Payback - Thomas Kelly

Billy Adare is a law student building tunnels to save the money to see him through college. His brother, Paddy, works as a bagman/enforcer for an Irish neighbourhood gang which is in turn used by the local mafia chieftan as a sub-contractor. Trouble arises when the mafia is brought in by a construction company to help break the tunnel workers union, and delegates the task to their Irish associates. Punctuated with acts of betrayal, viciousness and vengeance on both sides, the plot moves inexorably towards a final brutal confrontation.