This is book 16 in the Charlie Parker series. Let’s just take a moment of silence for that one…
Ok that’s quite enough of that – this may be a long runThis is book 16 in the Charlie Parker series. Let’s just take a moment of silence for that one…
Ok that’s quite enough of that – this may be a long running series but it is just as exciting, just as riveting, I’m not even sure what I’m saying – I mean more of course not just as – it gets better and better and changes the game every time.
No different with The Woman in the Woods which had the after effect just a little while ago of me rummaging through the toy box to throw far far away anything that might ring in the night – but that’s neither here nor there except to my children. The point is this is, as usual, beautifully creepy as well as being beautifully written and every time I go into one of these I think it can’t possibly up the ante or make me more desperate for the next than I always am and every time I am wrong.
I’ve reviewed too many of these now to have anything new to say really, so I won’t bother with new I’ll say the usual just in case you, for some obscure and rather random reason, have not yet started to read what is simply the best crime series out there. The mythology is incredibly complex and wonderfully woven, the depth is beyond my ability to articulate and Charlie Parker and his close friends will embed themselves into your soul. Both the living and the dead…
I loved the villainy of this one particularly, especially in the ending because I half thought I knew what to expect, in style if not in substance, but actually our lovely (??!!??) Mr Connolly went a slightly different route into garnering our interest (nay obsession) for book 17 – I might have to have words.
Themes expanded, emotions played upon, nightmares almost guaranteed or at the very least an odd look over your shoulder because you’ll be sure there is someone there, several reasons why the Charlie Parker series continues on as fresh and new as it ever was, because every time you think you’ve got a handle on it everything changes.
Also dead mothers, Angel’s fate, Louis and his unique values, Charlie and his daughters, rogue toys, sinister woods, trauma (and I don’t mean necessarily for the characters) brilliant writing, literary genius and well, that THING. The thing for which there is no name.
All of the above means Highly Recommended isn’t even close to being the right thing. But as it’s the only thing I have you can have it.
Oh look its that time of year where I’m reading the next novel in the Charlie Parker series from John Connolly, ending up emotionally traumatised (andOh look its that time of year where I’m reading the next novel in the Charlie Parker series from John Connolly, ending up emotionally traumatised (and boy was THAT true this time) then wondering what the heck else I can say that I haven’t already said that can get across the pure brilliance of this series.
It really is a difficult one because you end up going around in circles and coming back on yourself then thinking well surely if I haven’t sold it by now its just never going to happen. But we’ll give it a go and I’ll even try and stay relatively sensible about the whole thing. Relatively.
This instalment finds Charlie on the hook again to FBI Agent Ross (a man I still haven’t made up my mind about) who sends him off on the trail of a missing private detective. This man, Jaycob , has been messing with things he can’t possibly understand so things are going to get fraught. Well lets face it if Charlie found him in the next town then went home for tea it wouldn’t be NEARLY SO TRAUMATIC. And breathe..
I can’t tell you anything else without then having to kill you, but suffice to say the indomitable Mr Connolly takes us on another emotional rollercoaster read, where the ongoing mythology deepens and just wraps you up in that enigmatic something that I have no words for, the current shenanigans are dark and so beautifully terrifying, the storytelling genius just gets me every single time. And THIS time particularly some things happen that had me needing to lie down. I’m still not over it.
I don’t know another writer around today that has such a gorgeous, descriptively haunting and brilliantly incisive prose, the scene setting is sublime, the entire time you are just enveloped into this whole other world that feels as real as any you leave behind whilst in it. Emotionally charged readers will understand what I mean when I say life is blurred around the edges slightly when coming out of it and it takes a while to settle down. It is just CLEVER. From the first book to this book and probably on into further books, the quality never falters, every one feels fresh, you genuinely never know where they might take you next. The best crime series out there currently? In this readers opinion definitely. Head and shoulders above the best of the rest.
Angel and Louis never cease to be funny yet inevitably flawed, Charlie himself is still facing down the problem of a daughter who may be scarier than he is, more revelations about the underneath of it all are drip fed out to us and overall this was a purely dazzling reading experience which once again left me desperate for more. But I’ll have to wait. I don’t like waiting. It makes me crazy. It’s worth it though. Every single time.
