Book Review
Hang on St. Christopher
reviewed by Eric Ellis
Hang On St. Christopher is the eighth novel in the police investigator Sean Duffy series by Adrian McKinty.
If one is familiar with the characters in these novels, little backstory is needed and would be redundant. It is also advisable to read the series in order, and frankly, once you start, you won’t be disappointed.
Set in early 1990s Ireland, Duffy and his number one sidekick, Det. Sgt. John McCrabban, are both now full-time, part-time police officers, putting in reduced hours simply to meet pension reception requirements. Though Duffy, plagued by bad knees and reliant on an inhaler, has slowed down a bit, he still gets the urge to work on a big case—despite being relegated to simple tasks like paperwork and mundane police labor.
When an older man renting a caravan is found murdered by two shotgun blasts outside his residence and his vehicle is missing, first impressions suggest a carjacking gone wrong, with the owner killed by a startled or amateur car thief.
While the lead detective sergeant is away on vacation, Duffy, sensing a case with a quick resolution—and an easy way to supplement both his and McCrabban’s income with overtime and increased hours—agrees to temporarily fill the void of a full-time homicide investigator and begin investigating the murder.
With Duffy believing the case will be settled in a matter of days, those familiar with the series already know that nothing with Duffy is that simple. His supposed “slam-dunk” case soon evolves into a spreading nightmare where no one is safe as long as he and McCrabban keep digging for answers into the murder of a man with little documented history—one whom no one seems to know.
McKinty’s tale pulls the reader into another complex and wide-arching novel that maintains the high quality of his previous entries in the series. Not only that, McKinty continues to deliver stories that intrigue and captivate readers lucky enough to have discovered his writing. He is also quite adept at placing his characters in dire circumstances with resolutions that do not require readers to completely suspend disbelief. Several of the novels in this series could easily be compared to “locked-room mysteries.” Somehow, McKinty creates plots that seem almost unsolvable, only to unravel them in a way that feels both logical and satisfying.
Like Ian Rankin’s Rebus series and Jo Nesbø’s Harry Hole novels, McKinty allows his characters to age realistically, enhancing his storytelling without repeating the same narrative over and over.
Readers will also be happy to know that a prequel novel exploring Duffy’s early years is forthcoming.
Hang On St. Christopher is highly recommended for readers who enjoy complex police procedurals with a touch of historical accuracy and for fans of writers like Ian Rankin and William Shaw.
An ARC of Hang On St. Christopher was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The novel is set to be published in March 2025.
