Hang On St Christopher

Detective Sean Duffy #8

by Adrian McKinty

Duffy serving out his days as a part time copper is called up to look into a 'simple' murder investigation while Detective Sergeant Lawson is on holiday. A portrait painter's car has been hijacked and he is shot dead in the attempt. Unfortunately for Duffy there was more to the painter than meets the eye and this is a far more dangerous and terrifying case than a simple carjacking gone wrong. 

Genres: Mystery, Ireland, Crime, Thriller, Fiction, Audiobook, Historical Fiction

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Adrian McKinty is an Irish novelist. He was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and grew up in Victoria Council Estate, Carrickfergus, County Antrim. He read law at the University of Warwick and politics and philosophy at the University of Oxford. He moved to the United States in the early 1990s, living first in Harlem, New York and from 2001 on, in Denver, Colorado, where he taught high school English and began writing fiction. He lives in Melbourne, Australia with his wife and two children.

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
This is book 8 in the Sean Duffy series and I have read the previous 7 books. I recommend that you do the same. This series was recommended to me by several members of the Goodreads Ireland group several years ago. The previous books explain how Duffy became a part time Detective Inspector with the RUC(Royal Ulster Constabulary). The blurb:
"It’s July 1992 and the Troubles in Northern Ireland are still grinding on after twenty-five apocalyptic years. Detective Inspector Sean Duffy got his family safely over the water to Scotland, to “Shortbread Land”. Duffy’s a part-timer now, only returning to Belfast six days a month to get his pension. It’s an easy gig, if he can keep his head down.
But then a murder case falls into his lap while his protege is on holiday in Spain. A carjacking gone wrong and the death of a solitary, middle-aged painter. But something’s not right, and as Duffy probes he discovers the painter was an IRA assassin. So, the question Who hit the hitman and why?"

Duffy does unravel the case, but not before being attacked and almost killed. He always miraculously survives these attacks. Duffy is a man with questionable ethics, such as when he is allowed to examine a murder scene connected to his case, but being investigated by another police detective, he notices several Beatles vinyl records which he realizes that he would've stolen if it were his case.
One quote about life in Ulster in 1992: "Precautions to get you through life in Ulster: lock pick and razor blade embedded in jacket sleeve, always look under car for mercury tilt switch bombs, never sit with your back to a window or a door, always check the front and back door for break-in."
Thank You Blackstone Publishing for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
#HangonStChristopher #NetGalley

Pub Date Mar 04 2025

[Sandysbookaday (on indefinite hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

ABOUT 'HANG ON ST. CHRISTOPHER': Rain slicked streets, riots, murder, chaos. It’s July 1992 and the Troubles in Northern Ireland are still grinding on after twenty-five apocalyptic years. Detective Inspector Sean Duffy got his family safely over the water to Scotland, to “Shortbread Land.” Duffy’s a part-timer now, only returning to Belfast six days a month to get his pension. It’s an easy gig, if he can keep his head down.

But then a murder case falls into his lap while his protégé is on holiday in Spain. A carjacking gone wrong and the death of a solitary, middle-aged painter. But something’s not right, and as Duffy probes, he discovers the painter was an IRA assassin. So, the question becomes: Who hit the hit man and why?

This is Duffy’s most violent and dangerous case yet and the whole future of the burgeoning “peace process” may depend upon it. Based on true events, Duffy must unentangle parallel operations by the CIA, MI5, and Special Branch. Duffy attempts to bring a killer to justice while trying to keep himself and his team alive as everything unravels around them. They might not all make it out of this one.

MY THOUGHTS: It's no secret that I adore both Adrian McKinty's Sean Duffy series and Gerald Doyle's narration. I was in heaven with Hang on St. Christopher! There's been a bit of a wait for this book (#8), but it was worth it.

Sean Duffy is now a part-timer with the RUC, serving out his time until he can retire with a full pension. He has relocated his family to 'Shortbreadland' and only returns to Coronation Avenue for a short time each month to fulfill his RUC duties - all at a desk these days.

But as it turns out, Duffy's last case wasn't Duffy's last case at all. Which, although he puts up a token resistance, is probably a bit of a relief as Beth is making noises about him taking up playing golf, for God's sake . . . And after all, it'll only be a few days, just while they're waiting for Lawson, Duffy's protégé and replacement, to return from a holiday in Tenerife. Surely he and Crabbie can't get into too much strife in just a few days . . .

