It was very good. They always are. But it left me feeling a little disappointed. Just starting to run out of steam?
Kate London Kate London was a detective in the Metropolitan Police Service before resigning to write full time. Her first novel, Post Mortem, was published in 2014 to strong reviews. In 2021Post Mortem was adapted for television by Patrick Harbinson as The Tower, and broadcast by ITV. The Sunday Times: "An absorbing debut... a complex novel that offers rare insights."Sydney Morning Herald: “A realistic, tense and multi-layered story containing a two-sided moral question, all crowned by a thoughtful and compassionate ending tinged with a little sadness.”Kate’s second book, Death Message, was published in April 2017. "A brilliant, high-octane crime novel - every page rings with hard-earned wisdom of a former cop. Kate London, the new rising star of crime fiction, is the real thing." Tony ParsonsThe third novel in the series, Gallowstree Lane, was published in 2019.‘An authentic depiction of gang life and police politics with first class writing’. Jake Kerridge in the Sunday Express
The Tower By: Kate London Narrated by: Antonia Beamish Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins Unabridged Audiobook Release date: 06-08-15 Language: English
Summary A long-serving beat cop in the Met and a teenage girl fall to their deaths from a tower block in London's East End. Left alive on the roof are a five-year-old boy and rookie police officer Lizzie Griffiths.
Within hours Lizzie has disappeared, and DPS Officer Sarah Collins sets out to uncover the truth around the grisly deaths in an investigation that takes her into the dark heart of policing in London.
Critic reviews "The author vividly recreates the everyday experience of uniformed police.... The result is a complex novel that offers rare insights into how the police operate." (Sunday Times ) "Intelligent, atmospheric, captivating - this book draws you in and doesn't let you go. A must read." (Rosamund Lupton )
It was very good. They always are. But it left me feeling a little disappointed. Just starting to run out of steam?
Gallowstree Lane By: Kate London Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins Unabridged Audiobook Release date: 19-03-20 Summary The new novel from former Met detective turned author Kate London, one of the rising stars of crime fiction.
Please don’t let me die. Please don’t.
When a teenage boy steps out of the shadows of Gallowstree Lane and asks a passer-by for help, it’s already too late. His life is bleeding out on the London street. The murder threatens to derail Operation Perseus, a covert police investigation into the Eardsley Bluds, an organised criminal network. Detective Kieran Shaw can’t and won’t allow that to happen. But 15-year-old Ryan has other ideas.
He’s witnessed the death of his best friend, and now he wants someone to pay....
As loyalties collide, a chain of events is triggered that threatens everyone with a connection to Gallowstree Lane.
Critic reviews “The new rising star of crime fiction....” (Tony Parsons)
It was very good. They always are. But it left me feeling a little disappointed. Just starting to run out of steam?
Mitch McDeere The Exchange Summary What happened after? The riveting sequel to The Firm, the blockbuster thriller that launched the career of the world’s bestselling author.
The Exchange By: John Grisham Length: Not Yet Known Release date: 17-10-23
Summary What happened after? The riveting sequel to The Firm, the blockbuster thriller that launched the career of the world’s bestselling author.
What became of Mitch and Abby McDeere after they exposed the crimes of Memphis law firm Bendini, Lambert and Locke and fled the country?
The answer is in The Exchange.
It is now fifteen years later, and Mitch and Abby are living in Manhattan, where Mitch is a partner at the largest law firm in the world. When a mentor in Rome asks him for a favour that will take him far from home, Mitch finds himself at the centre of a sinister plot that has worldwide implications – and once again endangers his colleagues, friends and family.
Mitch has become a master at staying one step ahead of his adversaries, but this time there's nowhere to hide.
It was very good. They always are. But it left me feeling a little disappointed. Just starting to run out of steam?
Kate London Kate London was a detective in the Metropolitan Police Service before resigning to write full time. Her first novel, Post Mortem, was published in 2014 to strong reviews. In 2021Post Mortem was adapted for television by Patrick Harbinson as The Tower, and broadcast by ITV. The Sunday Times: "An absorbing debut... a complex novel that offers rare insights."Sydney Morning Herald: “A realistic, tense and multi-layered story containing a two-sided moral question, all crowned by a thoughtful and compassionate ending tinged with a little sadness.”Kate’s second book, Death Message, was published in April 2017. "A brilliant, high-octane crime novel - every page rings with hard-earned wisdom of a former cop. Kate London, the new rising star of crime fiction, is the real thing." Tony ParsonsThe third novel in the series, Gallowstree Lane, was published in 2019.‘An authentic depiction of gang life and police politics with first class writing’. Jake Kerridge in the Sunday Express
The Tower By: Kate London Narrated by: Antonia Beamish Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins Unabridged Audiobook Release date: 06-08-15 Language: English
Summary A long-serving beat cop in the Met and a teenage girl fall to their deaths from a tower block in London's East End. Left alive on the roof are a five-year-old boy and rookie police officer Lizzie Griffiths.
Within hours Lizzie has disappeared, and DPS Officer Sarah Collins sets out to uncover the truth around the grisly deaths in an investigation that takes her into the dark heart of policing in London.
Critic reviews "The author vividly recreates the everyday experience of uniformed police.... The result is a complex novel that offers rare insights into how the police operate." (Sunday Times ) "Intelligent, atmospheric, captivating - this book draws you in and doesn't let you go. A must read." (Rosamund Lupton )
The Misper: The latest gripping police procedural from the author of major ITV drama The Tower
There's more than one way to go missing...
When Ryan Kennedy is imprisoned after killing a police officer, he knows what he has to do. Keep his mouth shut about who he was working for, keep his head down, and rely on his youth to keep his sentence short. When he gets out, he'll be looked after.
Following the death in the line of duty of a fellow detective, DI Sarah Collins has left the capital for a quieter life in the countryside. But when a missing teenager turns up on her patch, she finds herself drawn into a much bigger investigation - one that leads her right back to London, back to the Met, and back to Ryan Kennedy, the kid who killed a cop.
This powerful novel from a former Met detective explores the devastation that organized drug-running gangs can wreak on young lives. It asks who deserves to be saved - and whether saving them is even possible...
Death Message London Series By: Kate London Narrated by: Antonia Beamish Series: Collins and Griffiths, Book 2 Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins Unabridged Audiobook Release date: 06-04-17
Summary It's 1987. One morning, 15-year-old Tania Mills kisses her mother, walks out of her front door and disappears. In 2014, when a new lead comes in for Tania's case, DS Sarah Collins is asked to investigate. PC Lizzie Griffiths, the subject of Collins' last investigation, is back on the job and working at a domestic violence unit. When a quirk of fate brings Lizzie and Collins back into contact, each must try to reconcile the claims of the past with the demands of the present.
An unexpected pleasure! I bought this as something to take a chance on in a Two for One sale and what a find. This is an excellent Police procedural. The characters are very well drawn, the story engrossing and the narration first class. I have now purchased the author’s first book (this one is her second). I wish I had read them in order, but at least I have found an excellent new author, so, can’t complain. Enjoy!
Utterly Gripping Couldn't stop listening. The narrator carries the story brilliantly. Very excited for the third book!
The Cold, Cold Ground Detective Sean Duffy, Book 1 By: Adrian McKinty Narrated by: Gerard Doyle Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 1 Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins Unabridged Audiobook
Summary Fast-paced, evocative, and brutal, The Cold Cold Ground is a brilliant depiction of Belfast at the height of the Troubles — and of a cop treading a thin, thin line —from The New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author Adrian McKinty.
“McKinty is one of the most striking and most memorable crime voices to emerge on the scene in years.” —Tana French
Northern Ireland, spring 1981. Hunger strikes, riots, power cuts, a homophobic serial killer with a penchant for opera, and a young woman’s suicide that may yet turn out to be murder: on the surface, the events are unconnected, but then things—and people—aren’t always what they seem. Detective Sergeant Duffy is the man tasked with trying to get to the bottom of it all. It’s no easy job—especially when it turns out that one of the victims was involved in the IRA but was last seen discussing business with someone from the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force. Add to this the fact that, as a Catholic policeman, it doesn’t matter which side he’s on, because nobody trusts him, and Sergeant Duffy really is in a no-win situation.
Critic reviews “McKinty is a streetwise, energetic gunslinger of a writer, firing off volleys of sassy dialogue and explosive action that always delivers what it has promised.” ( Irish Times) “What makes McKinty a cut above the rest is the quality of his prose. His driven, spat-out sentences are more accessible than James Ellroy's edge-of-reason staccato, and he can be lyric.” ( The Guardian) “If Raymond Chandler had grown up in Northern Ireland, The Cold Cold Ground is what he would have written.” ( The Times, London)
I was impressed by the start of this. There are six in the series. Three are free on Audible. Number 7 due out in August.
