Charlie Parker gets off to an interesting start in The Dirty South. John Connolly portrays a town that is part hillbilly, part corrupt, and part just Americana. The unraveling of some very ugly murders is spun out with carefully dropped clues. I cannot imagine being stuck in such a town, especially as a gay man, but the author creates just such a character in Cleon, the motel clerk. Luckily help arrives for him as well as Parker, and that help turns the course of events to Parker's favor. Highly recommended.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

*eGalley courtesy of NetGalley*

I'm a huge fan of John Connolly and the Charlie Parker series, so to get to read this one before it is released here in the U.S. is a treat. Once you get started, you won't want to put it down. I like how this one is a kind of stand alone, and makes you think about how far Charlie has come to be the man he is now. Also, anyone else get excited when Louis and Angel show up?

If you've read the series up to this point, you won't be disappointed and may find yourself wanting to re-read the series from start to finish. Charlie has come along way since 'Every Dead Thing', as have Louis and Angel. I highly recommend.

If you haven't read this series, I suggest reading from the beginning. There is so much backstory and plot that reading this one first, you may miss some of the important details as to who and what Charlie is and will become. Then again, reading this one first may provide the spark you need to jump into a 16 book series... so go ahead, pick this one up. It's worth it.

I really enjoy this series and this is another masterful, compelling and fast paced work! I was happy that it continued after book 17 and nicely surprised by it's step back into the past. It showed a bit more of the events before Every Dead Thing and made me think again how much I want the Angel/Louis/Parker origin story (we've gotten glimpses of it).

I would be interested in more of these "in between" events books too -- there's plenty of space in the existing novels to fill in the blanks, although I think the time spans in the later books might make that harder. Reading this one, did prompt me to start again with Every Dead Thing.

Definitely recommend for fans of the series; I think you could start reading the series with this one.

I received an advance readers copy from Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

Being the 18th book in the series, but also a prequel of sorts, this novel is quite different from the usual fare.

This time, we're in Arkansas and Charlie Parker is fresh off the police force, which was kind of by mutual agreement. He's also relatively fresh off the brutal murder of his wife and daughter. Upon searching for clues in that case, he becomes tangled up in a local murder mystery involving the deaths of three young girls. The local law invites him to stay and assist in their investigation and at first, Parker declines. But upon further thought on his way out of town, he turns back and agrees to help. Will he be able to help track down this brutal killer? You'll have to read this to find out!

It was hard going back with Charlie so fresh after his heartbreaking losses. His grief feels so real to the reader, I swear I felt my own heart crack. Even this soon after the tragedy though, his eyes and body language speak intensity and violence to whomever he meets. He's not popular in Burdon County, pretty much right off the bat, and the animosity builds every day he remains in town.

I'm going to leave off the plot, other than a few generalities. There were 2 characters I was hoping to see, and they do make an appearance. Even at that time period, we can see and feel how loyal and how strong of a friendship was formed between them. There were other characters, though, both alive and dead that didn't make an appearance, and though I noticed that, I did not miss them.

Once again, John Connolly delivers. It's never just the usual murder mystery with him, but this time, it actually was. There was barely a hint of the supernatural at all. It really doesn't matter to me at this point. If John Connolly wrote it, I'll read it and tell everyone about it!

My highest recommendation!

Available November 3rd, but you can pre-order here: https://amzn.to/3cFZORw

*Thank you to Atria, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*

It's been so long since I've written a review because it's been so long since I've actually finished a book. Yet, there was something about John Connolly's The Dirty South that kept me captivated. It was exactly what I needed during this time in my life to escape. Ironically, instead of an escape to a tropical paradise, I escaped to a rural town in Arkansas where time (and race relations) have apparently stood still.

Early in The Dirty South we learn that there have been 3 gruesome murders of black women that have gone unsolved. These murders have gone unsolved mainly because a new corporate development promises to save Burdon County, Arkansas from the brink of collapse. Essentially, the hope of new jobs, increased wealth, and capital reigns supreme. It doesn't hurt that the victims are of African descent. Their unusual deaths draws Charlie Parker (a recurring character for Connelly) to the dirty south. Before long, he's assisting the small, cash-strapped police force, in capturing the killer.

So... I mentioned that The Dirty South was captivating and that's the truth. I've had a hard time concentrating on any novel the last 8 months. Thankfully, I found this read. It's engaging, mysterious, intelligent, and a real whodunnit. Even when I picked up other reads my main goal was to get back here, to this dysfunctional town where everyone's a suspect. I mean, really, there was no shortage of potential killers. Even when red herrings are thrown about, the ending is still elusive. Kudos to Connolly for keeping up the intrigue factor.

