John Connolly Popular Books
John Connolly Biography & Facts
John Joseph Connolly Jr. (born August 1, 1940) is an American former FBI agent who was convicted of racketeering, obstruction of justice, and murder charges stemming from his relationship with James "Whitey" Bulger, Steve Flemmi, and the Winter Hill Gang. State and federal officers had been trying to imprison Bulger for years, but he evaded capture until 2011. As the FBI handler for Bulger and Flemmi, Connolly (who was neighbors with the Bulgers in the Old Harbor Housing Project) had been protecting them from prosecution by supplying Bulger with information about possible attempts to catch them. Connolly was indicted on December 22, 1999, on charges of alerting Bulger and Flemmi to investigations, falsifying FBI reports to cover their crimes, and accepting bribes.In 2000, Connolly was charged with additional racketeering-related offenses. He was convicted in 2002 and sentenced to ten years in federal prison. In 2008, Connolly was convicted on state charges of second-degree murder in Florida and sentenced to 40 years in prison. He was released from federal prison on June 28, 2011, and transferred to the Florida State Prison to serve the remainder of his sentence for his 2008 conviction.In April 2020, Connolly asked to be allowed to serve the remainder of his sentence on home confinement due to fears of contracting COVID-19, citing a 2018 federal law allowing for compassionate release under "extraordinary" circumstances, such as age, health and other critical factors. A Miami-Dade judge initially declined to order his release, but Connolly was later granted a medical release on February 17, 2021. Early life John Joseph Connolly Jr. is the namesake and son of an Irish immigrant, John Connolly Sr. of Maigh Cuilinn in County Galway, a Gillette employee for 50 years. Connolly's mother, Bridget T. Connolly (née Kelly), was a housewife. They lived in the Old Harbor Housing Project in Boston, the first public housing project in New England, on O'Callaghan Way until John Jr. was 12 years old. The Bulger family, residing a few doors down, had lived there since its New Deal creation in 1938; other residents were future US Representative Joseph Moakley, and Francis "Buddy" Leonard, who would later be allegedly murdered by Bulger in 1975 during his battle for power over the rackets.Connolly admired his neighbor William Bulger, six years his senior; he did not meet his older brother, Jimmy, nicknamed "Whitey" because of his white-blond hair, until Connolly was eight years old. The 19-year-old Whitey, who was already notorious as the leader of the Mercer Street gang, bought the other neighborhood boys ice cream cones and convinced an awestruck Connolly to accept the treat. Later that same year, Connolly found himself outnumbered in a skirmish over a ball with some older boys. According to Connolly, Bulger came along and chased the bullies away.In 1952, Connolly's family moved to the City Point neighborhood of South Boston. John Jr. was able to attend Columbus High School, a Catholic high school in the Italian North End neighborhood. His younger brother, James, who later sought a career in law enforcement, joined the DEA New England Division based in Boston. Education Connolly was encouraged to attend Boston College by Billy Bulger, and after graduation, took classes at Suffolk University Law School. He later earned a graduate degree in Public Administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.After completing his studies, Connolly worked as a teacher at South Boston High School and at Dorchester High School. After seeking advice from Billy Bulger, now a State Representative, about career opportunities in law enforcement, in 1968, he met with H. Paul Rico's FBI partner, Special Agent Dennis Condon, and Boston Police Department Detective Edward Walsh, an old friend of the Connolly family's. Both Condon and Walsh would later brag that they had "recruited" Connolly. Ironically, Dennis Condon, who was Connolly's FBI supervisor, had approached Whitey Bulger in the early 1970's, with little result. Because of their neighborhood ties, Connolly would prove to have the inside track with Bulger that Condon did not. FBI career On August 1, 1968, U.S. House Speaker John W. McCormack wrote a personal note to J. Edgar Hoover on behalf of a constituent. The letter began, "Dear Edgar, It has come to my attention that the son of a lifelong personal friend has applied to become a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ..."[17] Connolly was appointed to the FBI in October 1968. FBI Supervisor John M. Morris, who would also later face charges of corruption, was Connolly's supervisor during much of Connolly's time working for the FBI. Connolly began his FBI career in the Baltimore and San Francisco field offices before being transferred to New York City. He wanted to return to Boston to be closer to his ailing father. A year after he arrested Mafioso Frank Salemme, the FBI transferred Connolly to its Boston field office in the John F. Kennedy Federal Building in 1973.In 1980, he moved to 48 Thomas Park in the Dorchester Heights neighborhood, across the street from South Boston High School. During his career in the FBI, Connolly investigated organized crime. He was one of the primary agents involved in developing the Top Echelon Criminal Informants Program in New England. Over the span of his career he received eight commendations from every Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, from J. Edgar Hoover through L. Patrick Gray, William Ruckelshaus, Clarence M. Kelley, James B. Adams, William H. Webster, John Otto, and William S. Sessions. Through his second marriage, he was the brother-in-law of Arthur Gianelli, a racketeer who was later indicted with Joe "Joey Y" Yerardi, who oversaw Johnny Martorano's criminal operations when Martorano was a federal fugitive in Florida between 1978 and 1995.In 1989, the DEA was probing the Winter Hill Gang for suspected drug trafficking. The DEA was aware that a former roommate and John's brother James both worked for the DEA. As an FBI supervisor later noted in a memo, the head of the DEA's Boston office "quietly changed the duties of both these DEA special agents so they would not become aware of this matter."Boston FBI Special Agent Robert Fitzpatrick said: Connolly just became a force unto himself, a vortex in a constantly changing system. He stayed put as new agents in charge came and went. And he could take care of other agents. He became the guy who could get you sports tickets. He could help you get a day off through the secretaries. He made no secret that he could help you get a job after retirement through Billy Bulger. But he wasn't that much of an agent. He couldn't write a report. He was no administrator. He was just this brassy bullshit artist. We enabled him to some extent. No one had the stomach for examining what he was up to. We just never came to grips with that guy. Connolly's dapper, even flashy, .... Discover the John Connolly popular books. Find the top 100 most popular John Connolly books.
