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.

Loved it. Dufy is a great hero and Mckinty’s writing, as always , sparkles. Literate, fast paced, exciting and complex this last Duffy novel(supposedly) is a great capstone to his career. Read it.

Always great to have another entry in the Duffy series. More great writing here, even tho Duffy is reduced to 6 days a month as he coasts towards retirement there are many good personal moments here. Of course circumstances arise with a case he gets stuck with that turns out to be waaay more than it seems. Some great intense action scenes to go along with the always great inner musings of our dog with a bone Duffy. One of the best, 4 + stars and thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy, much appreciated.

Hang on St. Christopher by Adrian McKinty keeps you hooked till the very end.
A well written suspense filled with twists that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
A quick and fun read that I finished in a few hours.
The characterization was superb, the writing pacey and flowing, and the tension delivered in a series of shocks and twists along the way.
This is a tightly written story, with well developed characters and enough suspense to keep you reading.

Fans of Adrian McKinty’s Sean Duffy mystery series, celebrate! The eighth installment, Hang on St. Christopher, is out, and it’s well worth the wait. My endless thanks go to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the review copy. This book will be available to the American public tomorrow, March 4, 2025.

When we rejoin Duffy, he’s a part-timer with the Royal Ulster Constabulary, driving a desk:

“Until a year ago, doing boring paperwork had only been my cover, because I’d really been a case officer in charge of handling an IRA double agent in the police, who we’d turned into a triple agent working for us: feeding the IRA false intelligence and trying to pick up tips. But the stress of playing for us and them had finally taken its toll on Assistant Chief Constable John Strong, who had a coronary event in his back garden, where he’d been pruning his pear tree with a chainsaw. The chainsaw had avoided killing him, but it had laid waste to several of his prized garden gnomes before the cutoff switch kicked in. It had taken him an hour to die out there, gasping for breath in the summer heat among the severed heads of his gnome army, and those of us who knew about his crimes and betrayals had considered that justice.”

For the uninitiated, this is typical of McKinty’s writing style, providing essential information in a tightly worded space, but also including, now and then, some unexpectedly hilarious tidbits. It prevents his prose from becoming too dark to be a fun read.

And dark it does become. You see, Detective Sergeant Lawson, who was once Duffy’s underling and whom Duffy still outranks, is on vacation—sorry, holiday—on the Continent, and wouldn’t you know that a particularly interesting and urgent sort of murder takes place while he’s gone? Duffy is on his way out the door, ready to retire to his suburban home in Scotland where his girlfriend and daughter await, when he’s tapped to go to the scene. Of course, he can turn the whole thing over to Lawson once he’s home; it’s only for a couple of days.

As if.

There are two things that as a reader, I rarely do anymore, and one of them is to stay up late to finish a book. Why should I? I’m retired. I can finish it in the morning if I choose, when I’m rested. The other is to feel sorrow when a good book has ended. I always have dozens sitting in my queue, so even a good book that’s finished is a title I can check off my list, right? But just like Duffy’s tranquil—okay, boring—suburban idyll, all that goes out the window for this one. I stayed up long after my light is usually extinguished, and I mourned when I realized there was no more of it to read.

Once the adrenaline had faded, I wondered where my usual cynicism had gone. I’m a tough customer when it comes to mysteries, and in this one, Duffy does about a million things that cops never do in real life, taking all sorts of crazy risks, doing things at his own expense and on his own time. Why do I believe this story? Because I do. I believe every stinking word of it. And then I realize that it’s the character. McKinty has developed Sean Duffy so well that I know that while cops in general don’t do these things, Duffy absolutely does. Part of it is his thirst for justice; part of it is his inner darkness, a slight, or not so slight, death wish.

If I could change one thing, it would be to have the 9th Sean Duffy mystery available now. Right this minute. I have some excellent books in my queue, but there’s not a single one that I wouldn’t drop like a hot coal if I were given another Duffy book.

Can you read it as a stand-alone? You can, but it would be silly, because when you finish, you’ll be online searching for ways to get the first seven in the series. Do what you gotta do, but read this book.

