Sean Duffy · #0.5
God's Away on Business
From the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author Adrian McKinty comes the origin story of his most famous creation, Detective Sean Duffy.
Belfast, 1980, is the apocalypse. Bombings, riots, army on the streets, low flying helicopters, and ever-present rain. The grinding Northern Irish civil war between Protestants and Catholics has been going for a decade now. Hated by both sides are the police.
Sean Duffy Year 1takes us into that world. Newly promoted Detective Sergeant Sean Duffy is given his first command at Carrickfergus CID.
In this prequel novella, McKinty takes listeners through Duffy’s first two weeks on the job. A case to solve and a chance to impress his bosses, if, of course, he can get out of it alive.
The series
Amid the foggy streets and tense neighborhoods of 1980s Belfast, the Sean Duffy series immerses readers in a city brimming with secrets, suspicion, and moral complexity. At its heart is a detective navigating not just violent crime, but the invisible pressures of a society divided by politics, religion, and loyalty. Each case is more than a puzzle, it is a collision of personal ethics, institutional corruption, and the everyday realities of life under constant scrutiny.
Read full series description
The series weaves together atmospheric settings, sharp dialogue, and a darkly intelligent humor that illuminates the human cost of violence and the resilience of those who confront it. From unraveling serial murders to chasing elusive conspiracies, the stories explore how ordinary people are shaped and sometimes shattered by extraordinary circumstances. The backdrop of Northern Ireland during the Troubles is not just a historical setting, it shapes every choice, every risk, and every consequence that Duffy faces.
Through meticulous world-building and deeply realized characters, the series balances suspense with insight, making readers feel the tension of each investigation while understanding the weight of history pressing on every street corner. It is a journey into noir-infused crime fiction where the stakes are as psychological as they are procedural, and the atmosphere is thick with uncertainty, danger, and moral ambiguity.
For those drawn to crime novels that combine historical depth, intricate plotting, and psychological tension, the Sean Duffy series delivers an experience that is both gripping and haunting, keeping readers on edge long after the last page is turned.
#0.5 · 2025God's Away on Business 
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