Seven Irish Crime Series to Get You Through the Winter

Ireland is a land of contrasts. Moody grey skies clash with the vivid rolling green hills. Rainy days make curling up by the fire with a great book, or series of books, an appealing idea. It should come as no surprise that the setting proves to be the ideal place for writers to craft mysterious, brooding characters ripe with contrasts of their own.

These seven detective series set in Ireland are perfect for diving in and settling down with during a long stretch of wet, cold days.

1.      The Sean Duffy books by Adrian McKinty

If you’re looking for dark humor with a healthy dose of sarcasm set in Northern Ireland during the 1980s and 90s, then the Sean Duffy books are a perfect fit. The series follows Detective Sean Duffy as he navigates life as a Catholic police officer in the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Each of the eight books in the series will leave you breathless as you try to keep up with Duffy’s exploits. McKinty is a master at using humor to lighten some pretty dark moments throughout and the series highlights critical moments in Northern Ireland’s recent history.

2.      The Dublin Murder Squad books by Tana French

The Dublin Murder Squad books begin with Tana French’s outstanding debut novel, In the Woods. Instead of one main character like most detective series, each of these books follows a different member of the fictitious murder squad as they navigate personal and professional adversity. French has a gift for writing about the nuances that make a society tick which is evident in this series. All six books are filled with beautifully descriptive scenery that makes the reader feel as though they are walking the streets of Dublin.

3.      The Cormac Reilly books by Dervla McTiernan

The four Cormac Reilly books take readers to the west cost of Ireland. The Galway setting provides the perfect dark and stormy backdrop for Detective Cormac Reilly, a detective haunted by his past. McTiernan’s rich character development paints Reilly as a sympathetic, yet imperfect, protagonist. Readers will appreciate the true to life characters and the beauty of Ireland’s west coast.

4.      The Maggie D’Arcy books by Sarah Stewart Taylor

The Maggie D’Arcy books take readers from Long Island, New York, to Dublin, Wicklow, Cork, and back to Dublin. Like the other series in this list, the setting and landscape are intricately woven into the plot. The protagonist is a former American police officer who settles in Ireland with her teenaged daughter and becomes a Garda. Along with navigating a new role in an unfamiliar force, D’Arcy must learn how to live in a different country as she works to rebuild her personal and professional lives.

5.      The Inspector Tom Reynolds books by Jo Spain

Dublin Inspector Tom Reynolds and his team tackle cases that deal with a wide range of issues including the legacy of the Magdelene Laundries, political scandal, and the- privileges afforded the upper class. Each of the six books in the series covers a different case and the reader gets to witness how the members of Reynolds’ team and Reynolds himself grow and change throughout the years.  

6.      The Frankie Sheehan books by Olivia Kiernan

Detective Chief Superintendent Frankie Sheehan is the protagonist of Olivia Kiernan’s excellent four book series set in and around Dublin. Sheehan is a complex and flawed character who you can’t help but hope that better things are ahead for as you follow her through these dangerous cases ripe with secrets, betrayal, and deception. Kiernan has a talent for crafting unique plots and twists, both of which are evident in these books.

7.      The County Kerry books by Carlene O’Connor

The protagonist of the County Kerry books isn’t a detective. Instead, O’Connor’s stories revolve around veterinarian Dimpna Wilde. Her return to Dingle to take over her ailing father’s veterinary practice stirs up trouble from her past. Interwoven with Dimpna’s story is that of Inspector Cormac O’Brien. Wilde and O’Brien’s relationship develops slowly throughout the four books in the series as they both deal with their pasts, family secrets, and the pitfalls of a small town on the Irish coast.

Ireland is a breathtakingly beautiful place full of mystery, tragedy, and a complex history. The writers of these seven series are just a few of the talented writers that use their pen to tell the stories of those complexities through the eyes of richly drawn, flawed characters.