Hang on St. Christopher by Adrian McKinty, the eighth installment of the Sean Duffy series, is set to be released by Blackstone Publishing on 4 March. Duffy is a brilliantly conceived and sensitively executed character, exquisitely nuanced. Crime fiction has few police detectives that are also poets; I can only think of Adam Dalgliesh, and Dalgliesh didn’t toss around historical references and cite obscure musical recordings the way Duffy does. Dalgliesh could manage his career, however, which Duffy can’t, despite his innate detective skills and impressive literary knowledge. “Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward” might be Duffy’s motto.
What crime fiction does have plenty of is jaded star detectives, burned-out and tired of bureaucratic nonsense. McKinty doesn’t just breathe new life into this classic trope, he plugs it into a 220-volt outlet and turns the power on high.
It’s 1992 and the bloody Northern Ireland conflict known euphemistically as The Troubles continues, perhaps with not quite as much fervor as in years past. But Duffy, a Catholic and a policeman, doubly undesirable characteristics in Northern Ireland, still routinely checks his vehicle for bombs and sets small traps in his house to learn if someone has broken in. He has managed to move his wife and small daughter 20 miles across the Irish Sea to Scotland and relative safety. He works three days every two weeks in the provincial police station in Carrickfergus, on the eastern coast of Ireland a short ferry ride from his home in Scotland, working traffic and administrative duties while he marks time to be eligible for full pension. He knows his career is all but over, yet he can’t find another interest like his fellow part-timer Sergeant John McCrabban has. McCrabban’s invitations to Duffy to assist with his dairy farm are promptly declined.
His replacement is on leave when a shooting is reported so the investigation falls to Duffy. It looks like a carjacking but Duffy’s instincts say something else. In no time at all, he’s up to his ears in organized crime (who else would have the nerve to crash a wake for a mobster?) and IRA thugs.
The hard-driving action is as relentless as Duffy’s pop culture quips. Strong plot, elegant writing, subtly powerful setting, an incredibly good read. We’ll be seeing this book mentioned often in the major award nominations for 2025. Highly recommended.

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.

4 stars
This is book 8 in the Sean Duffy series and I have NOT read the previous 7 books. I would maybe recommend that you read the other ones first.
I thought Duffy was a character with questionable morals BUT overall a likeable person. I will definetly be reading the other books in this series and then circling back.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars. (When will I be able to add a half-star option?!?)

This one was a bit of a tough read for me. I am a huge fan of Adrian McKinty! I devoured The Chain and The Island. The Island was actually a 5-star read for me! With Adrian being 2/2 for smash hits with me, I immediately requested this when I saw it on NetGalley. I hoped my love for McKinty would overrule my impatience with detective stories. I was, unfortunately, wrong.

I haven't read any of the other Sean Duffy novels, so I'm sure I'm missing out on some of the backstory. However, it didn't feel like I was missing anything too important to the plot. The main thing that lowered the rating for me was the pacing. It felt so slow. Compared to the fast pace of his thrillers, this couldn't keep me hooked. I found myself dragging my feet until I finally decided just to sit down and finish it. I've read 4-5 other books while simultaneously sludging through this one.

I love the setting. I love books set in the 90s, and the threat of the IRA added a little thrill to the atmosphere. However, it wasn't quite enough to pull the book to a full 4-stars for me. I'm sorry, Adrian (insert crying face)! I'll be patiently awaiting your next thriller!

I want to thank NetGalley, Adrian McKinty, and Blackstone Publishing for gifting me a free copy of Hang on St. Christopher. I can't wait to see what Adrian comes out with next!

*Hang on St. Christopher* by Adrian McKinty is a gripping and intense thriller set against the backdrop of Northern Ireland's turbulent past. Detective Sean Duffy is a compelling, complex character, navigating both personal and professional turmoil in a world rife with political tension and danger. McKinty's writing is sharp, weaving a tight plot that is both thrilling and thought-provoking, as Duffy uncovers secrets that threaten not just his life, but the future of peace itself. The novel's raw depiction of violence, loyalty, and moral ambiguity makes it a must-read for fans of gritty crime fiction and historical thrillers. A powerful, page-turning addition to the Duffy series!

Release: March 4, 2025
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Rating: 3.75 ★

Hang On St. Christopher is a wild, fast-paced ride through Adrian McKinty’s signature gritty storytelling. The plot is tight, the stakes are high, and the characters—especially the protagonist—are deeply flawed yet compelling. McKinty masterfully blends noir with action, keeping the tension simmering from start to finish.