I love McKinty's writing style - it's relaxed and irreverent. I love the way he mixes Ireland's troubled history in with the narrative. It comes across as a natural addition to the plot, never as a history lesson, as does the almost casual violence that peppers the book.

Duffy as a character is superb. Days after finishing this, he is still in my head. If I had a BMW I would have to sell it, otherwise I would find myself checking underneath for a mercury tilt bomb every time before I got in. I love his twisted logic. He's not always a good man. He can be tempted, but he always keeps his word. He doesn't follow protocol unless it suits him; he follows his instincts and telling him not to do something is like waving a red flag at a bull. In spite of this, it's not unusual to hear me, as I am reading/listening, call out, 'For God's sake, Sean Duffy, don't do that, you eejit.' I did a lot of that, listening to Hang on St Christopher. He took no notice, as usual.

If you haven't yet read this series, you are missing out on what I seriously believe to be one of the top two thriller series that I have read. I could wax lyrical about both the series and this particular book for pages yet, but honestly? Stop reading my review and just read the books. What are you waiting for?

I'll be lighting a candle in the hope that we don't have to wait so long for #9.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#HangonStChristopher #NetGalley #readingirelandmonth25 #beggorathon25

MEET THE AUTHOR: Adrian McKinty is an Irish novelist. He was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and grew up in Victoria Council Estate, Carrickfergus, County Antrim. He read law at the University of Warwick and politics and philosophy at the University of Oxford. He moved to the United States in the early 1990s, living first in Harlem, New York and from 2001 on, in Denver, Colorado, where he taught high school English and began writing fiction. He lives in Melbourne, Australia with his wife and two children.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Blackstone Publishing Audiobooks via NetGalley for providing an audio-ARC of Hang on St. Christopher written by Adrian McKinty and superbly narrated by Gerald Doyle for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

[Phrynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The eighth book in this great series and after a slow start with #1 I have grown to love every single book.

It is 1992 and the troubles in Ireland are ongoing. Duffy still checks for tilt bombs under his BMW every time before he drives off. He is living in Scotland now but works six days each month in Ireland in order to get his pension. It should be an easy life, but Sean has never been one to aspire to easy. He just cannot keep away from trouble, and in this book he gets trouble in spades. As I read I seriously wondered if there could ever be a book nine. Surely Sean could not escape this time.

I love the way this author writes. Short, choppy sentences keep the story moving at a fast pace. The drama and the tension are relieved by the black humour and the witty dialogue. I love it all. One of these days I am going to read the whole series again, but in the meantime I am hoping for that ninth book.

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detective Inspector Sean Duffy has moved to Scotland with his girlfriend and their young child. He now works in Belfast only 6 days a month, just so he can earn his pension. (It seems odd that such a work arrangement is permitted, for continuity reasons, but I’ll buy it for plot purposes.). During his most recent stint on duty, an artist is killed in a carjacking and Duffy is assigned to the case. The first challenge is identifying the victim. I enjoyed the way that the identity was traced through a bespoke suit and some Picasso prints. It turned out that the victim’s death was intentional. Duffy had to find out who had killed an IRA assassin, and why. But his 6 days had to keep getting extended.

This is the 8th book in the Duffy series. I read the first 2 books in the series and thought that they were just OK, but I liked this one much more. The plot took unexpected turns (through several countries) and I particularly liked how the book ended. The book gave details of police work during The Troubles, including competing law enforcement agencies and cross-border investigations. (Duffy had to check for a bomb under his car each time he entered it.) The book was fast paced and held my interest throughout. The narrator of the audiobook did a good job, although I occasionally struggled with his Irish accent.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.

[Barbara K · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite series. Detective Sean Duffy is a Catholic, working for the Royal Ulster Constabulary in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. The books stretch over a couple of decades, during which time the sectarian violence continues unabated, but Duffy evolves as a person.

Yet, there are parts of him that remain the same. He’s still impulsive, values his colleagues highly but tends to strike out on his own, and manages to get himself immersed in volatile events that weren’t part of his original case.

It is now 1992 and Duffy is semi-retired. He lives with his girlfriend and their 5 year old "across the water" in Scotland and commutes back to work for the Belfast RUC 6 days a month. If he can keep this up for two more years he will be eligible for a full pension.

