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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
This easily could have been split into two books, and maybe it should have been. Some of the gangsters started to run together in my mind as there wasn't much to distinguish them. Also, the killer was pegged very early on. But I liked the side characters of Angel and Louis, and also the overall darkness of the story. A solid three-star and I will definitely keep reading this series.
This is probably the 4th re-read of Every Dead Thing. For me this is an incredible first in a series. Charlie Parker is such a good character. We find him 7 months after the murder of his wife and child and he is slowly trying to find a new normal. Connolly delivers a book of vivid description be it in the murder scenes, the settings or the characters he makes it very easy to visualize what Charlie sees. After reading the book you realize that as the story progresses you find that Connolly has given different descriptions of the killer as he evolves. This book is 2 very good stories, the first being a missing person which Charlie with single minded focus will do anything to solve while underneath there is the story of the Traveling Man who waits in the background biding his time till his story comes to an end.
With all Connolly books the dialogue is quick and witty. The friendship between Charlie, Louis and Angel is already solid. I love the way Connolly also introduces the history of the places he takes us too. It is also conversational in its telling which makes it all the more interesting to the reader.
I read Every Dead Thing again as Connolly’s new book takes us back to the time between Susan and Jennifer’s death and the capture of the Traveling Man. I wanted to remember the man he was then which has lead me to Dark Hollow.
With all Connolly books the dialogue is quick and witty. The friendship between Charlie, Louis and Angel is already solid. I love the way Connolly also introduces the history of the places he takes us too. It is also conversational in its telling which makes it all the more interesting to the reader.
I read Every Dead Thing again as Connolly’s new book takes us back to the time between Susan and Jennifer’s death and the capture of the Traveling Man. I wanted to remember the man he was then which has lead me to Dark Hollow.
Charles ‘Bird’ Parker is a hard man, damaged beyond repair, and he hears the voices of people who died because of extreme violence. He used to be an alcoholic police homicide detective, but now he is looking to keep busy after he retired early. People are beginning to call him to do private detective work, but they do so cautiously. Since The Incident, there have been rumors of unsolved murders in the wake of Parker’s involvement in certain cases.
Police report excerpted from the Prologue of ‘Every Dead Thing’:
“Complainant Detective Second Grade Charles Parker stated he left house at 1900 hrs following argument with wife, Susan Parker. Went to Tom’s Oak Tavern and remained there until around 0130 hrs on December 13. Entered house through front door and found furniture in hallway disturbed. Entered kitchen and found wife and daughter. Stated that wife was tied to kitchen chair but daugher’s body appeared to have been moved from adjacent chair and arranged over mother’s body. Called police at 0155 hrs and waited at scene.
Victims, identified to me by Charles Parker as Susan Parker (wife, 33 years old) and Jennifer Parker (daughter, 3 years old), were in kitchen. Susan Parker was tied to a kitchen chair in center of floor, facing door. A second chair was placed beside it with some ropes still attached to rear struts. Jennifer Parker was lying across her mother, faceup.
Susan Parker was barefoot and wearing blue jeans and white blouse. Blouse was ripped and had been pulled down to her waist exposing breasts. Jeans and underwear had been pulled down to her calves. Jennifer Parker was barefoot, wearing a white nightdress with blue flower pattern.”
Now, months later, Benny Low, a bail bondsman, is looking for help to track down a bail skip. Parker is ready to take the case, but ever since the ritual killings of his wife and daughter, everyone is a little afraid of him. There are rumors Charles Parker may no longer be a good man, or entirely stable…..
There are two main cases propelling the stories in the book, which may be possibly linked, although one is in New York City and the other is near New Orleans, but what draws Parker into them is the possibility that whoever is murdering the women and children in these homicides and/or disappearances may be killing with the same ritual methodology which was used on Parker’s wife and child. The FBI makes an appearance, but Parker is never going to be an ally of suits.
A possible romance sparks up between Parker and a criminal psychologist, Rachel Wolfe, but it is a shaky one. He will follow the path of revenge wherever it leads, but she has no interest in destroying her career or herself.
