The Sean Duffy Series

While there are several mystery/crime novels and series that I've very much enjoyed, the Sean Duffy series by Adrian McKinty may be my favorite. Set in the 1980s in Northern Ireland during the time referred to as "The Troubles," Duffy, the protagonist of the series, is a Catholic cop working on a mostly Protestant police force and living in a Protestant neighborhood.

There are quite a few things that make the novels in the series excellent. One is McKinty's absolute command of setting. As I listened to the novels, there was never a point where I couldn't visualize where the action was taking place. From the weather to the scenery, McKinty's descriptions are flawless. He also perfectly captures the historical setting--I felt totally absorbed into "The Troubles" of the Protestant/Catholic conflict in Northern Ireland which was carefully and skillfully weaved into the plot.

Part of what makes a great series is great characters, and the Sean Duffy series is no exception. While all of the supporting cast isn't in the entire series, they are all interesting, believable, and well-developed. The protagonist, Sean Duffy, is a character whose complexity kept me interested throughout the series. Duffy is a deeply flawed with echoes of Sherlock Holmes, especially in regard to his drug use, but, for me, it was impossible not to like him.

Plot is also amazingly well-done. There's no superfluous action--the side plots involving Duffy's personal life all serve to develop his character and never seem too tangential to the main mystery. Some of the books in the series contain mysteries that are "solvable," and readers may solve the mysteries before Duffy, and some mysteries don't give you enough information to solve them (or at least all elements) until the novel concludes.

I don't think I've ever come to the end of a series feeling as sad that it was over. When I found out McKinty is writing three more books, I was beyond thrilled. The thing I'm worried about, however, is that it's either going to take a long time for my library to make the books available in audio form, or that they won't make them available at all.

With other series, I've decided to check out or buy a book in hard copy form to continue the series, but with the Sean Duffy series it's going to be a tough decision. I wouldn't think twice about just getting a hard copy if I didn't love the narration by Gerard Doyle. I can't recommend this series highly enough--especially the audiobook version.