Police at the Station and They Don't Look Friendly by Adrian McKinty

I finished reading this one over a week ago, but I've been too lazy to write about it. Apologies for that. But luckily, this book has left a lasting impression on me. Adrian McKinty is officially the best in the business. Police at the Station and They Don't Look Friendly is the sixth instalment of the Sean Duffy series. When I read Rain Dogs, number five in the series, I proclaimed it the best of the lot. And, somehow, McKinty has found a way to make this one sing even louder.

The crime aspect of the novel is a nice puzzler, but for me, the investigation plays second fiddle in this novel. What I really enjoyed more than anything was the continual development of Duffy's character. Although he exists in the 80s (this particular mystery set in 1988), Duffy has been ageing at roughly the same rate as me since his debut in The Cold, Cold Ground. He's just turned 38 in this novel and seems much more world-weary than my bright-eyed and bushy-tailed self. I did find myself sympathising with his grumbles quite often, however.

Please God, let there be more Sean Duffy novels. It's officially my favourite police procedural series, and I hate the prospect of not spending more time with the wry bastard. If nothing else, we need to know what future titles Adrian can convince his publisher to make room for on his covers. Can he sell one even longer than Police at the Station and They Don't Look Friendly?

Rain Dogs -- A McKinty Sneak-Peek

Adrian McKinty has posted the covers and the first six chapters of the next Sean Duffy mystery.

Rain Dogs (a title intentionally borrowed from Tom Waits, I'd wager).

This is better than good news. It's great. Get thee to McKinty's blog.

I'll post one of the covers below. You've to go to McKinty's blog to see the other.

Go to McKinty's blog!

Gun Street Girl by Adrian McKinty

The fourth book in the ongoing Sean Duffy series was released this month. Gun Street Girl is set in 1985, and again, Adrian McKinty uses actual events from Northern Irish history as a backdrop for the tale. While the story starts out as a murder investigation -- and one that could have been tidied away quite quickly if a team of shittier cops were handed the case -- it isn't long until DI Duffy and DS McCrabban find themselves embroiled in something much bigger.

As you would expect from McKinty at this stage, Gun Street Girl is a wonderful read. The books seem to get funnier as the series progresses, but they're balanced out with plenty of gut-punching moments of darkness. McKinty is a master of emotional manipulation. If you don't feel something when you read this one, you might be dead inside. Book an appointment with you GP tout feckin' suite.

I wish I could pinpoint exactly why I find McKinty's books so readable, but I haven't quite figured it out yet. What I do know is that in the few days that I gorged on this one, my copy was never more than a few metres away from me. Sean Duffy is my favourite series character right now, and it'd take a hell of a lot to knock him off the top spot. Gun Street Girl is a stunner, plain and simple.

As a side note, it's interesting that McKinty has gone beyond a third part for this series. He called time on the Michael Forsythe or "Dead" series of books because he felt that the character had had his fair share of adventures and a further foray would stretch his readers' suspension of disbelief a little too far. I presume that the fact that Duffy is a cop makes it more believable that he'd get into more scrapes, especially a cop employed at the height of the troubles. Whatever the reason, I'm delighted to have read another Duffy book and hope to read more of them in the future.

Also, I love the fact that Duffy is ageing at the same rate as me. We're both 35 this time around! That's really cool.

In the morning, he was hungover (allegedly)

A favourite of CSNI, one Mr Adrian McKinty, is now the proud bearer of the Ned Kelly Award for his novel, In The Morning I'll Be Gone. I've stated for the record that the third installment of the Sean Duffy series is the best of the bunch, in my opinion. But then, I'd hardly state somebody else's opinion, would I?

Here's a fun picture McKinty shared the morning after the night before on his Twitter account:

And if you want a first person account of the ins and outs of McKinty's much deserved win, the man himself has kindly provided one over on his blog. Check it out, tell him he's the champ and wallow in his reflected glory.

I truly hope that the good times continue to role for this scribe.

Somebody shoot that damn rooster!

Last night I finished reading Adrian McKinty's In The Morning I'll Be Gone. Top shelf stuff, people. Get your hands on a copy now.

It was the first book I read this year. I'm hoping to read 100 novels in the next 52 weeks. I don't fancy my chances, though. Only starting the second one today. Average it out over the 365 days and I'll only manage to squeeze in 60.83334 books. Who wants to read 0.83334 of a book? You get that far in, you should just get to the end, right? Still, I'll give it a go.

But I digress. Back to McKinty's excellent writing.

In The Morning I'll Be Gone is the third in the Sean Duffy series (currently a trilogy, but most readers will be hungry for more, I'm sure) and we rejoin the lippy RUC officer in 1984. McKinty has tonnes of fun with the history of Northern Ireland at that time, and there are a few Easter eggs in there for his constant readers and fans of his blog. One which will stand out for most is a pleasantly surprising, blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo. Curious? Good. Get your hands on a copy.

As usual, McKinty's writing is lyrical and a good chunk of the inner monologue (Duffy serves as a 1st person narrator) is philosophical; perhaps a coping mechanism for a cop that has been through the mangle one time too many. It's been a while since I read the previous installments, but I do believe that this one is a little funnier than its predecessors. But it's humour dealt with restraint. McKinty presents a tragic past, and he knows when to adjust his tone accordingly.

In The Morning I'll Be Gone is an old school locked-room mystery served up by a writer who's well versed in the form. McKinty, in the role of writer/magician, uses his masterful prose as smoke and mirrors throughout, and manages to tease the readers with his puzzle before letting us in on the trick. It really is one of the more satisfying answers too, even though he works hard to manage expectations through Duffy's foreshadowing.

Keep 'er lit, McKinty. You've left your audience wanting more.

If you're wondering what the title refers to, by the way, then you have yet to discover the song that inspired the title. I only got to it yesterday, but I'm glad I did. Worth a listen if you have the opportunity.

Badass

Somebody buy Adrian McKinty a wallet that says BAD MOTHERFECKER on it.

Here he is in the Wall Street Journal.

(Click the image for a closer look)

Thanks to the Spinetingler Magazine Facebook page for providing the jpg.

And if you're having trouble reading the jpg, I swiped this link from the wonderful Crime Always Pays.