Fans of Charlie Parker do not fear. This is everything you were hoping for and more.
A note – A Game of Ghosts is book 15 and whilst I’m fairly sure that it might be more helpful to be able to say you could read it as a standalone, I’m afraid I’m often to be found screeching at people NO PUT THAT DOWN YOU MUST READ IN ORDER. There is of course no must about it, each book is a brilliant read and you’ll pick up some of the layers, but genuinely, if you don’t follow the arc’s I feel you will lose a lot of the soul of it. And it has a HELL of a lot of soul. So if you’ve not read these yet, you make your bets and you take your chances but I can almost guarantee book one will hook you and we won’t see you for a year while you burn through the rest (Every Dead Thing is where to start by the way)
I just want it to be known that Jane Casey is now forgiven for making me wait over a year for this (how did I COPE) because it was worth the wait (andI just want it to be known that Jane Casey is now forgiven for making me wait over a year for this (how did I COPE) because it was worth the wait (and then some) it turns out that delayed gratification really is a thing. Just to be clear I’d rather really that she wrote a book a week but we can’t have everything in life. Never mind.
ANYWAY Let The Dead Speak then – another outing for Maeve and Derwent (swoon) and of course all the rest, much as I adore the main pair the group dynamic over the course of the novels has ingrained itself on my brain, in fact this time it was Chris Pettifer who made me snort a giggle with a throwaway comment that happened to mirror exactly what I was thinking in that moment. But I digress…
In this instalment a young girl arrives home unexpectedly to find her house covered in blood and her mother gone. A murder enquiry is launched even with the lack of a body. Derwent is back from holiday, meanwhile Maeve is fretting her new power and responsibility whilst dealing with a incomer who doesn’t seem terribly useful. The neighbours are all a bit barmy, everyone is hiding something, so you know. Best get untangling that mess then which is exactly what our guys set out to do. Things are going to be somewhat fraught. WELL it wouldn’t be any fun if they solved it CSI style in an hour would it?
Look what I love about this particular series is the intensely absorbing writing with it’s ironically humerous undertones and the characters that do almost literally live off the page. I honestly have to remember sometimes that they are all fictional, not just those we see every time but anyone caught up in the current investigation. Jane Casey has a character writing superpower, nobody does it better. And I do mean nobody.
Added to that the plotting is so gorgeously realistic and tightly drawn that you never disbelieve any of it. TWISTED too, I do love a good twisty tale and this one had that in spades, especially with reference to some of the personal relationships and goings on. The emotional trauma is in there too, fair warning given, every time I go into a new Kerrigan novel I say SHE WON’T GET ME AGAIN but every time. Bam. Dammit!
I’m not going to say this is the best one yet because I always say that and whilst it may even be true, that is not the point. The point is that this series is consistently of the highest quality and improving ever more with age – Let The Dead Speak is simply one more pearl in an oyster bed chock full of them, it stole my Saturday (I love a good book thief) and I was happily immersed for the entire journey. Never one for backing off from the thought provoking occasionally controversial central themes, always moving her series characters forward and enveloping the reader more into their world, for me Jane Casey is the cream of the crop of UK crime writers. I look forward to each new novel with the fervour of a true believer and I have never once been let down. Not even for a moment, not even with a word.
On a personal note my love for Derwent STILL knows no bounds. Also a new respect developed for Una Burt during this read. I kind of like her. Mainly because I think Maeve really does too. YES I KNOW they are not real…
Sharp, clever, nuanced writing with a truly addictive flair and a deeply delicious dark heart.
We are at Charlie Parker 14 now and honestly this series just gets better and better, each novel adding layers to the last, the mythology that John CoWe are at Charlie Parker 14 now and honestly this series just gets better and better, each novel adding layers to the last, the mythology that John Connolly began creating way back in “Every Dead Thing” is brilliantly imagined, incredibly dark and insanely addictive. When I go into a new instalment my expectation is always high and this author meets and exceeds it every time, A Time of Torment was no different in that respect.
