In Northern Ireland, from the late 70s to the early 90s, the IRA killed over 40 alleged informers.

But the man who often found, tortured and sometimes killed these people on behalf of the IRA

was himself an informer, a secret British army agent with the codename Stakeknife.

Who gets to play God? And why me? Why my family?

When lies are still being told to this day, who do you believe?

I wouldn't even know where to start.

And I'm with the IRA.

Steakknife.

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Hello. Today's program is all about transitions,

from what a double Booker winner does after dispatching Thomas Cromwell

to finding a way to give a much-loved protagonist, like Jack Reacher, a new lease of life.

While Hilary Mantell's fictional resurrection of Henry

the 8th's henchman Thomas Cromwell gave us one of the most compelling protagonists in quite

some time, it's no spoiler to say that there was no way to ensure he could live forever.

Having finally seen him off to the executioner in the mirror and the light,

Mantel then turned her attention to assembling Mantel pieces, a collection of essays and reviews

she wrote for the London Review of Books over a 30-year period. The result is a volume of

critical writing which often feels as if one is in the company of an

exceptionally wise and generous friend, except that very few of us have friends who can be as

erudite on Madonna as they are on Anne Boleyn. I'm thrilled that Dame Hilary Mantell joins me

...