The most recommended books about Belfast

Who picked these books? Meet our 22 experts.

22 authors created a book list connected to Belfast, and here are their favorite Belfast books.
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Book cover of Intimacies

Carolyn Mathews Author Of Transforming Pandora

From Carolyn's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Creator Meditator Messenger Shopaholic

Carolyn's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Carolyn Mathews Why did Carolyn love this book?

I chose this book of short stories because I loved Caldwell's winning entry for the 2021 British National Story Award: "All the People Were Mean and Bad" included in this book. 

This story focuses on an encounter between the mother and an attentive man in the next seat who fetches milk for the hungry child. We learn she's an architect, lonely and yearning to return to her profession, dreading becoming pregnant again, as her husband is often away.

As I read this book on a flight to Crete, I observed a baby being nursed by an extended family, each taking turns to amuse the little one. And I thought, if only all parents had such loving support to help them cope.

By Lucy Caldwell,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Intimacies as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

*Includes the winner of the 2021 BBC National Short Story Award*

'Smart, nuanced and sometimes heart-stopping.' Anne Enright
'Outstanding.' Guardian
'Eleven perfect stories.' Irish Independent
'Glorious.' The Times
'My FAVE collection ever.' Pandora Sykes

In eleven stories, Intimacies exquisitely charts the steps and missteps of young women trying to find their place in the world. From a Belfast student ordering illegal drugs online to end an unwanted pregnancy to a young mother's brush with mortality, and from a Christmas Eve walking the city centre streets when everything seems possible, to a night flight from Canada which could change a lifeā€¦


Book cover of A Breed of Heroes

Simon Akam Author Of The Changing of the Guard: the British army since 9/11

From my list on the British Army.

Why am I passionate about this?

In 2003-4 I spent a year in the British Army between school and university. Ten years later, having become a journalist, I returned to investigate what a decade of war had done to the institution I knew as an adolescent. In the years I spent researching and writing The Changing of the Guard I read reams of non-fiction. However, novels retain an ability to hit wider ā€“ or harder truths ā€“ and some of our greatest writers have fictionalised British Army life. Here is a selection of British Army novels, well-known and less so. They take in conflicts ranging from the First and Second World Wars through to Northern Ireland and Afghanistan. 

Simon's book list on the British Army

Simon Akam Why did Simon love this book?

I found this novel on a secondhand stall in Kenya when I was 18 or 19 and devoured it. Little known today, it was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and later adapted by the BBC.

Judd relates a tour by a fictional British Army unit in Northern Ireland in some of the most violent days of the Troubles in the 1970s. The protagonist, Charles Thoroughgood, is an Oxford graduate at a time when most army officers were school leavers, and the book chants his increasing disillusionment.

My early edition featured on the cover ā€“ next to a crouching individual in combats toting a pistol on a lanyard ā€“ an endorsement from Jack Higgins: ā€œQuite simply one of the best novels of army life Iā€™ve read in years.ā€ Higgins was right. 

By Alan Judd,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Breed of Heroes as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

FROM THE HIGHLY ACCLAIMED AUTHOR OF LEGACY AND ACCIDENTAL AGENT

After university and Sandhurst, Charles Thoroughgood has now joined the Assault Commandos and is on a four-month tour of duty in Armagh and Belfast. The thankless task facing him and his men -- to patrol the tension-filled streets through weeks of boredom punctuated by bursts of horror -- takes them through times of tragedy, madness, laughter and terror.

Alan Judd tells Thoroughgood's tale with verve, compassion and humour. The result is an exceptionally fine novel which blends bitter human incident with army farce.

'Quite simply one of the best novelsā€¦


Book cover of The Murder Game

Colin Andrews Author Of Shattered Pretensions

From Colin's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Retired science teacher Folk singer & musician Morris dancer Avid reader Researcher

Colin's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Colin Andrews Why did Colin love this book?

The brief scenario on the book's cover reminded me of a classic Agatha Christie novel. Neither Miss Marple nor Hercule Poirot, however, were among the guests gathered at a remote hotel on the North Devon coast for a New Year's Eve murder mystery game devised by a member of staff.

