Reading order · 8 books · 2012 to 2025 · Set in Carrickfergus
Sean Duffy Books in Order
Sean Duffy is a Catholic detective in the Royal Ulster Constabulary in the early 1980s, during the Troubles, checking under his car for bombs every morning in Carrickfergus. Funny, dark, brilliant crime novels.
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Series facts
- Books
- 8
- Published
- 2012 to 2025
- First book
- The Cold Cold Ground
- Latest
- Hang On St. Christopher (2025)
- Setting
- Set in Carrickfergus
The reading order
Every Sean Duffy book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
8 books · Set in Carrickfergus
- 1The Cold Cold Ground2012With Sean DuffyIn 1981 Belfast, during the hunger strikes, Sergeant Sean Duffy investigates what may be Northern Ireland’s first serial killer.Buy on Amazon
- 2I Hear the Sirens in the Street2013With Sean DuffyA headless torso is found in a suitcase, and Duffy follows the trail through Belfast.Buy on Amazon
- 3In the Morning I’ll Be Gone2014With Sean DuffyDuffy, thrown out of the police, is asked by MI5 to find an IRA bomb-maker who was once his school friend, and has to solve a locked-room mystery.Buy on Amazon
- 4Gun Street Girl2015With Sean DuffyA couple are shot in their home, and their son is found dead at the foot of a cliff.Buy on Amazon
- 5Rain Dogs2016With Sean DuffyA journalist is found dead in the courtyard of Carrickfergus Castle, and the castle was locked.Buy on Amazon
- 6Police at the Station and They Don’t Look Friendly2017With Sean DuffyA drug dealer is killed with a crossbow, and Duffy finds himself in the crosshairs.Buy on Amazon
- 7The Detective Up Late2023With Sean DuffyA girl disappears on New Year’s Eve in 1988, and Duffy is called back to work.Buy on Amazon
- 8Hang On St. Christopher2025With Sean DuffyIn July 1992, semi-retired Sean Duffy is drawn into what looks like a carjacking gone wrong, until the victim turns out to have been an IRA gunman and the case threatens Northern Ireland’s fragile peace process.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in order, starting with The Cold Cold Ground.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Sean Duffy | Crabbie McCrabban | Alexander Lawson | Beth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Cold Cold Ground | LLead | MMajor | ||
| 2 I Hear the Sirens in the Street | LLead | MMajor | ||
| 3 In the Morning I’ll Be Gone | LLead | MMajor | ||
| 4 Gun Street Girl | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 5 Rain Dogs | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 6 Police at the Station and They Don’t Look Friendly | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 7 The Detective Up Late | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 8 Hang On St. Christopher | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
Characters in the Sean Duffy books
4 characters from Adrian McKinty’s chart, with the number of Sean Duffy books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Sean DuffyCatholic detective in the Royal Ulster Constabulary | 8 | The Cold Cold Ground 2012 |
| Crabbie McCrabbanDetective sergeant and Duffy’s partner | 8 | The Cold Cold Ground 2012 |
| Alexander LawsonYoung detective Duffy mentors | 5 | Gun Street Girl 2015 |
| BethDuffy’s partner, mother of his daughter | 3 | Police at the Station and They Don’t Look Friendly 2017 |