January, 1981. Jim Dowd is a British Special Forces soldier, highly-trained and loyal. With his colleague, army intelligence officer, Maureen O'Brien, he enters a bitterly divided Belfast with a mission: to go undercover with new identities, infiltrate one of the city's most dangerous Catholic communities, and help change the course of a war that nobody is winning.
The Ardoyne is a perilous world, cut off from the law and run by dangerous men, where even a hint of Jim's and Maureen's true identities will prove fatal. But it is also full of pride, courage and loyalty, and Jim realises he admires this community - and as relationships form, his guilt at his deception grows ever stronger. When they receive shocking orders, Maureen knows they must act swiftly and ruthlessly, but can she rely on Jim? And if they rebel, are they betraying their country, or are they being betrayed?
About the Author
Stewart Binns began his professional life as an academic. He passed selection for the SAS in 1980 and served for three years before settling into a career as a schoolteacher, specialising in English and history. Later in life he began a successful career in television. He has won a BAFTA, a Grierson, an RTS and a Peabody for his documentaries.Stewart has written two highly acclaimed historical series. Betrayal, a standalone, is his seventh novel.
Industry Reviews
Praise for Stewart Binns * - *
Anyone with even a vague interest in Britain and the Great War should read Shadow of War -- Celia Sandys, granddaughter of Winston Churchill
An epic . . . the book on the conflict remembered this year 100 years on -- Jon Wise * Sunday Sport *
Stewart Binns has produced a real page-turner, a truly stunning adventure story -- Alastair Campbell
A fascinating mix of fact, legend and fiction . . . this is storytelling at its best * Daily Mail *
Stewart's books always leave me with a sense of pride for my country, and this book is no exception, but this is tempered by the individual courage and the individual loss. The personal tales that inspire and horrify in equal measure. By the time I finished the book I felt entertained and educated, which for me form the key pillars of a great Historical Fiction novel. Once again Stewart Binns has managed to create something unique, entertaining and eye-opening, I'm very much looking forward to book 2. -- Robin Carter, Parmenion Books
The whole thing is a tour de force of writing brilliance, and it's great to know that in five years' time, Stewart will have delivered a book for each of the first world war years. A totally enjoyable experience, a brilliant start to a terrific project. * Books Monthly *
Unarguably heart-warming... will leave any reader with a sense of British pride * Goodreads *
Truly a book that educates while entertaining, a talent of this best-selling author * Historical Novel Review *
