I Hear Sirens in the Street
Overview: In I Hear Sirens in the Street, a torso in a suitcase looks like an impossible case, but Sean Duffy isn’t easily deterred, especially when his floundering love life leaves him in need of distraction. So with Detective Constables McCrabbaan and McBride, he goes to work identifying the victim. The torso turns out to be all that’s left of an American tourist who once served in the US Military. What was he doing in Northern Ireland in the midst of the 1982 troubles? The trail leads to the doorstep of a beautiful, flame-haired, twentysomething widow, whose husband dies at the hands of the IRA assassination team jut a few months before. Suddenly Duffy is caught between his romantic instincts, gross professional misconduct, and powerful men he should know better than to mess with. These include British intelligence, the FBI, and local paramilitary death squads – enough to keep even the savviest detective busy. Duffy’s growing sense of self-doubt isn’t helping. But as a legendarily stubborn man, he doesn’t let that stop him from pursuing the case to its explosive conclusion.
Pages: 321 Pages
Writer: Adrian McKinty
Recommendations:
I Hear the Sirens in the Street is the second installment in Adrian McKinty’s gripping Sean Duffy series, following the critically acclaimed The Cold Cold Ground. Set in 1980s Northern Ireland during the height of the Troubles, this crime thriller once again puts Detective Inspector Sean Duffy in the crosshairs of danger, deception, and political intrigue.
When a body turns up stuffed in a suitcase, Duffy’s investigation leads him down a perilous path tangled with the FBI, the IRA, and high-ranking officials who would rather see him buried than see the truth come out. Every time the case seems to hit a dead end, Duffy pushes harder—though this time, his progress often feels more about luck than detective brilliance. He stumbles upon clues, narrowly escapes a hit squad (more than once), and somehow pieces together the mystery through sheer persistence and fortune.
While the story doesn’t hit quite as hard as The Cold Cold Ground, it still delivers a gritty, atmospheric crime narrative steeped in real-world history. McKinty masterfully blends fiction with fact, even weaving in automotive legend John DeLorean and the turbulent politics of the time. The realism of Belfast’s streets and the authenticity of McKinty’s writing make this world feel fully lived-in.
That said, Duffy’s reliance on luck rather than skill can be frustrating. He’s a flawed, complex character—something I usually love—but here it undercuts the satisfaction of watching a sharp detective piece together the truth. Still, McKinty’s knack for dark humor, razor-sharp dialogue, and historical detail make the novel worth reading.
Verdict: While not as tight or compelling as the first book, I Hear the Sirens in the Street remains a solid follow-up for fans of gritty, politically charged crime fiction. If you enjoy stories that mix real events with noir-style mystery, this one is worth adding to your reading list.