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A review by noonjinx
The Killing Kind by John Connolly
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Very good. I think this one is on a par with the first in the series. The writing is dark and intense; full of foreboding. It’s a pleasure to read and Connolly somehow manages to walk just the right side of the line between poetic and pompous…
“The door closed gently behind him, its sound in the empty synagogue like a breath exhaled from the mouth of God.”
Having said that, occasionally some of the characters talk in the same poetic voice as the author, especially when they’re giving Parker background information, and that doesn’t quite work for me.
The supernatural element is up a tiny notch in this one (Parker’s glimpses of ghosts now include brief interactions) but it works well and it’s still not the main focus of the books. The characters are great and most of them act the way I believe they would (though why Rachel stays with Parker given the queue of deranged killers he keeps leading to her is beyond me). The pacing is perfect, balancing Parker’s dark introspection with mounting creepiness and bursts of violence.
The highlight of this book is definitely the villain. Mr Pudd is one of the creepiest characters I’ve ever read.
“The door closed gently behind him, its sound in the empty synagogue like a breath exhaled from the mouth of God.”
Having said that, occasionally some of the characters talk in the same poetic voice as the author, especially when they’re giving Parker background information, and that doesn’t quite work for me.
The supernatural element is up a tiny notch in this one (Parker’s glimpses of ghosts now include brief interactions) but it works well and it’s still not the main focus of the books. The characters are great and most of them act the way I believe they would (though why Rachel stays with Parker given the queue of deranged killers he keeps leading to her is beyond me). The pacing is perfect, balancing Parker’s dark introspection with mounting creepiness and bursts of violence.
The highlight of this book is definitely the villain. Mr Pudd is one of the creepiest characters I’ve ever read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture and Murder