Telling the story of an ex-IRA member who reluctantly gets caught up in the world he tried to escape, Terry Brankin Has A Gun is a razorsharp deep-dive into the violence and crime still happening beneath Belfast’s modern surface.

Eschewing the familiar clichés that prevail when writers turn their pen to the nitty-gritty of the North’s violent history, Malachi O’Doherty’s debut novel (arriving a mere 50 years or so into his journalistic career) is deftly drawn, powerfully realised, and full of pitch-black humour.

It’s not just a crime thriller either – it’s an unflinching examination of Northern Ireland’s legacy issues and social problems. Overall, Terry Branklin Has A Gun… is a smart and sophisticated page-turner.