Adrian McKinty is one of my favorite mystery writers. This latest installment to the Sean Duffey series is one of his best. Sean is in his last days before he quietly creeps away to Scotland to live out a part time gig in Belfast until he can collect his pension from the RUC. His last case is a missing 15 year old tinker girl-someone that is not considered worthy of a deep investigation. Her life unfolds as he digs deeper. Sean is also the handler of a 3 time time spy who is nervous about being discovered by the IRA. Lots of twists in this plot. The writing and character development is exceptional.

I am a huge fan of the Sean Duffy series and this one does not disappoint. It’s the start of a new decade, literally New Year’s Day, 1990. Sean is just back from a visit to The Holy Land with his in-laws. He’s about to go part-time and he has one more case to handle, that of a young female Traveler who has just gone missing.
I just adore Duffy’s sarcastic humor. McKinty just has a way with words and he effortlessly also blends in all sorts of weird tidbits (I had to google the bit about the robin in the movie Blue Velvet). His descriptions put you right in the place and time and give you a firm sense of who exactly Sean Duffy is. A man who loves classical music, philosophy and violence.
The plot itself was totally bonkers. There were three, possibly four, suspects. As I got closer to the resolution I was shaking my head more and more. The ending was perfect.
This is the first time I’ve listened to a book in the series, so I still had Gerald Doyle’s voice in my head. It was a nice change to read and get to linger over some of the phrases.
My thanks to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for an advance copy of this book.

For all of your readers who can't get enough tough-guy detective novels that feature a charismatic male detective, this newest book in the Sean Duffy series will be snapped right up! Love his attitude, his humor, his asides -- you read these as much for the personality of the detective as you do to solve the mystery. I have not read the first six in this series, but can definitely say that this one, the seventh, can stand on its own for new readers who don't want to start at the beginning.

I haven’t found an Adrian McKinty book yet that I have been able to set down for the night without finishing. Another sleepless night devouring this delicious thriller, it’s a must read!

The Detective Up Late picks up the action soon after the events at the end of Police At The Station And They Don’t Look Friendly, and finds Duffy preparing to move to Scotland and a part time working arrangement at the Carrickfergus RUC where he was stationed. I won’t go into detail about the plot, as I do not want to give away some of the pivotal events at the end of the last book. Suffice to say that the story is set as New Year’s Eve rings in the beginning of the 1990s and the dawn of the new decade. Detective Inspector Sean Duffy is more than happy to slam the door on the grisly 1980s, “there had been twelve hundred Troubles-related murders in Northern Ireland over the decade”, and is clinging to the hope that the 1990s might prove more peaceful for the people of Belfast and himself.

Duffy is also looking forward to embarking on his own personal new chapter, spending more time with his longtime partner, Beth, and daughter, Emma. However, before he finishes up Duffy gets drawn into a missing person case. A fifteen-year-old Traveller girl from a seedy local caravan park has vanished without a trace. Duffy’s sense that this is more than a case of a teenage runaway, is soon confirmed when he uncovers a network of lurid middle-aged men closely connected with the girl. Fearing that every second lost could mean the case remaining unsolved, Duffy urgently tries to uncover what happened to the girl, while having to manage a high profile asset in the IRA. It may be Duffy’s last case, but it is turning out to be more dangerous and twisted than anyone expected.

The Detective Up Late contains all the elements we have come to expect from a McKinty novel. The writing is first rate, and the story commands attention from the opening pages. The plotting is tight and McKinty ably balances the action between the current missing persons case and the over-riding tension of managing an asset double crossing the IRA. There is plenty of reflection on the past, but overall the pacing is good with some very exciting set-pieces. Underlining it all is a good twisty storyline about the missing girl, that bristles with poignancy and offers a few neat surprises.

As usual, the characterisations are very strong and McKinty seems to excel in his depiction of the period, including the sense of hope that greeted the beginning of the 1990s.

McKinty’s wry sense of humour is also well on display and he peppers his story with small details and cultural references that enhance the historical feel of the novel

Overall, The Detective Up Late is a fine piece of crime fiction and is one of my favourites of the year so far. Once more McKinty sets the standard for clever, reflective novels of detection.

I'm so glad Duffy is back - though only for this last case, apparently. As a Catholic cop in the Royal Ulster Constabulary, he's right in the middle of the Troubles. He's dealing with a nervous triple agent who is high maintenance while planning to cut back to part time work as he moves his family to Scotland for their safety, and he's tackling his last case: a missing girl who nobody seems to care about. She's a traveller, so who cares? That just sends Duffy into peak stubbornness, and he's determined to find out what has happened to her.

