The Man Who Never Returned

Fintan Dunne #2

by Peter Quinn

Fifteen years later, Fintan Dunne the detective encountered in Quinn1s novel Hour of the Cat, recently retired and bored, answers a summons to New York where he is asked to solve the old case for a newspaper magnate only interested in making a profit from the story.


Peter Quinn once again has written a compelling blend of history and fiction that is simply unputdownable.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Crime, Procedural, Mystery Thriller

336 pages, Hardcover

First published August 5, 2010

About the author

Peter Quinn is the author of the novel Banished Children of Eve (winner of an American Book Award) and previously served as speechwriter for New York governors Hugh Carey and Mario Cuomo. A third-generation New Yorker whose granparents were born in Ireland, he is currently Editorial Director for Time Warner and lives in Hastings, New York.

Reviews

[Cateline · Rating 4 out of 5]

The four star rating I've given The Man Who Never Returned is actually an average of first and last halves of the book. The beginning was slow, and frankly a bit torturous, but finally, finally!, the second half took off like a rocket.

Judge Joe Crater's (unsolved to this day) case is one of the most famous missing person case, at least in New York, and probably the country. It ranks up there with Amelia Earhart's, which was only a few years later than the Judges.

Quinn gives us a "retired" detective who is akin to the proverbial 'dog with a bone', and a (for him) 25 year old case. The Judge's disappearance was in 1930, and the book takes place in 1955. Cold case, yeah? The twists and alleyways we are taken on are fascinating. The New York scenes of the 1930 and 1955 eras are well presented. We have the complete ambiance of the times and travel the gritty streets and the broad Avenues meeting everyone from detectives to hookers with some assassins thrown in, just for fun.

I'll definitely read more of Peter Quinn's work.
Recommended.

[Melissa Riggs · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure if I missed out because I didn't read book #1 or if this just wasn't the story for me. I really wanted to like it-the core reminded me of old Perry Mason reruns. I had a hard time keeping all the characters straight and often had to go back and reread sections to straighten myself out.

"Fifteen years later, Fintan Dunne the detective encountered in Quinn1s novel Hour of the Cat, recently retired and bored, answers a summons to New York where he is asked to solve the old case for a newspaper magnate only interested in making a profit from the story."

[Edward · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. The pretext sounded very interesting however the execution left me flat. I never was able to develop a connection to the main character. He was very two dimensional and maybe that was because I have not read the previous book in which he was introduced. The story just did not flow well. The ending seemed rushed and, honestly, did not make a whole lot of sense. Why would you need to contemplate killing off the main character in such an elaborate manner when he had no actual proof nor did he ever tip off what information he thought he had. And how often would a Medical Examiner be called to a hospital to save the day? And let's not even get into all the spelling problems in the book. That always takes me right out of a story. I might check out the first book but I doubt it.

[David C Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written, intelligent historical mystery about one of the persistent crime/popular culture questions: what happened to New York Judge Crater who just disappeared in June 1930. Set in the early 50s, the case is reopened by a Murdoch-like newspaper publisher who wants a sensation. Fintan Dunne is an excellent investigator and a fully realized character, ambivalent and conflicted, angsty in late middle age in the Atomic Era.
Also: I had never thought much about Crater or how his disappearance sparked a surprisingly complicated situation with allegations of political corruption, mob involvement, sexual blackmail so that aspect of the novel was eye opening.
Finally: how great is it that the guy who famously fell into a hole, metaphorical or actual if he was murdered, was named Crater?

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just cannot deal with a mystery novel that takes 150 pages to get to the actual investigating. I can understand wanting to make the detective a fully-realized character, but an author can do that while he solves a case (just look at Dorothy Sayers) instead of spending the first half of the book glazing over trips to NYC/LA/Cuba and way too much detail about the character's sex life. The actual mystery was very engaging, but the solution didn't hold up to scrutiny and relied too much on very convenient coincidences.

[Flo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A New York state judge gets into a cab in New York aCity on 6 August 1930 and is never seen again. The case becomes famous across the country, the judge being sighted from Florida to Oregon, but it is never solved. Peter Quinn uses this true story to create a wonderful noir mystery. His detective, Fintan Dunne, is hired by a wealthy publisher 25 years later to try and solve the case hoping it will increase circulation of one of his magazines. Dunne is Sam Spade and Phillip Marlow in one, without the wisecracks or the morals, but he doesn't give up. A fascinating story and very well written. Quinn deserves to be better known.

