Welcome back Charlie Parker- as dark and macabre as always (The Unquiet - John Connolly)

Member Name: sparkymarky1973

Product:	The Unquiet - John Connolly
Date:	31/08/07 (51 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Leaves the more supernatural elements almost entirely to yours and Parkers interpretation

Disadvantages: very disturbing in its subject matter of child abuse that often leaves you feeling dirty

Charlie Parker has had a very troubled life. His wife and daughter were both killed by a serial killer known as The Travelling Man and, in EVERY DEAD THING, Parker abandoned his career in the Police Department to track the killer down and exact upon him the full might of his vengeance. In doing so, he lost much of the respect of many former colleagues at the Department, who frowned upon the person Parker had become, and damaged more than a few former friendships. But worst of all, following an encounter with a Louisiana Vodoo-Witch woman who later passed over, Parker may or may not ( depending on what you choose to believe) have been touched by a gift; a gift that allows him to still see his late wife and daughter even after their death along with darker, more sinister entities that may or may not be aware he can see him and wish him harm in turn.....

THE UNQUIET sees Parker questioning the things he sees himself after a series of events that have left him feeling cold and no longer sure about what is going on around him. His new wife and child are currently seperated from him because of both the presence felt in the house they live in and because he is in constant conflict between where his true loyalties, his allegiance truly lies. For Parker this is not nescessarily a bad thing as he is constantly aware and frightened of history repeating itself again in a new cycle of violence. For violence surronds him and at times it often feels as though this is a future destiny from which there is no escape. It is almost as though the die has already been cast and Parker is simply going through the motions until he can be joined with the spirits who haunt him once more.

This time around, his services as a Private Detective are currently being hired by the daughter of a disgraced child-therapist who is alleged to have had connections with a ring of abusers shortly before his disappearance. His daughter has had him declared legally dead but a man called Merrick, whose own daughter was abused, is hassling her convinced she knows where he is and that the doctor is still alive. Parker is hired to scare Merrick away but soon discovers that the pair may have more in common than he at first realises and that in looking into Merrick's soul. he may be looking at the man Parker is destined to become.

But Merrick is not alone in searching for disgraced therapist, Daniel Clay and the person who has set him on this errand is someone from Parker's recent past- someone with whom Parker has an unhealthy intrest in and whose motives are not always clear.

Once again Connolly pulls off a very intense and often scary coup-de-grace with this crime thriller seeped all the way through with supernatural awe and mystery. The fact that much of it is left to your own interrpretation- are these supernatural entities in fact or is this just how Parker percieves them?- works well and to his advantage and you always get the feeling Connolly is keeping something back and writing with a hidden agenda; far and beyond keeping you hooked- maybe to force the reader themself to question everything around them and to not always take the world strictly at face-value.....

Certainly I do not think it is the last we will see of Charlie Parker nor the main protagonist of this novel though whether this is just wishful thinking on my part or not I really couldn't say. Certainly this is the best blend of crime and the paranormal that I have ever read and is always original in its approach.

The only thing that did leave me feeling uncomfortable was the tone of this novel which focuses largely in parts on the systematic abuse of children and the way they are sometimes procurred but then this is never an easy subject to address but I think the whole purpose is to leave you feeling a litle disturbed.... never once is this novel intended to be the easiest of reads though Connolly writes in a style that literally flows along the page.

If this sort of thing really upsets you, it may be best not to pick this novel up for, even though there are no details of the abuse beyond what is nesesscary, even so it is not a nice subject to think about. But then neither I suppose is any of the usual run-of-the-mill serial killer fare but it is perhaps that this has become so standard that now we have become dulled to all but the shockiest of forensic detail. Certainly Connolly's intention to step aside from all that and present us something every bit more disturbing is without a doubt a brave move.

If you haven't read any of his previous novels then I would begin at the start and read the Charlie Parker novels in sequence for though this can stand alone it is better by far as the sum of its parts. If you are a big fan then never fear- Angel and Louis make their customary appearance though they are much under-used in this novel with the focus relentlessly on Parker.

Certainly this is as good as any that any that have come before it and with this return to Parker's world, Connolly never misses a trick.

This is an awesome read and one I couldn't put down.... full marks for another cracking thriller

Summary: Charlie Parker faces inner demons and glimpses one possible future for himself in his latest case