Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Thrillers set in Ireland hold an irresistible allure for me, because of my heritage. My great-grandmother (on my mother’s side) emigrated from Belfast to Ellis Island, NY, in her teens. She joined her older brother in New York after her mother died and her father remarried. Decades earlier my father’s forebears left southern Ireland for Montreal, Canada. Protestant on one side, Catholic on the other, but all unmistakably Irish. It is any wonder that stories concerning The Troubles draw me in? As a country, Ireland is about the size of Indiana, with a population of around five million people, like Colorado. Which is to say, it’s hard to create a new identity on an island that small.

Two sisters, Marian and Tessa Daly, relocated to the South from Northern Ireland after they informed on the IRA. They escaped being assassinated for that crime and started new lives in Dublin. Tessa edits copy at the Irish Observer but the focus of her life is her little son Finn. Berry doesn’t minimize the wrenching difficulty of creating a new existence. Tessa remembers, “when we left the North, we tore our lives apart, starting over with nothing. Not one friend, not one plan.” It’s the little things, the intimacy of friendship, that Tessa misses.

I’ve new friends here, but they’re not my mates, not yet. Mates piss in front of you. I remember my old mate Clodagh dropping onto a toilet in a pub stall without even breaking conversation. None of my new friends would do that, not yet. Sometimes the thought turns me grief-stricken, that I might never again have the sort of friend who will reach over and take a sip of my drink without asking first.

And I miss my old job at the BBC, and the high-wire act of producing a radio show live on air. I was good at it, too, really good at it.

New lives, new names, no chance of being discovered, right? No. Eion Royce, their IRA handler, a man who “grew up on our estate in Andersonstown,” in west Belfast, pulls them back in. Their assignment is diabolical: “Tessa is told she must track down her old handler from MI5, Eamonn, and attempt to turn him into an IRA informant, or lose everything.” Marian’s task is to visit Niall, a former comrade, in jail in Northern Ireland.

Once a tout (in Northern Ireland a tout is an informant), always a tout as far as Royce is concerned. His instructions to Tessa verge on insulting. Maturity helps Tessa hold her own while Royce blatantly attempts to manage her emotions and reactions: “This conversation would have wrecked my head when I was twenty, but luckily for me I’m thirty-six and the only reaction I can muster is an eye roll.”

Going back in is brutal on the sisters—Marian hated seeing Niall in prison, as she tells Tessa.

“It was awful,” she says. “He screamed at me the whole time.” She describes the visit, then says, “This isn’t going to work. He won’t agree to see me again.”

“Yes he will,” I say. “What he did yesterday sounds like one of Finn’s tantrums.”

“So?”

“Finn has never once had a tantrum at school, most kids don’t. They only have tantrums with people they trust,” I say. “If Niall’s having a tantrum, he wants you to hear him.”

The story spirals downwards. The sisters discover that their mother helped the IRA. Tessa’s ex considers whether he’d make the better custodial parent because of Tessa’s precarious position. Tessa is attracted to Eamonn, and she sublimates her emotions by going wild swimming. Her dreams are fevered as she tries to find a way out of their hateful assignment. Can she bribe Royce to leave her and Marian alone? One morning Marian goes hiking at Glendalough, solo. She asks Tessa to mind her baby Saoirse. Marian’s still nursing but she leaves Tessa well supplied with milk. When Marian doesn’t come home on time, Tessa asks the Gardaí to search for her sister. She’s worried there’s been foul play. As the hours pass, Tessa loses her composure and reveals that Marian was once in the IRA.

Reading Trust Her is difficult. It’s riveting, scary, horrifying. You put down the book, unable to read another word, and then pick it up again almost instantly. Berry is a past-master at ratcheting up tension.

Criminal Element reviewed Berry’s first novel, Under the Harrow, describing it as “a riveting psychological thriller and a haunting exploration of the fierce love between two sisters, the distortions of grief, and the terrifying power of the past.” Trust Her is firmly in that lane—the lives of two sisters, consumed by “the terrifying power of the past.” N.B. Under the Harrow won the Edgar Award for best first novel in 2016.

I am a fan of this writer and while I enjoyed his characterizations this novel it was not as gripping as the earlier book with these characters. It was almost mandatory to have read that book Northern Spy to fully appreciate this book.

After absolutely devouring Berry's book Northern Spy, I knew this was an immediate "add-to-TBR". Trust Her was thrilling and tense, just like Northern Spy. The sisters, Tessa and Marian, were just as sharp in this novel as the first, and I believe this was the perfect follow-up for them. I believe it would be possible to follow this story if someone hasn't read Northern Spy first, but I wouldn't recommend. I believe the first book neeto be read first in order to fully be able to immerse yourself in the tale of the sisters.