In the last hours of one of these 6 day sojourns he is pulled into a seemingly straightforward murder case simply because there is no one else available to lead the inquiry. Of course, this being Duffy, it's not at all straightforward, and by the end of the book he's been to Dublin, Iceland and the US, and been nearly killed several times. And naturally, this being Duffy, moral questions abound every few pages.

I had some concerns in the first chapter when McGinty repeats some specific language describing Duffy's part-time status a couple of times. Oh dear, I thought, has he run out of ideas and is just padding out a thin story to satisfy his publishers?

Those concerns were misplaced. I believe this will end up being one of my favorites in the series. I look forward to at least one or two more books in the series before Duffy is pensioned off. And who knows where McGinty might take it from there?

[Amos · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOVED revisiting these characters for another insane roller-coaster ride, especially because I thought the previous book ended the series. Sometimes, being wrong is wonderful!!

Four Spiffing Stars

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you haven't tried this series yet, you absolutely should. What sets these books apart is their vivid setting—Belfast during the Troubles, a world of bomb threats, sectarian violence, and political conspiracies that adds relentless tension to every page.

I adore Adrian McKinty’s dark humor, razor-sharp dialogue, and noir-infused writing style—it makes listening to this series an absolute blast. And the audiobooks? Gerard Doyle’s narration is pure perfection. If you're a fan of Tana French, Ian Rankin, Mick Herron, Stuart Neville, or Ken Bruen, then The Cold Cold Ground, the first in the series, is a must-read. McKinty deserves a much wider audience.

The Story: It’s July 1992, and the Troubles in Northern Ireland are still grinding on after twenty-five brutal years. Detective Sean Duffy is now a part-time cop, only returning to Belfast six days a month to qualify for his pension. But when a murder case lands in his lap while his protégé is on holiday, he can’t resist digging deeper. What appears to be a carjacking gone wrong—resulting in the death of a solitary, middle-aged painter—quickly unravels into something far more sinister. The victim was an IRA assassin, and as Duffy investigates, he stumbles into a tangled web of covert operations involving the CIA, MI5, and Special Branch. Based on true events, this case is anything but straightforward.

[Shannon Moeser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is #8 in the Sean Duffy series by Adrian McKinty. I have read them all, in order, and enjoyed every one except #7, which was supposed to be Duffy’s last case (The Detective Up Late)—gave that one only 2 stars. However, I did enjoy #8, Hang On St. Christopher, with minor reservations; this latest outing might make a suitable end for the sequence.

In Hang On St. Christopher, it is now 1992, and the Troubles in Northern Ireland are still grinding on, but Inspector Duffy has moved his family to Scotland. He serves with the RUC in Belfast only six days a month, doing mundane police tasks, an arrangement that will allow him to eventually collect his pension. DS John McCrabban (Crabbie), his long-time partner, is doing the same.

Then, while the regular DI is on vacation, Duffy is called on to investigate what initially appears to be a simple carjacking gone wrong, but turns out to be a murder that is somehow linked to a hard-line IRA agitator living across the border in the Republic of Ireland. Duffy follows the leads, becomes embroiled in a major conspiracy, and almost gets killed. The usual “do it my way” operation that Duffy typically follows.

It was your usual impetuous, stupid, Duffy-not-thinking-things-through plan.

I did find the trail that Duffy follows across the ocean a bit farfetched, but then the Sean Duffy novels have always been a bit “off the wall”, a reflection of the chaos that occurred in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.

The only thing that bothered me was that McKinty has altered his writing style somewhat from the earlier novels. He was never a descriptive writer, but he stayed within the grammatical rule book. Now he has thrown it away, preferring to use single words rather than grammatical sentences. He constantly uses one word sentences in sequence like:

BMW.
Rain.
Marine Highway.
Home.
Neil Young on the stereo.

A few such staccato sequences are stimulating, but the novel is littered with them and they become irritating. To check my memory, I skimmed Duffy #3, which was, in my view, the best of the series, and McKinty has modified his writing style.

Still, over all, it is a good series. I recommend it for readers who want to understand life in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. It is best to read the books in order.

Thanks to the Greater Victoria Public Library for providing the ebook that I read.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My reviews for other books in this series:
In the Morning I'll Be Gone (Sean Duffy, #3)
The Detective Up Late (Sean Duffy, #7)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Alex Cantone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reluctantly (the barman’s) eyes flicked up and met mine. He also had greeny-blue irises with a hint of dark in them. But his dark couldn’t match my dark. I was not a man who got habitually dicked around with, and I had already been dicked around quite enough today.

