Iain Kelly


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Iain Kelly

Goodreads Author


Born
Glasgow, The United Kingdom
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Member Since
July 2012


Iain Kelly lives in Scotland, UK. His latest novel, 'Hostile City', a follow up to the crime thriller 'Full Sun', was published in January 2026. Both books feature ex-convict Cal Jackson and are set in Glasgow.

Iain is married with two children and works in the media industry as a television editor. When he is not creating stories through sound and vision, he is writing them. 'A Justified State,' published in 2018, was his first novel. It was followed by a sequel, 'State Of Denial' in September 2019 and 'State Of War' in 2020, which concluded 'The State' trilogy.
In 2022, he first partnered with The Book Guild to publish the coming-of-age mystery 'The Barra Boy', which was followed in 2024 by the historical thriller 'All We Cannot Leave Behi
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Iain Kelly I'm moving onto my third novel, and the finale of my 'State Trilogy' of stories - 'State Of War'.…moreI'm moving onto my third novel, and the finale of my 'State Trilogy' of stories - 'State Of War'.(less)
Average rating: 4.15 · 452 ratings · 161 reviews · 9 distinct worksSimilar authors
The Barra Boy

really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 234 ratings — published 2022 — 2 editions
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All We Cannot Leave Behind

4.15 avg rating — 74 ratings2 editions
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A Justified State (The Stat...

4.42 avg rating — 48 ratings3 editions
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Full Sun (Cal Jackson, #1)

4.29 avg rating — 48 ratings — published 2024 — 2 editions
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State Of Denial (The State ...

4.47 avg rating — 19 ratings3 editions
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State Of War (The State Tri...

4.18 avg rating — 17 ratings3 editions
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Hostile City (Cal Jackson, #2)

4.71 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2026 — 2 editions
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Collected Sketches

4.75 avg rating — 4 ratings3 editions
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The State Trilogy: Complete...

it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating3 editions
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January Reads

January Reads – a mix of true crime, crime fiction, literary giants, Booker prize winners and nostalgia with Back to the Future. A strong start to 2026! Zodiac – Robert Graysmith *****My Mother’s Murder – Gina McGavin ****Marble Hall Murders – Anthony Horowitz *****Son of a Witch – Gregory Maguire ****If On a Winter’s Night […]
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Published on February 02, 2026 05:26
Meet the Newmans
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by Jennifer Niven (Goodreads Author)
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Iain is now friends with Michael Sörensen
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I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
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A fascinating investigative piece about a dark and violent serial killer and the effort to bring him to justice. Ultimately the fact that the Golden State Killer was apprehended through DNA without having ever been a suspect doesn't undo the hard wor ...more
Iain and 69 other people liked Julie Ehlers's review of I'll Be Gone in the Dark:
I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
"I'll Be Gone in the Dark does several things very successfully. It reports compellingly on the Golden State Killer and the various law-enforcement personnel who tried to track him down—and in some cases, are still trying. It gives a fascinating windo" Read more of this review »
I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
"Review to come."
I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
"A compelling true crime book that is part investigation, part memoir, ‘I’ll Be Gone in the Dark’ is gripping and fascinating. I’ll confess that I found the first half (which contains accounts of many of the crimes committed by the Golden State Killer" Read more of this review »
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Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven
Meet the Newmans
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The Benefactors by Wendy Erskine
The Benefactors
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Devoured within a couple of days. Once you get into the rhythm of the multiple voices and a couple of early time jumps are put the way, the book takes off and doesn't stop until the end. Fascinating characters, in a situation that is a moral and soci ...more
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I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
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Havoc Shore by Maureen Cullen
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A collection of short stories centered on the fictional town of Havoc on the River Clyde in Glasgow. Rich with memorable characters and dialogue, and filled with humour in sometimes dark situations, the author has a real feel for realism and anyone w ...more
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The Benefactors by Wendy Erskine
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Comments (showing 1-4)    post a comment »
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message 4: by Iain

Iain Iain wrote: "The Clock Winder: a short story
I'm currently halfway through reading 'Orbital', so your review was very helpful. If you would like a complimentary copy of my short story, The Cloc..."
Hi Iain, thanks for the offer - I'd be delighted to receive a copy of your short story. Hope you are enjoying Orbital and wishing you all the best for 2025!


message 3: by Iain (last edited Jan 02, 2025 05:18AM)

Iain The Clock Winder: a short story
I'm currently halfway through reading 'Orbital', so your review was very helpful. If you would like a complimentary copy of my short story, The Clock Winder, I'd be more than happy to post you a copy.


message 2: by Iain

Iain Tom wrote: "Hi Iain, thank you for accepting my friend request! Your book, Collected Sketches, looks intriguing! I put it in my “to read” category and look forward to reading it!" Thanks Tom, and thanks for the request to connect. 'Collected Sketches' seems so long ago now! Hope you enjoy and are maybe encouraged to seek out my longer fiction novels too. Best wishes, Iain


message 1: by Tom

Tom Cola Hi Iain, thank you for accepting my friend request! Your book, Collected Sketches, looks intriguing! I put it in my “to read” category and look forward to reading it!


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