Fintan Dunne books in order

Q: "How many books are in the Fintan Dunne series?"

"There are three books in the Fintan Dunne series, published between 2005 and 2013."

Q: "What is the first book in the Fintan Dunne series?"

"The first book in the Fintan Dunne series is The Hour of the Cat, published in 2005."

Q: "What historical events does the Fintan Dunne series cover?"

"Each book covers a different era of twentieth-century history. The Hour of the Cat is set in late 1930s New York on the eve of World War II. The Man Who Never Returned revisits the real unsolved 1930 disappearance of Judge Joseph Crater. Dry Bones moves into the early Cold War, with Dunne working for the OSS, the forerunner of the CIA."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	The Hour of the Cat	2005	Peter Quinn	Buy
2	The Man Who Never Returned	2010	Peter Quinn	Buy
3	Dry Bones	2013	Peter Quinn	Buy

The Fintan Dunne series by Peter Quinn follows an Irish-American private detective through decades of New York City history. Each novel stands alone as a mystery while building a portrait of how the city changed from the Depression era through the Cold War.

The Hour of the Cat (2005) is set in the late 1930s, with Dunne investigating a case that leads him into a Nazi-inspired eugenics conspiracy operating in New York just before the United States enters World War II. The Man Who Never Returned (2010) is built around the real-life disappearance of New York Supreme Court Justice Joseph Crater in 1930, a case that has never been solved. Dry Bones (2013) takes Dunne into the world of the OSS, the precursor to the CIA, during the early Cold War.

Quinn’s writing blends noir-inflected detective fiction with careful historical research. Fintan Dunne is a descendant of characters from Quinn’s earlier American Book Award-winning novel Banished Children of Eve, connecting the series to a broader story of Irish-American life in New York across generations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Fintan Dunne series?

There are three books in the Fintan Dunne series, published between 2005 and 2013.

What is the first book in the Fintan Dunne series?

The first book in the Fintan Dunne series is The Hour of the Cat, published in 2005.

What historical events does the Fintan Dunne series cover?

Each book covers a different era of twentieth-century history. The Hour of the Cat is set in late 1930s New York on the eve of World War II. The Man Who Never Returned revisits the real unsolved 1930 disappearance of Judge Joseph Crater. Dry Bones moves into the early Cold War, with Dunne working for the OSS, the forerunner of the CIA.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order