I was not surprised that make-believe quickly became fact, nor that everyone presentā€”guests and staffā€”would have a motive. My attention was gripped by the many twists and turns in the story, linked to an old lighthouse and two deaths in the nearby village years earlier.

I didn't guess the identity of the murderer until revealed in the last few pages, but in retrospect, I realised that subtle clues had been placed in the narrative.

By Tom Hindle,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Murder Game as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

One house. Nine guests. Endless motives for murder...

Guests assemble at Hamlet Hall for a New Year's Eve party to remember.

They are to take part in a murder mystery game with a 1920s twist, and everyone has their own part to play.

But the evening has barely begun when one guest is found dead - killed by an injury to the head.

Someone is playing by their own rules.

And in a close-knit community, old rivalries run deep...

___________________________________________________

Readers are loving The Murder Game . . .

'Absolutely loved it'
'A must-read for Christie fans'
'Full of tension'ā€¦


Book cover of In This Bright Future

Lia Matera Author Of Star Witness: A Willa Jansson Mystery

From Lia's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Recovering lawyer

Lia's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Lia Matera Why did Lia love this book?

I'm completely charmed by Peter Grainger's D.C. Smith, a seemingly (but only seemingly) mild-mannered police detective whose understated style and sly humor remind me of John le CarrƩ's George Smiley. This book, although part of a series, is close to being a stand-alone, with Smith far from home and work.

Thirty years earlier, Smith was a British officer in Belfast, undercover with the IRA. He barely escaped with his life when his cover was blown, and he's had no contact with anyone there since, including people he'd grown to love. That changes when a young Belfastian tracks him down, blaming him for the disappearance (unbeknownst to Smith) of his uncle right after Smith fled. Smith returns to Belfast to try to discover what happened that night.

The story emerges as Smith risks his life to confront and question members of the IRA cell he betrayed.

By Peter Grainger,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked In This Bright Future as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Two weeks of rest and recuperation ā€“ thatā€™s what the doctor ordered. Detective Sergeant DC Smith could listen to some music, make some of his own and maybe even catch up on his reading; he is almost looking forward to it. And then there is a knock on the door. Itā€™s only his next-door neighbour but it is the beginning of a sequence of events that will bring him face to face with some of the darkest episodes and the most dangerous people from his own past. This is Smithā€™s fifth investigation but this time itā€™s personal.


Book cover of Police at the Station and They Don't Look Friendly

Natalie Conyer Author Of Present Tense: A Schalk Lourens Mystery

From my list on crime featuring flawed detectives.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™ve always read and loved crime fiction ā€“ so much so I did a doctorate in it. I believe good crime fiction has the capacity to explore particular societies, places, and times in interesting and enjoyable ways. I also like crime fictionā€™s focus on character, and particularly in crime series which show a character evolving over time. Thatā€™s why I chose the theme of ā€˜flawed detectiveā€™ and thatā€™s what Iā€™m trying to do in my Schalk Lourens series, of which Present Tense is the first. I hope you enjoy it, and also the other books Iā€™ve recommended here.

Natalie's book list on crime featuring flawed detectives

Natalie Conyer Why did Natalie love this book?

Ireland again, this time in the 80s, and right in the middle of the Troubles. Adrian McKintyā€™s cop, Sean Duffy, is an outsider, a Catholic in a Protestant police force. Heā€™s irreverent, sarcastic, bitter, and a more than occasional drug user. In Police at the Station (6th in the series) Duffy investigates the murder of a small-time heroin dealer, whoā€™s been shot by a crossbow. Meanwhile his posh girlfriend wants to moveā€¦the Sean Duffy novels are tough, funny, exciting, and extremely well done. Enjoy!

By Adrian McKinty,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Police at the Station and They Don't Look Friendly as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

New York Times Bestselling author

Another thrilling mystery featuring Detective Sean Duffy and his most dangerous investigation yet

Belfast, 1988. A man is found dead, killed with a bolt from a crossbow in front of his house. This is no hunting accident. But uncovering who is responsible for the murder will take Detective Sean Duffy down his most dangerous road yet, a road that leads to a lonely clearing on a high bog where three masked gunmen will force Duffy to dig his own grave.