The Cold, Cold Ground Detective Sean Duffy, Book 1 By: Adrian McKinty Narrated by: Gerard Doyle Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 1 Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins Unabridged Audiobook
Summary Fast-paced, evocative, and brutal, The Cold Cold Ground is a brilliant depiction of Belfast at the height of the Troubles — and of a cop treading a thin, thin line —from The New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author Adrian McKinty.
“McKinty is one of the most striking and most memorable crime voices to emerge on the scene in years.” —Tana French
Northern Ireland, spring 1981. Hunger strikes, riots, power cuts, a homophobic serial killer with a penchant for opera, and a young woman’s suicide that may yet turn out to be murder: on the surface, the events are unconnected, but then things—and people—aren’t always what they seem. Detective Sergeant Duffy is the man tasked with trying to get to the bottom of it all. It’s no easy job—especially when it turns out that one of the victims was involved in the IRA but was last seen discussing business with someone from the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force. Add to this the fact that, as a Catholic policeman, it doesn’t matter which side he’s on, because nobody trusts him, and Sergeant Duffy really is in a no-win situation.
Critic reviews “McKinty is a streetwise, energetic gunslinger of a writer, firing off volleys of sassy dialogue and explosive action that always delivers what it has promised.” ( Irish Times) “What makes McKinty a cut above the rest is the quality of his prose. His driven, spat-out sentences are more accessible than James Ellroy's edge-of-reason staccato, and he can be lyric.” ( The Guardian) “If Raymond Chandler had grown up in Northern Ireland, The Cold Cold Ground is what he would have written.” ( The Times, London)
I was impressed by the start of this. There are six in the series. Three are free on Audible. Number 7 due out in August.
I Hear the Sirens in the Street Detective Sean Duffy, Book 2 By: Adrian McKinty Narrated by: Gerard Doyle Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 2 Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins Unabridged Audiobook
Summary A torso in a suitcase looks like an impossible case, but Sean Duffy isn’t easily deterred, especially when his floundering love life leaves him in need of a distraction. So with detective constables McCrabban and McBride, he goes to work identifying the victim.
The torso turns out to be all that’s left of an American tourist who once served in the U.S. military. What was he doing in Northern Ireland in the midst of the 1982 Troubles? The trail leads to the doorstep of a beautiful, flame-haired, twentysomething widow, whose husband died at the hands of an IRA assassination team just a few months before. Suddenly Duffy is caught between his romantic instincts, gross professional misconduct, and powerful men he should know better than to mess with. These include British intelligence, the FBI, and local paramilitary death squads - enough to keep even the savviest detective busy. Duffy’s growing senseof self-doubt isn’t helping. But as a legendarily stubborn man, he doesn’t let that stop him from pursuing the case to its explosive conclusion.
Another great yarn These are a series of stories set during the troubles but not about them - thank God! The narrator has a very dodgy "Nornirish" accent - more Dublin than Belfast (perhaps Jimmy Nesbitt for the next series?) but despite that, this is a great story which evokes memories of Belfast and especially Carrickfergus 30 odd years ago. The author has researched the book well and many of the characters remind me of some "peelers" of the time. I thoroughly enjoyed the first and look forward to listening to the rest of the series.
Brilliant These Inspector Duffy Series, is a absolute must, set during the troubles in Northern Ireland in the early 80s. The narrator Gerald Doyle really does set the scene, Mr Doyle must be one of the best narrator in the business,I would start with book 1 and work your way through , totally engaging, the only disappointment is when you have to stop listening to the story, I don't usually do reviews but the Duffy series are brilliant
Great story. Brings back memories Love the inspector Duffy series. If you lived through the “troubles” in the 80s, it is especially evocative of the period. You can almost feel the atmosphere. Great story bringing in real characters giving it an authentic feel.
Gripping well paced listen grounded in events that those brought up in the eighties will relate to, this tale of our imperfect hero is a page turning delight.
great writing crime fiction with wonderful description , an unusually talented writer , which is hard to find in this genre
A great listen Excellent storyline and characters set against the bleakest of backdrops. Kept me totally gripped.
Well constructed and narrated thriller. Elegantly narrated, compelling mystery set against a backdrop of the troubles in Northern Ireland. Good central character and good series.
Good read Very gripping and an accurate view on north of Ireland dark humour in the 80's.
Just brilliant again! Beautifully describes the northern Ireland of my childhood - bleak but with great humour. Great writing, fantastic narration.
Another good Duffy mystery these are compelling and complex ctime stotirs with an equally complex backdrop. I have learnt a lot about the Irish troubles from them
I just started on number 2 in the series. I was impressed with the first one. The hero is a terrific character, that may appeal to fans of Reacher, Bosch, Grace, Rebus, etc, etc. @Essexphil/@TheEdge949
I was also glad I read the Kate London series, and move the characters forward from The Tower, on the telly.
The Cold, Cold Ground Detective Sean Duffy, Book 1 By: Adrian McKinty Narrated by: Gerard Doyle Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 1 Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins Unabridged Audiobook
Summary Fast-paced, evocative, and brutal, The Cold Cold Ground is a brilliant depiction of Belfast at the height of the Troubles — and of a cop treading a thin, thin line —from The New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author Adrian McKinty.
“McKinty is one of the most striking and most memorable crime voices to emerge on the scene in years.” —Tana French
Northern Ireland, spring 1981. Hunger strikes, riots, power cuts, a homophobic serial killer with a penchant for opera, and a young woman’s suicide that may yet turn out to be murder: on the surface, the events are unconnected, but then things—and people—aren’t always what they seem. Detective Sergeant Duffy is the man tasked with trying to get to the bottom of it all. It’s no easy job—especially when it turns out that one of the victims was involved in the IRA but was last seen discussing business with someone from the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force. Add to this the fact that, as a Catholic policeman, it doesn’t matter which side he’s on, because nobody trusts him, and Sergeant Duffy really is in a no-win situation.
Critic reviews “McKinty is a streetwise, energetic gunslinger of a writer, firing off volleys of sassy dialogue and explosive action that always delivers what it has promised.” ( Irish Times) “What makes McKinty a cut above the rest is the quality of his prose. His driven, spat-out sentences are more accessible than James Ellroy's edge-of-reason staccato, and he can be lyric.” ( The Guardian) “If Raymond Chandler had grown up in Northern Ireland, The Cold Cold Ground is what he would have written.” ( The Times, London)
I was impressed by the start of this. There are six in the series. Three are free on Audible. Number 7 due out in August.
I Hear the Sirens in the Street Detective Sean Duffy, Book 2 By: Adrian McKinty Narrated by: Gerard Doyle Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 2 Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins Unabridged Audiobook
Summary A torso in a suitcase looks like an impossible case, but Sean Duffy isn’t easily deterred, especially when his floundering love life leaves him in need of a distraction. So with detective constables McCrabban and McBride, he goes to work identifying the victim.
The torso turns out to be all that’s left of an American tourist who once served in the U.S. military. What was he doing in Northern Ireland in the midst of the 1982 Troubles? The trail leads to the doorstep of a beautiful, flame-haired, twentysomething widow, whose husband died at the hands of an IRA assassination team just a few months before. Suddenly Duffy is caught between his romantic instincts, gross professional misconduct, and powerful men he should know better than to mess with. These include British intelligence, the FBI, and local paramilitary death squads - enough to keep even the savviest detective busy. Duffy’s growing senseof self-doubt isn’t helping. But as a legendarily stubborn man, he doesn’t let that stop him from pursuing the case to its explosive conclusion.
Another great yarn These are a series of stories set during the troubles but not about them - thank God! The narrator has a very dodgy "Nornirish" accent - more Dublin than Belfast (perhaps Jimmy Nesbitt for the next series?) but despite that, this is a great story which evokes memories of Belfast and especially Carrickfergus 30 odd years ago. The author has researched the book well and many of the characters remind me of some "peelers" of the time. I thoroughly enjoyed the first and look forward to listening to the rest of the series.
Brilliant These Inspector Duffy Series, is a absolute must, set during the troubles in Northern Ireland in the early 80s. The narrator Gerald Doyle really does set the scene, Mr Doyle must be one of the best narrator in the business,I would start with book 1 and work your way through , totally engaging, the only disappointment is when you have to stop listening to the story, I don't usually do reviews but the Duffy series are brilliant
Great story. Brings back memories Love the inspector Duffy series. If you lived through the “troubles” in the 80s, it is especially evocative of the period. You can almost feel the atmosphere. Great story bringing in real characters giving it an authentic feel.