This had a slightly different vibe to it, shaking things up a bit, A Time of Torment is a slow burner full of tension and brimming with atmosphere. Following Charlie and his indomitable sidekicks Louis and Angel on the one hand as they track and deal with some very bad folk, on the other we have the Cut – an isolated and inbred community hiding a terrible secret, who keep the wider world away using fear and often violence. When Charlie hears a strange tale told by a man named Jerome Burnel, the two sides are set on a collision course that brought me to one of the most chilling endings Mr Connolly has yet achieved in this series. Now the wait for more begins once again. I hate that part.
The Cut as a concept was extraordinarily chilling, the characters within it endlessly fascinating and very scary – with his usual flair for setting and descriptive prose, the author paints a picture and leads you towards the inevitable clash, the journey is once again dangerous and taut, completely riveting I was utterly gripped and fully immersed back into Charlie’s world once more.
The mythology deepens, Charlie’s daughters, one living, one dead are becoming inceasingly important to the whole – this layer which speaks to the ongoing saga is incredibly alluring and honestly creepy. Shiver. The relationships between all the main protagonists are constantly in ebb and flow over the course of the entire body of work so far – the absolute creative genius the author brings to the core storyline is what inspires comments like “the best crime series currently in existence” although for me personally I don’t like the crime tag for these when taken on its own. Yes it is crime in a lot of the elements but it is so much more, an epic and increasingly spellbinding series that has too many facets to call it any one thing.
On a personal note one thing “A Time of Torment” did for me was knock Stephen King off his perch, from this point on I will happily tell anyone that asks that John Connolly is my favourite author – I would dump a new King book for a new Connolly book in under 10 seconds, if he wrote a book a month it would not be enough for me. As an emotionally charged reader I need an emotionally charged novel and this is what I get every single time, so what can you do except acknowledge that and so I have.
Character driven, literary and always always bang on the money, from my point of view the Charlie Parker series is the best series currently in existence. Forget the crime tag.
This book is insane, brilliant, relentless, absorbing, heart stopping, unpredictable, glorious and I do not know that I will ever read anything like tThis book is insane, brilliant, relentless, absorbing, heart stopping, unpredictable, glorious and I do not know that I will ever read anything like this trilogy again. It is done. I am bereft.
There are no actual words in the English language good enough to describe the emotional rollercoaster that the Red Rising Trilogy has been. And Pierce Brown has just given a masterclass in how to write a finale, how to reward and distress and lift up and throw down the reader, the sheer audacity of the language and how it invades your subconscious has to be seen to be believed. Incredible. **sobs into pillow**
A full review and retrospective of the series will appear on the blog in due course, once the novel is released into the wild and some time has passed for all the Howlers to read it. If you have not started yet then do. Do NOT miss this. No matter what your favourite genre, no matter if the words YA make you assume things, no matter what do not miss this.
"If This Is The End I Will Rage Toward It" - Darrow of Lykos
Looking back to when the blog was in its infancy, one of the very first advance novels I read was Sarah Hilary’s “Someone Elses SkQuite simply superb.
Looking back to when the blog was in its infancy, one of the very first advance novels I read was Sarah Hilary’s “Someone Elses Skin” – later to become winner of the 2015 Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year – so began a readers love affair with a new crime fiction series. The day I met Marnie Rome is one I genuinely have not forgotten – not only because it WAS one of the first times I was reading something long before it was published but because of the sheer emotional impact of the story, the writing and the character.
No Other Darkness followed in which the depth of writing went up a notch, the character came into her own, I also fell for Noah and again Sarah Hilary took me to a dark dark place – one of brutal reality, no punches held, no quarter given and managed to make me cry. (Yes I’m a big big baby I cannot lie)
So here we are at Tastes Like Fear then – a novel I am late in reviewing, many have come before me to tell you how great it is, one of my favourite reviews of it can be found HERE
Sarah Hilary is an incredible writer tis true – but being an incredible writer does not necessarily mean you can tell a STORY – the main thing is Ms Hilary tells a brilliantly plotted, deep, beautifully written, emotionally resonant STORY. Every single time. She messes with her characters (and therefore her readers) she points out flaws in our society with an insightful eye whilst keeping it entertaining, addictive and entirely believable. It is a talent. A rarer one than you might think.
