John Finn

by Vincent McCaffrey

A man caught mid life—amidst a life unfinished, betwixt love and what he loves, amongst the ghosts and shadows of his own creations, and between a rock and a hard place. What drives John Finn to write are his own frustrations; and what he best understands in others are the frustrations they are prey to. An odd talent to have, yes? Too seldom happy, and never satisfied, he cannot help but see his father in himself, and now once again in his youngest daughter. Yet, in his study of the past, he can glimpse whole lives and imagine how and why they were lived. There he might even imagine his own life complete. Now, by the merest of accidents, he has briefly stumbled on love again, only to lose it. For one moment everything was new once more, and yet he has lost her. What is it that he’s actually good for then? Perhaps only to protect the lives of others. Divorced, unemployed, and given to too many words, what would any woman see in him? He would likely be better off if he could just find out what happened to another girl who was lost two hundred years ago—and avoid getting shot in the mean time.

411 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

Since the publication of his debut novel Hound in 2009, reviewers have compared McCaffrey's ​writing to John Dunning, Cliff Janeway, Lisa Lutz, Ross Macdonald, Woody Allen, and Raymond Chandler. Vince's novels have been reviewed by Publisher's Weekly, Crime Spree Magazine​​, Time Out Chicago, Gumshoe Review, Author Magazine, and Library Journal. His work has been praised by fellow authors Paul Tremblay ( The Little Sleep ), Kelly Link ( Pretty Monsters ), and Anne Fortier ( Juliet ). Hound was declared a "Must-Read Book" by the Massachusetts Book Awards.​

In his other career, McCaffrey is the proprietor of Avenue Victor Hugo Books, a fixture of Newbury Street in Boston’s Back Bay for 29 years. At one time, the cavernous bookshop held over a quarter-million magazines and over 150,000 used books. Awarded “Best Used Bookstore” multiple times by Boston Magazine, it was truly a book lover's paradise. During its years on Newbury Street, Avenue Victor Hugo also played host to Fiction, Galileo, and Gala​xy magazines, all published by McCaffrey.​

Recently, Avenue Victor Hugo has reopened its doors in the town of Lee, New Hampshire, just minutes away from the University of New Hampshire. This rebirth of a classic bookstore has been praised by Foster's Daily Democrat , The Boston Globe , and WGBH Boston.

Vince has published several novels. Hound and Slepyng Hound to Wake , two mystery novels about the darker side of bookselling, were published by Small Beer Press. The Dark Heart of Night, and The knight's tale: a story of the future are available through Amazon. The first three chapters of both of these novels are available FREE using the links above.

John Finn , Vince's most recent novel, about a man so lost in his study of the past he may end up losing his life in the present, is also available through Amazon.

Fortunate husband, father, grandfather, and dubious wit, Vince now lives in Lee, New Hampshire and still sells books on weekends.

Reviews

[Irene Adler]

Writer and historian John Finn investigates the apparent murder of eighteen-year-old Mary Andrews on April 19, 1775: the day the American Revolution began. Why was she killed and thrown into a well? Who was the young man whose body was found alongside hers? Set in present-day Boston and Cambridge, this intriguing historical mystery is overlaid with reflections on the nature of friendship, love, and family.