Very thoroughly researched. The content and writing is not too hard to understand for someone who don't know the backstory. Captivating story. Highly recommended.

Well-researched and riveting, Say Nothing looks at the disappearance and murder of Jean McConville, a single mother of ten, during the height of "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland. Unforgettable!

Three words: Read. This. Book.

I will admit that modern Irish history has been of interest to me for a long time and I've read more than one book on the subject, but even if you've never even heard of The Troubles, even if you don't usually read non-fiction, even if you don't care for history: Read. This. Book.

Keefe begins Say Nothing with the personal. We find out about Jean McConville, her husband's death leaving her to raise ten children in a rotting public housing tower, until one day her neighbors come to take her away in a car and she never comes home again. The mystery of Jean's disappearance is the central thread holding the narrative together, but as we dive further into the book, Keefe uses the introduction of our second character, Dolours Price, as a way to widen the scope, because without at least some understanding of The Troubles, there is no way to explain Jean's disappearance.

Riveting and extraordinary, touching on the the ties to the US civil rights movement all the way to Brexit, Keefe makes sense of a period in history that other writers have only approached. He also goes beyond telling the story, looking at why the peace process after the Troubles has only partially fixed relations in the North, and the long-term effects the fighting had on the bodies and minds of the participants. In the end, Keefe leaves us with a good idea of what happened to Jean, from who called the shots, to who pulled the trigger, but in a country where everyone has been told to "say nothing" there's a good chance we may never know the full truth.

A good book to read and most informative on the history of the troubles period and history behind Northern Ireland

I typically shy away from true crime, but I made an exception for this history of Northern Ireland’s "Troubles" and I’m glad I did. Say Nothing is a riveting and complex look at several of the figures at the heart of the affair. For Irish authenticity listen to the audiobook.

An extremely good book for any person who is interested in '' the Troubles'' and their legacy.

An engrossing account of the conflict in Northern Ireland-The Troubles-and its far-reaching impact on those involved. This is much more than a mother-gone-missing story. The author does a deep dive into everything from the long-simmering hatreds between different parties that fueled The Troubles, living conditions in Irish orphanages managed by religious orders, and looks into the driven personalities that led the Irish Republican Army.

Highly recommended; for those who've witnessed peaceful protest devolve into violence and chaos this book will resonate.

Superb book. More plot twists than a good British thriller. It tells the story of "The Troubles," the guerilla war in Ireland in the latter part of the 20th century, focusing on the Provisional IRA and the murder of Jean McConville. The futility of violence is powerfully illustrated in this sad tale of wasted youth and idealism.

Ireland is near the top of my travel wishlist but I’m shamed to admit I’m not that familiar with Irish history (I’m 100% not Irish in any way). Say Nothing is part murder mystery, part narrative history of Northern Ireland and part treatise on memory and record keeping. This book is superb and captivating. I read it all in four days and the story told has stayed with me. I would highly recommend it to anyone. I also recommend reading end page about how the notes were complied because it adds so much context to the story.

Nominally the story of a "disappeared" Belfast woman, this book relates the history of the Troubles. While its focus is on the 1970s, it gives the antecedents and the effects that the '70s had and continue to have on the island’s politics. Because this book relies on research done largely with republicans, it tells their stories, but not without significant background on the loyalists, specifically on key members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the British Army. This brief history is an indictment of imperialism and colonialism, and not just of the British variety. It is fascinating to read his descriptions of the evolution of the people in the struggle. In particular, his analysis of Gerry Adams is one of political ambition and incredible hypocrisy. Keefe grew up in Boston’s Irish community but didn’t feel a personal connection to Ireland. He comments that “Some people in Ireland looked askance at the ‘plastic Paddies’ who urged bloody war in Ulster from the safe distance of America.”
The book follows many individuals through their personal tragedies and emphasizes the long-lasting effects on families and on the larger society. Not a book for the faint of heart.