My only gripe was that Burdon County, Arkansas is described as a town on the outs, yet all the characters spoke as if they were scholars. I had to use the dictionary to translate petty criminals choice of words. That was new to me. And with the host of characters, some better drawn out than others, I felt the vocabulary was inauthentic. Idk... maybe my idea of country folk is outdated and prejudiced but I really rolled my eyes a few times.

Ultimately, John Connolly's The Dirty South was a worthwhile read. It was engaging, elusive, thrilling, and a worthwhile journey. I look forward to my next read by this author.

Copy provided by Atria Books via Netgalley

A pretty solid entry in the Charlie Parker saga that didn't quite thrill me as much as his earlier adventures did but still held my attention. Lesser authors have used the prequel idea as an "I'm all out of ideas" safety net but I actually got a kick out of Parker in his prime, in those dark and horrible moments when he was just beginning his search for The Traveling Man.

The mystery here isn't terribly exciting and was pretty easy to figure out but I found I really like Connolly's more spartan, less lyrical writing style. It makes sense to treat such a bleak and hopeless place as Burden County with harder, more severe language.

So while not quite up to par with "Everything Dead Thing" or "Dark Hollow" Connolly still remains a cut above the rest.

Alright so I have never read any Charlie Parker novels so starting with this one is really great since this is a prequel for the series and the first case the character works after he quits the force in New York. Oh man the tragic back story for this character with all his extended and immediate family dead, his father a NYPD detective that killed himself in remorse for killing 2 kids and Charlie going to live with his grandfather who is also deceased from natural causes. Charlie quits the NYPD after he finds his wife and daughter brutally and sadistically murdered and left at their home for him to discover. Charlie is on a quest for vengeance, using tips from a friend who is a SAC for the FBI, he is looking into all these unsolved crimes that feature mutilations since the person who killed his family had to have killed before. While checking out a tip about 2 bodies discovered years apart that might be connected to his family’s killer which is in Arkansas during the late 90s he ends up staying to help the sheriff of the country solve the murders.

All in all, this was a really good read and I really enjoyed the back story that we get for Charlie and how much he is tormented by what happened to his family and how much he just wants to find who killed them. It was pretty explicit concerning the descriptions of the bodies with the mutilations and what was done to the body post mortem but I find that super fascinating so that didn’t bother me.

Thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

I've been reading Connolly's Charlie Parker series for years and was a little surprised to see this latest entry is a prequel to the series.

After the vicious murder of his wife and daughter, Charlie Parker is pursuing the killer. He ends up in Arkansas where young black girls have been brutally murdered, wondering if the same killer was at work. Even after deciding the murders were not by the same man who killed his wife and daughter, Charlie decides to help when the Police Chief asks.

This is a more straight forward murder investigation without some of the supernatural elements in most of the novels, but the book is every bit as engrossing as Charlie reveals the depth of corruption of a powerful family.

Connolly's writing is always haunting and suspenseful, and I enjoyed this glimpse into the way Charlie Parker moves from the hunt for the man who killed his family to using his skills as a former NYPD detective to solve other murders.

Read in June. Blog review scheduled for Sept. 10.

NetGalley/Atria Books
Police Procedural/Thriller. Oct. 20, 2020. print length: 448 pages.

I loved this book. The author has a dry sense of humor that makes you laugh out loud. In contrast to his sense of humor is his ability to give rich descriptions of things. Ex “The sun was a coral orb, bleeding burnt orange and carmine crimson into the lacteal sea.”
Parker is a New York detective who has been “ retired” and is hunting a serial killer who killed his wife and daughter. He is drawn to a small town in rural Arkansas by reports of similar crimes. The local police chief enlists Parker’s aid to find the killer, however the local sheriff is not happy to get the help. Like any good whodunnit, suspects are plentiful. Parker uses his big city detective skills to weed them out.
I want to thank Simon and Shuster and Mr. Connolly for allowing me to read this early reader copy of this wonderful book.

The Dirty South is Irish author John Connolly's 19th in the Charlie Parker crime series. I've been a fan since the beginning, so I was excited to read about Parker's early days as a private detective.
After his wife and daughter were found murdered, Parker quit his job as a New York police officer to pursue the man who did it. Parker investigated weird murders across the country, including the killing of a.young black girl in rural Arkansas.
Upon his arrival, Parker is placed in jail basically for asking too many suspicious questions . When the chief of police learns who he is, Parker is set free and asked to help investigate the crime, which may be linked to a series of similar bizarre murders.
The small Arkansas town is run by the Cade family. And they don't want to stir things up to spoil a huge business from settling in. A few murders might keep the town from prospering.
Parker locks horns with the Cades and several other prime suspects. Connolly introduces the reader to a fairly large cast of characters. It might be good to jot the names down.
The action of The Dirty South is very slow paced; I longed for it to move more quickly. Connolly also omits his trademark supernatural elements which give his novels such rich vibes.
Only when he feels his life threatened does Parker call in my favorite characters Louis and Angel. And that's very late in the novel.
The Dirty South is my least favorite in the series. The villains just aren't grim enough and the action moves at a snail's pace.
Connolly collectors will still want to grab a copy. Just don't get your hopes up.

