Bűnös Budapest books in order

Q: "How many books are in the Bűnös Budapest series?"

"There are seven books in the Bűnös Budapest series, published between 2008 and 2012."

Q: "What is the first book in the Bűnös Budapest series?"

"The first book in the Bűnös Budapest series is A budapesti gengszter."

Q: "What is the historical setting of the Bűnös Budapest series?"

"The novels are set in Budapest from the mid-1930s through the early 1950s, a period covering the interwar years, World War II, and its aftermath. Zsigmond Gordon works as a crime reporter for Az Est, one of Hungary's most widely read newspapers of the era, and his time spent in the United States in the 1920s shapes how he operates."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	A budapesti gengszter	-	Vilmos Kondor	N/A
2	Szélhámos Budapest	-	Vilmos Kondor	N/A
3	Budapest Noir	2008	Vilmos Kondor	Buy
4	Bűnös Budapest	2010	Vilmos Kondor	N/A
5	A budapesti kém	2010	Vilmos Kondor	N/A
6	Budapest romokban	2011	Vilmos Kondor	N/A
7	Budapest novemberben	2012	Vilmos Kondor	N/A

The Bűnös Budapest series begins in 1936 with Budapest Noir and follows Zsigmond Gordon, a crime reporter whose years living in America give him a worldview and working style quite different from those around him. The series ran from 2008 to 2012 across seven novels, each set in a Budapest shaped by political pressure, foreign occupation, and social upheaval.

Kondor drew on the conventions of American hard-boiled fiction. Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett are clear reference points, but the stories are grounded in a specifically Hungarian context. The atmosphere of the books reflects the anxieties of a city that passed from one authoritarian hand to another during the period the series covers.

The first book, Budapest Noir, was the one that reached international audiences and was translated into English and several other languages. It was later adapted as a film that premiered in 2017. The remaining six novels in the series have been published in Hungarian only.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Bűnös Budapest series?

There are seven books in the Bűnös Budapest series, published between 2008 and 2012.

What is the first book in the Bűnös Budapest series?

The first book in the Bűnös Budapest series is A budapesti gengszter.

What is the historical setting of the Bűnös Budapest series?

The novels are set in Budapest from the mid-1930s through the early 1950s, a period covering the interwar years, World War II, and its aftermath. Zsigmond Gordon works as a crime reporter for Az Est, one of Hungary’s most widely read newspapers of the era, and his time spent in the United States in the 1920s shapes how he operates.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order