The Burning Soul

“Now, in her office at the corner of Park and Freeport, she watched the rain trace an intricate veinery upon her window, as though the glass were an organic creation like the wing of an insect. Her mood grew heavier with each falling raindrop, with each dead leaf that drifted by, with each bare inch of branch that was newly revealed by the dying foliage. How often had she thought about leaving this state? Every fall brought the same realization: this was the best of it until March, perhaps even April. As bad as this was, with sodden leaves, and cold drizzle, and darkness in the mornings and darkness in the evenings, the winter would be so much worse. Oh, there would be moments of beauty, as when the sunlight scattered the first snows show more with gems, and the world in those early daylight hours would seem cleansed of its ugliness, purged of its sins, but then the filth would accrue, and the snow would blacken.”

Oh, those Irish; how they write.

The Burning Soul improves on the last book, The Whisperers, by staying focused on the mystery. Yes, I know the paragraph above implies not, but what’s worth noting is that the above is only a paragraph, not a page or two. I’ll forgive Connolly these lyrical, scene and mood-building moments (and have I not thought the very same thing every November?) because they are so lovely.

In this one, the lawyer Amy brings in Parker to dig up information on her client, and hopefully help her protect him before he’s framed for murder. He’s a most unlovely client, and we all have many misgivings, and Connolly does some very interesting things with the character. Since the narrative alternates between Parker’s first person point of view, and a more general third person limited, he cheats a little, to be sure, but I forgive him because it’s decently done.

The narrative also includes points of view from a Boston mobster underling, from Amy, and from the client. I enjoyed most of it, although the Boston perspective was a surprise, and I confess, a bit of an unwelcome one. It’s mostly because my Italian mob interests, somewhat fanned in the 1980s, were well and finished with The Sopranos. The stories dovetail nicely, although it takes time.

Interestingly, the supernatural element that had played a solid role in the previous book is largely absent here. I found myself somewhat missing it at times, but since those elements are usually used to explore morality, the absence wasn’t that notable. Dialogue with Parker, Amy, and various law officers still provide opportunities to question sins, guilt, hauntings, and truth. It’s woven well into the story and the action.

My misgivings include the mob angle; the relatively quick and violent ending, which seemed incongruous for the type of predators operating; and the retrospective nature of the final wrap-up. On the other hand, I was relieved that Connolly did not choose to dwell on the nature of the abduction and the potential torture of the missing child, as that is a deal-breaker for me. Ultimately, a solid entry in the series.

Three and a half dead leaves stars, rounding up for the writing show less

You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/09/review-the-burning-soul-charlie-parker-10-b...

Winter is coming,and a 14 year old girl is missing in the small town of Pastor’s Bay. Problem is,this is no ordinary missing child case. Randall Haight has retreated to tiny Pastor’s Bay after serving 18 years in prison for the killing of a 14 year old girl when he himself was only a child. He’s now an accountant and is trying to create a quiet and private life for himself,or so it seems. When he begins receiving possible blackmail material,he turns to his lawyer for help,who,in turn,calls on Charlie Parker. Charlie,spurred on by his own dark past and also his young daughter’s ominous warning,is intrigued and show more agrees to do what he can. Usually that includes things that may be a little left of the law,but that’s part of why I love Charlie Parker.

