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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
dark
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The book is a cliche. Also it is fairly sexist
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Blood, Kidnapping
“When she was taken from me it was like the death of a world, an infinite number of futures coming to an end.”
“I think that what I wanted was a power I could not have: the power to perceive evil, the ability to look at the faces in a crowded room and see the signs of depravity and corruption.”
I am huge fan of John Connolly and I finally decided to dive in to the Charlie Parker series. That was an excellent decision on my part. I’m so smart ; ) I really enjoyed this book. Bird (Charlie Parker) is an extremely well written character, and the supporting cast of characters are all entertaining in their own right as well. I can’t wait to start the next book in the series.
“I think that what I wanted was a power I could not have: the power to perceive evil, the ability to look at the faces in a crowded room and see the signs of depravity and corruption.”
I am huge fan of John Connolly and I finally decided to dive in to the Charlie Parker series. That was an excellent decision on my part. I’m so smart ; ) I really enjoyed this book. Bird (Charlie Parker) is an extremely well written character, and the supporting cast of characters are all entertaining in their own right as well. I can’t wait to start the next book in the series.
Jesus that what disgusting.
I first read this in my twenties.
Clearly a weird time for me emotionally.
I first read this in my twenties.
Clearly a weird time for me emotionally.
Not a thriller you can skim through, and that's not a bad thing-caused me to pay attention and think. The writing is above average for a thriller, and many of the characters are memorable. I would have liked this more with tighter plot flow-it seemed like the story should have ended sooner. Warning: the violence is intense.
Read this if you need to stay awake all night.
I, for instance, read through the majority of this book during one of the most boring night shifts ever. I don't know what the world is coming to when patients actually sleep through the night. It turned out to be an almost optimal way to read it for me--the occasional call light interrupting the build of tension, yet enough suspense and horror to drive any sleepies from my mind. Really. I should have lent a chapter or two to Ashley, who was working a double shift and had to resort to napping during her break. A chapter or two with Connolly would have taken care of that, fast.
Still, it really wasn't my cuppa. I enjoy Connolly's ability to create atmosphere, but as someone who has approached his writing through his later works, first book awkwardness shows here. Instead of merely evocative, some descriptions feel more like digressions and interruptions, particularly brief side lectures on bone china, particular types of construction, history of mayors of New Orleans, brief history of FBI wiretapping, etc. Then there are large chunks that feel like nods to the expected genre tropes rather than personal style: an explanation of the guns Parker owns, a description of his beat-up car, the strange way the police in whatever area he's in include him in their cases. I felt like explanations for the latter were cumbersome distractions. And the biggest tropes of all--and honestly, my peeves with the horror/thriller genre in general--the insistence that both body count and gruesomeness make a story more suspenseful.
~Why, hello, Tana French, Christie, Conan Doyle and Poe.~
Add to it the feeling that this book is actually three books means it suffers even more from first books syndrome (all the ideas!): the story of Charlie Parker and his wife and daughter's murder, the story of a serial killer who preys on children, and the story of a serial killer who flays their victims. Eventually, two of the stories fit together, with the remaining section feeling like a long detour into a different book Don't get me wrong; certainly it entertained (did I mention needing to stay awake?) but in retrospect, I can't think that it had anything to do with the final story.
Some mention Connolly's characters as a strength, but I'm not convinced that's in play here, except for the troubled lead, Charlie Parker. Then there's the challenges presented by 'friends,' Angel and Louis. It always makes me a little uncomfortable to have characters who are largely referred to by their differentness, so that there's some kind of psuedo-white liberal congratulations where we can reassure ourselves that we aren't really scared of black men, or gay men, or interracial couples, except that every single time they are brought up in the story, their sexuality/color is a part of the story. It's especially clear when the dialogue references the stereotypes of that group, providing the way we can all pat ourselves on the back. The characters of Angel and Louis are very awkwardly included here.
As inexperienced as I am in the genre, I still suspect this is above average in overall writing quality. Still, it lacks the focus that Connolly brings to his later works and instead focused on details that seem to be catering to an audience raised on thriller/horror and not to a tightly focused story. Well, as long as it worked, I suppose, so that he can keep improving and getting published. It was interesting reading this after book 8, [b:The Lovers|6145714|The Lovers (Charlie Parker, #8)|John Connolly|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1314485291s/6145714.jpg|6324602], seeing the beginning threads of Parker's story. However, it also led me to wondering about a little bit of reconning that might be happening in book 8.
Another rare unrated for me, partly because it kept me awake--that's some skill, there--and partly because I'm not a genre fan, so any 'it was okay' type rating would need to be qualified by the "it's not you, it's me" school of excuses.