He saw. He knew. I might be north of forty, I might be only a part-time cop, I might be getting soft in the middle, and I might not have worked a case in a year, but I was the scariest bastard he was going to encounter in a long time.

Northern Ireland, 1992. With Beth, their daughter Emma and Jet the cat safely ensconced in Scotland, Sean Duffy is a part-timer, working at the Carrickfergus Police station 6 days a month until retirement, along with John “Crabbie” McCrabben – a local dairy farmer. And while the sectarian troubles have lasted 25 years and the hopes of a peace process continue, it is July – which signals the marches of the Orangemen across the Province.

In the opening scenes, Duffy is negotiating the numerous paramilitary road blocks held by masked men that have sprung up across Belfast (some BRILLIANT dark humour here), on his way to catch the midnight ferry to Stranraer – when he is called to the crime scene of a carjacking gone wrong, ending in murder, while Sgt Lawson is on leave in Tenerife.

So begins the investigation of a painter of portraits and landscapes, who paid for everything in cash and was a quiet neighbour, living under a false name. A solitary clue: a pair of Picasso etchings – if their provenance can be determined, they might lead to a name. With CI McArthur anxious for a result, Duffy and Crabbie delve deeper with a pull-no-punches approach to old fashioned police work – the story gets murkier, drawing in Special Branch.

He was Scottish, better looking and younger than both Crabbie and I, but he was bound to be disappointed to still be a chief inspector and still to be in Carrickfergus after all these years. Still, navigating failure is a useful skill to learn, especially if you live in Northern Ireland.

When the trail leads across the border into the Irish Republic Duffy and Crabbie discover that despite the RUC badge, they are very much on their own, and fair game.

8th in the series, the strength of Adrian McKinty’s writing lies in the dark humour and flawed character of Duffy – in mid-life crisis, a penchant for poetry and music, and with an impressive clearance record but few actual arrests (he prefers a physical skirmish to get results than rely on the courts) – and thus the minor players here – art dealer/forger Archie Simmons, and "traveller" Killian – petty criminals in their own right, play pivotal roles, pointing to a sinister international connection. Top Stuff!

[Stacey Reads It All · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up! ⭐️ This is a good addition to the Sean Duffy series, and I love the apocalyptic backstory and anything set during the IRA era is always intriguing for me. The author does a great job building suspense and I love the characterization in this novel. It was definitely a slow burn for me, and I would have liked a faster pace, but overall, it was a solid book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant book from this author adding to one of my very favorite series. I am grateful to the author for the hours of enjoyment he has given me. A different setting, a different group of characters and a riveting tale.


On sale from Amazon, $5.99

[Ceecee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic. Love this series so much. Please let that not be the end 🙏
RTC.

[Buchdoktor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sean Duffy lebt zu Beginn der 90er mit Lebensgefährtin und Tochter im schottischen Portpatrick. Seine geliebte Coronation Street in Belfast und seinen Arbeitsplatz bei der RUC, der nordirischen Polizei, kann er bei gutem Wetter von Portpatrick aus sehen. Dass der „katholische Bulle“ mit der frechen Klappe sich bis zur Pensionierung mit einer Teilzeitstelle begnügen und sich nicht in Schwierigkeiten bringen würde, hat vermutlich kaum ein Duffy-Fan geglaubt. Weil der zuständige junge Kollege Lawson in Urlaub ist, wird Duffy auf den Mord am offenbar wohlhabenden Kunstmaler Townes angesetzt. Natürlich nur bis zu Dawsons Rückkehr, da Duffy als Altersteilzeitler offiziell keine Kriminalfälle mehr bearbeitet. Wie McKintys Leser dessen Duffy kennen, zieht er im Fall des Kunstmalers an einem Faden und finden sich zusammen mit Kollege Crabbie im komplizierten Geflecht des Nordirland-Konflikt wieder, den Troubles, wie es beschönigend hieß. Der Polizeiposten auf der anderen Seite der Grenze zur Republik Irland ist alles andere als begeistert, dass Duffy seine Fühler bis in dessen Revier ausstreckt, nicht offiziell natürlich. Die IRA steht nach dem Ende der Ära Thatcher offenbar unter Handlungszwang, kurz bevor Friedensverhandlungen den Konflikt beenden könnten. Duffy und Crabbie könnten froh sein, endlich aus dem Schussfeld der IRA zu sein, sollen sie wirklich schlafende Hunde wecken? Duffy kennt seinen fatalen Hang zu Alleingängen, doch was bleibt einem erfahrenen Polizisten übrig, dem der Special Branch einen hochnäsigen Aufpasser zur Seite stellt?