I have loved this series. It's well plotted, full of great dialogue, and gives readers an insider view of Northern Ireland during it's most perilous moments. Though I would love to see it continue, there's a kind of resolution in this novel, with a detective at the top of his game, wondering if the 1990s might bring some relief in the violence, but at peace with his plan to pull back on his career, do just enough to collect a pension, and make sure his family is no longer going to wonder when the violence will come to their door again.

I'm glad for McKinty's sake he's been able to publish successful thrillers in the commercial mode, because he deserves to make a living with his writing, but this is so much better. I hope he'll have gained enough of an audience to write what he wants and get the accolades and sales he so richly deserves.

I really enjoy Mckinty’s Duffy series of detective novels set in Northern Ireland. I’ve read them all. I really liked this one—well written with great characters. I just felt that the first two thirds of the book sort of dragged without much really happening. This slowness was remedied in the last third of the book where things picked up and the ending was just great. All in all highly recommended.

Absolutely bloody brilliant. I don't know if this is the last Sean Duffy. If it is, my heart will be broken. But he couldn't have gone out on a higher note. Duffy and McCrabban are both taking advantage of stepping down to part time, working only seven days a month, until they are eligible for their full pensions. Their last case is a missing tinker girl, who, it turns out, is only 15 but already on the game. And with a list of clients who have a lot to lose if it comes out publically that she is a minor.

Although I've read (and loved) many of Adrian McKinty's standalone novels, this is the first time that I've read one of the 'Sean Duffy' series and it's brilliant - a masterclass in how to write a tense, pacey and atmospheric thriller that catches the reader's attention from the opening page and holds it until the final paragraph.
The story commences on New Year's Eve, 1979, just as the new decade dawns and there is hope for a brighter future for the citizens of Northern Ireland - and in particular Belfast city. Our eponymous hero has received the news that he is to become a Detective Sargent and is full of plans. Then we jump forward to New Year's Eve, 1989 and Sean in on holidays with his partner and her family. His life has changed hugely over the intervening decade and he is now a Detective Inspector, in charge of a department and about to retire, and move to Scotland. The reason for the retirement/move is due to the number of attempts on his life in recent years and in particular an attack not that long ago, on his family home where his partner (Beth) and child (Emma) were in danger. Of course this will not be a full retirement as he wishes to collect his pension from the RUC and will work seven days a month from the station.
And so he is facing into 'Duffy's Last Case, a missing person's case where a young Traveller girl has been reported missing. Many of his colleagues don't care considering that she is "just a traveller" but Duffy cares and along with Lawson and McCrabban (Crabby) he dives right in and soon our trio discover the MI5, may well be involved - along with the local paramilitaries.
Duffy is an unusual character - very self-aware, full of dry humour and inclined to narrate his circumstances. Allowing the reader to understand what drives him and his behaviour, The background of Belfast and 'The Troubles' offers the perfect, problematic background.
Now, to read the previous books in the series as I need to learn more about Sean Duffy!

I really enjoyed the previous two books I read from this author that were stand alones. This was my first introduction to the Sean Duffy books. After getting into this one it became apparent that while I appreciated the writing style, I just didn't like this character. I did not finish this one and will not be leaving reviews outside of netgalley. I do look forward to more books by this author and can't wait to read them.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely extraordinary. One of the finest detective novels I've ever read. Superb writing well worth savoring combined with a subtle, layered narrative filled with just enough twists to keep you surprised.

What really makes it work for me is the voice of Inspector Duffy: cynical, witty, self-aware, and immediate. It draws you in and binds you tightly to the narrative.

What doesn't work for me is the whole Belfast thing. I know nothing about Belfast and honestly haven't the slightest interest in it, so the local expressions and geographical explanations went right over my head. But you know what? By halfway through the book, that didn't matter. The voice of Inspector Duffy had me so caught up in the narrative that everything else faded away.

This is a wonderful detective novel. Truly.

I liked other books by McKinty, but the plot of this one just wasn't for me. Still, it was well-written and will definitely be compelling enough for the right audience.

The Detective Up Late by Adrian McKinity
Starred Review.

Summary: Sean Duffy is back. Sean is older mature and about to retire to a simple life. He gets called back to locate a missing girl while he is on vacation in Israel right before the New Year. When he and his team look for her the case begins to involve all sorts of strange men. Is this the last case for Sean, is this the last bomb he has to look for under his Beemer?

Comments: Number seven in the Sean Duffy series. McKinity is at his best when he writes the terrific novels. I love them. More please.