Best Seller John Connolly Books of 2024
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Castaway
Lucy IrvineTHE SHOCKING STORY OF A DESERT ISLAND DREAM THAT WENT SOUR'Writer seeks "wife" for a year on tropical island.' The opportunity to escape from it all was irresistible. Lucy Irvine ...
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The Gates
John ConnollyBursting with imagination and impossible to put down, this “wholly original” (People) and “refreshing” (San Francisco Chronicle) novel from New York Times bestselling author John C...
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Bad Men
John ConnollyNew York Times bestselling author John Connolly masterfully intertwines mystery, emotion, violence, and the supernatural in this raw and gripping thriller.He has been told the girl...
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The Black Angel
John ConnollyTo those who have been forsaken, hell has no geography. The Black Angel begins with the disappearance of a young prostitute from one of New York City's seamiest neighborhoods. Lik...
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Black Mass
Dick Lehr & Gerard O'NeillWhen the FBI turned an Irish mobster into an informant, they corrupted the entire judicial system and sanctioned the worst crime spree Boston has ever seen. This is the true story ...
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Every Dead Thing
John ConnollyTortured and brilliant private detective Charlie Parker stars in this thriller by New York Times bestselling author John Connolly.Former NYPD detective Charlie "Bird" Parker is on ...
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A Song of Shadows
John ConnollyStill recovering from his lifethreatening wounds, private detective Charlie Parker investigates a case that has its origins in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II in this...
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Bonkers
Jennifer SaundersTHE HILARIOUS, TOUCHING LIFE STORY OF THE ICONIC COMEDIAN AND NATIONAL TREASURE 'Fabulous? Yes. Funny? Absolutely' Mail on SundayJennifer Saunders' comic creations have brought joy...
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A Book of Bones
John ConnollyPrivate Investigator Charlie Parker returns in this heartpounding thriller as he seeks revenge against the darkest forces in the world, from “one of the best thriller writers we ha...
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Dark Hollow
John ConnollyWhen John Connolly burst upon the literary suspense scene in 1999, he was an immediate international sensation. His Every Dead Thing became an instantaneous bestseller in England, ...
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The Burning Soul
John ConnollyWhat’s the worst thing you’ve ever done? “There are some truths so terrible that they should not be spoken aloud, so appalling that even to acknowledge them is to risk sacrificing ...
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The Nameless Ones
John Connolly“One of the best thriller writers we have.” Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling authorFrom the international and instant New York Times bestselling author of The Dirty Sout...
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A Time of Torment
John Connolly#1 internationally bestselling author John Connolly delivers a masterful combination of “the hardboiled with the supernatural” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) with this return ...
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The Dirty South
John Connolly“Mr. Connolly’s slambang thriller is studded with memorable characters and boasts cliffhangers within cliffhangers.” The Wall Street Journal“Brilliant...Connolly is writing at the ...
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Dominion
John Connolly & Jennifer RidyardThe third thrilling Chronicles of the Invaders adventure from New York Times bestselling author John Connolly and Jennifer Ridyard mixes classic scifi with gripping suspense and ri...
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The Killing Kind
John ConnollyTroubled excop turned private investigator Charlie Parker returns in the latest “compulsively readable” (Publishers Weekly) thriller from #1 internationally bestselling author John...
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The Lovers
John ConnollyNew York Times bestselling author John Connolly writes an “unfailingly compelling” (New Orleans TimesPicayune) and lyrical tale that forces Private Investigator Charlie Parker to e...
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The Furies
John ConnollyChaos and murder arrive in Charlie Parker’s hometown of Portland, Maine, with two connected crimes in the latest novel in #1 nationally bestselling author John Connolly’s “flawless...
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The Whisperers
John Connolly“‘Oh, little one,’ he whispered, as he gently stroked her cheek, the first time he had touched her in fifteen years. ‘What have they done to you? What have they done to us all?’ ”I...
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The Land of Lost Things
John ConnollyThe redemptive power of stories and family is revealed in New York Times bestselling author John Connolly’s atmospheric tale set in the same magical universe as the “enchanting, en...
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The Pale House Devil
Richard KadreyA gripping, snappy creature feature from the master of horror noir about two detectivesone dead, one livinghired by an embittered old landowner to banish a bloody cosmic monster fr...