I adore this series,and will usually drop what I’m reading as soon as I get anything by John Connolly in my hands. Way back when I picked up Every Dead Thing,the first book in the Charlie Parker series,I started a love affair with this series,and with a character that seems as real as a fictional character can. Charlie is a deeply wounded man,and constantly carries with him the memory of his first wife and daughter’s murders. He carries the blame of that terrible day,even though the evil that took his family was beyond anything he could have imagined. That day drives him in nearly everything he does. Charlie is a white knight with grey methods,and he’s managed to earn a reputation as a man who gets things done. His relationship with law enforcement is tenuous at best,and he’ll run into more than one problem with them in The Burning Soul. The narrative goes from first person (Charlie) to third person,usually two Boston thugs who are somehow linked to the case. Connolly’s rendering of small town life is fascinating,and Pastor’s Bay is seething with long buried,and sometimes dangerous secrets. You may find yourself wondering what organized crime has to do with the girl’s disappearance,but it does,and probably not in any way you can guess. Connolly’s writing is never simple and his stories are always complex. However,you’ll never find yourself lost or confused,and everything will tie together in time,I promise,and it’s always a delight when all the elements of these books come together. The author’s prose is as beautiful as always,and creates a sense of melancholy that hangs over the events,punctuated by the ravens that always seem to be watching over the town. The Charlie Parker series has a touch of the supernatural to it,and its seamless integration with noir and mystery makes this one of the most superb series out there today. One of my favorite duos,Louis and Angel,make an appearance in The Burning Soul as do the Fulci brothers (albeit very briefly),which is always a joy. I consider myself a fairly jaded mystery/thriller reader,but The Burning Soul had some twists that I didn’t see coming,and kept me up very,very late finishing the book. The Burning Soul is not as “heavy” as previous novels where Charlie is concerned (don’t get me wrong,there’s still “heavy”here),focusing a little more on the procedural aspect of the case,but that’s ok,since it was no less fascinating than the others,and there are some truly haunting and shocking moments. If you haven’t discovered this wonderful series,then you’re in for a treat! Start with Every Dead Thing,and prepare to be hooked. show less

Wow. Not much to say yet besides wow. I really liked how "The Burning Soul" in this one could be so many characters too. I liked there seems to be a better resolution between Charlie and Rachel. They appear to actually moving towards friendship. I also get a kick out of his kid who definitely appears to be more like her father. Once again Connolly hits upon the racism in America and how justice works for those who are white and those who are not. I also thought it was interesting to read about how juvenile defendants are treated in this country. I mean I knew, but didn't have the stats on it. Reading about how a case of rape turned quickly to murder and how it led to so many ruined lives with the ripple effects going on for years and show more how it ties into a recent missing girl case was a wild ride. "The Burning Soul" grabs you by the throat and does not let go until the ending. We once again get hints about Charlie in this one, and an ending that has you gasping. This one takes a lot of twists and turns and leaves you wondering how it will end.

"The Burning Soul" has Charlie and his former lover Rachel at a different and nicer place. I hope it holds. Charlie has let the reality of Rachel go, but is still hesitant about being in his daughter's life more because he knows dark things hunt him. His daughter knows though that dark things should be scared of him. When Charlie is asked to look into a case of a man who is being taunted about his past he initially wants no part of it. The man in question, Randall Haight, was part of a rape and murder of a young black girl when he was a teenager. Randall was able to change his name and start a new life and just wants to forget his past. However, a girl in the town he has lived for years is missing. And now someone seems to know what Randall did and he is scared his past is about to come out and ruin his life. The missing girl though has ties of her own and one of those ties is hell-bent on getting her back no matter what. We have the past and present colliding in this one with a bunch of shocking reveals.

Charlie is the best. I can't help it, I love the character. We also get some of Angel and Louis in this one (not enough she says with a grumble). Charlie seems more comfortable wearing the heavy responsibility that has been placed upon him. He is back doing PI work, but there's not a lot of it and he takes up the case his lawyer offers him just because he needs the money and though he doesn't like Randall Haight, he wants to do whatever he can to help the missing girl who is someone linked to what is going on now.

Randall Haight....that's a character I will think of for some time. He is a man who is haunted by so many things. And some of them, not in this world anymore.

We also get recurring lawmen in this one who at turns want to shake Charlie, but also in their own way want to make sure nothing happens to him. There's a hilarious scene between Charlie and Walsh that had me cracking up.

The writing in this one holds better for me than the last one. You don't know why the mob angle is included in this one until you get some reveals and then it all makes sense. I know a lot of readers were bored by it, but I thought it was really good. Connolly explores not only good versus evil, but the evil that men do to each other over and over again. And in this case, the evil that men and some women do to others. There are still supernatural elements in this. We have Charlie's first daughter paying a visit along with someone else whose description had me shivering at times. Connolly also writes of the seasons in Maine which makes me think that place is pretty much the nexus of evil. I like the seasons, but man these books are making me rethink that.

The flow of the book works better than the last one too. We do get different POVs via other characters, but it all makes sense when you get to the end. Besides Charlie, we get Randall, even Charlie's lawyer, and a man working for the mob.

The setting of this book once again shows us a darkness to Maine, but also to the state of North Dakota. So many things are done in the name of justice, but you often wonder to what end.

