The Bombmaker - By Stephen Leather

This novel has it all – crime, suspense, thrill. It has been a long time since I have read such a thrilling novel waiting to know what happens in the end. So here is a brief which may inspire you to read the novel as well.

 

The story revolves around a woman named Andrea Hayes(Andy), who, until 10 years ago, was the best master bombmaker in IRA. It all went wrong one day when a bomb killed 4 school children and crippled another. Andrea turned away from her trade. Today, she lives a quite life with her husband Martin and a young daughter Katie, who have no idea about her past life. Together they have a perfect life, a life to be envious of, until one day Andy’s past comes knocking at her door.

Two people kidnap their daughter, Katie, in the middle of night from the sanctity of their home. Andy and Martin are devastated, when they get the kidnapper’s note mentioning that Andy should travel to London alone while Martin should stay at home and continue his daily routine. If they contact the police they would never see their daughter again. Andy travels to London while Martin makes preparations to gather all his finances together so that they can pay the required ransom to the kidnappers and get their beloved daughter back.  Andy travels to London and checks in at the hotel mentioned by the kidnappers. She decides to contact her husband to let him know that she reached and is now awaiting further directions or call for the ransom.

Life takes another turn for Andy, when she is contacted again by the kidnappers at the hotel but without any ransom for money. She is asked to travel to another location where the kidnappers pick her up and take her to a warehouse. They now tell her about their real motive for the kidnapping – they want Andy to build a four thousand pound fertiliser bomb. The deal is for her to build the bomb and in return she would get her daughter back.

Andy struggles to understand why the bomb is required now that peace is restored in Britian, is this threat political or is this revenge? A bomb of this intensity could wipe out hundreds of lives and the city would be set back by billions of pounds.

Is Andy ready to sacrifice the lives of so many people for the life of her daughter? Is there any guarantee that they would let her and her daughter live after the bomb was made? Who is behind this terrorism – Is it the IRA, the Republicans, an external terrorist group? Who is the mastermind behind all this and what is his master plan – Is it terrorism? Does he intend to detonate the bomb or use it only as a threat?

 

Read the complete novel and I believe you would also praise Stephen for his fantastic way of writing and making the story feel real to you …