This novel is a hardcore mystery - not for those looking for cozies. The cases, friends and enemies of Charles Parker are true-to-life, and the series is an insider’s view of homicides despite the softening presence of the usual mystery genre elements. Not only are there descriptions of torture done, Parker and his friends, especially the assassin Louis and his lover Angel, a burglar, are protagonists who no longer are on the right side of the law, although they still possess a hunger to see justice done. Serial killers, child rapists and psychopathic mafia gangbangers are their prey, whether found in the lonely swamps of impoverished Louisiana or mansions of the wealthy in New York City.
I thought there were significant structure issues in this book, especially in the beginning 15 chapters or so, but the novel eventually settles down into a coherent timeline.
The book ‘Every Dead Thing’ is the first of a series (12 books so far).
Police report excerpted from the Prologue of ‘Every Dead Thing’:
“Complainant Detective Second Grade Charles Parker stated he left house at 1900 hrs following argument with wife, Susan Parker. Went to Tom’s Oak Tavern and remained there until around 0130 hrs on December 13. Entered house through front door and found furniture in hallway disturbed. Entered kitchen and found wife and daughter. Stated that wife was tied to kitchen chair but daugher’s body appeared to have been moved from adjacent chair and arranged over mother’s body. Called police at 0155 hrs and waited at scene.
Victims, identified to me by Charles Parker as Susan Parker (wife, 33 years old) and Jennifer Parker (daughter, 3 years old), were in kitchen. Susan Parker was tied to a kitchen chair in center of floor, facing door. A second chair was placed beside it with some ropes still attached to rear struts. Jennifer Parker was lying across her mother, faceup.
Susan Parker was barefoot and wearing blue jeans and white blouse. Blouse was ripped and had been pulled down to her waist exposing breasts. Jeans and underwear had been pulled down to her calves. Jennifer Parker was barefoot, wearing a white nightdress with blue flower pattern.”
Now, months later, Benny Low, a bail bondsman, is looking for help to track down a bail skip. Parker is ready to take the case, but ever since the ritual killings of his wife and daughter, everyone is a little afraid of him. There are rumors Charles Parker may no longer be a good man, or entirely stable…..
There are two main cases propelling the stories in the book, which may be possibly linked, although one is in New York City and the other is near New Orleans, but what draws Parker into them is the possibility that whoever is murdering the women and children in these homicides and/or disappearances may be killing with the same ritual methodology which was used on Parker’s wife and child. The FBI makes an appearance, but Parker is never going to be an ally of suits.
A possible romance sparks up between Parker and a criminal psychologist, Rachel Wolfe, but it is a shaky one. He will follow the path of revenge wherever it leads, but she has no interest in destroying her career or herself.
This novel is a hardcore mystery - not for those looking for cozies. The cases, friends and enemies of Charles Parker are true-to-life, and the series is an insider’s view of homicides despite the softening presence of the usual mystery genre elements. Not only are there descriptions of torture done, Parker and his friends, especially the assassin Louis and his lover Angel, a burglar, are protagonists who no longer are on the right side of the law, although they still possess a hunger to see justice done. Serial killers, child rapists and psychopathic mafia gangbangers are their prey, whether found in the lonely swamps of impoverished Louisiana or mansions of the wealthy in New York City.
I thought there were significant structure issues in this book, especially in the beginning 15 chapters or so, but the novel eventually settles down into a coherent timeline.
The book ‘Every Dead Thing’ is the first of a series (12 books so far).
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Good writing but a little to much detail at times. I stubbled to keep up with who all of the characters were.
With all the meat on the table in this book, a less brilliant author would have written at least four, just to keep the matter under control. Instead, John Connolly has written just one, full of minutely described characters and equally minutely deepened from the psychological point of view, with a plot of events really complex and full, very full, of musical and literary references, a real bignami from this point of view. The only character that, in the second part of the book, got on my nerves a bit is Rachel, the psychologist who comes to the aid of the protagonist, who jumps alone into the pond and then takes it out on the protagonist when she realizes she is drowning. In any case, a truly remarkable work.
okay, it was a great journey. loves every single naration and reference.
It’s super slow! The way the mom and daughter were murdered was pretty disturbing (their faces were cut off and one of them was alive while it happened, among other things—yuck). I thought maybe I could get past that if they quit talking about it, but 2.5 hours later (audio) it was just too slow and boring. Also, was not a huge fan of the narrator.