A Time of Torment (Charlie Parker #14) by John Connolly Series: Charlie Parker #14
Published by Atria/Emily Bestler Books on August 2nd 2016
Genres: Fiction, Crime Fiction, Horror
Pages: 480
Format: eBook, Kindle Book
Source: NetGalley & Atria/Emily Bestler Books
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.
**Special thanks to NetGalley & Atria/Emily Bestler Books for supplying my copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**
Dangerous, intriguing and dark. This is how I felt when I started the first pages of this book. A Time of Torment is a book that dances on the brinks of more than one Genre. While the main theme is horror, this book is an interesting thriller with a good touch of fantasy and paranormal. Did I mention crime too?
Unfortunately, as in some other books I was late to the party. This is the 14th installment in the series!! hmmm… pretty late. Nevertheless, I started reading this book. With each page my mind kept yelling “Where are the previous books?!” Going back 14 books is quite a thing, but I think I will do it. This book is quite stunning.
Charlie Parker is our main hero. Great news right? Ha … this is the name of the series Maha come on! No really, I do like Charlie Parker a lot… The unbreakable hero. But he is not the only character here. This book is rich with a wide cast of characters and action. And while you might think what all those people have to do with each other, John Connolly is brilliant at linking everyone and everything. While some authors might get lost in such wide cast, John Connolly controls his stage perfectly and ties every loose end. Meaning, everything is in this book for a reason and John knows what he’s doing.
Charlie is tormented by the shadows of his dead wife and daughter. His dead daughter is always there. Moreover, he is haunted by a long time evil enemy who is far from human.
The cut is one of John Connolly’s most brilliant inventions. They are a dangerous community who had set their own rules. As dangerous as they are, no one dares to challenge the cut.
Charlie Parker is after the cut. Jerome Burnel who had once been a hero had been destroyed for that same reason. He had been imprisoned and brutalized. Now that he’s been released. He wants Charlie Parker to clear his name. But Jerome disappears, and Charlie won’t let it go.
In a mesmerizing, breathtaking and horror packed adventure, Parker sets to uncover the truth and reveal the most evil and deadly secret at the center of the Cut.
In the blurry area between reality, myth and fantasy, John Connolly writes a brilliant breath taking story. I was pretty scared. I preferred to keep the lights on while reading. No staying in the shadows. Ha!
Did I mention John Connolly’s sense of humor? That was amazing too. Just as things got darker, you would find a sentence here or there that gets the laugh out of you.
A Time of Torment is definitely one of the best books I read in 2016. It’s not a light book. It requires a lot of effort and concentration. Also going back to the beginning of the series is big. Yet, it’s worth it. I love this series.
About John Connolly
John Connolly was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1968 and has, at various points in his life, worked as a journalist, a barman, a local government official, a waiter and a dogsbody at Harrods department store in London. He studied English in Trinity College, Dublin and journalism at Dublin City University, subsequently spending five years working as a freelance journalist for The Irish Times newspaper, to which he continues to contribute.
He is based in Dublin but divides his time between his native city and the United States.