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Rain Dogs

Detective Sean Duffy, Book 5

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Rain Dogs

Written by: Adrian McKinty
Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
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About this listen

Edgar Award winner, Best Paperback Original, 2017.

Rain Dogs, a stunning installment in the Sean Duffy thriller series, following the Edgar Award-nominated Gun Street Girl, is "another standout in a superior series" (Booklist).

It's just the same things over and again for Sean Duffy: riot duty, heartbreak, cases he can solve but never get to court. But what detective gets two locked-room mysteries in one career?

When journalist Lily Bigelow is found dead in the courtyard of Carrickfergus castle, it looks like a suicide. Yet there are a few things that bother Duffy just enough to keep the case file open, which is how he finds out that Bigelow was working on a devastating investigation of corruption and abuse at the highest levels of power in the UK and beyond. And so Duffy has two impossible problems on his desk: Who killed Lily Bigelow? And what were they trying to hide?

©2016 Adrian McKinty (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Detective Fiction International Mystery & Crime Mystery Police Procedural Private Investigators Crime United Kingdom Heartfelt Crime Mystery

What the critics say

"McKinty expertly balances Duffy's tense and suspenseful investigation with the political tensions of the region." ( Publishers Review)
"McKinty manages a second locked-room success...another standout in a superior series, combining terrific plotting with evocative historical detail." ( Booklist)
"The tension between McKinty's competing love of tight, formal puzzles and loose, riffing dialogue is what makes the Duffy novels such a tremendous joy." ( The Guardian)
All stars
Most Relevant
Years since I read the Sean Doyle series but picked up right where I left off with this recording -
laugh out loud dialogue and inner thoughts, endearing Sean, lyrical prose, and tightly plotted storyline perfection. Right onto the next in the series now because I can’t let it go!

Adrian McKinty’s Writing/Gerard Doyle’s Reading - Winning Combo

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....Mckinty novel. His other novels in this series have better stories. Doyle's performance, as usual, is terrific.

Not my favorite

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Adrian McKinty pens an interesting case involving the "locked room" murder/staged-suicide of a reporter investigating rumors of an international pedophile conspiracy. Royal Ulster Constabulary Detective-Inspector Duffy pursues the case doggedly and brings his signature biting sarcasm and built-in institutional mistrust to the fore. The mystery is twisty-turny, plausible, and paced nicely. The fascinating detective colors the text with perceptive critiques of every piece of music that he hears, tells frequent jokes, and gets drunk & high unapologetically (I love this character).
Unfortunately, this episode in the series isn't particularly captivating. The victims & perpetrators are uninteresting, the crimes are fairly ho-hum, and the tension is forced. McKinty mailed it in somewhat on this one.

On the positive side: this recording represents the best reading performance that I have encountered from Gerard Doyle. His enjoyable natural Irish brogue is paired with a pitch-perfect understanding of McKinty's intended sardonic tone.. as well as unimpeachable voice-acting this time. Doyle's problems with dramatic expression better match the text in this offering, too (the story doesn't strain Doyle by calling overly much for emotiveness).

Altogether, 'Rain Dogs' rates 6 stars out of 10. If you can get it as a 'Plus' selection - or are entranced with the 'Sean Duffy' character - it's worth your time. If Audible asks for a Credit, however, you would do better spending it on another option.

Average 'Sean Duffy' Mystery

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