Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Divorcing Jack | 1995 | Colin Bateman | Buy |
| 2 | Of Wee Sweetie Mice & Men | 1996 | Colin Bateman | Buy |
| 3 | The Turbulent Priests | 1999 | Colin Bateman | Buy |
| 4 | Shooting Sean | 2001 | Colin Bateman | Buy |
| 5 | The Horse with My Name | 2002 | Colin Bateman | Buy |
| 6 | Driving Big Davie | 2004 | Colin Bateman | Buy |
| 7 | Belfast Confidential | 2005 | Colin Bateman | Buy |
| 8 | Nine Inches | 2013 | Colin Bateman | Buy |
| 9 | Fire and Brimstone | 2013 | Colin Bateman | Buy |
| 10 | The Dead Pass | 2014 | Colin Bateman | Buy |
The Dan Starkey series is Colin Bateman’s longest-running and best-known body of work. It began with Divorcing Jack in 1995, which won the Betty Trask Award and was adapted into a film in 1998. The books follow Dan Starkey, a Belfast journalist whose personal life is almost as chaotic as the cases he gets tangled up in. He is married, cynical, frequently drunk, and seemingly unable to stay out of trouble.
Set against the changing landscape of Northern Ireland, the series blends crime fiction with dark comedy in a way that became Bateman’s signature. Early entries deal with the fallout of the Troubles, while later books like Belfast Confidential and Nine Inches reflect a more modern Belfast. The tone stays consistent throughout: fast-paced plotting, sharp dialogue, and a protagonist who somehow survives despite his worst instincts. Readers who enjoy irreverent crime fiction with a strong sense of place will find plenty to like in the ten Dan Starkey novels.