Iain Kelly


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Iain Kelly

Goodreads Author


Born
Glasgow, The United Kingdom
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Member Since
July 2012


Iain Kelly lives in Scotland, UK. His latest novel, 'Hostile City', a follow up to the crime thriller 'Full Sun', was published in January 2026. Both books feature ex-convict Cal Jackson and are set in Glasgow.

Iain is married with two children and works in the media industry as a television editor. When he is not creating stories through sound and vision, he is writing them. 'A Justified State,' published in 2018, was his first novel. It was followed by a sequel, 'State Of Denial' in September 2019 and 'State Of War' in 2020, which concluded 'The State' trilogy.
In 2022, he first partnered with The Book Guild to publish the coming-of-age mystery 'The Barra Boy', which was followed in 2024 by the historical thriller 'All We Cannot Leave Behi
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Iain Kelly I'm moving onto my third novel, and the finale of my 'State Trilogy' of stories - 'State Of War'.…moreI'm moving onto my third novel, and the finale of my 'State Trilogy' of stories - 'State Of War'.(less)
Average rating: 4.15 · 440 ratings · 157 reviews · 9 distinct worksSimilar authors
The Barra Boy

really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 232 ratings — published 2022 — 2 editions
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All We Cannot Leave Behind

4.18 avg rating — 73 ratings2 editions
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A Justified State (The Stat...

4.40 avg rating — 47 ratings3 editions
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Full Sun (Cal Jackson, #1)

4.30 avg rating — 43 ratings — published 2024 — 2 editions
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State Of Denial (The State ...

4.47 avg rating — 19 ratings3 editions
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State Of War (The State Tri...

4.18 avg rating — 17 ratings3 editions
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Hostile City (Cal Jackson, #2)

it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 4 ratings — expected publication 2026 — 2 editions
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Collected Sketches

4.75 avg rating — 4 ratings3 editions
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The State Trilogy: Complete...

it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating3 editions
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More books by Iain Kelly…

Get Ready for HOSTILE CITY

An early Christmas present for me, from my publisher The Book Guild – advance copies of HOSTILE CITY have arrived! Looking good if I do say so myself. The 2nd Cal Jackson thriller won’t hit the shops until January but if you can’t wait or want a signed copy, then drop me a message. I’ll […]
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Published on December 12, 2025 03:08
What We Can Know
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by Ian McEwan (Goodreads Author)
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If on a Winter's Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino
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A clever idea, a very meta novel about reading and writing with many observations that readers and writers will recognise. whether it was the translation or the original writing, I unfortunately found it quite laborious to read, especially the variou ...more
If on a Winter's Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino
"The thing I enjoyed the most about this book was when it finally came to an end. Although the premise of this book was interesting enough, even clever, Calvino really didn't pull it off (at least for me personally).

I have never wanted to put a book " Read more of this review »
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What We Can Know by Ian McEwan
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Future Boy by Michael J. Fox
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Future Boy by Michael J. Fox
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A 5* nostalgia trip. Anyone who likes Back to the Future films will like this book. The subsequent health issues of Michael J. Fox add a poignant note, but they are not mentioned here. Full of enticing glimpses into the making of the first film, part ...more
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If on a Winter's Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino
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My Mother's Murder by Gina McGavin
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A highly personal account of murder and years of struggle and searching for answers. There is a great deal of sympathy for the author and the events she describes, not just the murder of her mother but also the hardship and dysfunctional life lived b ...more
The land of sweet forever by Harper Lee
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Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz
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Comments (showing 1-4)    post a comment »
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message 4: by Iain

Iain Iain wrote: "The Clock Winder: a short story
I'm currently halfway through reading 'Orbital', so your review was very helpful. If you would like a complimentary copy of my short story, The Cloc..."
Hi Iain, thanks for the offer - I'd be delighted to receive a copy of your short story. Hope you are enjoying Orbital and wishing you all the best for 2025!


message 3: by Iain (last edited Jan 02, 2025 05:18AM)

Iain The Clock Winder: a short story
I'm currently halfway through reading 'Orbital', so your review was very helpful. If you would like a complimentary copy of my short story, The Clock Winder, I'd be more than happy to post you a copy.


message 2: by Iain

Iain Tom wrote: "Hi Iain, thank you for accepting my friend request! Your book, Collected Sketches, looks intriguing! I put it in my “to read” category and look forward to reading it!" Thanks Tom, and thanks for the request to connect. 'Collected Sketches' seems so long ago now! Hope you enjoy and are maybe encouraged to seek out my longer fiction novels too. Best wishes, Iain


message 1: by Tom

Tom Cola Hi Iain, thank you for accepting my friend request! Your book, Collected Sketches, looks intriguing! I put it in my “to read” category and look forward to reading it!


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