The writing is sharp, filled with dark humor and atmospheric detail that pulls you right into the world he’s created. The pacing never lags, and every scene feels purposeful, driving the story forward with an undercurrent of unease. The dialogue is particularly strong, giving the characters a distinct voice and adding an extra layer of realism.

The book kicks off with a car chase, where the main character, Bobby, is fleeing from the police in a stolen vehicle. He’s determined to outrun a violent past and start fresh, though his history as a criminal is a major weight on his shoulders. Bobby is being chased for a robbery gone wrong, and through the narrative, we learn about his criminal past and his desperate desire for freedom.
Bobby seeks shelter in a friend’s apartment, and the story flashes back to his life as a small-time criminal in Belfast. His troubled past, strained family relationships, and reasons for turning to crime are explored. There’s a constant sense of unease as Bobby tries to stay under the radar, knowing his past is catching up to him. As Bobby’s situation worsens, he’s not only running from the police but also a violent gang after him for his involvement in a failed robbery. The power and reach of this gang become clearer, and Bobby realizes just how deep in trouble he really is. He decides to leave Belfast and takes dangerous risks in an attempt to escape. Along the way, he reconnects with people from his past, including an ex-lover who is now tied to the criminal gang, revealing how his past relationships have shaped his current predicament. When Bobby reaches London, he meets people who might be able to help him escape, but he quickly realizes no one can be trusted. His trust issues deepen when he finds out that his former associates aren’t just after him for the robbery, but for something far more serious—a betrayal. As the police and gang close in on him, Bobby makes several critical mistakes that lead to close calls and confrontations, heightening the tension and sense of danger. The action reaches a climax when Bobby faces off with the gang. In a desperate attempt to escape, he tries to access a hidden stash of money, hoping to bribe his way out. This moment marks a turning point, as Bobby finally grasps how high the stakes have gotten. Bobby’s last-ditch effort to escape culminates in a brutal showdown, where all his choices come to a head. The tension peaks in the explosive confrontation, leaving Bobby’s fate hanging in the balance. Seeking refuge at a caravan site, Bobby takes a brief pause from the relentless chase. He’s physically and mentally drained, reflecting on his past mistakes, broken relationships, and the slim chances he has left for escape. But when Bobby discovers a dead body at the site, his fear escalates. Realizing he’s not the only one being hunted, his paranoia grows, and he begins to question everyone around him. Soon, he learns that the gang is closing in, and their brutal methods of retribution weigh heavily on him. Bobby’s fear intensifies as he realizes the extent of the danger he’s in. Desperate, he starts making plans to escape the country, reaching out to old contacts for help. But he can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching him. He meets a key figure from his past, hoping to strike a deal that will allow him to flee, but trust is hard to come by, and he’s not sure if this person is offering help or setting him up.
The situation turns even more dire when Bobby is betrayed by someone he trusted, leaving him with no clear way out. As his paranoia increases, Bobby is forced to reconsider his options. The pressure is mounting, and the chase resumes as the gang and police close in on him. A violent confrontation ensues, pushing Bobby to the brink. He survives, but he’s left wounded and in even greater danger. The betrayal weighs heavily on Bobby, making him feel even more isolated and hunted. His mental state deteriorates as he realizes just how badly he’s been played. He faces a choice: to escape or to die trying. His options are limited, and the risks are greater than ever. As the stakes escalate, Bobby starts to make riskier decisions to try to survive.
Bobby prepares for one final stand, knowing it could be his last. The action intensifies as he fights to break free once and for all. Faced with the consequences of his actions, Bobby must make a life-altering decision—continue running or face what he’s done. The pursuit reaches its final stage, and Bobby realizes he can’t outrun his past. In the end, Bobby’s fate is sealed in a powerful, inevitable confrontation. The outcome is shaped by the choices Bobby has made throughout his life, culminating in a bittersweet resolution. The final moments of the novel are a mixture of grim reality and reluctant acceptance. Bobby’s struggle with survival, guilt, and his inescapable past come full circle, leaving the reader with a deep sense of the consequences of his life of crime.

Favorite quote:
"Sometimes the world just looks like a place where everything you’ve done, everything you’ve ever known, is gonna come back to bite you.”

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

🎯 T A R G E T T U E S D A Y review 🎯 featuring “Hang on St Christopher” by Adrian McKinty!