Harm is scary. He is drop down, drop dead scary. There is that. But even MORE scary is the fact that he could be oh so real, the girls he manipulates could be within your eyeline, the person standing behind you in the bus queue could be hiding the darkest secret and you would never know it – this author brings all those possibilities to creepy, delightful life. Those deeper darker things stay with you long after reading any one of her novels and Tastes Like Fear is the best yet.
Reading is very subjective – this is a discussion I’ve had with friends recently – what speaks to one of us may disappoint the next – but for ME the type and quality of fiction that Sarah Hilary (and others) are producing is the type and quality that I love, read for, live for, want on my bookshelves to return to.
Tastes Like Fear is immense. And clever. And Highly Recommended by me. For what its worth....more
When I read “The Invisible Library” last year it was a purely pleasurable read, one that I absorbed in one sitting – a darkly humerous and incredibly When I read “The Invisible Library” last year it was a purely pleasurable read, one that I absorbed in one sitting – a darkly humerous and incredibly clever tale of a super Library overseeing a range of worlds, all of them different in their own way – and followed the story of Irene as she went after a particular book in a particular place (yes I’m trying to NOT with the spoilers) . Highly imaginative, if you love reading and books generally then you can’t possibly go wrong here, these are stories that speak to stories and as such are better than chocolate.
The follow up – The Masked City – if anything is even better. We know the eclectic and highly entertaining cast of characters and due to the mythology Genevieve Cogman can do with them as she likes – and she does! Kai was one of my favourites from The Invisible Library and this time he is in peril, Irene is determined to go to his rescue no matter the cost and it is a rich gallop of a tale that absorbs you into a magical yet often brutally realistic world and engages you utterly.
Irene is a kick ass super heroine when it comes to the books and she is not too shabby when it comes to the physical either, she has a great depth to her character and as such is the perfect anchor for such a mystical and fun tale. I’m also a big fan of the Fae as a concept – they are entirely fascinating, cleverly intriguing and you never know quite what is going to happen. All the various factions and interactions are really well done, we fairly race along to an ending that had me absolutely desperate for more.
Overall this series (which I hope will run for a while) is really superb ESPECIALLY as I say if you are a total bookworm as many of us are. You can nod along sagely at the lovely little book asides and overall I’m just a little in love with these.
First of all I really need to just point out how in awe I am of the devilishly devious, twistedly brilliant force of Sophie Hannah’s plotting. Like noFirst of all I really need to just point out how in awe I am of the devilishly devious, twistedly brilliant force of Sophie Hannah’s plotting. Like no other. Agatha Christie would have writers envy…
On the same point I have to say the “Whydunnit” in this is genuis and is quite simply my favourite whydunnit in the history of all whydunnits. I’m not sure Whydunnit is actually a word but if it is not it should be.
With “The Narrow Bed” we also get Simon Waterhouse – one of my favourite literary detectives and a character I adore, although if I had to actually live with him for more than 5 minutes it would probably be me under arrest for murder. He is and has been throughout the Culver Valley crime series a most fascinating character. Again like no other, his quirks and foibles are beyond enthralling, he is in fine form in this instalment and once more I found myself endlessly sympathising with poor Charlie. Although she chose to marry him…..
This time he is tracking a killer – one who targets best friends, killing them separately and leaving no clues. The police are stumped, the motive is as elusive as the killer and there seems no way forward. Then a witness appears who believes she may have been targeted..
And there you have the thing that changes “The Narrow Bed” from the usually sparkly storytelling you get in Ms Hannah’s writing to a full on firework display. Kim Tribbeck is an amazingly well drawn character and quite simply hilarious. A stroke of genius to make her an actual stand up comedian – I spent so much of this novel absolutely crying with laughter, pretty much from the very first page when she is talking fictional detectives..an ironically clever little part of the book which just sets you up perfectly for the rest.