Gripping well paced listen grounded in events that those brought up in the eighties will relate to, this tale of our imperfect hero is a page turning delight.
great writing crime fiction with wonderful description , an unusually talented writer , which is hard to find in this genre
A great listen Excellent storyline and characters set against the bleakest of backdrops. Kept me totally gripped.
Well constructed and narrated thriller. Elegantly narrated, compelling mystery set against a backdrop of the troubles in Northern Ireland. Good central character and good series.
Good read Very gripping and an accurate view on north of Ireland dark humour in the 80's.
Just brilliant again! Beautifully describes the northern Ireland of my childhood - bleak but with great humour. Great writing, fantastic narration.
Another good Duffy mystery these are compelling and complex ctime stotirs with an equally complex backdrop. I have learnt a lot about the Irish troubles from them
I just started on number 2 in the series. I was impressed with the first one. The hero is a terrific character, that may appeal to fans of Reacher, Bosch, Grace, Rebus, etc, etc. @Essexphil/@TheEdge949
I was also glad I read the Kate London series, and move the characters forward from The Tower, on the telly.
ps, I can apparently share on book with anyone I like, so if either of you wish to pm me your mobile number, I will send you the first one in the series. I can assure you that I am not a mad stalker, and that I am quite prepared to print off the numbers, rip up the paper and eat it, as soon as the book has been sent. @Essexphil/@TheEdge949
The Cold, Cold Ground Detective Sean Duffy, Book 1 By: Adrian McKinty Narrated by: Gerard Doyle Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 1 Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins Unabridged Audiobook
Summary Fast-paced, evocative, and brutal, The Cold Cold Ground is a brilliant depiction of Belfast at the height of the Troubles — and of a cop treading a thin, thin line —from The New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author Adrian McKinty.
“McKinty is one of the most striking and most memorable crime voices to emerge on the scene in years.” —Tana French
Northern Ireland, spring 1981. Hunger strikes, riots, power cuts, a homophobic serial killer with a penchant for opera, and a young woman’s suicide that may yet turn out to be murder: on the surface, the events are unconnected, but then things—and people—aren’t always what they seem. Detective Sergeant Duffy is the man tasked with trying to get to the bottom of it all. It’s no easy job—especially when it turns out that one of the victims was involved in the IRA but was last seen discussing business with someone from the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force. Add to this the fact that, as a Catholic policeman, it doesn’t matter which side he’s on, because nobody trusts him, and Sergeant Duffy really is in a no-win situation.
Critic reviews “McKinty is a streetwise, energetic gunslinger of a writer, firing off volleys of sassy dialogue and explosive action that always delivers what it has promised.” ( Irish Times) “What makes McKinty a cut above the rest is the quality of his prose. His driven, spat-out sentences are more accessible than James Ellroy's edge-of-reason staccato, and he can be lyric.” ( The Guardian) “If Raymond Chandler had grown up in Northern Ireland, The Cold Cold Ground is what he would have written.” ( The Times, London)
I was impressed by the start of this. There are six in the series. Three are free on Audible. Number 7 due out in August.
I Hear the Sirens in the Street Detective Sean Duffy, Book 2 By: Adrian McKinty Narrated by: Gerard Doyle Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 2 Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins Unabridged Audiobook
Summary A torso in a suitcase looks like an impossible case, but Sean Duffy isn’t easily deterred, especially when his floundering love life leaves him in need of a distraction. So with detective constables McCrabban and McBride, he goes to work identifying the victim.
The torso turns out to be all that’s left of an American tourist who once served in the U.S. military. What was he doing in Northern Ireland in the midst of the 1982 Troubles? The trail leads to the doorstep of a beautiful, flame-haired, twentysomething widow, whose husband died at the hands of an IRA assassination team just a few months before. Suddenly Duffy is caught between his romantic instincts, gross professional misconduct, and powerful men he should know better than to mess with. These include British intelligence, the FBI, and local paramilitary death squads - enough to keep even the savviest detective busy. Duffy’s growing senseof self-doubt isn’t helping. But as a legendarily stubborn man, he doesn’t let that stop him from pursuing the case to its explosive conclusion.
Another great yarn These are a series of stories set during the troubles but not about them - thank God! The narrator has a very dodgy "Nornirish" accent - more Dublin than Belfast (perhaps Jimmy Nesbitt for the next series?) but despite that, this is a great story which evokes memories of Belfast and especially Carrickfergus 30 odd years ago. The author has researched the book well and many of the characters remind me of some "peelers" of the time. I thoroughly enjoyed the first and look forward to listening to the rest of the series.
Brilliant These Inspector Duffy Series, is a absolute must, set during the troubles in Northern Ireland in the early 80s. The narrator Gerald Doyle really does set the scene, Mr Doyle must be one of the best narrator in the business,I would start with book 1 and work your way through , totally engaging, the only disappointment is when you have to stop listening to the story, I don't usually do reviews but the Duffy series are brilliant
Great story. Brings back memories Love the inspector Duffy series. If you lived through the “troubles” in the 80s, it is especially evocative of the period. You can almost feel the atmosphere. Great story bringing in real characters giving it an authentic feel.
Gripping well paced listen grounded in events that those brought up in the eighties will relate to, this tale of our imperfect hero is a page turning delight.
great writing crime fiction with wonderful description , an unusually talented writer , which is hard to find in this genre
A great listen Excellent storyline and characters set against the bleakest of backdrops. Kept me totally gripped.
Well constructed and narrated thriller. Elegantly narrated, compelling mystery set against a backdrop of the troubles in Northern Ireland. Good central character and good series.
Good read Very gripping and an accurate view on north of Ireland dark humour in the 80's.
Just brilliant again! Beautifully describes the northern Ireland of my childhood - bleak but with great humour. Great writing, fantastic narration.
Another good Duffy mystery these are compelling and complex ctime stotirs with an equally complex backdrop. I have learnt a lot about the Irish troubles from them
I just started on number 2 in the series. I was impressed with the first one. The hero is a terrific character, that may appeal to fans of Reacher, Bosch, Grace, Rebus, etc, etc. @Essexphil/@TheEdge949
I was also glad I read the Kate London series, and move the characters forward from The Tower, on the telly.
ps, I can apparently share on book with anyone I like, so if either of you wish to pm me your mobile number, I will send you the first one in the series. I can assure you that I am not a mad stalker, and that I am quite prepared to print off the numbers, rip up the paper and eat it, as soon as the book has been sent. @Essexphil/@TheEdge949
In the Morning I'll Be Gone Detective Sean Duffy, Book 3 By: Adrian McKinty Narrated by: Gerard Doyle Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 3 Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins Unabridged Audiobook
Summary Winner of the 2014 Ned Kelly Award and a 2015 Audie Award nominee for best mystery
A Catholic cop tracks an IRA master bomber amidst the sectarian violence of the conflict in Northern Ireland
It's the early 1980s in Belfast. Sean Duffy, a conflicted Catholic cop in the Protestant RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary), is recruited by MI5 to hunt down Dermot McCann, an IRA master bomber who has made a daring escape from the notorious Maze prison. In the course of his investigations Sean discovers a woman who may hold the key to Dermot's whereabouts; she herself wants justice for her daughter who died in mysterious circumstances in a pub locked from the inside. Sean knows that if he can crack the "locked-room mystery", the bigger mystery of Dermot's whereabouts might be revealed to him as a reward. Meanwhile the clock is ticking down to the Conservative Party conference in Brighton in 1984, where Mrs. Thatcher is due to give a keynote speech.
One word As an Ulsterman the content of this book are frighteningly true to life. The political comments at the end have the situation wrapped up. Excellent read
This has been a delightful experience. What about Gerard Doyle’s performance did you like?
He reads with confidence and a captivating voice.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Definitely and I actually did
Any additional comments?
All three books about Detective Sean Duffy is strongly recommended.
Slow Burner but worthwhile listen Quite a slow paced affair, overly elongated at times, but with a good story. Performance adequate for the tale.
What a gripping story! I wasn’t sure that I would enjoy a book set within the Troubles but it was a gripping masterpiece. The story was compelling, the characters were well drawn, the peculiarities of living within that period such as the need to check for car bombs, the prevailing attitudes, the well-known political figures and union unrest, and the music all combined to create an absorbing, almost claustrophobic reality. Great narration too.
Reading everything by this author Superb writing style and highly engaging. So pleased to have found these. Strength and beauty in language.
