Four Shots in the Night

(Hardback)

Available Formats

---

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

'A truly page-turning, compulsive and also profoundly moving narrative. Superb.' JAMES HOLLAND

'Gripping, urgent, superbly reported and brilliantly written' DAN JONES

HOW THE DEATH OF A SPY IN THE IRA LED TO THE BIGGEST MURDER INVESTIGATION IN BRITISH HISTORY.

On 26th May 1986, the body of an undercover British agent was found by the side of a muddy lane, with a rope tied around its wrists and tape over each eye. The brutal killing of Frank Hegarty began a decades-long search for justice. In a compulsive blend of investigative journalism and true crime thriller, Henry Hemming exposes the parallel worlds of the IRA and British intelligence through the lives of those inextricably bound up in both.

After his recruitment by British secret intelligence, Frank Hegarty infiltrated IRA circles and became trusted with the most covert operations. But soon Frank would have to make an impossible decision, with devastating and deadly consequences. In 2016 a detective began to investigate the chilling possibility that Frank was murdered by another undercover British agent, known as 'Stakeknife'.

Henry Hemming blends meticulous research with a modern-day investigation into crimes that were hidden away long ago. He highlights the bravery of those who were crucial in ending the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the bloodiest and longest-running conflict in recent British history, and the determination of one detective in his dogged search for the truth.

Reviews

One of the most compelling books I've read in a very long time. An absolutely extraordinary tale of secret intelligence, infiltration and murder, FOUR SHOTS is a brilliantly pieced-together psychological drama that is all the more gripping - and unsettling - for being real rather than fiction. The story is expertly woven together, exploring the characters and motivations of the four main characters into a truly page-turning, compulsive and also profoundly moving narrative. Superb. * James Holland *
Gripping, urgent, superbly reported and brilliantly written. Henry Hemming unfolds a true story of violence, politics and spycraft that sits right at the edge of journalism and history. * Dan Jones *
Both a sinewy spy thriller and a wider history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, Four Shots in the Night is edge-of-seat stuff: beautifully crafted, shrewdly observed, frighteningly immersive and utterly compelling * Jessie Childs *
A masterly achievement and a riveting read * Peter Taylor, author of 'Operation Chiffon' *
Meticulously researched and brought to life with the finesse of a first-class storyteller, Four Shots in the Night is an absolutely gripping tale of murder, The Troubles, and the good and bad that lurks inside us all. I was in its thrall from the first page to the last. * Charlotte Philby, author of 'A Double Life' *
A superb portrait of the Troubles . . . Gripping and revelatory * Saul David *
If another book has been written that has zoomed in so closely on the relationship between handler and agent, I have yet to find it. A not-so-chance meeting on an isolated Road to Perdition ends in ultimate destruction for one of the parties. What began in silence morphs into staccato, as Four Shots in the Night enter the brain of a once lonesome dog walker. Henry Hemming with sublime clarity peels away an opaque film allowing the reader to stare through a humane window into the horrendous world of espionage. * Anthony McIntyre, author of 'Good Friday' *
If another book has been written that has zoomed in so closely on the relationship between handler and agent, I have yet to find it. A not-so-chance meeting on an isolated Road to Perdition ends in ultimate destruction for one of the parties. What began in silence morphs into staccato, as Four Shots in the Night enter the brain of a once lonesome dog walker. Henry Hemming with sublime clarity peels away an opaque film allowing the reader to stare through a humane window into the horrendous world of espionage. * Anthony McIntyre, author of 'Good Friday' *

Author Bio

Henry Hemming is the bestselling author of seven books including Our Man in New York, M, published as Agent M in North America, the Dolman Travel Award-shortlisted Misadventure in the Middle East and the New York Times bestseller The Ingenious Mr Pyke.

He has written for the Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, The Times, The Economist, FT Magazine, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, is an experienced public speaker and has given interviews on Radio 4's Today Programme and NBC's Today Show.