Duffy und Kollege Crabbie finden im Fall Townes reichlich Gelegenheit zum Lästern über die neue Generation von Ermittlern in schnieken Anzügen, die im Gegensatz zu den „alten Hunden“ noch keinerlei Intuition haben. Auch die Coronation Street hat sich längst verändert. Duffy lagert dort einen Teil seiner LP-Sammlung, als wolle er sich eine Hintertür zur Rückkehr nach Belfast offenhalten. Auch nach seinem Umzug nach Schottland ist Duffys Leben voller loser Fäden. Der englische Titel „Hang On St Christopher“ (Tom Waits) stellt einen Bezug zum Norton Motorrad her, das in diesem Band eine entscheidende Rolle spielt, ebenso zum Thema älterer Männer, um die herum sich die Welt verändert hat. Als Duffy bei seinen Ermittlungen in Gedanken einen Bogen zur Figur des Michael Forsythe aus McKintys New York-Reihe schlägt, dachte ich einmal mehr, dass der 8. Duffy-Band doch nicht der letzte sein kann …

Mit Sean Duffy und seinem Talent, Prügel zu kassieren, während andere am Ende den Ruhm einfahren, ist Adrian McKinty ein glaubwürdiger Icherzähler gelungen, dessen Sprachrhythmus mich in diesem Band wieder begeistern konnte.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this. Hang on St. Christopher
by Adrian McKinty was well written and entertaining. I thought it was cleverly narrated by Gerald Doyle, he brought a lot to the story and I highly recommend listening to this one. I loved Sean Duffy and his wit and sarcasm. The pace was perfect and I enjoyed everything about it. It had a good balance of mystery, humor and suspense.
Thanks Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley.

[Sonja Arlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Full of rain-soaked streets and pitch-black humour, Duffy once again proved that in the Troubles, nothing is ever as simple as it looks.

He is supposed to be coasting toward retirement, only popping over to Belfast once a month and avoid anything resembling actual police work. But when a carjacking turns into a shotgun murder Duffy reluctantly grabs the case, expecting a quick open-and-shut joyride gone wrong.

This will test not only his detective skills but also his friendship with McCrabben.

As always, the audio delivered by Gerard Doyle was pitch perfect.

[Colleen Chi-Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adrian McKinty and Sean Duffy, you’ve done it again. It’s July of 1992 and No Ireland (British) and the IRA are still bombing and fighting each other, and the streets are unsafe and frighteningly dangerous for anyone.

This is a gripping and tense thriller in my fave police procedural series. Sean Duffy isn’t too far from retirement and has to hang in there as a part-timer while he commutes back and forth from Belfast to Scotland, just 6x each month, where he and his wee family of 3 now live in a house on the sea.

But if there’s a murder or a clue, or a problem or an incident, Duffy just can’t let it go….. We follow him wherever he seeks and finds trouble from northern to the country of Ireland 🇮🇪, as well as from Ireland to Iceland to the USA and back again.

The kindness and caring by this Irish Catholic cop for his family, friends, and strangers, completely endear us to Inspector Detective Sean Duffy, despite his many problems and even more vices. Duffy is still working for the RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary), the police force in No Ireland at the time, and constantly gets flack from both sides due to this odd arrangement. (The RUC disbanded in November Ireland in 2002.)

Side notes. The subtle and snarky humor that McKinty includes in all of his novels (Scotland christened “Shortbread Land”) along with how we learn about Duffy’s music tastes (from classical to jazz to rock) make you feel like you’re part of the club or there are simply additional features to enjoy and smile over.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

AT 85% of this audio book of my favorite Peeler Detective Sean Duffy , I find McKinty writing consistently strong with a nice mix of Dialogue , Mystery plot, talk about music and Irish culture, and action.