Tessa is caught up in political espionage between the IRA and MI5. She thought that her family had successfully fled the clutches of those that they betrayed. However, they have found her and now want her to make amends. Tessa is now faced with a moral battle struggling between doing what is right and what her heart is telling her to do. Will she be able to save her family or will she have to put them in danger yet again?
I struggled with this book. It was a slow pace for me and lost my interest for most of the book. I was so distracted by the side love story that I felt it derailed from what the main premise of the book was supposed to be about. I enjoyed learning about the history of the IRA and how this contributed to the thought process of the MC. If you like political dramas with a side love story, this would be a perfect book for you.

*Thank you to Flynn Berry, PENGUIN GROUP Viking | Viking and Netgalley for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

I could not put this book down! The suspense... the thrill... the ending! Highly recommend for a different point of view on a conflict that doesn't get talked about very much. The bonds of sisterhood are some of the strongest you will find, as so eloquently relayed in the book. Double agents, sleeper cells, and a little romance mixed in make this a worthy read.

Absolutely loved this story and seeing the IRA from a different perspective. It's the second book in the series and would recommend reading the first one as well.

*4.5 stars rounded up*

What will it take for Tessa & Marian to be able to live peaceful lives?

Welcome back to a tumultuous Ireland. Fast forward a few years after the first book & we find that Marian has a child now as well, & she & her sister Tessa are each settled into lives in Dublin with new names; they both know exactly how much they have to lose when the IRA comes knocking again. There’s no sympathy for informers, & nowhere to run since they’d just kill her cousins if she did, so Tessa is forced to reach out to her old MI5 handler at the IRA’s bidding - this time she’s to work for them in an attempt to turn Eamonn into a mole in MI5. But seeing him again brings back a lot of feelings for them both, & amidst the ongoing conflict with talks of ceasefires that only end up escalating the bloodshed, new secrets come to light…

I loved getting to read about the aftermath of “Northern Spy” in this followup, & the way that motherhood is portrayed & sisterhood as well is profound & moving, expounding on the love & consequences theme the author has woven into these books. Also I loved how the author realistically portrayed how normal life doesn’t slow down just because you’re engaged in espionage, & I did NOT see that big twist at the end coming: very impressed.

Thank you to NetGalley & Viking for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't realize when I started this that it was the second book in a series. It didn't end up being a problem and was just fine read as a stand-alone. I don't feel like I missed anything by having not read Northern Spy.

Trust Her is about two sisters living in Dublin. They're starting over after having lived in Northern Ireland and being involved with the IRA.

This book was suspenseful and very well written. I enjoyed the storyline immensely and found the characters complex and interesting. I don't know if it would still make sense to read the first one, but I might try it anyway.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Trust Her follows the plot and characters of Northern Spy-
So it helps to have read it first. There is enough of a recap if you haven’t
This was so informative about the Troubles so it could be classified as historical..
But it was truly about the love of family and what you will do to preserve it.
With a complicated love story thrown in.
Flynn Berry can write and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
Thanks to NetGalley and Viking for an early read.

I love me a good IRA story. I wish I knew that this wasn’t a standalone book but there was more to Tessa’s story before this. I cannot imagine being stopped in the middle of the road and taken to a house to be interrogated.

These two sisters had been through a lot: one more than the other. Tessa wasn’t part of IRA, but she got burned more than her beloved sister who was an IRA member. After surviving the attack, she managed to start a new life with her son. Everything was quiet in their house while Ireland was still on fire. One day Tessa got stopped by IRA members and brought into a safe house to convince her her turn her MI5 handler to work for IRA. After that, quiet was gone and looking over the shoulders began again.

I would love to read third episode of this story if Berry will end up continuing this saga. I loved the ending, the sacrifice, and power of women painting over the murals.

A spy drama set in Ireland, two sisters escaped the IRA but now one is tasked with a dangerous job. This was book two in the series and I wish I read the first one before this one to get a bit more backstory on the sisters,

This was like a slow burn romance except insert spies and true crime feel. Definitely curious to read more about the Ira conflict. I had no clue until this book. It reminded me of that show with Russian spies.

Published by ‎ Viking on June 25, 2024

Trust Her explores the depths of a 36-year-old woman from Northern Island whose life was upended after she helped her sister help the IRA before she became an informer for MI5. Now she lives in Dublin with her son, having separated from her husband because he had an affair during her pregnancy.

Tessa and Marian both assisted the IRA, but Marian built bombs while Tessa essentially acted as a courier. For reasons that aren’t revealed until late in the story, Marian turned on the IRA and became an informer. She passed on information to Tessa who passed it along to an MI5 agent named Eammon. Tessa was attracted to Eammon but managed to keep her pants on during her career as an informant’s helper. As the story progresses, it seems increasingly likely that her pants will come off.