I, for instance, read through the majority of this book during one of the most boring night shifts ever. I don't know what the world is coming to when patients actually sleep through the night. It turned out to be an almost optimal way to read it for me--the occasional call light interrupting the build of tension, yet enough suspense and horror to drive any sleepies from my mind. Really. I should have lent a chapter or two to Ashley, who was working a double shift and had to resort to napping during her break. A chapter or two with Connolly would have taken care of that, fast.
Still, it really wasn't my cuppa. I enjoy Connolly's ability to create atmosphere, but as someone who has approached his writing through his later works, first book awkwardness shows here. Instead of merely evocative, some descriptions feel more like digressions and interruptions, particularly brief side lectures on bone china, particular types of construction, history of mayors of New Orleans, brief history of FBI wiretapping, etc. Then there are large chunks that feel like nods to the expected genre tropes rather than personal style: an explanation of the guns Parker owns, a description of his beat-up car, the strange way the police in whatever area he's in include him in their cases. I felt like explanations for the latter were cumbersome distractions. And the biggest tropes of all--and honestly, my peeves with the horror/thriller genre in general--the insistence that both body count and gruesomeness make a story more suspenseful.
~Why, hello, Tana French, Christie, Conan Doyle and Poe.~
Add to it the feeling that this book is actually three books means it suffers even more from first books syndrome (all the ideas!): the story of Charlie Parker and his wife and daughter's murder, the story of a serial killer who preys on children, and the story of a serial killer who flays their victims. Eventually, two of the stories fit together, with the remaining section feeling like a long detour into a different book Don't get me wrong; certainly it entertained (did I mention needing to stay awake?) but in retrospect, I can't think that it had anything to do with the final story.
Some mention Connolly's characters as a strength, but I'm not convinced that's in play here, except for the troubled lead, Charlie Parker. Then there's the challenges presented by 'friends,' Angel and Louis. It always makes me a little uncomfortable to have characters who are largely referred to by their differentness, so that there's some kind of psuedo-white liberal congratulations where we can reassure ourselves that we aren't really scared of black men, or gay men, or interracial couples, except that every single time they are brought up in the story, their sexuality/color is a part of the story. It's especially clear when the dialogue references the stereotypes of that group, providing the way we can all pat ourselves on the back. The characters of Angel and Louis are very awkwardly included here.
As inexperienced as I am in the genre, I still suspect this is above average in overall writing quality. Still, it lacks the focus that Connolly brings to his later works and instead focused on details that seem to be catering to an audience raised on thriller/horror and not to a tightly focused story. Well, as long as it worked, I suppose, so that he can keep improving and getting published. It was interesting reading this after book 8, [b:The Lovers|6145714|The Lovers (Charlie Parker, #8)|John Connolly|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1314485291s/6145714.jpg|6324602], seeing the beginning threads of Parker's story. However, it also led me to wondering about a little bit of reconning that might be happening in book 8.
Another rare unrated for me, partly because it kept me awake--that's some skill, there--and partly because I'm not a genre fan, so any 'it was okay' type rating would need to be qualified by the "it's not you, it's me" school of excuses.
I know that I gave this book three stars but I really did enjoy it. The problem that I had is that it is almost two stories rolled into one. In the first, Charlie Parker is hired to find a missing person. As a former police detective he is up to the challenge but must overcome his own past. He still has deep guilt and anger over the loss of his wife and daughter to a serial killer. This is the second story. Instead of being interwoven, the story lines parallel and almost seem independent of each other. That is my complaint. I would have liked better integration of the story lines. Maybe that is just my interpretation.
The story is still engaging and I will read the second story of the series. I hope that the writing will smooth out between book one and two.
The story is still engaging and I will read the second story of the series. I hope that the writing will smooth out between book one and two.
I found this to be a really interesting and intriguing mystery - marred by too much writing! The story is fascinating - and there's lots of background to give credence to the dénouement.
However, it just never stops! Over 100 pages could easily have been edited out of this book - and at times I felt I was reading Dostoevsky - so many, many, many characters!!!!! Admittedly, all were unusual and memorable. I just wish he had saved about twenty five of them for the next book.
I highly recommend "Every Dead Thing" to people who like to take their time with a novel, stopping to process what they've read. There are just too many characters and murders to read quickly.
I don't recommend it for children - it's pretty gory and intense - the murders are especially explicit - although, if such a thing can be called interesting, the dead body displays were quite unusual and inventive.
If it had just been a hundred or so pages shorter - and had way fewer characters, this would have been my favorite summer read of 2012.
However, it just never stops! Over 100 pages could easily have been edited out of this book - and at times I felt I was reading Dostoevsky - so many, many, many characters!!!!! Admittedly, all were unusual and memorable. I just wish he had saved about twenty five of them for the next book.
I highly recommend "Every Dead Thing" to people who like to take their time with a novel, stopping to process what they've read. There are just too many characters and murders to read quickly.