[Nigeyb · Rating 4 out of 5]

You almost certainly already know that this is a superb crime series. This latest novel is another Sean Duffy winner. It has the usual blend of humour, cultural references, a strong sense of place, political insights, and plenty of jeopardy.

Hang on St. Christopher is a high-octane addition to the series. It manages to feel fresh even eight books in, largely because Adrian McKinty allows Duffy to age and evolve alongside the changing political landscape of Northern Ireland.

You really can’t go wrong with Sean Duffy books. In the unlikely event you haven’t read any, then do yourself a favour and start at the beginning and work through the series.

Gerald Doyle narrates magnificently as always.

4/5

[Yigal Zur · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good. enjoy it a lot. good writing. different style. sometimes really funny. not easy to do in a thriller

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hang On St. Christopher is the eighth novel in the police investigator Sean Duffy series by Adrian McKinty.

If one is familiar with the characters in these novels, little backstory is needed and would be redundant. It is also advisable to read the series in order, and frankly, once you start, you won’t be disappointed.

Set in early 1990s Ireland, Duffy and his number one sidekick, Det. Sgt. John McCrabban, are both now full-time, part-time police officers, putting in reduced hours simply to meet pension reception requirements. Though Duffy, plagued by bad knees and reliant on an inhaler, has slowed down a bit, he still gets the urge to work on a big case—despite being relegated to simple tasks like paperwork and mundane police labor.

When an older man renting a caravan is found murdered by two shotgun blasts outside his residence and his vehicle is missing, first impressions suggest a carjacking gone wrong, with the owner killed by a startled or amateur car thief.

While the lead detective sergeant is away on vacation, Duffy, sensing a case with a quick resolution—and an easy way to supplement both his and McCrabban’s income with overtime and increased hours—agrees to temporarily fill the void of a full-time homicide investigator and begin investigating the murder.

With Duffy believing the case will be settled in a matter of days, those familiar with the series already know that nothing with Duffy is that simple. His supposed “slam-dunk” case soon evolves into a spreading nightmare where no one is safe as long as he and McCrabban keep digging for answers into the murder of a man with little documented history—one whom no one seems to know.

McKinty’s tale pulls the reader into another complex and wide-arching novel that maintains the high quality of his previous entries in the series. Not only that, McKinty continues to deliver stories that intrigue and captivate readers lucky enough to have discovered his writing. He is also quite adept at placing his characters in dire circumstances with resolutions that do not require readers to completely suspend disbelief. Several of the novels in this series could easily be compared to “locked-room mysteries.” Somehow, McKinty creates plots that seem almost unsolvable, only to unravel them in a way that feels both logical and satisfying.

Like Ian Rankin’s Rebus series and Jo Nesbø’s Harry Hole novels, McKinty allows his characters to age realistically, enhancing his storytelling without repeating the same narrative over and over.

Readers will also be happy to know that a prequel novel exploring Duffy’s early years is forthcoming.

Hang On St. Christopher is highly recommended for readers who enjoy complex police procedurals with a touch of historical accuracy and for fans of writers like Ian Rankin and William Shaw.

An ARC of Hang On St. Christopher was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The novel is set to be published in March 2025.

[Bonnie Brody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hail to Detective Inspector Sean Duffy, a part-time, semi-retired member of the Carrickfergus Police Department in Northern Island during the time of The Troubles, He doesn't get into his beloved BMW without first checking underneath for a planted bomb. He has a lovely, quiet home in Scotland with his partner Beth and their daughter Emma, and he travels to Ireland for his job only 6 days a month, the minimum necessary for him to claim his future pension.

Usually all is quiet, but this time the head of his unit is on vacation and there has been a homicide in Belfast. Naturally, Sean's boss asks him and his best bud, Crabby, to look into it. Sean agrees, but only with time and a half and double pay. The local cops think it's a car jacking gone bad but Duffy disagrees. The car owner has been shot at close range in the head and gut, something that makes Duffy think of a mob hit. His car, a Jaguar, is found a distance away, burnt to a crisp with no forensic evidence left. This is not the work of a usual car jacker.

As Duffy works this murder, the twists and turns abound and, being the rogue cop that he is, one never knows exactly what Duffy is up to next. Another problem for Duffy is that he is a Catholic during The Troubles, watching his back, and that of his family's all the time.

