Orphan Johnny Dunne has fled Balbriggan, where he spied for the rebels in Ireland’s War of Independence. Now he has a new and even more dangerous mission. Rebel leader Michael Collins engages in a cut-throat secret war with British Intelligence: and Johnny, Ireland's youngest spy at only fourteen years of age, finds himself at the centre of the action. In a Dublin full of gunmen, soldiers, police informers and the dreaded Black and Tans, Johnny has to watch his every move.

But it’s hard to turn his back on the past, especially on his friendships with Alice Goodman, and with Stella Radcliffe, the daughter of a British officer, who risked her own life to save his.

As the War of Independence grows more lethal, the three friends must decide where their loyalties lie. Then a secret from Johnny’s past changes everything…

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Gallagher strikes again! Spies, like many of Gallagher’s other works, can be described as a thrilling, utterly delectable journey into the past. The reader is plunged head first out of the frying pan and into the fire from page one, and the fast-paced action-packed story continues from there. Gallagher translates the complex nature of politics at the time of the Irish Civil War into an easily accessible story of friendships, adversity and the reality of warfare. Johnny Dunne, a spy working for rebel leader Michael Collins, misses his friends Alice and Stella, the daughter of a British officer. From that premise, Gallagher creates a plot which clearly demonstrates the difficult choices faced by citizens on a daily basis, and illustrates respectfully the truly painful lives people were being forced to lead. Gallagher creates characters involved in friendships, trying desperately to overcome the obstacles placed in their way. Gallagher uses real-life events and occurrences in his writing which adds an authenticity to the story, and provides opportunity for further investigation – for any budding historians

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the strands of family and friendships are excellently interwoven with the fragile and fractious fault lines in pre-freedom Ireland

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The things I liked about Spies were that the writing style was original and captivating – you really felt like you were in the room with the characters! Sometimes I struggle to get into books that are set in the past. Most of my favourite books are contemporary but I had no problem with this book because it was a gripping page-turner. Overall I thought this book was really good. Not only was it an excellent story but I also learned a lot about the War of Independence even though it never felt like I was reading history school book! www.seomraranga.com/2018/08/book-review-spies/