifully crafted, shrewdly observed, frighteningly immersive and utterly compelling."—Jessie Childs

"A masterly achievement and a riveting read."—Peter Taylor, author of 'Operation Chiffon'

"Meticulously researched and brought to life with the finesse of a first-class storyteller, Four Shots in the Night is an absolutely gripping tale of murder, The Troubles, and the good and bad that lurks inside us all. I was in its thrall from the first page to the last."—Charlotte Philby, author of 'A Double Life'

"A superb portrait of the Troubles . . . Gripping and revelatory."—Saul David

"If another book has been written that has zoomed in so closely on the relationship between handler and agent, I have yet to find it. A not-so-chance meeting on an isolated Road to Perdition ends in ultimate destruction for one of the parties. What began in silence morphs into staccato, as Four Shots in the Night enter the brain of a once lonesome dog walker. Henry Hemming with sublime clarity peels away an opaque film allowing the reader to stare through a humane window into the horrendous world of espionage."—Anthony McIntyre, author of 'Good Friday'