The story has its addictive twists and turns, some more ongoing family and other drama from our usual criminally good main characters -and with the added joy of Kim’s inner monologue and outer often insightful interaction with Simon and Co, The Narrow Bed has now taken over from Hurting Distance as my favourite Sophie Hannah novel.
I just adore these. Really great writing, really great storytelling, totally addictive plots and a cast to die for. What’s not to love?
Way way back now, more years than I care to think about, I picked up a copy of a novel called “The Ritual Bath” and was introduced to Peter Decker andWay way back now, more years than I care to think about, I picked up a copy of a novel called “The Ritual Bath” and was introduced to Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus. I’ve grown up with them pretty much, we are now on book 23 and despite that fact this series just keeps going strong and I have never once been disappointed. Definitely one of my favourite series, here is hoping that our couple have a good few more years in them.
Over the course of the 23 books and counting, we have seen Decker and Lazarus come together, form a family, add to that family all whilst becoming embroiled in murder and mayhem, this is just as much a family drama as it is a crime series. Think The Waltons only less saccharine and with more dead bodies….
Faye Kellerman writes beautifully – the entirety of this body of work is simply amazing – creating an authentic and highly absorbing set of stories that are all extremely addictive – not only in the mystery elements which are always intelligently done and unpredictable – but also in the background and growth of the characters you come to know and love. Peter and Rina have grown with the series – they age appropriately, they face everyday problems, the religious background and themes work magnificently within the narrative (and often create a starting point for the individual case) so the core of each tale is steady and perfectly paced.
The author has an intuitive way of injecting new life into the ongoing drama every now and then – characters from previous novels often hang around, some permanently, adding to the whole and keeping things fresh, giving the reader new focus (and often huge amounts of book love – Chris Donatti, wait until you meet him)
Recently, with this book and the last, she has shaken things up again – moving Peter and Rina to pastures new and setting off a whole new set of life events for them. Into the mix in “Murder 101” came Tyler McAdams, a new partner for Peter in his policework and fast becoming a favourite for me – although he polarised opinion I’m firmly on the side of more Tyler all the time. Luckily for me it’s looking like I might get my wish…
So here we are at the latest adventure then – The Theory of Death. A student who may or may not have killed himself starts things off – and as Peter and Tyler enter the academic world once again, they will have their work cut out for them as they sort through a myriad of issues. Luckily as usual, Rina is around to ground things and keep them on the straight and narrow.
I loved this one it has to be said – I found the mathematics theory portions of the tale completely fascinating even though I understood not one darn word of it despite the excellent explanations. Once again Faye Kellerman throws a lot of intriguing and well drawn characters into the mix, gives us a complex and riveting puzzle to solve (and I’m not just talking about the maths here) and keeps you guessing to the very last page. I was enthralled from start to finish. I always am.
Overall this whole series comes highly recommended from me – you can read any of them, but for me to read in order is to go on a wonderful literary journey, after a few books reading one will be like coming home. For that reason hey, start at the start and work your way towards today – I can almost guarantee that once started you will devour each and every one then be tapping your fingers waiting for more. Which is what I’m doing right now....more
I’ve long been a fan of the Lynley mysteries – Literary crime fiction at it’s best, with A Banquet of Consequences Ms George has hit top form once morI’ve long been a fan of the Lynley mysteries – Literary crime fiction at it’s best, with A Banquet of Consequences Ms George has hit top form once more.
I’ll be honest and say since the series game changing event that occured in “With No-one As Witness” I felt that the author lost her way a little – whilst the ensuing novels were still good it lost a little something for me – but in A Banquet of Consequences that little hiccup seems to have been shaken off and she is back to doing what she does best. Delivering a tour de force of a crime story with our favourite characters heading back into normal territory and being those we love to read about.
Havers is toeing the line – Lynley finds he doesn’t really like this after all. There are some great humerous moments to be had around that and their interactions with Dorothea (a character who I’d like to see get a good deal more page time) and at last I felt that both Lynley and Havers were regaining lost ground.
