Customer Reviews

The Lovers: A Thriller (Charlie Parker Mysteries)

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"The Lovers" is Connolly's latest installment of his Charlie Parker series. For those loyal readers who have wondered about Charlie's background and how it might relate and animate his life as a private investigator, paranormal sleuth, and magnet for supernatural enigmas, many answers and a few more questions appear and are examined in this very focused effort.

"The Lovers" is a very personal examination of Parker's background as he begins seeking the answers to festering questions about his past. It is different from past installments as most of Parker's recurring characters and support network are reduced to cameos (much as he was in "The Reapers") and it is left to Charlie to carry the storyline and action through his persistent and unrelenting investigation that seeks the truth to his father's suicide after apparently killing a young couple who were not armed.

Old wounds are reopened and new wounds are discovered--many of which ultimately explain some recurring elements in the Parker series and others which open new story lines. There may be very few signature characters in the thriller genre that are as complex, as powerful, yet as vulnerable as Charlie Parker. This reader is never disappointed in the complexity and the credibilty of Connolly's plotting, detailed storylines, and breathless pacing.

The author is a master of establishing mood and motivation through the psychological maneuverings of his characters and his readers. Connolly's work is at once atmospheric, moody, dark and disturbing--yet compelling and hard to put down. His prose is sometimes so lyrical and so defining that I find myself rereading a sentence or paragraph just to marvel at his styling. He can establish mood, a sense of disquiet, peril, or supernatural unease with a few well turned phrases. And his ability to build suspense and an impending sense of doom that is almost palpable to the reader is extraordinary. I highly recommend this series to those attracted to intense, pyschologically intricate, suspense thrillers.

With his private investigator's license revoked (see THE REAPERS), Charlie Parker leaves New York City to tend bar in Portland, Maine. The job gives him time think about the other tragedy in his life besides the murders of his wife and daughter that haunts him. When Charlie was fifteen, his father Will an NYPD cop shot dead two teens, who after he kills them learns they were unarmed. Unable cope, Will committed suicide.

As Charlie digs into the background of that traumatic incident, he finds some shocking evidence that makes him wonder if his beloved parents were his biological ones. He decides to return to Manhattan to investigate and avoid the police. At the same time a frightened disturbed woman is on the run from whatever killed her boyfriend. Writer Mickey Wallace investigates the stranger that haunt the Big Apple; as this pair converge on Charlie, two of the undying also come together wanting Parker dead.

Charlie's focus remains on his personal life, but spins to what happened to his father rather than himself. He is at his best as he begins to uncover shocker after shocker as if someone has connected his body to live electrical wires (see the Cheney torture handbook for more details). He makes the LOVERS a great urban Noir fantasy although the paranormal is kept to the minimal. Readers will relish his escapades as Charlie investigates his father's suicide while the undying want to give him an opportunity to question dad in whatever hell the dead old man resides in.

Harriet Klausner

It's hard to classify or pigeonhole John Connolly. You could say he writes mysteries, or thrillers, or horror novels, and you would be right on all counts. He has this magnificent series of books featuring a private investigator named Charlie Parker, who has been doing a deadly dance with some frighteningly evil people for over a decade now. THE LOVERS is the ninth of these works --- 10 if you want to count BAD MEN, on account of Parker's brief cameo --- and it shines new light on what has gone before while setting things up for future books in the series. It will also occasionally scare the heck out of you.

Parker writes in a more literary style than most of his contemporaries, so that one is put in the mind of Dickens, Poe, or Collins when reading his books. However, Parker is very much in the here and now. When a character walks into a coffee shop and a CD by The Pixies is playing, there is no question you are in the 21st century. Much of THE LOVERS, however, concerns Parker's past. He is at a low point as the novel opens, having lost his PI license, his concealed carry permit, and, as we will see, one of his best friends. Marking time by tending bar, he uses his involuntary retirement to begin an investigation into his own background.

Parker's father was a well-liked New York cop who murdered two teenagers in cold blood before taking his own life. Parker begins checking into the circumstances behind the killings, even as he initiates a query into his own parentage. What Parker finds is that everything he knows about himself is wrong, and that the people he knew as his parents, though flawed, were possessed in their separate ways with more strains of decency and charity than he ever could have guessed.