Hunted by forces unknown, threatened by Internal Affairs, and with his relationship on the rocks,ā€¦


Book cover of Across The Barricades

Katy Jordan Author Of Colour Coded: The Black Bullet

From my list on an entertaining escape from reality.

Why am I passionate about this?

I always look for an escape from reality, but itā€™s not always because the world gets exhausting and I need a change of scenery. Sometimes, Iā€™m looking to learn. As an autistic person, people can be very confusing to me. I love a book that throws something new at me to try and figure out how a certain person functions, or why they think/feel the way they do, and if I canā€™t do it on my own, I can discuss the book with friends and family and create a discussion through the medium of storytelling and novel writing. Autism can be very debilitating at times, so an escape is always a handy thing to have!

Katy's book list on an entertaining escape from reality

Katy Jordan Why did Katy love this book?

An epic love story. This novel explores a Catholic and a Protestant trying to be together when it was once inequivocally frowned upon. A huge hurdle that tries to prevent love from flourishing. And whatā€™s a story without some kind of love angle in there somewhere? No one can know what they do, so starting a relationship with someone out with the organisation isnā€™t an option. Unless theyā€™re lucky enough to find love with one of the other members, their fate was sealed when they signed their life away.

By Joan Lingard,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Across The Barricades as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An engaging classroom playscript. Kevin is Catholic. Sadie is Protestant. In Belfast they are supposed to be enemies - so what chance do they have when they fall in love?


Book cover of Close to Home

Eamonn O'Kane Author Of The Northern Ireland Peace Process: From Armed Conflict to Brexit

From my list on Northern Ireland and the conflict it endured.

Why am I passionate about this?

Born to Irish parents in London, the conflict in Northern Ireland was a subject of discussion (but not debate) throughout my childhood. My understanding of the conflict was shaped by the distance we were from it and the (often romanticized) history of Ireland that was shared with me. I then spent many years studying the conflict and found myself agreeing with the view of Paul Anderson (used as the epigram to a book I chose for this list), ā€˜I have yet to see any problem, however complicated, which when you looked at it the right way did not become still more complicated.ā€™ But I believe we still need to look.

Eamonn's book list on Northern Ireland and the conflict it endured

Eamonn O'Kane Why did Eamonn love this book?

Michael Mageeā€™s novel is a cracking exploration of life in contemporary Belfast. The examination of a young manā€™s quest to find some direction and economic stability whilst working in precarious employment had me hooked from the outset. His attempts to deal with the fall-out from a casual act of violence and his romantic/friendship dilemmas seemed to sum up well the struggles many faced in their early 20s, between university and their ā€˜futureā€™ (alas, a distant memory for me now). 

So far, so rite of passage-y. But what I think makes the book an informative read on Northern Ireland and its conflict is the fact that the impact of that violent period is an ever-present but infrequently acknowledged factor in a book set 30 years after the violence (largely) ended.  When it does appear in the novel, it is often unheralded, disruptive, and fleeting. This made me reflect on the extentā€¦

By Michael Magee,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Close to Home as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

WINNER OF THE ROONEY PRIZE FOR LITERATURE 2023
WINNER OF THE NERO BOOK AWARD FOR DEBUT FICTION 2023
WINNER OF THE JOHN MCGAHERN PRIZE 2024
WATERSTONES IRISH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023

Sean is back. Back in Belfast and back into old habits. Back on the mad all-nighters, the borrowed tenners and missing rent, the casual jobs that always fall through. Back in these scarred streets, where the promised prosperity of peacetime has never arrived. Back among his brothers, his ma, and all the things they never talk about. Until one night Sean finds himself at a party - dog-tired,ā€¦


Book cover of The Cold Cold Ground

Ben Fox

From Ben's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Entrepreneur Super reader Long distance biker Traveler Pirate captain

Ben's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Ben Fox Why did Ben love this book?

This is one of the best detective series Iā€™ve read since Bosch. 

There is something about Detective Sean Duffy that I find utterly fascinating. He has a personal sense of justice (like Bosch), and he has an intense desire to see it applied no matter the cost. And as a Catholic policeman in a Protestant system, the tension of being this one-man island is heavy. 