[Joe McGuire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel. Of course it is the rare noir private eye novel where you already know our hero isn’t going to nab the perp. It’s based on the unsolved disappearance of a NY Judge. But it’s a fascinating and riveting yarn about the retired private dick who takes on the impossible task of figuring out what happened and who dunnit. He persists and actually comes up with an explanation of who dunnit. Spoiler alert: He gets the girl in the end but wakes up to find she’s not the girl he thought she was.

I was particularly impressed by Quinn’s writing style. I often found myself rereading a paragraph or two to savor the images and language.

[Erika · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't get interested until about page 100, when Judge Crater's wife recounted his disappearance. For some reason, the writing did not hold my interest. The entire mystery was explained all at once at the end of the book, but the details until then did not seem to point to the final conclusion; there were no "ah-ha, so that's what that meant" moments. I was just confused as to how the detective solved the mystery. And the detective himself was a jerk, as far as a married woman is concerned.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second (of three, so far) novels featuring Fintan Dunne, a cop turned private detective. and set in 1930s (the first book) and, here, in the 1950s. Quinn's a great writer with a really strong, detailed knowledge of New York City history. Fintan is a likable character, flawed and brilliant by turns, and the plots of these novels are tight and leave you thrumming like a drum head. I'll be reading #3 soon, and am hoping for more. These so far remind me a bit of the Bernie Gunther novels: Bernie was a cop, who turns PI, who got scooped up into military intelligence. The time period is roughly the same, as well, tho' of course, Bernie was in Berlin and here we are in NYC. Good stuff.

[Robert Kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This mystery novel is set in 1955 New York City. Fintan Dunne is called out of retirement to investigate the disappearance of Judge Crater in 1930. Quinn does an outstanding job of evoking 1950's New York. Dunne is an interesting and complex character. The plot lags a bit, but there is are several plot twists, and a suspenseful finish.

[Theodore Kinni · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an OK speculative novel based on the still unsolved dissappearance of Judge Crater in NYC in 1930. Kind of irritating that the first clue doesn't appear until two-thirds of the way thru the book and kind of a stretch that the PI solves a 25-year-old major case in a couple of days.

[Robyn Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this mystery, though there were more words than are necessary....

[Judy Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great historical mystery

A nicely paced historical mystery interweaving true fact and fiction in NYC across the decades. Well written and captures the era very well.

[Mario Mattei · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book very much. Some unresolved questions and somethings seemed a little out of order, but overall a good read.

[Joe Hauglie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Quinn's research and tight writing make a great story even better!

[Dennis Fischman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this stylized, nourish detective story about a retired investigator in 1950's Florida who gets hired to go back to New York and dig into the 1930's disappearance of Judge Crater for discussion with the Somerville Public Library Mystery Book Club. I probably would not have picked it on my own, but I'm glad I read it. Crater's missing person case was famous in those days, even though I knew a lot more about Amelia Earhart's disappearance before reading this book. Apparently, there were rumors that he know things about corruption in the New York judiciary that could have prevented then-Governor of New York Franklin Roosevelt from becoming President. But there were just as great a number of rumors that Crater, a notorious womanizer, fell afoul of the mob, or just decided to disappear.

I won't tell you the ending of the story that author Peter Quinn has come up with. It's convoluted, but it would have to be, to have stumped people for decades. Let's just say that if you have a taste for depressed detectives who can still crack wise, gnomic tycoons, femmes fatales, Irish cops, scarred veterans, and loyal chauffeurs, this book will reward your time. If it's not your genre, pass on and leave Judge Crater's bones undisturbed.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a boomer, I think my introduction to the mystery of the disappearance of Judge Joe Crater came during, of all things, "Laugh In." As a Chicago guy, I'd never heard of the NY state justice who vanished in 1930.
Was it posterboard signs that read lines like "Judge Crater, call home" where I'd first learned of this well-known missing person case?
Whatever, "The Man Who Never Returned" is a good mystery that like all good mysteries keeps you turning pages wondering what happened to Crater.
Author Peter Quinn plays all the right cards, slowly releasing details, dropping clues, introducing a host of characters with either motive or opportunity or both.
It's fiction, of course. Crater -- or his remains -- has yet to be found.
But the combination of political intrugue, media interest, CIA involvement, police corruption and of course a love interest will urge readers on through the 333 pages of this Overlook hardback.