Brilliant author and narrator 2nd book from same author and finished both in less than a week. Never heard of that author but what a great discovery. Loved the stories, mystery solving and characters while learning a lot about Northern Ireland. Brilliant narrator too, loved the accents and the different characters voices. Just starting a third book
Interesting context for compelling characters A most engaging and enjoyable story and Gerard Doyle’s performance as he switched between the different characters and sexes made their various personalities come alive.
It’s the first Adrian McKinty I’ve experienced and I’ll certainly explore more.
Loved it My favourite character by one of my favourite fiction authors, Adrian McKinty, perfectly read. Entertaining, humourous, very Irish.
Action packed Great characters, full of action, with historical setting. Looking forward to his next book . Thanks.
Stick with it! The beginning I found the storyline to be difficult to follow and I had to listen carefully to the Irish accent. However it turned out to be an extremely interesting book interspersed with literary quotes which makes me want to find out more. I remember the Brighton bombing, so this story gave it an interesting end.
The Cold, Cold Ground Detective Sean Duffy, Book 1 By: Adrian McKinty Narrated by: Gerard Doyle Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 1 Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins Unabridged Audiobook
Summary Fast-paced, evocative, and brutal, The Cold Cold Ground is a brilliant depiction of Belfast at the height of the Troubles — and of a cop treading a thin, thin line —from The New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author Adrian McKinty.
“McKinty is one of the most striking and most memorable crime voices to emerge on the scene in years.” —Tana French
Northern Ireland, spring 1981. Hunger strikes, riots, power cuts, a homophobic serial killer with a penchant for opera, and a young woman’s suicide that may yet turn out to be murder: on the surface, the events are unconnected, but then things—and people—aren’t always what they seem. Detective Sergeant Duffy is the man tasked with trying to get to the bottom of it all. It’s no easy job—especially when it turns out that one of the victims was involved in the IRA but was last seen discussing business with someone from the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force. Add to this the fact that, as a Catholic policeman, it doesn’t matter which side he’s on, because nobody trusts him, and Sergeant Duffy really is in a no-win situation.
Critic reviews “McKinty is a streetwise, energetic gunslinger of a writer, firing off volleys of sassy dialogue and explosive action that always delivers what it has promised.” ( Irish Times) “What makes McKinty a cut above the rest is the quality of his prose. His driven, spat-out sentences are more accessible than James Ellroy's edge-of-reason staccato, and he can be lyric.” ( The Guardian) “If Raymond Chandler had grown up in Northern Ireland, The Cold Cold Ground is what he would have written.” ( The Times, London)
I was impressed by the start of this. There are six in the series. Three are free on Audible. Number 7 due out in August.
I Hear the Sirens in the Street Detective Sean Duffy, Book 2 By: Adrian McKinty Narrated by: Gerard Doyle Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 2 Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins Unabridged Audiobook
Summary A torso in a suitcase looks like an impossible case, but Sean Duffy isn’t easily deterred, especially when his floundering love life leaves him in need of a distraction. So with detective constables McCrabban and McBride, he goes to work identifying the victim.
The torso turns out to be all that’s left of an American tourist who once served in the U.S. military. What was he doing in Northern Ireland in the midst of the 1982 Troubles? The trail leads to the doorstep of a beautiful, flame-haired, twentysomething widow, whose husband died at the hands of an IRA assassination team just a few months before. Suddenly Duffy is caught between his romantic instincts, gross professional misconduct, and powerful men he should know better than to mess with. These include British intelligence, the FBI, and local paramilitary death squads - enough to keep even the savviest detective busy. Duffy’s growing senseof self-doubt isn’t helping. But as a legendarily stubborn man, he doesn’t let that stop him from pursuing the case to its explosive conclusion.
Another great yarn These are a series of stories set during the troubles but not about them - thank God! The narrator has a very dodgy "Nornirish" accent - more Dublin than Belfast (perhaps Jimmy Nesbitt for the next series?) but despite that, this is a great story which evokes memories of Belfast and especially Carrickfergus 30 odd years ago. The author has researched the book well and many of the characters remind me of some "peelers" of the time. I thoroughly enjoyed the first and look forward to listening to the rest of the series.
Brilliant These Inspector Duffy Series, is a absolute must, set during the troubles in Northern Ireland in the early 80s. The narrator Gerald Doyle really does set the scene, Mr Doyle must be one of the best narrator in the business,I would start with book 1 and work your way through , totally engaging, the only disappointment is when you have to stop listening to the story, I don't usually do reviews but the Duffy series are brilliant
Great story. Brings back memories Love the inspector Duffy series. If you lived through the “troubles” in the 80s, it is especially evocative of the period. You can almost feel the atmosphere. Great story bringing in real characters giving it an authentic feel.
Gripping well paced listen grounded in events that those brought up in the eighties will relate to, this tale of our imperfect hero is a page turning delight.
great writing crime fiction with wonderful description , an unusually talented writer , which is hard to find in this genre
A great listen Excellent storyline and characters set against the bleakest of backdrops. Kept me totally gripped.
Well constructed and narrated thriller. Elegantly narrated, compelling mystery set against a backdrop of the troubles in Northern Ireland. Good central character and good series.
Good read Very gripping and an accurate view on north of Ireland dark humour in the 80's.
Just brilliant again! Beautifully describes the northern Ireland of my childhood - bleak but with great humour. Great writing, fantastic narration.
Another good Duffy mystery these are compelling and complex ctime stotirs with an equally complex backdrop. I have learnt a lot about the Irish troubles from them
I just started on number 2 in the series. I was impressed with the first one. The hero is a terrific character, that may appeal to fans of Reacher, Bosch, Grace, Rebus, etc, etc. @Essexphil/@TheEdge949
I was also glad I read the Kate London series, and move the characters forward from The Tower, on the telly.
ps, I can apparently share on book with anyone I like, so if either of you wish to pm me your mobile number, I will send you the first one in the series. I can assure you that I am not a mad stalker, and that I am quite prepared to print off the numbers, rip up the paper and eat it, as soon as the book has been sent. @Essexphil/@TheEdge949
In the Morning I'll Be Gone Detective Sean Duffy, Book 3 By: Adrian McKinty Narrated by: Gerard Doyle Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 3 Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins Unabridged Audiobook
The Cold, Cold Ground Detective Sean Duffy, Book 1 By: Adrian McKinty Narrated by: Gerard Doyle Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 1 Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins Unabridged Audiobook
Summary Fast-paced, evocative, and brutal, The Cold Cold Ground is a brilliant depiction of Belfast at the height of the Troubles — and of a cop treading a thin, thin line —from The New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author Adrian McKinty.
“McKinty is one of the most striking and most memorable crime voices to emerge on the scene in years.” —Tana French
Northern Ireland, spring 1981. Hunger strikes, riots, power cuts, a homophobic serial killer with a penchant for opera, and a young woman’s suicide that may yet turn out to be murder: on the surface, the events are unconnected, but then things—and people—aren’t always what they seem. Detective Sergeant Duffy is the man tasked with trying to get to the bottom of it all. It’s no easy job—especially when it turns out that one of the victims was involved in the IRA but was last seen discussing business with someone from the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force. Add to this the fact that, as a Catholic policeman, it doesn’t matter which side he’s on, because nobody trusts him, and Sergeant Duffy really is in a no-win situation.
Critic reviews “McKinty is a streetwise, energetic gunslinger of a writer, firing off volleys of sassy dialogue and explosive action that always delivers what it has promised.” ( Irish Times) “What makes McKinty a cut above the rest is the quality of his prose. His driven, spat-out sentences are more accessible than James Ellroy's edge-of-reason staccato, and he can be lyric.” ( The Guardian) “If Raymond Chandler had grown up in Northern Ireland, The Cold Cold Ground is what he would have written.” ( The Times, London)
I was impressed by the start of this. There are six in the series. Three are free on Audible. Number 7 due out in August.
I Hear the Sirens in the Street Detective Sean Duffy, Book 2 By: Adrian McKinty Narrated by: Gerard Doyle Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 2 Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins Unabridged Audiobook
Summary A torso in a suitcase looks like an impossible case, but Sean Duffy isn’t easily deterred, especially when his floundering love life leaves him in need of a distraction. So with detective constables McCrabban and McBride, he goes to work identifying the victim.
