Le journal du lycée Jean Jaures

At first a short summary. Michael Dillon was a great hotel manager in Belfast. He was not interested in religion at all.

One night, the Irish Republican Army visited him and his wife at home, and threatened them with a revolver during the whole night. Fortunately, at a moment Michael could see the face of one of them called Kev.

Then he had to drive his car to his hotel. The IRA men, had put a bomb into it, to kill Mr Pottinger, a famous Protestant militant.

But if Michael phoned the police, the would kill his wife. Thinking of the large crowd of innocent people who would murdered because of him, despite the fact he is watched, he called the police. When he came back home, his wife was still alive ; but she was shocked and angry against his choice of desobeying, sacrifing her life.

Then their opinion were opposed. On the one hand, Michael said they had to keep secret and to leave Belfast afraid of the IRA’s answer. On the other hand his wife reproched him for being too cowardly.

According to her he must be proud of dying for Ireland.

She wanted everybody to know what happened that night and she was on T.V. and in a lot of newspaper, even saying that Michael had seen Kev’s face. Michael started a new happy life in London enjoying his job and feeling safety.

Nevertheless Michael was finally killed : "This time, there would be no witness"...

Personal opinion :

I thought that a thriller made up of about 200 pages, could be really good and I was right. I loved this story. At first it is interesting to know the opinion of a writer who was born in Belfast and who is concerned by this religious issue. Sometimes you are scared, especially when the characters are hostages. The story is too breathtaking all the time of course but above all when Michael decides to double-cross the IRA. I was appalled during the whole reading. The Michael’s dilemnas is very moving.

Moreover, this book is really thrilling. In fact it’s so realistic that we live these awful perpetual threats with the characters, we feel involved, as if we were part of the story.

Of course I would recommend this book to everyone for the continuous action and fear, Michael’s heartrending thoughts, the outstanding suspense and the realism of the story.