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The Reapers
John ConnollyDarkly brilliant and intuitive private detective Charlie Parker returns in the next thrilling installment of the New York Times bestselling series by John Connolly about an elite g...
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Empire
John Connolly & Jennifer RidyardWith the fate of the world at stake, Syl and Paul battle the sinister forces of the Nairene Sisterhood in this second thrilling Chronicles of the Invaders novel from New York Times...
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A Game of Ghosts
John Connolly“An epic supernatural suspense that will forever reset your standards for summer thrillers. From secret realms and horrific homicides to hauntings and criminal empires, there isn’t...
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Night Music
John ConnollyFrom the bestselling author of the Charlie Parker mysteries"the finest crime series currently in existence" (The Independent)comes a new anthology of chilling short fiction.A decad...
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Behind the Lens
David SuchetDaily Mail Showbiz Memoir of the Year'A beautiful book' Chris Evans'Terrifically entertaining' Mail on Sunday'An arresting photographic voyage through the life and loves of this en...
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The Infernals
John ConnollyFrom New York Times bestselling author John Connolly, a wonderfully strange and brilliant novel about a boy, his dog, and their struggle to escape the wrath of demons. Young Samuel...
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Nocturnes
John ConnollyFrom #1 internationally bestselling author John Connolly comes Nocturnes, a dark, daring, utterly haunting shot story anthology of lost lovers and missing children, predatory demon...
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The Instruments of Darkness
John ConnollyFrom the international and instant New York Times bestselling author John Connolly, the beloved and brilliant Charlie Parker series returns with a heartwrenching crime only one man...
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Boy in the Well
Douglas LindsayDI WESTPHALL.No ordinary detective.No ordinary investigations.A twisting new crime series set in the Scottish Highlands. For fans of Stephen King, Christopher Brookmyre and John Co...
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The Creeps
John ConnollyIn this delightfully imaginative novel, once again, hell threatens to break loose as Samuel Johnson and his ragtag group of friends must defend their town from shadowy forces more ...
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Being John Lennon
Ray ConnollyWhat was it like to be John Lennon? What was it like to be the castoff child, the clown at school, and the middleclass suburban boy who pretended to be a workingclass hero? How did...
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Dear Fatty
Dawn FrenchA SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLERThe hilarious and heartwarming memoir from one of Britain's bestloved comedians and Women's Prize longlisted author, Dawn French.Dawn French is ...
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Puckoon
Spike MilliganDISCOVER PUCKOON, SPIKE MILLIGAN'S CLASSIC SLAPSTICK NOVEL 'Pops with the erratic brilliance of a careless match in a box of fireworks' Daily MailIn 1924 the Boundary Commission is...
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The Wrath of Angels
John ConnollyIn the depths of the Maine woods, the wreckage of a plane is discovered. There are no bodies, and no such plane has ever been reported missing, but men both good and evil have been...
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The Book of Lost Things
John ConnollyNew York Times bestselling author John Connolly's unique imagination takes readers through the end of innocence into adulthood and beyond in this dark and triumphantly creative nov...
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The White Road
John ConnollyInternationally bestselling author John Connolly takes readers into the dark world of private detective Charlie Parker, whose deadly fight against evil begins when the daughter of ...
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Where They Wait
Scott CarsonA “mesmerizing” (Stephen King) supernatural novel about a sinister mindfulness app with fatal consequences from the New York Times bestselling author of The Chill.In this “taut, cr...
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Impact Statement
Bob HalloranAs the biggest criminal trial since the Boston Strangler draws nearer, the public’s fascination with the life and crimes of mob boss Whitey Bulger continues to heat up. Many storie...
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The Wolf in Winter
John ConnollyNew York Times bestselling author John Connolly is a master of the supernatural thriller“a genre of one” (Bookreporter)whose eerie and electrifying Charlie Parker mystery turns a s...
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The Unquiet
John ConnollyHaunted private detective Charlie Parker returns in this “not to be missed” (Bookreporter) thriller by New York Times and internationally bestselling author John Connolly.Daniel Cl...
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The Woman in the Woods
John Connolly“With its singular characters, eerie subject matter, and socko style” (The New York Times), this gripping thriller from the internationally bestselling author John Connolly follows...
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Round the Bend
Jeremy ClarksonJeremy Clarkson gets REALLY riled up in Round the BendWhat's it like to drive a car that's actively trying to kill you?This and many other burning questions trouble Jeremy Clarkson...
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The Chill
Scott CarsonA supernatural forceset in motion a century agothreatens to devastate New York City in this spinetingling national bestseller that “grips from the first page” (Stephen King, #1 New...
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Random
Craig Robertson'Robertson is doing for Glasgow what Rankin did for Edinburgh' Mirror Glasgow is being terrorised by a serial killer the media have nicknamed The Cutter. The murders have left the ...
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Books to Die For
John Connolly & Declan BurkeThe world’s most beloved mystery writers celebrate their favorite mystery novels in this gorgeously wrought collection, featuring essays by Michael Connelly, Kathy Reichs, Ian Rank...