The torso turns out to be all that’s left of an American tourist who once served in the U.S. military. What was he doing in Northern Ireland in the midst of the 1982 Troubles? The trail leads to the doorstep of a beautiful, flame-haired, twentysomething widow, whose husband died at the hands of an IRA assassination team just a few months before. Suddenly Duffy is caught between his romantic instincts, gross professional misconduct, and powerful men he should know better than to mess with. These include British intelligence, the FBI, and local paramilitary death squads - enough to keep even the savviest detective busy. Duffy’s growing senseof self-doubt isn’t helping. But as a legendarily stubborn man, he doesn’t let that stop him from pursuing the case to its explosive conclusion.
Another great yarn These are a series of stories set during the troubles but not about them - thank God! The narrator has a very dodgy "Nornirish" accent - more Dublin than Belfast (perhaps Jimmy Nesbitt for the next series?) but despite that, this is a great story which evokes memories of Belfast and especially Carrickfergus 30 odd years ago. The author has researched the book well and many of the characters remind me of some "peelers" of the time. I thoroughly enjoyed the first and look forward to listening to the rest of the series.
Brilliant These Inspector Duffy Series, is a absolute must, set during the troubles in Northern Ireland in the early 80s. The narrator Gerald Doyle really does set the scene, Mr Doyle must be one of the best narrator in the business,I would start with book 1 and work your way through , totally engaging, the only disappointment is when you have to stop listening to the story, I don't usually do reviews but the Duffy series are brilliant
Great story. Brings back memories Love the inspector Duffy series. If you lived through the “troubles” in the 80s, it is especially evocative of the period. You can almost feel the atmosphere. Great story bringing in real characters giving it an authentic feel.
Gripping well paced listen grounded in events that those brought up in the eighties will relate to, this tale of our imperfect hero is a page turning delight.
great writing crime fiction with wonderful description , an unusually talented writer , which is hard to find in this genre
A great listen Excellent storyline and characters set against the bleakest of backdrops. Kept me totally gripped.
Well constructed and narrated thriller. Elegantly narrated, compelling mystery set against a backdrop of the troubles in Northern Ireland. Good central character and good series.
Good read Very gripping and an accurate view on north of Ireland dark humour in the 80's.
Just brilliant again! Beautifully describes the northern Ireland of my childhood - bleak but with great humour. Great writing, fantastic narration.
Another good Duffy mystery these are compelling and complex ctime stotirs with an equally complex backdrop. I have learnt a lot about the Irish troubles from them
I just started on number 2 in the series. I was impressed with the first one. The hero is a terrific character, that may appeal to fans of Reacher, Bosch, Grace, Rebus, etc, etc. @Essexphil/@TheEdge949
I was also glad I read the Kate London series, and move the characters forward from The Tower, on the telly.
ps, I can apparently share on book with anyone I like, so if either of you wish to pm me your mobile number, I will send you the first one in the series. I can assure you that I am not a mad stalker, and that I am quite prepared to print off the numbers, rip up the paper and eat it, as soon as the book has been sent. @Essexphil/@TheEdge949
In the Morning I'll Be Gone Detective Sean Duffy, Book 3 By: Adrian McKinty Narrated by: Gerard Doyle Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 3 Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins Unabridged Audiobook
Gun Street Girl Detective Sean Duffy, Book 4 By: Adrian McKinty Narrated by: Gerard Doyle Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 4
Summary Belfast, 1985. Amid the Troubles, Detective Sean Duffy, a Catholic cop in the Protestant Royal Ulster Constabulary, struggles with burnout as he investigates a brutal double murder and suicide. Did Michael Kelly really shoot his parents at point-blank range and then jump off a nearby cliff? A suicide note points to this conclusion, but Duffy suspects even more sinister circumstances. He soon discovers that Kelly was present at a decadent Oxford party where a cabinet minister's daughter died of a heroin overdose, which may or may not have something to do with Kelly's subsequent death.
New evidence leads elsewhere: gun runners, arms dealers, the British government, and a rogue American agent with a fake identity. Duffy thinks he's getting somewhere when agents from MI5 show up at his doorstep and try to recruit him, thus taking him off the investigation.
Duffy is in it up to his neck, doggedly pursuing a case that may finally prove to be his undoing.
Critic reviews Shortlisted for the 2016 Audie Award (Best Mystery) and the 2016 Edgar Award (Best Pbk Original) "When it comes to Northern Irish crime fiction, Adrian McKinty forged the path the rest of us follow. The Sean Duffy series is the culmination of a career spent examining our darkest moments, and McKinty is the only crime writer who can do justice to our singular history." (Stuart Neville, author of The Final Silence)
"Series fans will appreciate the further insight into the fallout from tragic cases, department politics, and war. As usual, there's plenty of entertaining territorial battling between the dizzying array of law-enforcement agencies acting in Belfast, and Duffy's investigative skills seem somehow sharpened by his lost hope." (Booklist)
"Gerard Doyle gives a stunning narration of the fourth installment of McKinty's Detective Sean Duffy series.... From the subtle changes in dialect to McKinty's distinct writing cadence and dark humor, Doyle hones in on the details that make this procedural a joy to listen to." (AudioFile)
Rain Dogs Detective Sean Duffy, Book 5 By: Adrian McKinty Narrated by: Gerard Doyle Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 5 Summary Edgar Award winner, Best Paperback Original, 2017.
Rain Dogs, a stunning installment in the Sean Duffy thriller series, following the Edgar Award-nominated Gun Street Girl, is "another standout in a superior series" (Booklist).
It's just the same things over and again for Sean Duffy: riot duty, heartbreak, cases he can solve but never get to court. But what detective gets two locked-room mysteries in one career?
When journalist Lily Bigelow is found dead in the courtyard of Carrickfergus castle, it looks like a suicide. Yet there are a few things that bother Duffy just enough to keep the case file open, which is how he finds out that Bigelow was working on a devastating investigation of corruption and abuse at the highest levels of power in the UK and beyond. And so Duffy has two impossible problems on his desk: Who killed Lily Bigelow? And what were they trying to hide?
Critic reviews "McKinty expertly balances Duffy's tense and suspenseful investigation with the political tensions of the region." ( Publishers Review) "McKinty manages a second locked-room success...another standout in a superior series, combining terrific plotting with evocative historical detail." ( Booklist) "The tension between McKinty's competing love of tight, formal puzzles and loose, riffing dialogue is what makes the Duffy novels such a tremendous joy." ( The Guardian)
Police at the Station and They Don’t Look Friendly Detective Sean Duffy, Book 6 By: Adrian McKinty Narrated by: Gerard Doyle Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 6
Summary Winner of the 2017 Ned Kelly Award
Another thrilling mystery featuring Detective Sean Duffy and his most dangerous investigation yet.
Belfast, 1988. A man is found dead, killed with a bolt from a crossbow in front of his house. This is no hunting accident. But uncovering who is responsible for the murder will take Detective Sean Duffy down his most dangerous road yet, a road that leads to a lonely clearing on a high bog where three masked gunmen will force Duffy to dig his own grave.
Hunted by forces unknown, threatened by Internal Affairs, and with his relationship on the rocks, Duffy will need all his wits to get out of this investigation in one piece.
Critic reviews "Narrator Gerard Doyle has provided the voice of Adrian McKinty's Sean Duffy since the first audiobook of the series. Returning for Book 6, he's more in tune with Duffy's complexity than ever before.... McKinty's blend of dark drama with perfectly timed humor and intensely plotted action is performed by Doyle as though he's intimately familiar with Duffy's mind, heart, and body. Listeners comprehend the vastness of Duffy's emotion without a caricatured delivery. Doyle delivers another winning narration." ( AudioFile)
The Detective Up Late The Sean Duffy Series, Book 7 By: Adrian McKinty Narrated by: Gerard Doyle Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 7 Scheduled release: In 86 days, 08-08-23
Summary From New York Times bestselling author Adrian McKinty comes the next thrilling mystery in the Edgar Award-winning Sean Duffy detective series
Slamming the door on the hellscape of 1980s Belfast, Detective Inspector Sean Duffy hopes that the 1990s are going to be better for him and the people of Northern Ireland. As a Catholic cop in the mainly Protestant RUC he still has a target on his back, and with a steady girlfriend and a child the stakes couldn’t be higher.
After handling a mercurial triple agent and surviving the riots and bombings and assassination attempts, all Duffy wants to do now is live. But in his final days in charge of Carrickfergus CID, a missing persons report captures his attention. A fifteen-year-old traveler girl has disappeared and no one seems to give a **** about it. Duffy begins to dig and uncovers a disturbing underground of men who seem to know her very well. The deeper he digs the more sinister it all gets. Is finding out the truth worth it if DI Duffy is going to get himself and his colleagues killed? Can he survive one last case before getting himself and his family out over the water?