Plus the trademark construction is back at its finest – where the crime in question is explored from many angles, giving us a picture of all those caught up in it, from the before during and after. What this author does incredibly well are people. From all walks of life, those who end up on the radar of Lynley and Havers are always fascinating whatever their background. In this case we have an author, a publicist, a mother who has lost a child to suicide and those that surround them – the sheer intricacies of all the interpersonal relationships make for some great reading and it is utterly compelling throughout.
As an entirety this series is simply stunning in its complexity, gorgeous prose, character building and addictive reading quality. Despite the odd downturn, where I believe it’s possible Ms George was grieving as much as her characters were, I would still highly recommend every novel that features Inspector Lynley and co.
You can read any one as a standalone but I would recommend reading in order as far as possible – if only to see the developing friendship between Lynley and Havers – a dynamic duo if ever there was one.
Outing number 9 then for Carol and Tony – and I can say genuinely that this series has not even shown a hint of growing old , the quality, readabilityOuting number 9 then for Carol and Tony – and I can say genuinely that this series has not even shown a hint of growing old , the quality, readability and just sheer addictiveness of it grows with every single novel and Splinter the Silence is no exception.
In this instalment Carol is still hiding away from the world, despite having started to mend her relationship with Tony there are a lot of underlying issues hounding her. For his part, Tony is determined to force her to confront her demons, but circumstances may get in his way. A killer may be hiding in plain sight, is he real or imagined? Behind the scenes as well things are happening that could mean major changes for everyone…
The character development in the series is second to none. I still have no idea how Val McDermid manages to write so perceptively when it comes to the intricacies and ever changing relationships within the core group yet still allows every story to be perfectly brilliant even if it is the only one you ever read. For me, as an avid reader from the start when those Mermaids were singing, these characters are as real to me as anyone in life – I’m pretty sure if you pick up this as your first foray into their world you’ll still feel like you’ve known them forever within a very few chapters. A talent for sure.
Splinter the Silence has some very current issues bang at the heart of it, the predatory nature of social media, in these days when any opinion expressed can be commented on with no middle ground, how that can escalate to wildly dangerous proportions – Tony’s foray into a recent spate of suicides uncovers some really horrific stuff – whilst you are being thoroughly entertained by the ongoing drama you will also pause to think about the realities here. If you are looking for authenticity in your crime novels they don’t come much more real than this.
As usual Val McDermid juggles her characters and her story arc brilliantly, moving things ever onward – I was particulary enthralled by one of the many layers here, that concerning Stacey and Sam – but I’ll say no more. There is a huge depth and – well I want to say mythology although that’s probably not the right word – that has been created here over the course of the series. Whilst every single tale has a central case or mystery that is always intriguing and compelling it is the engaging and utterly gripping lives of the core group that gives it the edge, that little added frisson that will keep you coming back for more.
If you are a fan already then Splinter the Silence will delight you – if you are not, whether you choose to start at the beginning or jump in right here I can almost guarantee you will not be disappointed. When crime fiction is at it’s best it can do more for the reading soul than any other genre I know and this is most definitively crime fiction at it’s best.
For someone who writes so well about the dark and disturbing side of human nature, Ms McDermid also has a terrifically delicate touch when it comes to the intricacies of personal relationships – and it is the two combined that make for such fascinating, and alluring reading. I was captivated from the very first page as ever and for me these just get better and better.
OH MY GOD THIS BOOK! Emotional overload or what. I'm really wrung out! Anyway, I shall be joint reviewing this with Christine (Northern Crime) at a laOH MY GOD THIS BOOK! Emotional overload or what. I'm really wrung out! Anyway, I shall be joint reviewing this with Christine (Northern Crime) at a later date in the form of a conversation as we've been buddy reading it with much shrieking today. In the meantime though if you HAVENT read the Raker series what are you waiting for? GO GO
Words really can't express how much I'm enjoying this series - seriously addictive, most terrific storytelling and a real dark side that appeals.
So thWords really can't express how much I'm enjoying this series - seriously addictive, most terrific storytelling and a real dark side that appeals.
So this is the third novel to feature the serial killer who isn't, Cara Lindstrom and her befuddled would be captor Agent Roarke. In this instalment Cara is in jail but of course this is Cara we are talking about so how long she is likely to be there remains to be seen. Roarke meanwhile still fights his inner demons and considers crossing some more lines as he heads into another emotive case.
