Arlene Hunt Books in Order

The Recommended Starting Points

If you are new to Arlene Hunt's atmospheric, hard-hitting brand of Irish crime fiction, you have a few excellent entry routes depending on what kind of mystery you enjoy most:

• For the classic detective duo dynamic: Start with False Intentions (2005). This is the book that kicks off her signature QuicK Investigations series. Reading this series in order is highly recommended so you can watch the personal and professional relationship between detectives John Quigley and Sarah Kenny evolve over time.
• For a gritty police procedural: Start with Last Goodbye (2018). This novel introduces detectives Eli Quinn and Roxy Malloy as they hunt down a serial killer in the suburbs of Dublin.
• For a standalone psychological thriller: Start with The Chosen (2011), which was later re-released under the title Last to Die (2016). Set in the rugged mountains of the United States, it is a fast-paced cat-and-mouse chase between a mass-shooting survivor and a cold-blooded killer.

Publication Order vs. Chronological Order

For both the QuicK Investigations series and the standalone novels, chronological order aligns perfectly with publication order. You do not need to bounce around a timeline to understand the narrative. Standalones can be picked up in any order, though reading them in publication order lets you see Hunt's progression as a writer, particularly as she transitions from local Dublin gangland crime to international settings and psychological suspense.

The QuicK Investigations Series

This is Arlene Hunt's most famous and beloved series, following the cases of private investigators John Quigley and Sarah Kenny. Based in Dublin, the series combines complex criminal investigations with a slow-burn personal chemistry between the two leads. To get the full experience of their character arcs, you should read these five books in order:

1. False Intentions (2005): Introduces the QuicK detective agency and establishes the tense working dynamic between Quigley and Kenny.
2. Black Sheep (2006): A gripping missing person case that leads the duo straight into the teeth of Dublin's criminal underworld.
3. Missing Presumed Dead (2007): The partners investigate the dark secrets surrounding a murdered designer and a long-lost child, weaving past and present mysteries.
4. Undertow (2008): Nominated for Best Crime Novel at the 2009 Irish Book Awards, this installment ramps up the personal stakes and atmospheric dread.
5. Blood Money (2010): The fifth book sees the duo dealing with financial crimes, high-stakes betrayal, and gangland execution.

Detectives Eli Quinn and Roxy Malloy Series

In 2018, Hunt launched a new detective pairing: the veteran investigator DI Eli Quinn and the determined, probationary DS Roxy Malloy. Their debut investigation is a perfect fit for fans of classic police procedurals.

• Last Goodbye (2018): Originally titled The Sweetheart Killer, this book follows Quinn and Malloy as they track a serial killer who targets couples in Dublin's suburbs, leaving behind yellow roses and broken-heart cards. The contrast between the seasoned, steady Quinn and the intense, guarded Malloy makes for a brilliant team dynamic.

The Standalone Thrillers

When she isn't writing recurring detectives, Hunt crafts dark, character-driven standalone crime novels. These books require no prior reading and can be enjoyed individually:

• Vicious Circle (2004): Hunt's debut novel, written in just one year. It immediately established her gritty, uncompromising style, diving headfirst into Dublin's ganglands.
• The Chosen / Last to Die (2011 / 2016): A psychological thriller set in the U.S. border region between North Carolina and Tennessee. It follow Jessie Conway, a school shooting survivor stalked by a serial killer. The book was published in 2011 as The Chosen and republished by Bookouture in 2016 as Last to Die to reach a broader global audience.
• The Outsider (2013): A tense, gritty novel following a young man trying to survive on the fringes of society after his life spiraled out of control.
• No Escape (2020): A fast-paced gangland thriller about Leo Kennedy, a man trying to escape his family's criminal legacy, and two sisters running from human traffickers in Dublin.
• While She Sleeps (2022): A gripping psychological mystery focusing on Jody Kavanagh, a woman left in a coma after an attack, and the secrets she kept from the public. The investigation is led by DI Elliot Ryan and Sergeant Nola Kane.

Anthologies and Short Stories

For readers who want to explore Hunt's shorter fiction, she contributed to a notable regional noir collection:

• Belfast Noir (2014): Edited by Adrian McKinty and Stuart Neville, this anthology features Hunt's short story "Pure Game" in the "Brave New City" section. The story is a gritty look at illegal dog-fighting rings in the Sydenham area of Belfast.

What to Know Before You Start

Arlene Hunt is widely recognized as a pioneer of modern Irish "grit lit." Her stories do not shy away from the harsh realities of violence, human trafficking, and gangland feuds, making her books ideal for fans of authors like John Connolly, Liz Nugent, and James Ellroy. She is also a trailblazer in the business of books: in 2011, she rejected a major publisher offer to co-found Portnoy Publishing with her husband, Andrew, ensuring she retained full creative control over her thrillers.