BOOK RATING: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Detective Inspector Sean Duffy is now working part time to fit in the hours needed to receive his full pension. He typically works 6-7 days a month which mostly consists of desk work or traffic control.

It’s 1992 in Northern Ireland … a time of chaos, riot outbreaks, cold blooded murder and carjackings. Duffy is asked to take over a murder case while his boss is away on vacation. At first he thinks he can wrap the case up quite quickly, until he finds out that the deceased painter is actually an IRS assassin! Who put a hit out on the hit man?? And what exactly has Duffy put himself in the middle of?? 🎯

I had no idea when I requested this book that it was #8 in the Sean Duffy series! I was able to read it totally fine as a stand-alone and now I want to go back and read the rest of the series! After LOVING “The Chain” and “The Island”, every time I see this author I know I have to read it! If you are itching for a gritty police procedural that takes place in Northern Ireland, then definitely check this book (and series) out!

Thank you kindly to @adrianmckintyauthor @blackstonepublishing @netgalley for my #gifted advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This book releases on March 4, 2025!

In my own letter grade system for books, I gave Hang on St. Christmas a B, which for a Sean Duffy novel is like getting a C-. I am a loyal reader of this series, and every other novel has received an a or ( in the case of Gun Street Girl) an A+.
In this one though, it’s like both author and character believe too much in the Sean Duffy lone wolf hype. The novel starts out well enough, with a more-than-meets-the-eye death of an artist. Sean is on his part-time desk job when this death requires investigation. With his successor Lawson (conveniently) on holiday, the task goes to Duffy and his longtime colleague and sidekick Crabbie (DS Crabbe, now also on part-time).

At first it’s a joy to see these two in action again, puzzling out the inconsistencies in the death, following leads, with Crabbe advising a bit of caution that usually gets ignored. But as the novel progresses, the super detective lone wolf persona takes Duffy over. There’s a bit too much shark jumping in the last 40 pages ( the flight to the USA, the confrontation with the killer, the clever escape) for my taste.

That said, I love how this series follows the path of The Troubles, with the faint hint of peace on the horizon in Hang on St. Christopher. I’m still a loyal fan. Just a disappointed one.

I didn’t realize this was a series when I started it. I thought it was a standalone like some of his other books, so that’s my fault for being confused and not understanding some of the character (duffy’s) main backstory. I’m also not really sure what the point of the book was, but again I think that was my fault for not knowing it was a series when I read it. The writing was good and I’ll continue to read McKintys other works but maybe in order from now on.

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.

I hadn't known that McKinley had this series until I stumbled across this book. I grabbed it, without realizing it was a series, and quickly enjoyed it but also quickly realized my mistake. I don't think I necessarily had to have those other 7 books for this story, but they definitely would have helped me feel more for the MC. Regardless, I had a blast. It's quick, it's fast paced. It's action packed. Really, really enjoyed it. And will now be going back to read the first few in the series.

It’s 1992 and Detective Inspector .Sean Duffy is only working part time until he can retire in 2 years. Unfortunately a man is murdered while the station head is on vacation so Sean is assigned to lead the investigation. What looks like a routine car jacking related to rioting turns out to be connected to the never-ending troubles in Northern Ireland with national and even international implications. This is another excellent entry in a series really immerses you in another time and place. Duffy is just flawed enough to be both realistic and interesting and I always look forward to the next book.
#NetGalley #HangonStChristopher

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this ARC!!

I had mainly requested this novel since I LOVED “The Chain” so much! I did not realize it was a part of a series, but I don’t think not reading any of the previous novels takes away from the story. Personally, I was not a fan in how the novel was written. I think the storyline of Duffy was intriguing, but I this novel did not really keep my interest. It felt disjointed and hard to follow. I think it is popular with certain audiences for sure, just not for me.

I love this series so much. Sean is in Ireland doing his part time gig when a murder shoves him back into his old job heading the investigation while Lawton is on vacation. Even Crabby gets pulled from his farm to help.

As usual, I learn as much about Irish history during the 80’s, music, bible verses, and poetry as always. All I can say is please keep this series coming. I finally had a free day to devour this one and it was a day well spent.

This detective reminds me of Harry Hole and I love this series just as much. Thank you to Netgalley the publisher and Adrian McGinty for letting me read the ARC.