Of more significance for Parker, however, is that from the moment of his conception --- and before --- he and those whom he loves have been pursued by a shadowy, seemingly indestructible couple obsessed with eradicating him. Worse, it appears that they are on the verge of making another run at him, one that seems to have every chance of succeeding. As always, Parker has allies; his friends Angel and Louis are there to help, as well as others, including two of the most important people in or out of Parker's world.

Connolly's pacing throughout is exquisite, as Parker's past is slowly revealed to him, and his true friends and enemies reveal themselves. Connolly is not hesitant to continue detonating a bombshell or two even after things are apparently brought to a close, so that your ears will still be ringing and your eyes watering long after you read the final paragraph.

If you are new to Charlie Parker, THE LOVERS is a perfect place to jump on. You can spend the next year catching up on Connolly's backlist in anticipation of the next installment. I am almost positive that I know where he is going with this, which means I probably will be wrong. One thing for sure, however, is that, as brilliant as he has been to date, Connolly is just warming up. Get that cardiac examination you've been putting off and jump on now.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

First, I am a huge fan of John Connolly. I've been preaching the gospel of Connolly for a long time and my anticipation for The Lovers was great. Having just finished it, I am somewhat at a loss. It feels less weightier than previous books. It's as if Connolly had to write this one in order to start a new direction for Parker. This is an investigation into Parker's past (often referenced in previous books), but Connolly tries too hard to create some overarching conspiracy that makes Parker not just a PI drawn to darkness, but some sort of preordained messiah who is destined to hunt evil. Has every evil person he's killed or stopped been part of this conspiracy?

I'll read the next one...but I hope Connolly keeps Parker grounded in reality and leave all the x-files stuff in a drawer in his desk.

A couple of months ago I had the great pleasure of listening to John Connolly give a short presentation and read from his book The Lovers at the Great Lost Bear. I've heard Connolly speak several times and each time he does, I'm initially amazed. Not that he can speak - he's not mute or anything. Rather, I'm astounded by his voice.

If you don't know it, Connolly lives in Dublin and is Irish. I mean really Irish. With such a thick Irish accent (think: Mel Gibson as William Wallace in Braveheart) that is so at odds with his writing style that it's startling.

After all, Connolly writes like he's from Maine often chooses Maine locations for his novels. In The Lovers, the main character, Charlie Parker, is a private investigator who has lost his license and is tending bar at the Great Lost Bear.

In just a few paragraphs, Connolly accurately describes the Great Lost Bear and its patrons:

The Bear's main claim to fame, apart for its general conviviality and the fact that it served food until late, was its beer selection: fifty-six draft beers at any one time, sometimes even sixty. Despite its location in a quiet part of the city not far from the University of Southern Maine's campus, it had built up a considerable reputation over the years, and now the summer, which used to be slow, was its busiest time.

As well as locals, the Bear attracted the beer aficionados, most of whom where men, and men of a certain age. They didn't cause trouble, they didn't overindulge, and mostly they were content to talk about hops and casks and obscure microbreweries of which even some of the bartenders had never heard, In fact, the more obscure they were, the better, for there was a kind of competitiveness among a certain group of drinkers at the Bear. Occasionally, the sight of a woman might distract them from the task at hand for a time, but there would be other women. There wouldn't always be a guy sitting next to them who had tried every microbrew in Portland, Oregon, but knew squat about Portland, Maine.

The Lovers is a terrific novel - one of Connolly's best. Charlie Parker is a recurring character in many of his books - beginning with Every Dead Thing written ten years ago. This book is about Parker investigating his own past - including the death of his father. And as Parker unravels the puzzle of his past, evil forces are looking for him.

If you haven't read any of Connolly's novels yet, you're in for a treat. His books are often dark, disturbing, and totally impossible to put down. But if you're a purist in your passion about crime fiction, be forewarned. Connolly often (and this is a sore spot with him if you listen to him speak on one of his book tours) mixes the supernatural into his writing. (Think of your favorite mystery writer - with a touch of Stephen King thrown in for good measure.)

'There is no moral phenomenon at all, only moral interpretation of phenomena.'