The Camera Man DC Smith Investigation, Book 10 By: Peter Grainger Narrated by: Gildart Jackson Series: DC Smith, Book 10 Length: 11 hrs Unabridged Audiobook Release date: 22-08-23 Summary Jo told him the phone call had been about a woman who wanted to have her husband declared dead. Smith thought for a moment and then said, 'Hmm. There must be a few million women in this country who feel like that. I take it her husband's been missing for a while and she's decided it's time to move on. In the absence of a body, which is always a nuisance, she wants Diver and Diver to confirm there's no proof he's alive. And I've told Jason a dozen times I'm not getting involved in anything matrimonial. I have enough trouble sorting out my own relationships.'
But on this occasion Smith has it wrong. The insurance company which will have to pay out a very substantial amount of money if Amanda Fitch obtains her certificate of presumed death has engaged Diver and Diver Associates to look into the disappearance of Gerald Fitch, more than five years ago now. As Jason Diver says, he has the very man for the job. All he has to do is to persuade that man to take it on.
All That Is Mine I Carry with Me A Novel By: William Landay Narrated by: David de Vries, Joyce Bean, Patrick Lawlor, Scott Merriman Length: 11 hrs Unabridged Audiobook Release date: 07-03-23
Summary A mother vanished. A father presumed guilty. There is no proof. There are no witnesses. For the children, there is only doubt. From the New York Times bestselling author of Defending Jacob. . . .
“Astonishing, powerful, and provocative, this book is worth the excruciating wait for another William Landay.”—Louise Penny, author of A World of Curiosities
One afternoon in November 1975, ten-year-old Miranda Larkin comes home from school to find her house eerily quiet. Her mother is missing. Nothing else is out of place. There is no sign of struggle. Her mom’s pocketbook remains in the front hall, in its usual spot.
So begins a mystery that will span a lifetime. What happened to Jane Larkin?
Investigators suspect Jane’s husband. A criminal defense attorney, Dan Larkin would surely be an expert in outfoxing the police.
But no evidence is found linking him to a crime, and the case fades from the public’s memory, a simmering, unresolved riddle. Jane’s three children—Alex, Jeff, and Miranda—are left to be raised by the man who may have murdered their mother.
Two decades later, the remains of Jane Larkin are found. The investigation is awakened. The children, now grown, are forced to choose sides. With their father or against him? Guilty or innocent? And what happens if they are wrong?
A tale about family—family secrets and vengeance, but also family love—All That Is Mine I Carry With Me masterfully grapples with a primal question: When does loyalty reach its limit?
Audible have a new facility, where you can choose to follow your favourite authors, and they email you when the have a new book out. Brilliant, saves you scrolling through page after page of random books, trying to find one you like the sound of.
Comments
Kate London
Kate London was a detective in the Metropolitan Police Service before resigning to write full time. Her first novel, Post Mortem, was published in 2014 to strong reviews. In 2021Post Mortem was adapted for television by Patrick Harbinson as The Tower, and broadcast by ITV. The Sunday Times: "An absorbing debut... a complex novel that offers rare insights."Sydney Morning Herald: “A realistic, tense and multi-layered story containing a two-sided moral question, all crowned by a thoughtful and compassionate ending tinged with a little sadness.”Kate’s second book, Death Message, was published in April 2017. "A brilliant, high-octane crime novel - every page rings with hard-earned wisdom of a former cop. Kate London, the new rising star of crime fiction, is the real thing." Tony ParsonsThe third novel in the series, Gallowstree Lane, was published in 2019.‘An authentic depiction of gang life and police politics with first class writing’. Jake Kerridge in the Sunday Express
The Tower
By: Kate London
Narrated by: Antonia Beamish
Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 06-08-15
Language: English
Summary
A long-serving beat cop in the Met and a teenage girl fall to their deaths from a tower block in London's East End. Left alive on the roof are a five-year-old boy and rookie police officer Lizzie Griffiths.
Within hours Lizzie has disappeared, and DPS Officer Sarah Collins sets out to uncover the truth around the grisly deaths in an investigation that takes her into the dark heart of policing in London.
Critic reviews
"The author vividly recreates the everyday experience of uniformed police.... The result is a complex novel that offers rare insights into how the police operate." (Sunday Times )
"Intelligent, atmospheric, captivating - this book draws you in and doesn't let you go. A must read." (Rosamund Lupton )
Gallowstree Lane
By: Kate London
Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 19-03-20
Summary
The new novel from former Met detective turned author Kate London, one of the rising stars of crime fiction.
Please don’t let me die. Please don’t.
When a teenage boy steps out of the shadows of Gallowstree Lane and asks a passer-by for help, it’s already too late. His life is bleeding out on the London street. The murder threatens to derail Operation Perseus, a covert police investigation into the Eardsley Bluds, an organised criminal network. Detective Kieran Shaw can’t and won’t allow that to happen. But 15-year-old Ryan has other ideas.
He’s witnessed the death of his best friend, and now he wants someone to pay....
As loyalties collide, a chain of events is triggered that threatens everyone with a connection to Gallowstree Lane.
Critic reviews
“The new rising star of crime fiction....” (Tony Parsons)
The Exchange Summary
What happened after? The riveting sequel to The Firm, the blockbuster thriller that launched the career of the world’s bestselling author.
The Exchange
By: John Grisham
Length: Not Yet Known
Release date: 17-10-23
Summary
What happened after? The riveting sequel to The Firm, the blockbuster thriller that launched the career of the world’s bestselling author.
What became of Mitch and Abby McDeere after they exposed the crimes of Memphis law firm Bendini, Lambert and Locke and fled the country?
The answer is in The Exchange.
It is now fifteen years later, and Mitch and Abby are living in Manhattan, where Mitch is a partner at the largest law firm in the world. When a mentor in Rome asks him for a favour that will take him far from home, Mitch finds himself at the centre of a sinister plot that has worldwide implications – and once again endangers his colleagues, friends and family.
Mitch has become a master at staying one step ahead of his adversaries, but this time there's nowhere to hide.
This will take my current pre-orders up to eight.
The Exchange
By: John Grisham
Scheduled release: In 191 days, 17-10-23
08/04/2023
Nell Buchanan Thriller
By: Chris Hammer
Scheduled release: In 175 days, 01-10-23
23/03/2023
To Die For
By: Lisa Gray
Scheduled release: In 114 days, 01-08-23
19/03/2023
Small Mercies
By: Dennis Lehane
Scheduled release: In 16 days, 25-04-23
17/02/2023
Day's End
By: Garry Disher
Scheduled release: In 114 days, 01-08-23
12/02/2023
Resurrection Walk
By: Michael Connelly
Scheduled release: In 212 days, 07-11-23
29/01/2023
Paradise
By: Patricia Wolf
Scheduled release: In 38 days, 17-05-23
17/01/2023
Killing Moon
By: Jo Nesbo, Seán Kinsella
Scheduled release: In 46 days, 25-05-23
04/10/2022
The Misper: The latest gripping police procedural from the author of major ITV drama The Tower
There's more than one way to go missing...
When Ryan Kennedy is imprisoned after killing a police officer, he knows what he has to do. Keep his mouth shut about who he was working for, keep his head down, and rely on his youth to keep his sentence short. When he gets out, he'll be looked after.
Following the death in the line of duty of a fellow detective, DI Sarah Collins has left the capital for a quieter life in the countryside. But when a missing teenager turns up on her patch, she finds herself drawn into a much bigger investigation - one that leads her right back to London, back to the Met, and back to Ryan Kennedy, the kid who killed a cop.
This powerful novel from a former Met detective explores the devastation that organized drug-running gangs can wreak on young lives. It asks who deserves to be saved - and whether saving them is even possible...
Death Message
London Series
By: Kate London
Narrated by: Antonia Beamish
Series: Collins and Griffiths, Book 2
Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 06-04-17
Summary
It's 1987. One morning, 15-year-old Tania Mills kisses her mother, walks out of her front door and disappears. In 2014, when a new lead comes in for Tania's case, DS Sarah Collins is asked to investigate. PC Lizzie Griffiths, the subject of Collins' last investigation, is back on the job and working at a domestic violence unit. When a quirk of fate brings Lizzie and Collins back into contact, each must try to reconcile the claims of the past with the demands of the present.
An unexpected pleasure!
I bought this as something to take a chance on in a Two for One sale and what a find. This is an excellent Police procedural. The characters are very well drawn, the story engrossing and the narration first class. I have now purchased the author’s first book (this one is her second). I wish I had read them in order, but at least I have found an excellent new author, so, can’t complain. Enjoy!
