Rain Dogs
As seen:
By Adrian McKinty
avg rating
5 reviews
‘McKinty is one of Britain’s great contemporary crime writers and the Sean Duffy books are his masterpiece.’
IAN RANKIN
BOOK 5 IN THE DETECTIVE SEAN DUFFY SERIES
SHORTLISTED FOR THE THEAKSTON’S OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARD
SPINETINGLER AWARD WINNER
NED KELLY AWARD WINNER
STEEL DAGGER AWARD SHORTLISTED
WINNER OF THE EDGAR AWARD 2017
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. But there are just a few things that bother Duffy enough to keep the case file open. Which is how he finds out that she 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?
Reviews
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I had not read any of the previous ones in the series but that did not make it any less enjoyable. Set in Northern Ireland in the midst of all its troubles, DI Sean Duffy tackles the baffling murder of a young woman reporter with great tenacity, and bringing to life a country which few of us have much understanding of. I particularly liked his character in the book and would be keen to read more in the series. I also like it when the personal lives of the characters play a part in the story.
This is the first in the Sean Duffy series I have read and although I prefer to read series in order this did not detract from my enjoyment of the novel. The plot of the 'locked room' mystery was cleverly constructed and fast moving. I thought the way the author weaved fact and fiction was well done. The main character, Inspector Sean Duffy was engaging, witty and believable.
Jackie
Rain Dogs by Adrian McKinty is the fifth book in the Sean Duffy series but stands alone very well. It's a detective novel set in Northern Ireland during the troubles and is told from Sean's point of view. Despite the subject matter this is actually quite a funny book with some very believable and likeable characters, too good to waste on one book hence the series. I enjoyed Rain Dogs very much and would definitely read more books in the same series.
St Regulus Reading Group
Haven't read anything by this author before and don't normally read detective novels, but really quite enjoyed it. The various twists and turns in the plot kept the intrigue and interest alive. The added touch of Duffy's personal life and the twist at the end makes him human and believable. I would read more by this author.
A good murder mystery of the “locked room” variety. Considering that it is set in Northern Ireland in the troubled 1980s it is a remarkably gentle read. There is a complex plot which unfolds at a good pace and the star of the show is the local Detective Sergeant Sean Duffy, who is both likeable and believable. His personal life outside the police force is woven into the story and his character is depicted in such a way that he seemed very human.
Although I have not heard of the author before, this seems to be the fifth Sean Duffy novel. I will certainly look out for the others, all of which are apparently set during the “Troubles”.
