John Connolly

"Being scared isn't the problem, it's not running away that's the hard part."

John Connolly was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1968 and has, at various points in his life, worked as a journalist, a barman, a local government official, a waiter and a dogsbody at Harrods department store in London. He studied English in Trinity College, Dublin and journalism at Dublin City University, subsequently spending five years working as a freelance journalist for The Irish Times newspaper, to which he continues to contribute.

His first novel, Every Dead Thing, was published in 1999, and introduced the character of Charlie Parker, a former policeman hunting the killer of his wife and daughter. Dark Hollow followed in 2000. The third Parker novel, The Killing Kind, was published in 2001, with The White Road following in 2002. In 2003, John published his fifth novel—and first stand-alone book—Bad Men. In 2004, Nocturnes, a collection of novellas and short stories, was added to the list, and 2005 marked the publication of the fifth Charlie Parker novel, The Black Angel. John's seventh novel, The Book of Lost Things, a story about fairy stories and the power that books have to shape our world and our imaginations, was published in September 2006, followed by the next Parker novel, The Unquiet, in 2007, The Reapers, in 2008, The Lovers, in 2009, and The Whisperers, the ninth Charlie Parker novel, in 2010.

John Connolly is based in Dublin but divides his time between his native city and the United States, where each of his novels has been set.

What genres does John Connolly write in?

He writes crime and mystery fiction with strong supernatural and dark fantasy elements. He is best known for his Charlie Parker series and has also written standalone fantasy and short story collections.

What is the Charlie Parker series and where should I start?

The Charlie Parker series follows a former policeman, Charlie Parker, who hunts killers and confronts evil. Start with Every Dead Thing, which was published in 1999 and introduces the character.

What is the recommended reading order for the Charlie Parker books?

Read the Parker novels in publication order, beginning with Every Dead Thing, then Dark Hollow, The Killing Kind, The White Road, The Black Angel, and continuing through the later titles. Publication order follows the character's chronological arc.

Does John Connolly write standalone books, and which are notable?

Yes. Notable standalones include The Book of Lost Things, a bestselling fantasy about fairy stories and the power of books, as well as Bad Men and collections such as Nocturnes.