Cold Moon delves yet deeper into the underbelly of society, dealing as it does with the world of pimps, child prostitution and kidnapping - Alexandra Sokoloff has a real feel for her subject matter, a depth of perception that comes across so well in the thoughts and actions of her characters and the consequences that follow. As I said in my review of book 2, redefining the serial killer genre is no easy task, to do it as well as sending a strong moral message is even harder and yet that is exactly what happens within the narrative of all the huntress/FBI Thrillers.
There is also a beautifully constructed mythology developing here just below the surface of obvious - most especially within Cara's view of the world and her redefining of evil. What it is, what it means. She is the very definition of a strong female lead - yet she is not the heroine. Or is she? Therein lies the real addictive quality of this series - almost every character walks a very fine line.
I honestly think these are superb. Getting better if anything with each new story, I am utterly entranced by this world and the people in it - authentic and downright scary if you think too deeply about it,I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Pretty unbelievable that Charlier Parker is on his 13th outing, seems like only yesterday I picked up “Every Dead Thing” rather randomly and became anPretty unbelievable that Charlier Parker is on his 13th outing, seems like only yesterday I picked up “Every Dead Thing” rather randomly and became an immediate and lifelong fan of this author and of this series in particular. 13 may be unlucky for some but not in this case because “A Song of Shadows” has a beautiful quality about it, following as it does the emotional and traumatic events of “A Wolf in Winter”, a book that had me distraught for weeks. In a good way.
A bit of background for anyone who has not yet started these… Charlie Parker is a private investigator, who lost his family to the serial killer known as The Travelling Man. Each book takes Charlie one step closer to the end game (sob, I feel it coming now I really do, one time in my reading life I hope I’m wrong and there are another 20 books on the way) whilst each one also has its own self contained storyline. Even so I would highly recommend that you read these in order without missing a step – the richness and depth of the mythology that John Connolly has created here is pitch perfect both in construction and prose, with each novel leading you slowly towards something I still cannot yet imagine – as such the complete experience is better served as a sequence of events.
Looking at “A Song of Shadows” then, here we find Charlie recuperating from the violent attack he suffered, watched over as ever by the elusive Louis and Angel, he moves to a small town to take the time to heal. Living next door is Ruth Winter and her daughter Amanda – Ruth hides a dark secret with its roots firmly in the past. Of course Charlie gets involved. It is who he is.
I read this in a day, such is the addictive quality of the writing and the story unfolding – often taking time out to take a step back, I’m not sure why exactly but these stories always get right to the heart of me. It may be crime fiction with a twist but it is also poetic, haunting and highly emotional. Always. The sheer wonder of Charlie Parker’s world ends up giving me just as much pain as pleasure emotionally speaking, I am wrung out by the end of them, this one was no different. It is why I love them and will read to the bitter end (please don’t end) because books that touch the soul are rare – and books with this subject matter that do so are even more unusual.
The ongoing mythology of the series takes a huge step with very few words in this instalment – another huge strength of the writing is the author’s ability to get a world of meaning, passion and anticipation into a few small sentences – as well as dealing with Ruth’s issues, Charlie has his own family to consider. This thread of the tale was truly terrific, although of course it also made me mad as all heck that now I have to wait again. I’m really not good at waiting. I don’t like it. It makes me grumpy.
All our well loved characters are back, including a brief cameo from my personal favourite “bad” guy – the interactions and conversations are electric as ever, the relationships solid and developing. I may take this opportunity to mention that I really hope that Mr Connolly might give us another novel somewhere in there that gives Louis and Angel their own tale of woe (see The Reapers) because these two marvellous men certainly deserve that and I’m sure there is a lot left unsaid for this pair.
Overall this was fantastic. I always think it cannot possibly hit me any harder but each time it does – beautifully written, literary genius and without doubt my favourite series in the history of the world ever. So highly recommended that highly recommended doesnt even cover it. If you have not read these yet you are missing something incredible. Don’t do that. Life is too short....more
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