The ending of this one is slightly abrupt, but it works though. I had to make myself stop from buying anymore books from this series since I have so many books on my back burner. Hope to get to the next two books in the series by the end of the month. show less

’Cuervos’ (The Burning Soul), es el úndecimo título de la serie del detective Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker, del escritor irlandés John Connolly. Esta serie es una de las mejores del género negro que se escriben actualmente, tanto por su calidad literaria como por sus argumentos y protagonistas. Connolly rompe las reglas del género negro clásico, introduciendo en sus novelas lo sobrenatural, la presencia del mal. Al detective Charlie Parker le rondan los muertos en su afán de venganza; un atormentado Parker que ha convivir con las terribles muertes de su mujer y su hija.

En cuanto a ’Cuervos’, Connolly comienza directamente describiéndonos la localidad de Pastor’s Bay (decir aquí a quien no conozca la serie, que está show more ambientada en Estado Unidos, aunque Connolly sea irlandés), donde transcurrirá casi toda la novela, con la inquietante imagen de unos cuervos posados en un viejo roble, y transmitiéndonos así, desde el principio, ese ambiente de desolación. En Pastor’s Bay, una niña de 14 años ha desaparecido, disparándose todas las alarmas. Al mismo tiempo, uno de los vecinos de esta comarca está recibiendo unas fotografías acusatorias, que le obligarán a desvelar un oscuro secreto de su pasado, antes de verse relacionado con el secuestro. Es aquí donde entra en juego Charlie Parker, que deberá averiguar quién es el acosador. Pero el argumento es más complejo y las tramas se irán cruzando, por lo que Parker requerirá de la ayuda de sus amigos Louis y Angel.

Las novelas de Connolly son estupendas, nunca me defraudan y siempre encuentro satisfacción con su lectura. Tal vez sean novelas que ya no sorprendan, porque ya llevamos once títulos (y una nouvellette), pero lo que se ha perdido en sorpresas, se ha ganado en calidad. ’Cuervos’ mantiene la esencia del resto de la serie, y en ella Connolly continúa su particular lucha del bien contra el mal. Sin duda, el detective Charlie Parker se está convirtiendo en todo un clásico del género. show less

Randal killed a girl when he was 14 and he served his time. Now he has a new name but when another girl goes missing he's a primary suspect and someone knows it.
Parker is hired to try to find out who, but it's all caught up in the second girls disappearance, to add to the woes is a mobster, the FBI and almost everyone involved. Randal is telling lies, but some lies are more important than others.

This one was tricksy, I guessed a few of the twists but I was so pulled into the story and got very invested in them succeeding. I enjoyed it.

John Connolly is huge favorite of mine. His Charlie Parker series is must-read both for its writing and for Connolly's wonderful, dark, Irish storytelling skills.

The Burning Soul is the latest in the series and it's a good one, although maybe not a great one. I still want more Louis and Angel and I want more of the tone that pervades my favorite of the series (and the first one that I read) Dark Hollow. Good John Connolly is always better than 99.9% of what you'll read so I'm not damning with faint praise.

Set in the deep, dark, and mysterious parts of Maine, Charlie Parker and his cohorts are drawn into a mystery surrounding the disappearance of a young girl and the scrutiny this brings to Randall Haight, a citizen of a small town show more living in quiet anonymity. Mr. Haight has a big secret and it's coming back to bite him and everyone around him.

Charlie becomes obsessed with finding the girl and doing right by another girl who was raped and murdered long ago and who seems to be haunting him along with the spirit of his dead daughter. There's plenty of mystery and atmosphere to go around, but the sense of urgency is just slightly off and things are just slightly more predictable than I expect of Mr. Connolly. show less

The continuing odyssey of our troubled anti-hero Charlie Parker. A man who as a child,together with a friend,killed a little girl, has served his time and has been given a new identity in a small town. He begins to receive a series of anonymous photographs linking him with the murder and through a lawyer asks Parker to help and protect him.
Parker,helped by Louis and Angel,begin their investigations,but another girl disappears and doubts begin to bubble up about this man.
More of a straight crime story than most of the series. Although there are still supernatural aspects,they are kept somewhat in the background here.
This is yet another winner by John Connolly and I look forward to the next offering with keen enthusiasm.