“Lies of Silence” is instantly thrilling because its protagonist Michael Dillon is presented with an impossible choice. Under duress he's instructed by the IRA to park his car which contains a concealed bomb at the Belfast hotel where he works as a manager. It will probably kill dozens of people. They emphasise that if he fails to do this his wife Moira will be killed. The result of this crisis leads to a terrifying personal and moral conundrum as he becomes caught in a media blitz and the political turmoil of his native Northern Ireland. All he really wants is to settle somewhere far away from The Troubles with the woman he loves and to rekindle his early passion for writing poetry. However, like the wider conflict itself, there are no easy answers. The heart pounding suspense of this story is imbued with an intelligent examination about the role of personal responsibility in a dispute so large it feels like there are no correct options.
Part of the terrifying thing about this crisis is that violence was such an everyday part of the news this specific incident wasn't viewed by the general public as noteworthy: “Just another bomb. Just an ordinary day, after all.” People are shown to be going about their ordinary lives as if nothing had happened. After all, what else can be done? But it's a frightening thing that such terror can become normalized. By being thrust into the centre of it through Michael's story we see the intensely personal consequences of this larger conflict. The choices of the characters are further complicated by the personal issues they're going through. It's especially interesting how Moira's motivation becomes swayed by revelations about Michael leading to a newfound cause that she champions. Moore has a clear, direct style of writing which is very effective in conveying scenes with fast action but it also conveys the larger issues which are at stake. I'll be keen to read more of his books.