Utterly Gripping
Couldn't stop listening. The narrator carries the story brilliantly. Very excited for the third book!
The Cold, Cold Ground
Detective Sean Duffy, Book 1
By: Adrian McKinty
Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 1
Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Summary
Fast-paced, evocative, and brutal, The Cold Cold Ground is a brilliant depiction of Belfast at the height of the Troubles — and of a cop treading a thin, thin line —from The New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author Adrian McKinty.
“McKinty is one of the most striking and most memorable crime voices to emerge on the scene in years.” —Tana French
Northern Ireland, spring 1981. Hunger strikes, riots, power cuts, a homophobic serial killer with a penchant for opera, and a young woman’s suicide that may yet turn out to be murder: on the surface, the events are unconnected, but then things—and people—aren’t always what they seem. Detective Sergeant Duffy is the man tasked with trying to get to the bottom of it all. It’s no easy job—especially when it turns out that one of the victims was involved in the IRA but was last seen discussing business with someone from the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force. Add to this the fact that, as a Catholic policeman, it doesn’t matter which side he’s on, because nobody trusts him, and Sergeant Duffy really is in a no-win situation.
Critic reviews
“McKinty is a streetwise, energetic gunslinger of a writer, firing off volleys of sassy dialogue and explosive action that always delivers what it has promised.” ( Irish Times)
“What makes McKinty a cut above the rest is the quality of his prose. His driven, spat-out sentences are more accessible than James Ellroy's edge-of-reason staccato, and he can be lyric.” ( The Guardian)
“If Raymond Chandler had grown up in Northern Ireland, The Cold Cold Ground is what he would have written.” ( The Times, London)
I was impressed by the start of this.
There are six in the series.
Three are free on Audible.
Number 7 due out in August.
I Hear the Sirens in the Street
Detective Sean Duffy, Book 2
By: Adrian McKinty
Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 2
Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Summary
A torso in a suitcase looks like an impossible case, but Sean Duffy isn’t easily deterred, especially when his floundering love life leaves him in need of a distraction. So with detective constables McCrabban and McBride, he goes to work identifying the victim.
The torso turns out to be all that’s left of an American tourist who once served in the U.S. military. What was he doing in Northern Ireland in the midst of the 1982 Troubles? The trail leads to the doorstep of a beautiful, flame-haired, twentysomething widow, whose husband died at the hands of an IRA assassination team just a few months before. Suddenly Duffy is caught between his romantic instincts, gross professional misconduct, and powerful men he should know better than to mess with. These include British intelligence, the FBI, and local paramilitary death squads - enough to keep even the savviest detective busy. Duffy’s growing senseof self-doubt isn’t helping. But as a legendarily stubborn man, he doesn’t let that stop him from pursuing the case to its explosive conclusion.
Another great yarn
These are a series of stories set during the troubles but not about them - thank God! The narrator has a very dodgy "Nornirish" accent - more Dublin than Belfast (perhaps Jimmy Nesbitt for the next series?) but despite that, this is a great story which evokes memories of Belfast and especially Carrickfergus 30 odd years ago. The author has researched the book well and many of the characters remind me of some "peelers" of the time. I thoroughly enjoyed the first and look forward to listening to the rest of the series.
Brilliant
These Inspector Duffy Series, is a absolute must, set during the troubles in Northern Ireland in the early 80s. The narrator Gerald Doyle really does set the scene, Mr Doyle must be one of the best narrator in the business,I would start with book 1 and work your way through , totally engaging, the only disappointment is when you have to stop listening to the story, I don't usually do reviews but the Duffy series are brilliant
Great story. Brings back memories
Love the inspector Duffy series. If you lived through the “troubles” in the 80s, it is especially evocative of the period. You can almost feel the atmosphere. Great story bringing in real characters giving it an authentic feel.
Gripping well paced listen
grounded in events that those brought up in the eighties will relate to, this tale of our imperfect hero is a page turning delight.
great writing
crime fiction with wonderful description , an unusually talented writer , which is hard to find in this genre
A great listen
Excellent storyline and characters set against the bleakest of backdrops. Kept me totally gripped.
Well constructed and narrated thriller.
Elegantly narrated, compelling mystery set against a backdrop of the troubles in Northern Ireland. Good central character and good series.
Good read
Very gripping and an accurate view on north of Ireland dark humour in the 80's.
Just brilliant again!
Beautifully describes the northern Ireland of my childhood - bleak but with great humour. Great writing, fantastic narration.
Another good Duffy mystery
these are compelling and complex ctime stotirs with an equally complex backdrop. I have learnt a lot about the Irish troubles from them
I just started on number 2 in the series.
I was impressed with the first one.
The hero is a terrific character, that may appeal to fans of Reacher, Bosch, Grace, Rebus, etc, etc. @Essexphil/ @TheEdge949
I was also glad I read the Kate London series, and move the characters forward from The Tower, on the telly.
I can assure you that I am not a mad stalker, and that I am quite prepared to print off the numbers, rip up the paper and eat it, as soon as the book has been sent.
@Essexphil/ @TheEdge949
In the Morning I'll Be Gone
Detective Sean Duffy, Book 3
By: Adrian McKinty
Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 3
Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Summary
Winner of the 2014 Ned Kelly Award and a 2015 Audie Award nominee for best mystery
A Catholic cop tracks an IRA master bomber amidst the sectarian violence of the conflict in Northern Ireland
It's the early 1980s in Belfast. Sean Duffy, a conflicted Catholic cop in the Protestant RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary), is recruited by MI5 to hunt down Dermot McCann, an IRA master bomber who has made a daring escape from the notorious Maze prison. In the course of his investigations Sean discovers a woman who may hold the key to Dermot's whereabouts; she herself wants justice for her daughter who died in mysterious circumstances in a pub locked from the inside. Sean knows that if he can crack the "locked-room mystery", the bigger mystery of Dermot's whereabouts might be revealed to him as a reward. Meanwhile the clock is ticking down to the Conservative Party conference in Brighton in 1984, where Mrs. Thatcher is due to give a keynote speech.
One word
As an Ulsterman the content of this book are frighteningly true to life. The political comments at the end have the situation wrapped up. Excellent read
This has been a delightful experience.
What about Gerard Doyle’s performance did you like?
He reads with confidence and a captivating voice.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Definitely and I actually did
Any additional comments?
All three books about Detective Sean Duffy is strongly recommended.
Slow Burner but worthwhile listen
Quite a slow paced affair, overly elongated at times, but with a good story.
Performance adequate for the tale.
What a gripping story!
I wasn’t sure that I would enjoy a book set within the Troubles but it was a gripping masterpiece. The story was compelling, the characters were well drawn, the peculiarities of living within that period such as the need to check for car bombs, the prevailing attitudes, the well-known political figures and union unrest, and the music all combined to create an absorbing, almost claustrophobic reality. Great narration too.
Reading everything by this author
Superb writing style and highly engaging. So pleased to have found these. Strength and beauty in language.
Brilliant author and narrator
2nd book from same author and finished both in less than a week. Never heard of that author but what a great discovery. Loved the stories, mystery solving and characters while learning a lot about Northern Ireland. Brilliant narrator too, loved the accents and the different characters voices. Just starting a third book
Interesting context for compelling characters
A most engaging and enjoyable story and Gerard Doyle’s performance as he switched between the different characters and sexes made their various personalities come alive.
It’s the first Adrian McKinty I’ve experienced and I’ll certainly explore more.
Loved it
My favourite character by one of my favourite fiction authors, Adrian McKinty, perfectly read. Entertaining, humourous, very Irish.
Action packed
Great characters, full of action, with historical setting. Looking forward to his next book . Thanks.
Stick with it!
The beginning I found the storyline to be difficult to follow and I had to listen carefully to the Irish accent. However it turned out to be an extremely interesting book interspersed with literary quotes which makes me want to find out more. I remember the Brighton bombing, so this story gave it an interesting end.
In the Morning I'll Be Gone
Detective Sean Duffy, Book 3
By: Adrian McKinty
Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 3
Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Gun Street Girl
Detective Sean Duffy, Book 4
By: Adrian McKinty
Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 4
Summary
Belfast, 1985. Amid the Troubles, Detective Sean Duffy, a Catholic cop in the Protestant Royal Ulster Constabulary, struggles with burnout as he investigates a brutal double murder and suicide. Did Michael Kelly really shoot his parents at point-blank range and then jump off a nearby cliff? A suicide note points to this conclusion, but Duffy suspects even more sinister circumstances. He soon discovers that Kelly was present at a decadent Oxford party where a cabinet minister's daughter died of a heroin overdose, which may or may not have something to do with Kelly's subsequent death.