When suspicious IRA members interrogated Tessa and Marian, they managed to survive. They fled to Dublin where they began new lives. Tessa took a job as a subeditor at a newspaper, married and started a family. Marian married a cameraman in the movie industry and has a newborn of her own.

Now an IRA operative named Royce is back in Tessa’s life. He wants her to make contact with Eammon and turn him into a double agent who will provide intelligence to the IRA. Why Eammon even dreams that is possible is something of a mystery, but when he threatens Tessa’s family, she feels she has no choice but to give it a go. Marian isn’t so sure but why the IRA hasn’t already killed Marian isn’t quite clear. She seems like an easy target.

I didn’t have much sympathy for Tessa, not because of her tenuous connection to the IRA, but because she confesses that connection to the police when her sister is a couple of hours late returning from a hike. Tessa makes needless trouble for herself (and for her sister) with little reason to believe that telling the police about her history with the IRA is either necessary or wise. Naturally, the cop begins to bully her.

The story leads to a climax that doesn’t merit its suspenseful buildup. A surprise near the end changes the game for Tessa a bit but doesn’t quite resolve all the issues that the novel develops. A final, much darker surprise promises to give the story some real weight, but Flynn Berry arguably cops out to deliver a softer ending that readers might prefer. Blowing up a suspense balloon and letting all the air out before it pops struck me as a copout.

Still, the character development in Trust Her is first rate. The plot is strong, and if the ending is a bit disappointing, a final feel-good chapter suggests the possibility of redemption when familial love displaces darkness. I can’t dislike that message, so my sense is that most readers will enjoy the story.

RECOMMENDED

A sequel to her first book, this is a spy drama that tells the story of two sisters, Marian and Tessa after their escape from the IRA. Three years later, Tessa is captured and given a very difficult assignment, threatening the safety of not only her, but her loved ones. She works with her sister to figure out a solution to keep them all safe.

The beginning of this book GRABBED me. I did not know much about the book prior to reading, but loved the thriller aspect. Once I got about halfway through, it was a little difficult to keep going. The plot slowed down. It did pick back up once I got closer to the end and overall was a fast paced thriller that I enjoyed.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc, all opinions are my own

I did not read "The Northern Spy", so I did not realize this was a sequence to it. I wish I had read it. I made it fine without the first one, but I did feel like there was always something I needed to know. It is about the IRA in Belfast and how two sisters escaped their fate. Tessa and Marian leave their old life behind and have moved to a small island, until Tessa is captured by the IRA. She is given a choice to help turn around one of her handlers, Eamonn, or lose everything she has worked for.
The story is tense with a great deal of suspense and twists. Tessa and Marian decide to use what they know to turn them against each other and play both sides. A lot of moral lines are crossed and it becomes quite emotional, but they are tough women. Although this is fiction, the IRA is still active in Belfast.
Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Viking for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Trust Her is a great follow up to the excellent Northern Spy. A thriller that revolves around a pair of sisters trying to escape Belfast, the IRA, and their former lives. A slow burning, suspenseful novel - a highly entertaining and enthralling literary thriller!

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Viking and NetGalley for this ARC.

Not as shocking as Northern Spy, the first book, still an interesting view into the lives of the two Daly several years after fleeing the IRA. I enjoy Flynn Berry’s writing, character development and attention to detail. This is a must read, either as a stand alone or as part of the series.

**I appreciated the opportunity to read and review the electronic ARC. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher.

TRUST HER by Edgar Award winner Flynn Berry (Northern Spy) starts out with a surprise kidnapping and spirals into additional suspense and intrigue. The main character is Tessa whose past history means that the IRA wants her to turn an M-I5 agent. Scary situation for anyone, especially a young Mom and thriller fans will really enjoy the chase. Tessa's sister, Marion, was also an IRA informant and she goes missing which further upends Tessa’s fragile stability. TRUST HER received starred reviews from Booklist ("empathetic characters seen believably navigating unforeseen circumstances") and Kirkus ("A meditation on generational trauma—along with well-scripted action and suspense.").

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP, Viking and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC!

I have discovered over the last few years that I really enjoy reading mysteries and thrillers set in the UK and so I was pleased when I stumbled upon this one and was granted the eARC. I picked this up when I was at loose ends for what to read next and once I did, I couldn't put it down. Berry's writing is spectacular making for a compulsive read. I read it in less than 24 hours and kept thinking about it afterward. I knew very little about the IRA or the division of Ireland until reading this book and I spent time reading more background after finishing. The stakes were high for the characters and I really enjoyed getting inside the head of Tessa. The pressure kept building and building with the plot and the twists were fantastically done. I highly recommend this book. I will be going to back to read Berry's backlist. 10/5 stars!