I love the fact that Duffy is an ardent connoisseur of poetry, jazz, art and philosophy - not the normal purviews of a police officer. But then again, Duffy is as far from being a 'normal' cop as one could imagine. My husband is a Professor Emeritus of Art, with a specialty in printmaking, and he loved the part I read to him about two Picasso etchings.

This book is classified as a mystery but it is a lot more than that. It is an entertaining look into Detective Duffy's zeitgeist and his unique view of the world and police work in particular. Adrian McGinty does it again in this 8th book in the Duffy series.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for an Advanced Review Copy of this novel.

[Jeremy Peers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hang on St. Christopher is the eighth book featuring Northern Ireland Detective Sean Duffy, written by Adrian McKinty. I've only read the last two in the series and am already a big Duffy fan. I didn't know much about The Troubles, but I'm learning, and it's because of McKinty's books I've taken an interest. Even more interesting is Duffy's narration--half the book is Duffy's inner monologue-- his thought process, inner turmoil, and the decisions he makes throughout the story feel uber-personal.

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing for gifting me an advanced copy of Hang on St. Christopher via NetGalley.

[Kasa Cotugno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adrian McKinty brings back Sean Duffy, continuing his story set against the time of the Troubles with all the atmosphere and twists presented in the earlier novels. This time there's a death that proves to be more than meets the eye, resulting in Duffy's being involved against his will.

[Hermien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sean Duffy is sometimes a bit too macho for his own good but I suppose he is a man of his time. I particularly enjoyed the Irish atmosphere and insight into the Troubles.

[Marty Fried · Rating 5 out of 5]

As expected, this was a great addition to the Sean Duffy series, one of my favorites - can we have more than one favorite? Don't know, but why not. Duffy is kind of the Rodney Dangerfield of the force in this; he just can't get any respect. He's an part-timer, old school, just working part time so he can get his pension and retire. The important work is done by the younger, brighter detectives. But a fairly minor death caused by a hit and run seemed safe for him when nobody else was available. It was pretty cut and dried, or so they thought. But of course, it turned out to be more... much more.

The case put Duffy on the trail of IRA hitmen, crime bosses, even the CIA. As he got closer, he became another target, and his superiors wanted him off the case so some more-qualified people could take over. But Sean Duffy can never sit back and not solve the case, even if he has to do it on his own. Unfortunately, it almost gets him killed.

Lots of surprises in this one. And some of his corny jokes and musical tidbits - he's somewhat of a music buff, and has almost encyclopedic knowledge of all types of music.

[Eric_W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read all of the Sean Duffy series. They are all very good, although I think this one is the weakest. Sean and his sergeant on on the way to retirement and working only part-time while Sean has moved to Scotland. He gets involved in a murder investigation when the full-time inspector is on holiday and that investigation balloons into a CIA manipulated effort to deal with Ireland and the Troubles. Still good, but just seemed a bit off to me.

[Ilyse · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars for Nostalgia, Jet the cat, and No Alibis Bookstore. 0/5 for Sean’s behavior

[Lou Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

HANG ON ST. CHRISTOPHER : SEAN DUFFY #8 by Adrian McKinley
Published: 3/4/2025 by Blackstone Publishing
Page Count: 306
Audio Version by Blackstone Publishing
Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
Unabridged running time: 10 hours


