Next on my list of 1001 books and authors you really need to read before you die is (11) The Charlie Parker novels by John Connolly (whom I mentioned before last year when I was reading The Lovers). These novels, the latest of which is The Whisperers, follow the exploits of ex-Cop and Private Detective, Charlie Parker, whose wife and child are brutally murdered by a serial killer known only as The Travelling Man! In Every Dead Thing, the first of these novels, Parker hunts down the man responsible and finds himself developing a kind of sixth sense that allows him to see the spirits of the recently dead. Parker soon finds himself driven to hunt down other bad men of a similar nature almost against his will as though he is being directed by a higher force...but before long, the forces of Darkness begin to fight back! Fallen Angels, Demons and the ongoing them of a much larger imminent battle between the forces of Good and Evil begin to turn up all through Connolly's novels but one of the best things about these books is that many of the paranormal occurrences are left to the readers own interpretation. If you want, you can read into all that happens to Parker as a form of mental break from reality brought on by Post Traumatic Stress left over from the brutal murder of his family. But you can also read into it that Parker is in fact someone important; an unknown quantity that will play a large part in things yet to come!
These are very dark and graphic serial thrillers that are seriously not for the faint of heart! The theological aspects set them apart from anything else available in this genre and though Connnolly's latest, The Whisperers, is not quite as good as some of the others in this series, it is still miles ahead of what most thriller writers have to offer!
1 comment:
I read the first of these - "Every Dead Thing" - just a couple of days back after John Connolly visited our store for an informal signing and I decided to give him a try. I must say - you're right when you say that he is not for the faint hearted as tonnes of blood was spilled (pretty horrifically) before the first chapter had even started!
I loved the characters of Angel and Louis and would hope that they turn up in later books if I ever get round to reaing them. I was a little put off by the sheer number of characters introduced to us in that debut novel - it just seemed to be an overload of personalities, many of which ended up dead anyways, and the plot was tricky to follow at times because of it.
Other than that though I'd have to agree that it is a gripping read, that there are undertones of paranormal activity going on throughout and that if you are brave - the graphic detail is always a winner! Still not sure that I like Charlie Parker as a character though and always feel let down when secondary characters are more likeable and familiar.
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