[Steven Ferre · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-written book with an interesting take on the unsolved Judge Crater disappearance. Prior to this book, I'd never heard of Judge Crater, but his mysterious disappearance captivated much of America for a generation.

The characters are tough-boiled as they should be and the recreation of 1950's New York was interesting. A nice touch was featuring the long-gone Savoy Plaza hotel...a grand hotel that for some reason doesn't get much press. Every time I pass that awful GM building that took its place, I wish in vain that someone would have repurposed the Savoy Plaza, rather than tear it down.

The hypothetical answer to the mystery put forth in this novel is feasible. However the assassination attempt is a little far-fetched.

Overall, a good read.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a slow to get going but it was worth the mystery that has been presented. There are different sub stories in the book that you wonder, "what if such and such happened" The roles are clearly defined. I am not close to being half way through so the plot will only thicken in trying to find what mystery envelopes this tale of disappearance.

I finished this book and it proved to answer a small mystery rather than the big one of the missing Judge. This is a true story of a judge who went missing in NY about 60 plus years ago. It is a fact that he has never been found. Interesting to note that there are clubs and organizations that devote their time to solve this mystery.

[Lancelot Link · Rating 2 out of 5]

Blech.

I can't believe I read a second book by him. It's just the premise sounded so dang interesting. At least this book didn't have long drawn sections that took place in Nazi Germany but he pulled the same "trick" in this book that he did in his last one. Did we have to do another, guess who's kid I am? Seriously? By the end of the book, I wished I had disappeared instead of Judge Crater. And it took forever to get to the mystery. No we have to travel around with the main character out to LA, down to Cuba, back to NYC to create the most tenuous threads of a story.

[frances · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very period accurate. However, the first part of the book was filled with unecessary fluff, to leave the real plot and action to be quickly unfolded and the end. Definately not a thriller, all the action feels toned down and very slow.The mystery solving, is constantly interrupted by the pointless and boring mundane personal tasks of the main character. Bad character developement, and the final explaination behind the mystery was kind of a let down. On the other hand, the tidbits of accurte history snuggled in the chapters are delightful and in depth.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting enough to keep you reading. However, the writing didn't flow. It was choppy at some parts, overly flowery at others. The sex scene just made me plain uncomfortable, and it TOTALLY didn't fit in the book. Also, the ending was too predictable. Killing off the main character would have made for such a stronger and better book. But the author couldn't do that, as this character is a reoccurring character in several of his novels.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fictional account of the real life disappearance of Judge Joseph Forte Crater from the streets of NYC in 1930. Twenty-five years later, Fintan Dunne is hired to solve this cold case. Quinn does an excellent job describing the politics of the time period and describing New York as it underwent so much change. The actual mystery has never been solved, but Quinn comes up with a plausible story. Interesting and entertaining.

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was very confusing and had no true direction. I read to page 180/300 and had to cut my losses. I had no interest or investment in the characters and was just suffering through it. I usually don't give up on a book, but figured there are way too many others I would rather spend my time on. I do not recommend this book. Even if the last 120 pages were outstanding, I'm mad at myself for wasting so much time.

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Many typos, repeated page section detracted from perfect read. Overlook is a better press than that, I thought. Should have read hour of the cat first, I suppose. Overall, an intriguing periods detective style and topic. Like the protagonist. Not being a New Yorker I have somehow overlooked other bks on this historical character.

[Bojana Perisic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love me some very well written detective novel, with great writing and memorable sentences, and, if possible, one that doesn’t follow the usual bestseller/creative writing class formula. This book delivered on all points. This is my first Peter Quinn novel, I am definitely coming back for more, whichever genre they fall into.

[Kaye Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Noire History-Mystery. Setting in New York in the 50's interesting, as was the true story of a missing judge, which the author used as a basis of mystery story. Good, if you like that type of book.

[Carolyn Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

LIke Quinn's previous book, Hour of the Cat, this has a wonderful time and place. I was able to suspend disbelief and feel that I was back in 1955 investigating the disappearance of Judge Crater with detective Fintan Dunne.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smart writing and interesting views into a different era characterize the two Peter Quinn books I have read (Hour of the Cat is the other one). I want more from this author. Just ordered another novel by him.

[Heather Hartsel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Judge Joseph Force Crater disappeared forever in real life in August 1930. This is a fictionalized account of what may have happened to him as told by a PI who is investigating the case 20 years later. A good read.