Pray for Us Sinners, Patrick Taylor
Pray for Us Sinners, Patrick Taylor
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Pray for Us Sinners
A Novel of the Irish Troubles

Author: Patrick Taylor

Narrator: John Keating

Unabridged: 12 hr 55 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/18/2013


Synopsis

A British Army bomb-disposal expert goes undercover to try to identify the source of the bombs being used by the Provisional Irish Republican Army in Pray for Us Sinners, a thrilling novel by New York Times bestseller Patrick Taylor

In Belfast in 1973 the Troubles are raging. Two Ulstermen. Two sides. On one, British Army bomb-disposal officer Marcus Richardson; on the other, Davy MacCutcheon, Provisional IRA armourer who has been constructing bombs since his teens. Both men are committed to their causes until events shatter their beliefs, leaving each with a crisis of faith and an overpowering need to get out—but with honour.

When he is nearly killed by an exploding car bomb, Marcus welcomes the offer of a transfer to the elite SAS—provided that he first accept an undercover mission to infiltrate the Falls Road ghetto, join the Provisional IRA, identify their upper echelon, and expose their bomb-maker.

When Davy's devices are used for civilian disruption rather than military targets, the bomb-maker begins to question what he's doing. His work is being used to maim and kill innocent people. His request to be discharged is countered by an order that he go on one last mission. Success will bring Davy redemption and permission to leave Ireland with Fiona Kavanagh, the woman he loves.

When the paths of the two men cross, Davy realizes that he can use Marcus's expertise in plastic explosives. A runaway series of events leaves both men in an abandoned farmhouse in the middle of a plot to kill the British Prime Minster. Can Marcus find a way to thwart the plan and escape with his life?

About Patrick Taylor

Patrick Taylor, M.D., was born and raised in Bangor County Down in Northern Ireland. Dr. Taylor is a distinguished medical researcher, offshore sailor, model-boat builder, and father of two grown children. He lives on Saltspring Island, British Columbia.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jean on December 18, 2019

This is a historical novel about the 1970s and “The Troubles” in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The book takes place in 1973 Belfast. The book is well written and researched. In fact, Taylor stayed so accurate to what it was like fighting in the streets of Belfast that the scenes are not sanitized or gl......more

Goodreads review by Lisa on March 23, 2023

3.75 stars rounded up Read for Irish stories month. I am a huge fan of Taylor's Ballybucklebo series about a country doctor. Think of an Irish James Herriot, but an MD. They have humor and warmth, a place I wish was real. This was Taylor's first novel, a no flinching look at 1973 Ireland. The story is......more

Goodreads review by Shelley on December 07, 2017

Taylor tells the story of Northern Ireland during the violent period of the 1970's. Marcus Richardson, an explosives expert in the British Army, is sent undercover to infiltrate the Provisional IRA when a bomb he is diffusing goes off and the army is able to proclaim him dead. On the other side is D......more

Goodreads review by Tom on March 10, 2020

Pray For Us Sinners (2000) by Patrick Taylor. If you are expecting one of Mr. Taylor’s “Irish Country Doctor” stories, you will be shocked by this tale set in 1973 Belfast during the “Troubles”. This is a raw tale of how neither side, the British or the Provisional Army, were winning. This book is......more

Goodreads review by Melissa on January 15, 2024

After reading a number of Patrick Taylor's light-hearted novels about Dr. Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly, this novel was a sudden change. Taylor's portrayal of 1974 Belfast, with the Catholic Provos fighting the British army, is a nuanced study of both sides, through sympathetic characters. We come to un......more


Quotes

Pray for Us Sinners is written with heartfelt urgency to explain Ulster rather than demonize the place and the population. A deeply felt thriller and a very valuable one.” —The Globe and Mail

“Taylor has written a compelling story. Tension grows as it moves from one side of the conflict to another. What is clearly brought home to the reader is the suffering and hardships this conflict brings to the civilian population.” —Historical Novel Society on Pray for Us Sinners

“Flawlessly researched and . . . nails the chips-and-guns-with-everything atmosphere of violence in mid-1970s Ulster.” —Quill & Quire on Pray for Us Sinners

“Patrick Taylor has become probably the most popular Irish-Canadian writer of all time.” —The Globe and Mail

“Taylor . . . captivates and entertains from the first word.” —Publishers Weekly