It can be said that Charlie Parker is at it again. This time though the investigation is focused inward. Mister Parker has been removed from his Private Investigator's license and is investigating personal history.

Virgin territory here: the past has been suggested in other volumes but only as reference to evolving supernatural mystery. Events always seem to frame ever present guilt; and always inside the agony involved in rewinding violent memories of the past.

Mister Parker has wandered off road and is discovering the origins of his early life.

Add to panoplies of lies and deceit the shadowy presence of a pairing of individuals with evil intent and you have the makings of more of the same masterful blend of mystery and crime and supernatural suspense.

To reveal more of the story than necessary would affect the thrill of discovery. And we don't need any of that.

This is my first John Connolly book and I now wish I had read the first several books in the Charlie Parker series. I will definitely be reading more from this author now that I have discovered him. His writing is so beautiful that it is a pleasure to read. At times you can find a book that has beautiful writing but the story isn't good at all. Not so with "The Lovers." The story captivated me from the beginning and held my attention all the way through. It is such an unusual type of story that it isn't possible to guess how things will turn out. As a reader of thrillers, I really love when I can be surprised. Charlie is a very interesting character and I look forward to reading other books about him, even if they precede this one. He's very different from most protagonists but I didn't feel that I had a good sense of who he was, partly because I hadn't read the preceding novels. I liked that he was obviously a flawed character with some not so nice friends and a murky past. Yet, I was still rooting for him because he was also obviously a good guy dealing with some really creepy stuff. I would highly recommend this book as a very enjoyable read on its own, but if you can read the other ones first, it's probably better.

I have been a John Connolly fan for the last 5 years. My first book of his was THE BLACK ANGEL, which quickly became my favorite book I ever read. Then he came out with THE UNQUIET and that one edged out THE BLACK ANGEL as my favorite book ever. So when I sat down to read THE LOVERS I wondered if that was going to be the new #1. I must say that it is not, but that doesnt mean it wasn't a great book because I am telling you now...THIS IS A GREAT BOOK!

For those who are new to John Connolly, I can confidently say you could read this without reading the previous Charlie Parker books, but it will make you want to go back and read those earlier novels. John Connolly doesn't give anything away to those earlier novels, but this one might be a little more rich to you the reader if you have read the earlier books. If you haven't you can still enjoy this one from cover to cover.

I won't go into what THE LOVERS is about as you can read that here, but know this, Charlie Parker's world is a very dark one. There are sinister forces at work that want him dead. In the previous books there was a fine line that ran through the novels that touched on the supernatural. In THE LOVERS, the supernatural aspect seems a bit more vivid and prevalent.

John Connolly pulls no punches in his delivery of a story. You can tell when you are reading that he lets the characters and story breathe on their own. Nothing feels forced or cliche. When you read THE LOVERS you feel as if you could go to Maine and go the bar where Charlie works and see him serving up a beer, talking with Louis and Angel. You might even see the Fulci brothers guarding the door.

Yes, it is that real. It is that authentic. THE LOVERS is a wonderful hard-boiled novel that would make any reader proud. If Thomas Harris and Stephen King were to collaborate on a novel, THE LOVERS and other Charlie Parker novels would be their creation. I hope you get a chance to read this book. You will not be disappointed. Make sure you have a lot of time on your hands because you will NOT want to put this down. I can assure you of that. Thanks again Mr. Connolly for another time well spent with Charlie Parker!

John Connolly is back with another Charlie Parker novel in "The Lovers". This is book seven of the Charlie Parker series & the ninth book to feature this spectrally-troubled character. The book has both first person & third person narratives. Charlie always narrates throughout the series & the tradition is continued in this book. The other characters which are featured in the series books have third person POV's & in this case the notable ones are Mickey Wallace, Emily Kindler with several minor characters having smaller POV parts.

This book is almost a direct sequel to the "Unquiet" in terms of the story continuation & revelations by an enigmatic character called the "Collector" at the end of that one. The previous book by John Connolly was "The Reapers" and it was a one-off "Louie & Angel" book though Parker was featured in it too. "The Reapers" was more a rip-roaring darkly humorous thriller than the usual Charlie Parker novel. This one however brings the reader back to the original mould & then some.

