The Recurring Cast
Character guide · 11 books · 2003 to 2025 · Mostly set in Carrickfergus

Adrian McKinty

Crime and mysteryPolice proceduralNoir and hardboiled

Sean Duffy is a Catholic detective in the Royal Ulster Constabulary during the Troubles, checking under his car for bombs every morning in Carrickfergus. McKinty’s Dead trilogy follows Irish gangster Michael Forsythe.

Best estimate, compiled from series guides, publisher descriptions and reviews where available, and from memory otherwise. Book level only, not chapter level. Minor includes cameos and brief references. Each book carries a confidence rating in its tooltip. McKinty is from Northern Ireland and lives in the US. His standalones, including The Chain, are left out.

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Who appears in which book

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LLeadMMajor·MinorHas a note
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Adrian McKinty books in order

Each series in publication order, with its lead characters. Where the story runs in a different order, switch to Story order. Crossover books are marked and listed under their main series. Use My books to track what you have read.

Sean Duffy

8 books · Set in CarrickfergusPolice procedural
  1. 1The Cold Cold Ground2012With Sean DuffyBuy on Amazon
  2. 2I Hear the Sirens in the Street2013With Sean DuffyBuy on Amazon
  3. 3In the Morning I’ll Be Gone2014With Sean DuffyBuy on Amazon
  4. 4Gun Street Girl2015With Sean DuffyBuy on Amazon
  5. 5Rain Dogs2016With Sean DuffyBuy on Amazon
  6. 6Police at the Station and They Don’t Look Friendly2017With Sean DuffyBuy on Amazon
  7. 7The Detective Up Late2023With Sean DuffyBuy on Amazon
  8. 8Hang On St. Christopher2025With Sean DuffyBuy on Amazon

Michael Forsythe

3 books · Set in various placesNoir and hardboiled
  1. 1Dead I Well May Be2003With Michael ForsytheBuy on Amazon
  2. 2The Dead Yard2006With Michael ForsytheBuy on Amazon
  3. 3The Bloomsday Dead2007With Michael ForsytheBuy on Amazon

Characters

5 recurring and key characters, with the book each one first appears in.

Carrickfergus RUC

Michael Forsythe