Multiple Award Winning Belfast born writer, Adrian McKinty returns with his eighth novel in the popular Detective Sean Duffy series, set in the turbulent times of the “Troubles” of the 1990s in Ireland. No better way to jump on the Sean Duffy train than immerse yourself in the audio version narrated by the magnificent Gerald Doyle. His ability to supply various Scottish and Irish accents and nuances for the multiple characters bring the historical noir to a gritty and dark life in the theatre of your mind. Even if you’ve missed the previous installments in this highly acclaimed series, you will be immediately transported and enamored with the unique grumpy, sarcastic, and highly principled Detective Sean Duffy. He loves music, poetry, and drinking in the pub. This tale will be enjoyed as a standalone, but leaving the reader with a thirst for the earlier novels. Sean is no Sherlock Holmes, but what he is … is persistent in an OCD fashion. Like the proverbial dog with a bone.
Sean is the ultimate outsider, being a Catholic cop, surrounded by the mostly Protestant members of the Carrickfergus RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary ) and its constituents. He has survived the 80’s with its turmoil of riots, bombings and assassination attempts led by either the IRA or its brethren paramilitary groups. He can now qualify for his pension by working part time, returning to Belfast six days a month. He now lives in Scotland with his wife and daughter in a rather sedate fashion. However, still when on the job, he always looks under his car for the presence of a car bomb. His usual duties are mundane paperwork, however upon returning to work a new murder case falls into his lap. His successor is away on vacation in Spain. He is beseeched by his superiors to take over the case, and only agrees if he’s paid overtime and is aided by his previous partner, Sergeant Detective McCrabban. A middle aged artist has been brutally murdered and it’s initially believed to have been a random carjacking. Sean quickly surmises other possibilities. With his usual tenacity, he uncovers that the victim was actually an IRA assassin. Bringing up the glaring question …. Who would kill an assassin and why? The truth will involve the machinations of the CIA, MI5 and Special Branch force of the government. In his attempts to follow the assassin and bring him to justice, he will risk the lives of all he holds dear, as well as himself. The dog with the bone will be tenaciously on the trail as it courses over many continents.
McKinty is a marvelous storyteller as he weaves together a complex narrative with multiple unexpected twists and turns and escalating suspense. He effortlessly injects a heavy dose of dark humor, filled with wit and pitch perfect sarcasm, that envelops the incomparable and unforgettable Detective Inspector Sean Duffy.
Thanks to NetGalley, and Blackstone Publishing for providng an Uncorrected Proof and Advance Audio version of this tale in exchange for an honest review. Hopefully we will be rewarded soon with another glimpse into the life of Sean Duffy.

This is a review of the audiobook and Kindle version.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sean Duffy has won. He survived worst of The Troubles, retired to Scotland with his loving partner and wee daughter, and works a meagre pittance of days until his pension kicks in and he’s gone for good.

Except winning is a nebulous term, of course, and while, to the reader, Duffy gets things done, the story is quick to remind us that his cases tend to end with suspects either not arrested or straight up dead. His track record? Not great.

And does retirement suit a tenacious copper like Duffy? Well, before we get the obvious answer to that question, a murder shows up while Duffy is minding the store and it looks like as simple a case as could be. Which naturally means it is nothing of the sort.

This book goes hard and gets there. Even with it spelling out its plot points in some of the opening narration, Duffy takes a routine case and sees everything wrong with it, leading him deeper and deeper back into the murky morass of Ireland and its politics.

There’s no denying that this book is a midlife crisis writ large. Duffy, despite his protestations, is dying for a new case to sink his teeth into. It also offers him the chance to live his old life again, with all the indulgence and temptation it offers. He excuses himself so many times here that it’s obvious to everybody but himself.

Make no mistake, all the trappings of a good detective story are here. Duffy, along with the always dependable Crabby, takes on a case that is devilishly simple, yet also makes no sense the more they dig into it. It’s more about what they can’t figure out for a good chunk of it.

Fused with McKinty’s wicked prose and excellent blend of historical fiction, it makes for one cracking good case and a more engaging one than last time out. There are two solid climaxes here that deliver on the tense action that often punctuate the series as well.

The narrative here frames Duffy as believably old-school in his methods, but shows why those methods still have merit in the approaching modern age. This is a world ready to relegate him, so Duffy feels he has something to prove. And that wouldn’t possibly cause him trouble. Again, classic detective fiction.

There’s a lot of great stuff in here. I don’t know that I would want to start with those story, you lose a lot of the references, but you would still be entertained and then some. It’s whatever the Irish equivalent of Tartan Noir is and better than a lot of those (though I still love that genre too).

5 stars - no notes, frankly; this one held my attention from beginning to end and was as cleverly done as I want the series to be. Long may it continue.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sean Duffy, fan of iconoclastic music in many genres, reader of poetry, art appreciator, and, oh, detective inspector in the RUC during the “troubles” in Ireland. I’m grateful the author has extended his series featuring Duffy and McCrabben past their “final” case. Usual great conversations between them, ripe with Scottish/Irish humor (no, not an oxymoron, but you have to appreciate dry wit). Narrator of the audio book, Gerard Doyle, outstanding as always. The plot took us from Scotland to Ireland to America: all the stakeholders in making sure the Irish conflict ends…or doesn’t. A lot of Duffy trying to be the part-time peeler he is now, and failing, which brings us into a messy turf war between IRA diehards and those who see a different Ireland arising from the blood-stained land. Not quite an ending, but a denouement that has me hoping for another installment.