Eddie and the Gang With No Name Books in Order

Eddie and the Gang With No Name is Bateman's first venture into young adult territory, but it keeps much of the bite of his adult crime novels. The series follows Eddie Malone, a twelve to thirteen year old boy whose father has run off and whose mother takes a nursing job at a Belfast maternity hospital in a rough part of town. Their new flat sits beside the hospital and in the shadow of the local gang, the Reservoir Pups.

In Reservoir Pups Eddie is wrongly accused of already working for the Pups and, backed into a corner, decides he might as well join them. His initiation task is to steal security codes from the hospital, but during the break in he stumbles on a plan to kidnap babies from the nursery. Kicked out of the gang and warned to watch his back, he chooses to try to stop the crime himself, pulling in local kids and making enemies on all sides.

The second book, Bring Me the Head of Oliver Plunkett, throws Eddie together with runaway orphans Pat and Sean, who have witnessed the theft of a famous saint's preserved head from a church. Feeling guilty for failing to intervene, they rope Eddie and his albino best friend Mo into trying to recover the relic. What follows is a chase through churches, safe houses and criminal hideouts that takes in ruthless gang boss Scarface Cutler and his blind son Ivan.

In The Seagulls Have Landed Eddie faces his most personal crisis. His newborn half brother disappears and his search intersects with a wave of immigrants known as the Seagulls and a new, highly addictive street drug called Crush. The story looks at prejudice, exploitation and fear without losing the fast pace, jokes and outlandish villains that define the series.

Throughout the trilogy Eddie narrates in a voice that is cheeky, scared and surprisingly thoughtful. The books are full of slapstick and gross out moments, yet they are also honest about violence, bullying and the way adults can fail children. Friendship with Mo, loyalty to his mum and a stubborn sense of right and wrong keep dragging Eddie back into danger when it would be easier to look away.

These are crime capers pitched at older kids and younger teens rather than cosy mysteries. They are ideal for readers who like adventure series with real jeopardy, a strong sense of Belfast streets and a hero who knows he is in over his head but tries anyway.