I have been such a tremendous fan of John Connolly for so long (20 years!) that being granted an ARC of his newest book was truly like an early Christmas present. My very humble thanks to the publisher, Atria, and to NetGalley.

The Dirty South is the latest entry in the Charlie Parker series, but it takes us back nearly to the beginning, as it is deftly set after the events of the very first book, Every Dead Thing, in which police officer Charlie Parker’s wife and child are brutally murdered. In The Dirty South, Parker is at loose ends. He has left the police force, and is still reeling from the devastating loss he suffered. Deeply entrenched in grief, Parker is already on his inevitable path of hunting the killer of his family when he encounters a small, backwards town in rural Arkansas riddled with corruption. Parker somewhat reluctantly is drawn into an investigation into the vicious murder of young black girls, which has been put on the back burner by the county due to a powerful local family’s financial and political machinations.

I thoroughly enjoyed going for another ride with Charlie Parker, with Connolly’s exquisitely crafted writing immersing me in the story. Connolly is such a gifted story teller that it is a treat to read his poetic descriptions. There is something Connolly manages to capture in this book, a feeling of inevitability, that cements in the reader’s mind the journey Charlie Parker must go on. Parker’s torment, and the horrific brutality of his family’s loss, is what enables him to seek out and recognize the decayed stench of evil in the men and women he encounters. For seeking out those creatures is Parker’s highest calling.

This was a very solid addition to the Charlie Parker series. My only criticism is that 75% of the book was building up to a reveal of the killer’s identity, and the denouement felt a tad bit rushed, clocking in at around 90% through the novel. However, the mystery in this case was secondary to the character development of Charlie Parker, who is the true star of the book.

Oh man....I do love me some Charlie Parker.

I've been a fan of John Connolly for years now. His books NEVER disappoint. Mystery, murder, violence, humor, sadness and friendship, blended together into yet another phenomenal book.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

All opinions are my own.

The Dirty South By Author John Connolly is the 18th book in the Charlie Parker series. Although it is a prequel to the other books.

This is a very dark book taken place in the south in 1999, where young girls are been slaughtered.

Charlie Parker is a great character, and this book, and the storyline are sad and gloomy, and the murders are very graphic.

For me this book was a bit different in the style of writing to the previous books that I have read in this series, as I had to often pause and search out meaning of words on many occasions. I found this just slowed down the flow and pace of the book, and took away from my overall enjoyment of the read.

I do thank GoodReads, Author John Connolly, and Atria Books For my advance copy to read and review.

#NetGalley

3.5 Stars

My thanks to Atria book's, Netgalley and especially John Connolly.
This is exactly what I needed after the last 4 to 5 Connolly books. Some of the last books have been so intense! I really didn't know where Charlie would go from here!
The Dirty South reminded me of how it all began. I did know how he lost his family, and where he was at the moment. What I had forgotten was how lost he was at the time. Emotionally, spiritually. I would say the deep mourning, except that has never left Parker.
I loved this book because it was a thriller. Just a messed up bad guy with a grudge.
After the last book, I was ready for a reset.
I love Parker, Angel and Louis. I love the weird. But, I also needed this!
I've been a Connolly fan from the beginning. That means that I wait every year for a Parker book.
I've read some awful reviews about this book, but I don't agree! To each their own! For me! I too needed this. Next year? Strange will happen. I'll be in board with that!