I don't recommend it for children - it's pretty gory and intense - the murders are especially explicit - although, if such a thing can be called interesting, the dead body displays were quite unusual and inventive.
If it had just been a hundred or so pages shorter - and had way fewer characters, this would have been my favorite summer read of 2012.
Re-reading the first two so I can finally get round to reading the rest of the series.
Every Dead Thing is the first in John Connolly’s Charlie (Bird) Parker series. Bird is a former New York cop whose wife and daughter were brutally murdered while he was at the local getting drunk. He quit the force and without getting a license or anything official, starts doing a few investigative jobs. One for a bail bondsman gets him into a huge shootout with the mob. This gets him hired to find a Catherine Demeter who, like Bird, lost family to a monster–a serial killer who preyed on children.
Of course, all the time he is also thinking about and looking for the monster who murdered his family. The trail leads him to New Orleans, called their by the daughter of a woman who told him of another victim, a victim she has never seen, but whose ghost haunts the swamps. When he goes, she and son are murdered–clearly by the man who killed Bird’s family.
There is much for a mystery reader to love about Every Dead Thing. The mysteries are complex and fair. You can connect the dots with the information available to you, the readers. Connolly has an eye for detail and paints a picture with his prose so you can see it in your mind’s eye whether describing the trees and wildlife of the bayou or the bars and the people of New Orleans. The story is rich with complex and interesting characters, particularly Louis and Angel, his friends on the wrong side of the law.
However, and this is huge however, this is some grim and gruesome stuff. It took me far longer than usual to read Every Dead Thing as I would have to put it aside and read something else. I read four books while reading it because I could not take the unrelenting violence that was far too detailed. Our serial killer likes to flay people and pose them in a tableaux. It’s gross. The killer of Demeter’s sister like to torture children. It’s gross. It’s hard to take.
There is also the need to suspend disbelief that goes too far, expecting too much of us. No, I am not talking about the psychic swamp woman or the ghostly visions that Bird has. I am talking about Bird shooting people here and there and never getting arrested for it. Oh, he gets questioned but someone always vouches for him and he’s released. He leaves the scene of multiple murders and would in any normal course of events be a prime suspect…and it’s all okay. It beggars belief far more than the paranormal elements of the story.
There’s also a bit of wallowing in the gore. Connolly will never “fade to black.” Instead he goes too far the other direction, to the point of prurience. There’s a chapter describing an autopsy juxtaposed with memories of his family. There’s just too much loving detail of the unlovely elements of murder.
So here’s the thing, it’s a good, complex mystery. The writing is excellent in terms of character development and sense of place. The plot is complex. These are all great. But I don’t know if I have any yen to read another in this series. The murders and murderers are just too gruesome for me.
I received an e-galley of Every Dead Thing from the publisher through NetGalley.
★★★
http://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2017/03/18/9781501122620/
Of course, all the time he is also thinking about and looking for the monster who murdered his family. The trail leads him to New Orleans, called their by the daughter of a woman who told him of another victim, a victim she has never seen, but whose ghost haunts the swamps. When he goes, she and son are murdered–clearly by the man who killed Bird’s family.
There is much for a mystery reader to love about Every Dead Thing. The mysteries are complex and fair. You can connect the dots with the information available to you, the readers. Connolly has an eye for detail and paints a picture with his prose so you can see it in your mind’s eye whether describing the trees and wildlife of the bayou or the bars and the people of New Orleans. The story is rich with complex and interesting characters, particularly Louis and Angel, his friends on the wrong side of the law.
However, and this is huge however, this is some grim and gruesome stuff. It took me far longer than usual to read Every Dead Thing as I would have to put it aside and read something else. I read four books while reading it because I could not take the unrelenting violence that was far too detailed. Our serial killer likes to flay people and pose them in a tableaux. It’s gross. The killer of Demeter’s sister like to torture children. It’s gross. It’s hard to take.
There is also the need to suspend disbelief that goes too far, expecting too much of us. No, I am not talking about the psychic swamp woman or the ghostly visions that Bird has. I am talking about Bird shooting people here and there and never getting arrested for it. Oh, he gets questioned but someone always vouches for him and he’s released. He leaves the scene of multiple murders and would in any normal course of events be a prime suspect…and it’s all okay. It beggars belief far more than the paranormal elements of the story.
There’s also a bit of wallowing in the gore. Connolly will never “fade to black.” Instead he goes too far the other direction, to the point of prurience. There’s a chapter describing an autopsy juxtaposed with memories of his family. There’s just too much loving detail of the unlovely elements of murder.
So here’s the thing, it’s a good, complex mystery. The writing is excellent in terms of character development and sense of place. The plot is complex. These are all great. But I don’t know if I have any yen to read another in this series. The murders and murderers are just too gruesome for me.
I received an e-galley of Every Dead Thing from the publisher through NetGalley.
★★★
http://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2017/03/18/9781501122620/