14th Charlie Parker novel doesn't disappoint

From the publisher:

Dangerous and driven private investigator Charlie Parker returns in the latest gripping thriller of internationally bestselling author John Connolly’s series, in which ungodly fears haunt a strange and isolated community.

Jerome Burnel was once a hero. He intervened to prevent multiple killings, and in doing so destroyed himself. His life was torn apart. He was imprisoned, brutalized.

But in his final days, with the hunters circling, he tells his story to private detective Charlie Parker. He speaks of the girl who was marked for death, but was saved; of the ones who tormented him, and an entity that hides in a ruined stockade.

Parker is not like other men. He died, and was reborn. He is ready to wage war.

Now he will descend upon a strange, isolated community called the Cut, and face down a force of men who rule by terror, intimidation, and murder.

All in the name of the being they serve. All in the name of the Dead King.

5 Stars

I feel like I have to disclose that the Charlie Parker series is my favorite series of all time. In any genre. Perhaps because it doesn't fit neatly into any one genre. It's gritty crime novels with supernatural elements and a mystery that spans across the entire series.  Connolly's writing is elegant and powerful. His ability to keep the story exciting, to keep me wanting more, is amazing at this point in the series. Fourteen books! 

The previous book in the series, A Song of Shadows, built slowly. This one does not. I was immediately pulled into the story and read the entire novel in two sittings. I wish I had started in the morning and read it in one. I can't give a better description than the one on the book jacket. I will add that some of my favorite bad guys are present, and the newest bad guy may be the baddest yet. 

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.





 

Outstanding Debut Psychological Thriller from Germany

5 of 5 stars

Prominent German screenwriter Sascha Arango's debut novel The Truth and Other Lies is a fantastic psychological thriller in every sense of the word.  Henry Hayden is a liar, a womanizer,  and a con man. He's also a very successful author, publishing his wife's work under his own name.

Her unfortunate death couldn't occur at a worse time for Henry. His mistress is pregnant. His publisher is in financial trouble and anxiously awaiting his now incomplete novel. He's being pursued by a figure from his past. And the inexorable Detective Jenssen has been assigned to investigate his wife's death.

Henry's rich inner dialogue as he attempts to keep the pieces of his deliberately constructed life together is masterful.  He is heartbroken and pitiful, and totally despicable. The truths, half-truths, and outright lies are woven together seamlessly. Every turn of the page could reveal Henry's end.

A genuine 5 star read.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.