Where to Start with Declan Finn
Declan Finn is known for his highly energetic storytelling that blends supernatural entities, fast-paced action, and strong themes of Catholic theology and metaphysics. If you are new to his bibliography, there are two primary paths you can take depending on your genre preference:
- For Urban Fantasy & Police Procedurals: Start with Hell Spawn, the first book in the Saint Tommy, NYPD series. This is widely considered his most popular starting point, featuring a New York detective who battles literal demons with saintly powers.
- For Vampire Thrillers & Romance: Start with Honor at Stake, the opening novel of the Love at First Bite series. It is a unique take on vampires that trades gothic melodrama for Thomist metaphysics, thriller tropes, and biological realism.
Love at First Bite Reading Order
This urban fantasy series centers on a secret supernatural conspiracy and the human agents fighting against it. While you can read the books in publication order, inserting the short stories and the prequel provides the most cohesive narrative experience.
Recommended Chronological Path
- Blood Stained Cliffs of Dover (2017) - A prequel novella that sets up the historical backdrop and lore of the universe.
- Honor at Stake (2015) - The core entry that introduces the main characters and the struggle against the vampire Council.
- Demons are Forever (2016) - Originally published under the title Murphy's Law of Vampires, this second installment ramps up the action.
- Live and Let Bite (2017) - The third novel, which earned a Dragon Award nomination.
- Bad Date (2017) - A short story that takes place within the timeline of the main narrative.
- Good to the Last Drop (2017) - The action-packed fourth novel.
- Mad Dog Moon (2019) - An epilogue story that wraps up the lingering threads of the core arc.
Saint Tommy, NYPD Reading Order
The Saint Tommy, NYPD series is a continuous story following Detective Tommy Nolan. It is highly recommended to read these in order. Because the narrative progresses chronologically, inserting the short stories and novellas at their respective placements helps bridge the gaps between the main novels.
Chronological Reading Sequence
- Hell Spawn (2018)
- Death Cult (2018)
- Infernal Affairs (2019)
- Lupus Dei (2022) - A short story (often designated as Book 3.5) best read between books 3 and 4.
- City of Shadows (2019)
- Crusader (2019)
- Deus Vult (2019)
- Principle Necromancy (2022) - A short story that bridges the events of Deus Vult and Coven.
- Coven (2022)
- Hussar (2022)
- Destiny (2022)
- Lightbringer (2022)
- Dark Web (2022)
- They Burn Witches, Don't They? (2022) - A novella that fits around the latter portion of the sequence.
- Blue Saint (2022)
- Vessel (2022) - A companion novella that is best read after finishing Blue Saint.
White Ops (Sci-Fi / Space Opera)
For readers who prefer science fiction over urban fantasy, Declan Finn's White Ops series features elite space marines and political intrigue. Read them in this straightforward order:
- White Ops (2022)
- Politics Kills (2022)
- Main Street D.O.A. (2022)
- Gathering Storm (2023)
- Eye Of The Storm (2023)
The Pius Trilogy
A Vatican-centric conspiracy thriller series with an 80s action-movie aesthetic. Read the core trilogy first, followed by the companion histories and short stories:
- A Pius Man (2013)
- A Pius Legacy (2014)
- A Pius Stand (2014)
- Pius History (2016)
- Pius Tales (2018)
Other Series and Co-Authored Works
In addition to his solo books, Finn has worked on multiple collaborative series and standalone novels:
- The Last Survivors Series (Co-authored with Allan Yoskowitz): A military thriller set in a post-apocalyptic landscape. Read Codename: Winterborn (2013) followed by Codename: UnSub (2016).
- Professor James Mystery Series: Co-authored with the author's father, John Konecsni. The first entry is Clerical Error: The Death of Fr. Timothy A. Lessner (2020), which is a historical mystery set in 1976 and is distinct from the Pius series.
- Convention Killings Series: A sci-fi convention comedy-thriller series beginning with It Was Only On Stun! (2012) and followed by Set to Kill (2016).
- Merle Kraft Series: An urban fantasy/horror story starting with Dances With Werewolves (2019).
What to Know Before You Start
Declan Finn's stories feature explicit Catholic theology, philosophy, and traditional moral clarity mixed with extreme violence and cinematic gunplay. The pacing across his series is incredibly fast, and he frequently self-publishes or releases works via platforms like Substack, leading to rapid release schedules. For the best experience, approach his urban fantasy series like continuous TV seasons rather than standalone adventures, as characters and overarching plotlines develop sequentially across the volumes.