Great story by John Connolly. Really fabulous story, that kept me turning the pages!! A thrilling plot, and characters.

John Connolly never disappoints. His characters amd style of writing are impeccable. I'll be reading this Charlie Parker series to the very end.

I am always excited about the latest Charlie Parker detective series -- and then, about two-thirds of the way through, I get annoyed with all the supernatural comings and goings. It seems all a bit much, and I just want Connolly to focus on the here and now and more, well, natural and human condition that we really have to deal with. This book was no different. I liked the main protagonists and Parker doesn't disappoint -- always one step away from landing in jail. If you haven't read his work before, you might have more tolerance for all the ghostly goings on. But I was somewhat disappointed by the time I got near the end. Great detective work, poor plot devices is my quick summary.

What I love most about Connolly's Charlie Parker Books is that they are becoming more and more supernatural...or maybe it's just that Connolly has done such a great job of making these books real that I no longer question the veracity of them. They are just as believable to me as the sun in the sky...and that is also why they are more and more terrifying as the series goes on...Connolly has managed to mesh the very ordinary world of former policeman Charlie Parker with the spectral world where some things just can't be explained until suddenly they are all one and the same...but he does so in a way that keeps the real world the focus and the paranormal in the shadows. This isn't some attempt by an author to create an alternative world or universe or future time period. Connolly isn't asking the reader to suspend what they know...only that you open your mind to the possibilities...and with your own imagination the possibilities are infinite...which explains the vast amount of fear I experience whilst reading them...

ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review

This was such a treat! I love thriller mysteries that are also filled with horror and supernatural goodies. While I have never read anything in the Charlie Parker series that John Connelly writes I will definitely read the first 14 books I haven't read yet. I want to know more about Charlie and his sleuthing and spelunking.

The small excerpt provided a small window of what appears to be an excellent read. Mr. Connolly was able to tough on one or two mysteries that need to be investigated further. Must read the full book!

What a tease! I only received an excerpt of this book. Excellent and left me wanting more!!

Dark, eerie, and super creepy!

A Game of Ghosts, the 15th book in the Charlie Parker series, is filled with supernatural elements, oddball characters, and of course as the title implies, ghosts.

Tasked by SAC Ross to track down a PI gone missing, Parker; along with Angel and Louis, uncover a sick and twisted inhuman cult-like family known as “The Brethren.” This group is responsible for death and destruction spanning hundreds of years. Currently, the clan is led by brother and sister, Kirk and Sally, who let’s just say have their own special relationship. Sally is tasked with paying off the family’s debt, and must stop at nothing to protect "The Brethren" from eternal damnation. However, as Parker gets closer to discovering the secrets of “The Brethren,” the family begins to unravel.

At the same time, Parker is fighting with his ex, Rachel, over custody of his daughter. Sam, who possesses her own unique abilities, guided with the help of Parker’s daughter who died, Jennifer, po, is also working to protect her father from the danger of "The Brethren." .

Once again, Connolly seamlessly weaves together a complex, multi layered plot. I haven’t read all the books in the series, and at times, was a little lost. However, I was able to eventually piece things together. If you are interested in starting this series, start with book one. Can’t wait for the next book, but in the meantime I need to go back and catch up on the ones I have missed.

I received a copy of this sneak peek from Atria Books through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

This sneak peek is very short, especially considering how long the book is. I would have gotten more of the story if I'd simply downloaded the free sample from Amazon, but doing that for the purposes of this review would be counter to the point of me doing these reviews. That being said, this book is the 15th book in a series (I found out as I started to build this blog post), so I can understand why the excerpt provided on Netgalley would be so short. Presumably the people interested in reading it would already be familiar with the characters and whatnot. I am not one of those people. I am also not likely to ever become one of those people because I am just not particularly interested in political thrillers, and from what I read of this story, it seems like a political thriller to me, even if it does have supernatural elements to it (as indicated by Amazon).

So I went into this sneak peek with a fourteen book disadvantage, and that's on me. I absolutely could have taken the time to look into this book just a little bit to discover that it's the fifteenth book in a series, but I didn't. So at the end of this excerpt, I just felt lost. I don't really know who Charlie Parker is, aside from a guy who finds himself getting shot at a lot, apparently, so I imagine him as sort of a Jason Bourne type character. And aside from a slight curiosity about some of the briefly mentioned shootings, I don't really have any desire to find out more about this guy, and I don't care enough to start reading any of the previous books in this series. I also have no idea what is going on in this story from the brief excerpt I had. The only reason I even know why Ross is even meeting up with Parker in the first place is because the synopsis tells me. But I realize that none of that would likely be important to someone who had been following this series from the beginning.

In the end, I will not be buying this book myself, or any of the other books in this series. But if you enjoy books like the Bourne series, you will likely enjoy this one as well.

Great teaser!! I love John Connolly books!! Can't wait to get my hands on this one!

As always this author never disappoints. This is a excerpt from his new release and it is proven to be a exciting read. The author has a talent for spectacular thrillers and each book in the series is thrilling from page one. Good excerpt and I look forward to reading the entire book.

This chapter told me nothing and I didn't interest me enough to want to follow through. Although the author is a favourite of mine it was a waste of reading time.

VERY short excerpt, unable to formulate a review based on such a small sample size. I missed that this was an excerpt only, and was looking forward to reading a book by this author, will pay closer attention in the future.

An excerpt was provided by NetGalley.

Based on the short excerpt I received, I am intrigued enough that I would want to continue reading the rest of the book. The writing was well paced and interesting and left me wanting more.

I read the first chapter excerpt presented by NetGalley

5 Stars

This is a great chapter with which to start the new Charlie Parker novel. I’ve read most of John Connolly’s novels and he is truly a great author. I would love to read the rest of this book. Charlie attends a meeting with Ross. An FBI Agent and someone who rarely ventures so far north, Charlie is curious, but naturally cautious. Angel and Louis are sitting in a car across the street watching Charlie’s back. Even from only the first chapter the reader can tell that this is another great John Connolly book!

I want to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for forwarding to me a copy of this excerpt to read.

One chapter is insufficient for an adequate review. Having read this author before, and this series, I'm sure it is a quality book. Charlie Parker has always been a great series.

This excerpt whetted my appetite, now I want to read more!

I am familiar with John Connelly and have never been disappointed. I found the excerpt to be intriguing and wanted more. I wish it had been longer to get a true sense of who was who in this but nonetheless will be looking forward to this read.

John Connolly is a favorite author and having my appetite whetted with the first chapter of this novel has made me want to read the whole book. Thanks for the preview!

These are my thoughts after reading the six-page first chapter.

Private detective Charlie Parker ruminates about his past as he walks the snowy streets of Portland, Maine. His body has been through the wringer. He's scheduled to meet with FBI agent Edgar Ross at a bar, but he doesn't know why he's been summoned. He doesn't seem to fully trust the man, because he has backup guys listening in.

This is my first experience with John Connolly and the Charlie Parker series. The first chapter was too short to reel me in plot-wise, but I am intrigued by the series because I really liked the writing, atmosphere, and the sense of place. It gave me a sense of nostalgia for something I've never experienced! I'm interested in trying one of Connolly's full-length novels someday.

From reading the description, I think readers of John Connolly might be interested in John Jenning's graphic novel Blue Hand Mojo: Hard Times Road. Similar vibe!