Gun Street Girl (Detective Sean Duffy) Paperback – 2 July 2015

This is the fourth in the Sean Duffy trilogy set in and around Carrickfergus in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Adrian McKinty says that he had finished with what he planned to do with Sean Duffy after three books but the idea for this fourth book came to him in a dream. Well it was obviously a good dream for him and a great dream for us as this is the best of the series.Sean Duffy is struggling with burn-out and he leaves the investigation of a brutal double murder in Whitehead to DS McCrabban and the two new DCs as it seems all tied up when the prime suspect, the son of the deceased couple, commits suicide. But the question niggles at Duffy as to whether Michael Kelly really did shoot his parents at point blank range and then jump off a nearby cliff?My major issue with the first book (THE COLD COLD GROUND) of Duffy not being penalised for his hot-headedness has completely gone now and you are left with a very assured police procedural with a serious theme at its heart (the peace process) and great writing which is strongly literate but still keeps you engaged & turning the page.I really hope that there are more books down the line as I would love to see how Duffy handles the Patten Commission reforms and the shift to the PSNI as it looks like he is stuck in the RUC after this book.

I have read all four of his books now. One problem for readers, (and authors) when the book is set in NI, during the troubles, so many people reading will have experienced the Troubles, both as a civilian and possibly also as a member of some security force, military or police.On the first book I was somewhat irritated by his use of the name FRU for an IRA unit; also the nonsensical use of the name Steak Knife ! In the later books there was lazy writing involving places, roads and units that didn't exist in the mid 80's, silly things like the proper Ballycastle to Rathlin ferry, motorways and dual carrageways he mentions weren't there, also as someone who worked in Carrickfergus, as a chemical analyst,in the early days I really doubt a known Catholic RUC man would be tolerated there, especially after Courtalds was blown up !! Suppose the reference to Chicksands was because the army's Intelligence Corps HQ is there now, however it didn't move there, from Ashford in Kent, until the late '90's. etc etc very pedantic I know. However the books are very enjoyable, the dialogue amusing and believable for those situations, (sometimes less skillful, or non-Irish authors have used awful comedy theatre Oirish dialogue, to be sure, to be sure !) - and a good story line - I look forward to any more.

I have read all the inspector Duffy series, and I am increasingly impressed by McKinty's capacity to make his main character evolve in a credible manner novel after novel, while maintaining tight plots. I also appreciate McKinty's ability to use the "troubles" as a very interesting background without making the not-so-cold civil war of the 1970s/1980s the centre of his stories. There's nothing provincial in McKinty's Northern Ireland. World events resonate. Great music taste as well! I love Takemitsu but did not know about "the rain is coming". I will have to look it up. A very, very good read. I finished the book in hospital just after undergoing minor surgery. It helped distracting me from the pain as well as quite a few pills....

I know that being from Belfast and growing up in the 70s might mean that I love these books more because of the context. But I think even without the NI connection a reader will find the series incredibly enjoyable, witty and well written - worth reading. Cant wait for the next one to come out, its been a long wait.

This is the fourth in a series which has maintained a high standard throughout. A bleak backdrop coupled with a witty maverick lead character. I read all four books in this series in around a week, and will be eagerly awaiting the fifth book which comes out in January 2015. One word of warning, I think it would be hard to pick up this book in isolation, it will be a richer experience if you have read the preceding novels. McKinty is especially adept at weaving the characters in and out of real historical events. As I've said before fans of Stuart Neville and Matt McGuire will step into this series with little difficulty.

Adrian McKinty is a master of contemporary North British writing. His descriptions of the topography and his characters are detailed and to the point and his stories have a good pace to them. He follows in the pace some very good writers in this genre who have emerged from the North in the last twenty odd years, Ian Rankin, DEnise Mina etc. It is worth starting the Sean Duffy books at the beginning but not essential.

I grew up through the Troubles in Northern Ireland and Adrian captures the mix of horror and humour superbly. The banter between the characters is how we got on with things, and the plots capture the big events as part of smaller stories. I have recommended to many friends of my era, including many who went to "Inst" in the centre of Belfast (mentioned in the books) from '69 - '76 when over 1000 bombs were placed in the city centre. Without the humour we would have been a lot worse off.

As good as his other novels about the troubles very readable