*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.

4.5 stars. In this penultimate entry in the amazing Sean Duffy series, the detective, who is now on part time constabulary duties until he has enough time in for a full pension, suddenly finds himself in charge, if only temporarily, in the investigation of a murder of a man who seems to have no past. The Troubles may be winding down, but the deaths of two assassins who may be in the employ of the IRA is enough to send Duffy off on yet another unauthorized mission to hunt down the truth.

This is number 8 in a great series of books about Sean Duffy. Not sure about this installment though. I felt like it was a different charachters.

Detective Inspector Sean Duffy, a Catholic detective in Ulster's largely Protestant police force. The story takes place in 1992 and the Troubles, the sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland, are raging still.. In this, the eighth installment in the series, Duffy is now semi-retired, on desk duty, counting the days until he can begin to draw his pension., He's dispatched his young family to Scotland to keep them safe from the ubiquitous violence.
But circumstances intervene; because of a temporary manpower shortage, Duffy catches the case of a murdered artist suspected to be an IRA assassin.
His investigation balloons in complexity, and soon the Irish Republic's police force, MI5, even the CIA embroiled in the mix, and once again Sean Duffy is shaping up as the fall guy in Ulster's crazy, and often deadly, law enforcement environment. The tale has all the wit and ironically looming tragedy of McKinty's other whodunnits. The usual brilliance throughout.

How can one not like Sean Duffy? He is part time in Belfast and living in Scotland, waiting for his retirement. Not a particularly exciting or interesting job, but safe until a murder falls into his and Crabbie's lap while the chief investigating officer is on vacation.

Sean Duffy may have matured as he heads towards retirement, yet his narrative voice and escapades continue to engage, and in fact go from strength to strength. There's now family and a gratifying relationship, There's action in three countries now--Northern Ireland, the Republic, and Scotland. And there's gritty adventure and characteristic mordant humor which makes readers, like this one, want to pounce on a new novel. And then be most satisfied by one of the the most robust in the series.

This is the eighth novel in the Inspector Sean Duffy series, set in Northern Ireland. It's 1992 and the Troubles still plague the community as Duffy is drawing close the retirement from the Royal Ulster Constabulary. He's only part-time, clocking in only to get his pension secured. But when he's assigned "one last case", he stumbles into a conspiracy that threatens to unravel the emerging peace process. Duffy is a singular figure, a driven cop who just can't quit, whether it's booze or an unsolved murder. It's a well written story and I look forward to the next book, which looks to be the last in the series. Highly recommended.

Sean Duffy living in Scotland across the channel wants to put Northern Ireland violence behind him and has plans to retire soon. Because vacations happen Duffy is dragged into a full blown assassination plot. Duffy in his full wisdom dives right into it and it almost costs him everything.

It is going to be hard to stop Duffy from reappearing in McKinity's finest work.

Great book

Sean Duffy is working part-time as a policeman, counting the days till retirement, when a simple murder case comes his way. But there is no such thing in Northern Ireland as a simple murder with the “Troubles” still raging and bombs going off everywhere. Duffy takes the case and is plunged into a dark web of eye for an eye revenge and terror. He will travel the globe before he and his family can feel safe again. Excellent non-stop read!

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.