I discovered Adrian McKinty’s Sean Duffy books long before The Chain made him popular worldwide. Hang on St. Christopher is another intriguing book set in Northern Ireland during The Troubles.

If Detective Inspector Sean Duffy can hang on for almost two years, working part-time in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, he’ll get his partial pension and he can retire permanently to Scotland. Right now, he works six days a week at a desk job, and takes the ferry home to Scotland to his wife and daughter. But, Duffy is never one to take the easy route.

When a murder occurs while his protege is on vacation, Duffy and another part-timer catch the case. On the surface, it’s a case of a carjacking and murder. But, Duffy can’t find any trace of the the victim. His search identifies the dead man as an assassin, a search others block. But, in 1992, it leads to more violence in the ongoing Troubles. Eventually, Duffy’s search leads to someone who tries to cover his tracks, but has links to the CIA and the ongoing peace process. Duffy can wind up dead, or, as a one-man wrecking team, destroy the peace process in Northern Ireland.

While readers of bestsellers may recognize McKinty as the author of The Chain, this outstanding police procedural is the latest featuring the lone wolf featured in the award-winning Sean Duffy series set during The Troubles. A must-read for fans of the author or the series.

Adrian McKinty’s website is https://officialadrianmckinty.com/

Hang on St. Christopher by Adrian McKinty. Blackstone Publishing, Inc., 2025. ISBN 9788212905022 (hardcover), 310p.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received a galley from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.