New evidence leads elsewhere: gun runners, arms dealers, the British government, and a rogue American agent with a fake identity. Duffy thinks he's getting somewhere when agents from MI5 show up at his doorstep and try to recruit him, thus taking him off the investigation.
Duffy is in it up to his neck, doggedly pursuing a case that may finally prove to be his undoing.
Critic reviews
Shortlisted for the 2016 Audie Award (Best Mystery) and the 2016 Edgar Award (Best Pbk Original)
"When it comes to Northern Irish crime fiction, Adrian McKinty forged the path the rest of us follow. The Sean Duffy series is the culmination of a career spent examining our darkest moments, and McKinty is the only crime writer who can do justice to our singular history." (Stuart Neville, author of The Final Silence)
"Series fans will appreciate the further insight into the fallout from tragic cases, department politics, and war. As usual, there's plenty of entertaining territorial battling between the dizzying array of law-enforcement agencies acting in Belfast, and Duffy's investigative skills seem somehow sharpened by his lost hope." (Booklist)
"Gerard Doyle gives a stunning narration of the fourth installment of McKinty's Detective Sean Duffy series.... From the subtle changes in dialect to McKinty's distinct writing cadence and dark humor, Doyle hones in on the details that make this procedural a joy to listen to." (AudioFile)
Rain Dogs
Detective Sean Duffy, Book 5
By: Adrian McKinty
Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 5
Summary
Edgar Award winner, Best Paperback Original, 2017.
Rain Dogs, a stunning installment in the Sean Duffy thriller series, following the Edgar Award-nominated Gun Street Girl, is "another standout in a superior series" (Booklist).
It's just the same things over and again for Sean Duffy: riot duty, heartbreak, cases he can solve but never get to court. But what detective gets two locked-room mysteries in one career?
When journalist Lily Bigelow is found dead in the courtyard of Carrickfergus castle, it looks like a suicide. Yet there are a few things that bother Duffy just enough to keep the case file open, which is how he finds out that Bigelow was working on a devastating investigation of corruption and abuse at the highest levels of power in the UK and beyond. And so Duffy has two impossible problems on his desk: Who killed Lily Bigelow? And what were they trying to hide?
Critic reviews
"McKinty expertly balances Duffy's tense and suspenseful investigation with the political tensions of the region." ( Publishers Review)
"McKinty manages a second locked-room success...another standout in a superior series, combining terrific plotting with evocative historical detail." ( Booklist)
"The tension between McKinty's competing love of tight, formal puzzles and loose, riffing dialogue is what makes the Duffy novels such a tremendous joy." ( The Guardian)
Police at the Station and They Don’t Look Friendly
Detective Sean Duffy, Book 6
By: Adrian McKinty
Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 6
Summary
Winner of the 2017 Ned Kelly Award
Another thrilling mystery featuring Detective Sean Duffy and his most dangerous investigation yet.
Belfast, 1988. A man is found dead, killed with a bolt from a crossbow in front of his house. This is no hunting accident. But uncovering who is responsible for the murder will take Detective Sean Duffy down his most dangerous road yet, a road that leads to a lonely clearing on a high bog where three masked gunmen will force Duffy to dig his own grave.
Hunted by forces unknown, threatened by Internal Affairs, and with his relationship on the rocks, Duffy will need all his wits to get out of this investigation in one piece.
Critic reviews
"Narrator Gerard Doyle has provided the voice of Adrian McKinty's Sean Duffy since the first audiobook of the series. Returning for Book 6, he's more in tune with Duffy's complexity than ever before.... McKinty's blend of dark drama with perfectly timed humor and intensely plotted action is performed by Doyle as though he's intimately familiar with Duffy's mind, heart, and body. Listeners comprehend the vastness of Duffy's emotion without a caricatured delivery. Doyle delivers another winning narration." ( AudioFile)
The Detective Up Late
The Sean Duffy Series, Book 7
By: Adrian McKinty
Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
Series: Detective Sean Duffy Series, Book 7
Scheduled release: In 86 days, 08-08-23
Summary
From New York Times bestselling author Adrian McKinty comes the next thrilling mystery in the Edgar Award-winning Sean Duffy detective series
Slamming the door on the hellscape of 1980s Belfast, Detective Inspector Sean Duffy hopes that the 1990s are going to be better for him and the people of Northern Ireland. As a Catholic cop in the mainly Protestant RUC he still has a target on his back, and with a steady girlfriend and a child the stakes couldn’t be higher.
After handling a mercurial triple agent and surviving the riots and bombings and assassination attempts, all Duffy wants to do now is live. But in his final days in charge of Carrickfergus CID, a missing persons report captures his attention. A fifteen-year-old traveler girl has disappeared and no one seems to give a **** about it. Duffy begins to dig and uncovers a disturbing underground of men who seem to know her very well. The deeper he digs the more sinister it all gets. Is finding out the truth worth it if DI Duffy is going to get himself and his colleagues killed? Can he survive one last case before getting himself and his family out over the water?
The Running Grave
Cormoran Strike, Book 7
By: Robert Galbraith
Series: Cormoran Strike, Book 7
Killing Moon is now available
Series: Harry Hole, Book 13
Length: 16 hrs and 8 mins
The Camera Man
DC Smith Investigation, Book 10
By: Peter Grainger
Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
Series: DC Smith, Book 10
Length: 11 hrs
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 22-08-23
Summary
Jo told him the phone call had been about a woman who wanted to have her husband declared dead. Smith thought for a moment and then said, 'Hmm. There must be a few million women in this country who feel like that. I take it her husband's been missing for a while and she's decided it's time to move on. In the absence of a body, which is always a nuisance, she wants Diver and Diver to confirm there's no proof he's alive. And I've told Jason a dozen times I'm not getting involved in anything matrimonial. I have enough trouble sorting out my own relationships.'
But on this occasion Smith has it wrong. The insurance company which will have to pay out a very substantial amount of money if Amanda Fitch obtains her certificate of presumed death has engaged Diver and Diver Associates to look into the disappearance of Gerald Fitch, more than five years ago now. As Jason Diver says, he has the very man for the job. All he has to do is to persuade that man to take it on.
All That Is Mine I Carry with Me
A Novel
By: William Landay
Narrated by: David de Vries, Joyce Bean, Patrick Lawlor, Scott Merriman
Length: 11 hrs
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 07-03-23
Summary
A mother vanished. A father presumed guilty. There is no proof. There are no witnesses. For the children, there is only doubt. From the New York Times bestselling author of Defending Jacob. . . .
“Astonishing, powerful, and provocative, this book is worth the excruciating wait for another William Landay.”—Louise Penny, author of A World of Curiosities
One afternoon in November 1975, ten-year-old Miranda Larkin comes home from school to find her house eerily quiet. Her mother is missing. Nothing else is out of place. There is no sign of struggle. Her mom’s pocketbook remains in the front hall, in its usual spot.
So begins a mystery that will span a lifetime. What happened to Jane Larkin?
Investigators suspect Jane’s husband. A criminal defense attorney, Dan Larkin would surely be an expert in outfoxing the police.
But no evidence is found linking him to a crime, and the case fades from the public’s memory, a simmering, unresolved riddle. Jane’s three children—Alex, Jeff, and Miranda—are left to be raised by the man who may have murdered their mother.
Two decades later, the remains of Jane Larkin are found. The investigation is awakened. The children, now grown, are forced to choose sides. With their father or against him? Guilty or innocent? And what happens if they are wrong?
A tale about family—family secrets and vengeance, but also family love—All That Is Mine I Carry With Me masterfully grapples with a primal question: When does loyalty reach its limit?
Brilliant, saves you scrolling through page after page of random books, trying to find one you like the sound of.
My list.
Margaret Hickey
John Fairfax
Peter Murphy
Lisa Gray
Jørn Lier Horst
Heather Atkinson
William Landay
Peter Grainger
Mark Oldfield
Thomas Enger
Shelley Burr
Dervla McTiernan
Chris Hammer
Steve Cavanagh
Robert Galbraith
Dennis Lehane
John Grisham
Christian White
Patricia Wolf
Harriet Tyce
Jane Harper
Adrian McKinty
Jo Nesbo
Neely Tucker
Andrew Gross
Lissa Marie Redmond
Michael Connelly
Kate London
Nick Stone
Val McDermid
Garry Disher
Ian Rankin
Hayley Scrivenor
Karin Fossum
@TheEdge949 / @Tikay10 / @lucy4 / @MISTY4ME