The entire series is set during "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland, which makes for an exciting backdrop. I always like books that mix in history like this. I had fun jumping into Wikipedia as I encountered unfamiliar historical events. 

The writing is fantastic, and I blew through all seven books in the series in just two weeks.

By Adrian McKinty,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked The Cold Cold Ground as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Fast-paced, evocative, and brutal, The Cold Cold Ground is a brilliant depiction of Belfast at the height of the Troubles -- and of a cop treading a thin, thin line.

Northern Ireland, spring 1981. Hunger strikes, riots, power cuts, a homophobic serial killer with a penchant for opera, and a young womanā€™s suicide that may yet turn out to be murder: on the surface, the events are unconnected, but then things -- and people -- arenā€™t always what they seem. Detective Sergeant Duffy is the man tasked with trying to get to the bottom of it all. Itā€™s no easyā€¦


Book cover of The Detective Up Late

Paul French Author Of City of Devils: A Shanghai Noir

From Paul's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Compulsive reader

Paul's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Paul French Why did Paul love this book?

McKintyā€™s Sean Duffy series (The Detective Up Late is #7) has been a barnstormer of a series since the get-go.

Duffy, a Catholic Royal Ulster Constabulary officer in ā€˜Troublesā€™ torn Northern Ireland has a price on his head. So maybe as the 80s bleeds inexorably into the 90s and peace remains a long, long way off itā€™s time to retire. But before that one last case.

Ending a series on a high note is a tough proposition for any writer ā€“ but McKinty nails it and maybe, just maybe, there might yet still be a resurrection for Duffy ahead.  

By Adrian McKinty,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Detective Up Late as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From New York Times bestselling author Adrian McKinty comes the next thrilling mystery in the Edgar Award-winning Sean Duffy detective series.

Slamming the door on the hellscape of 1980s Belfast, Detective Inspector Sean Duffy hopes that the 1990s are going to be better for him and the people of Northern Ireland. As a Catholic cop in the mainly Protestant RUC he still has a target on his back, and with a steady girlfriend and a child the stakes couldn't be higher. 

After handling a mercurial triple agent and surviving the riots and bombings and assassination attempts, all Duffy wants toā€¦


Book cover of Northern Spy

Lynn Kanter Author Of Her Own Vietnam

From my list on when the political turns personal.

Why am I passionate about this?

Many of us were taught as children that life isnā€™t fair. I never accepted this; shouldnā€™t we do all we can to make life fair? I grew up to be a lifelong activist and a writer for social justice organizations. As a reader and writer, I love books about womenā€™s lives, especially women who realize that the world around them shapes their own experiences. Sometimes history is happening right here, right nowā€”and you know it. Those transformative moments spark the best stories, illuminating each book Iā€™ve recommended. 

Lynn's book list on when the political turns personal

Lynn Kanter Why did Lynn love this book?

With its taut, beautiful writing and ever-rising tension, this novel kept me reading late into the night. In 2008 Belfast, ā€œthe Troublesā€ are very much alive, and sisters Tessa and Marian have grown into adulthood in a combustible atmosphere of menace.

When Tessa discovers that her sister has been involved in the IRA and has now become an informer against it, she plunges into the world of spies to help Marian end the ceaseless cycle of violence and retribution. The novel is more than a hold-your-breath thriller. I loved its exploration of what ā€œterrorismā€ means when the terrorists are your neighbors and family and how much two women are willing to risk for peaceā€”and each other. 

By Flynn Berry,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Northern Spy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK - SOON TO BE A MAJOR NETFLIX PRODUCTION

'You'll devour Northern Spy . . . I loved this thrill ride of a book'
Reese Witherspoon

'A sharp, moving thriller: you lose your breath for adrenalin'
Abigail Dean, author of Girl A

'A chilling, gorgeously written tale'
New York Times

'Nerve-shredding suspense'
Daily Mail

'Thrillingly good... Flynn Berry shows a le Carre-like flair for making you wonder what's really going on at any given moment'
Washington Post

A producer at the Belfast bureau of the BBC, Tessa is at workā€¦


Book cover of Intimacies
Book cover of A Breed of Heroes
Book cover of The Murder Game

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