A page-turner account of the Troubles through personal histories. The unifying theme is who killed Jean McConville, the mother of 10 taken by the IRA who never returned. Her story, what happened to her and her children, left to fend for themselves as their neighbors basically shunned them is the thread through which the story of the Troubles unfolds, weaving in more well-known figures, such as Gerry Adams, Brendan Hughes, and the Price sisters. Integrated in the narrative is Boston College's Belfast Project, a collection of personal stories from former paramilitaries (from both sides) that were supposed to be revealed only after the protagonists were dead.
A very engaging read precisely because the "whatever happened to Jean McConville" gives humanity to a narrative that is otherwise quite bleak. but also integrates the depth of trauma for both victims and perpetrators.