The story begins with Parker examining his current situation & his predicament due to the nature of events that have happened in the "Unquiet". So while he cannot take any professional case, he decides to look into his own past, spurred by some intriguing words from the Collector.

Mickey Wallace formerly a reporter, has started writing true-crime books which have been moderately successful, so he decides to write a biography of Charlie Parker and the various events surrounding his life since the death of his wife and child. Emily Kindler is a girl who is tormented by her past & seems to be escaping from something which does not want to let her go & is steadily gaining on her.

The book starts out with a murder in a small mid-western town and from there it moves to Parker who contemplates visiting his childhood hometown & two of his dad's best friends. Mickey Wallace hounds him in order to get his approval and help with the biography. Last in their appearance there are the two individuals which are the Titular Characters; however their origin & identity is a mystery which Parker will have to solve in order to survive.

There is also a cameo appearance from a character starring in John's solo non-Charlie Parker thriller (technically, Parker had a cameo in that novel but it was just a walk-on part). Does this mean a newer tangent in Parker's life? Only John can answer that question for us in the next book "The Whisperers".

The book is superbly written by John Connolly. It triumphantly weaves the angst felt by Parker as he struggles to contemplate his origins and the mystery of his father's death. This installment clearly nudges the series firmly into the Noir-Urban fantasy side of speculative fiction as in the earlier books ["The Black Angel & White Road"] the readers were given hints and possibilities about the world, however nothing concrete was offered and the audience was left to draw its own conclusions.

This book changes the setup entirely and the revelations contained make the series even more exciting as the reader gets an idea as to where Charlie Parker has come from & what truly has happened to his father. However the future direction is still quite uncertain. This book has a little less humor than its predecessor, moving back to the darker side of the literary spectrum.

John Connolly's writing skills are his forte along with his lyrical prose & dark humor which gets an outlet in the form of various characters [ Angel, Louis, The Fulcis...] What differentiates him from the other writers writing thrillers & urban fantasies is that he strides the fine line between a realistic detective fiction world and a magical urban fantasy one. You are not entirely sure that what is seen may be entirely as it seems.

His books have always been slightly tinged by melancholy since the first book opened with the deaths of Parker's wife and child. The greatest ability of any author is to make the reader not only sympathize but also empathize with his characters and in this I feel that John Connolly triumphs as we can often feel the pain & the unfairness in the world which Parker tries to pyrrhically correct.

"The Lovers" is another excellent entry in the Charlie Parker series & while it can be read as a standalone, it would be good to read it after "The Unquiet" as it is almost a direct follow-up to it. Also it might be an even better idea to start with the earlier titles to find out the story so far. The future awaits for Charlie Parker in "The Whisperers" and I'm sure that once you do read "The Lovers", you will be queuing up for that as well.

I did something last night that I haven't done in a long time on a work night - stayed up until I finished my book even though I knew I would hate life in the morning on the way to work. In fact, I pretty much read this book all day once I took care of the unimportant stuff like pancakes, groceries, & procrastinating doing the laundry. This isn't a surprise, though. John Connolly's books are just that good.

This is the latest in his Charlie Parker series wherein Charlie learns some truths about his father's suicide & his own parentage. As always, Charlie is violence haunted & cursed, fumbling in the darkness for something that remains as unknown to himself as it is to his readers. This was a wonderful book with the tight plotting, great characterization, & beautiful writing that you expect from a Connolly book.

I especially appreciate how well he fleshes out even minor characters, like the Fulci brothers. Angel & Louis, his two closest friends, make a brief appearance here - I find I miss them terribly & hope they'll be back in the next book.

People frequently comment on the paranormal happenings in these books & I always have to pause & think about that ("Are there paranormal things in this book?"). The pause is because Connolly makes these happenings a normal part of life - the only person other than Neil Gaiman who manages that as well as he does. These are also among the only books that have given me nightmares as an adult (in company with Alan Moore's Watchmen - good company, indeed).

Connolly also happens to put words together beautifully. There are parts of Dark Hollow that are so achingly beautiful you want to cry from reading them.

If you haven't read these books, what are you waiting for? Get going!