Once upon a time I used to be a huge John Connolly fan. I suppose to an extent that’s still the case. I mean, he’s done nothing to disappoint. It’s just that Charlie Parker mysteries went on and on like an Energizer bunny and eventually my dislike of serials won over. Sad in a way, Charlie Parker thrillers were the ones I read and enjoyed before I even liked the genre. People may or may not change, but reading tastes certainly do. Mine have changed and evolved dramatically over the years. Now I love mysteries, thrillers and all that, love them, and yet…still actively dislike series. Yes, there’s a certain comfort (for authors with sticking to what sells and) for readers in hanging out with the same character and knowing for certain he’ll live from one installment to the other, sure but eventually it just seems like milking the same teat for way too long. And so aggressive of a milker is Connolly, he even reached in and did it from the front end, which is to say wrote a prequel. Sure enough, he can go on and on indefinitely at this rate. And for some reason (most likely nostalgia) I figured I should check it out, find out if I missed the gloom and doom and detecting nous of Mr. Parker. Since I quit the series at volume 10 and by now the total has nearly doubled, it’s impossible to just grab the most recent, but a prequel is a standalone by nature, so it seemed like an easy way to revisiting an old and familiar character, albeit before he got familiar or old for that matter. In this book Charlie Parker is somewhere in his early 30s and freshly reeling from the tragic death of his wife and daughter. To cope he took to traveling the country, investigating the most brutal of murders, looking for some connection to whoever killed his family. This journey takes him to Arkansas, the dirtier of the dirty south, a state pretentious enough to write its pronunciation into law and done nothing to warrant the pretense since, except produce the 42nd POTUS. Since this book is set during that presidency, Arkansas in general and the country Parker finds himself in specifically have some promising economic avenues that might potentially become available, certain companies are looking to invest, things that would singlehandedly revitalize the entire dying economy of the region. It’s the time for everyone to exercise a great caution and care and put their best foot forward and yet…someone is murdering young black girls in the area. Not just murdering, brutally savaging them. The sort of thing that can be hushed up for a while, but when the victim number hits three, it becomes difficult to ignore. Good thing there’s a fancy NYC detective to help the country bumpkins sort it all out. Ok, no one actually says that, but it’s implied. And so that’s basically the story, Parker solving the case while being assisted by some powers that be and hindered by others. The entire thing is thoroughly steeped in the local politics and numerous Arkansanians or whatever they call themselves of various levels of local power manipulating the system to their gain. That aspect of it actually does get tiresome after a while. The actual mystery of the who and why is pretty good and, as per Connolly’s custom, very dark, albeit not even remotely supernatural the way the later novels have shaped out to be. I did sort of have an idea of the killer was very early on, but it was more of a random guess and not something given away carelessly by the author, so it still read well and twisted nicely in the end. The writing is excellent, as always. This may be Parker’s first adventure (for now anyway, Connolly might put out a prequel to the prequels and go that way until baby years for all we know, maybe Charlie was a precocious crime solving tyke back in the day), but the author’s been at it long enough to produce a very professional very slick tale. But…there are some buts there. I am now a much more sophisticated and critical reader and I am aware of faults with Connolly’s work, good as it is. For one thing, the main thing, really, it’s much too long. Connolly can write but he’s almost too in love with his writing, it goes on and on, twisting and turning like Möblus’ finest work, but in the end it just seems indulgent. And I’d know, I barely ever seem to write a succinct review anymore. The other thing is…Connolly is an elegant eloquent writer and he books read thusly. The man is a natural storyteller, there’s music to his narrative, it moves along swimmingly, gorgeously at times, but…but indiscriminately so. Meaning he doesn’t adjust for the setting or character. Meaning, for one thing, that all of his characters irrespective of their education levels or socioeconomic background are given to more or less the same elocution style and verbal elegance as Parker himself or the narrative itself. And though I’m accustomed to suspending disbelief to enjoy a variety of fictional scenarios, there’s no way a bunch of backwoods Arkansians (is that it?) are that conversationally gifted and linguistically crafty. In fact, this would probably go for any locale. No one is that similar, throw in some distinctive qualities, Mr. Connolly. So anyway, that’s the book, a very decent mystery thriller through and through and a must for the author/character fans, but as a standalone…somewhat plodding, overly long and rambling at times…much like this review. Thanks Netgalley.

Another very good book from Mr. Connolly. This time out, he jumps back in time, before his first novel, Every Dead Thing, to show us the beginnings of Charlie Parker and his ongoing quest for justice. The murders of his wife and daughter are still fresh in his mind, he's only recently quit the police, and is travelling around the country, chasing leads that may bring him to the killer responsible. Part of the journey brings him to Cargill, Arkansas, a slowly-decaying small town in a backwards part of the world. A young black girl has recently been murdered, and the method is reminiscent of a pair of previous killings (although one of those has been closed as an "accidental death" by a rather sinister sheriff's deputy who is a member of a wealthy local family that sort of runs the county). Even though it's quickly apparent the killings have nothing to do with Parker's case, he finds himself compelled to hang around and provide his expertise to the local police department. This is, as usual, a gripping page-turner of a novel, with memorable characters and well-drawn settings. We even get an appearance from Louis and Angel (I'd like to see a book that details just how Parker met them in the first place and why they feel so indebted to him).

Absolutely painful and uncomfortably bad to read. So many slurs and such used to mention people of color. Lots of focus on race in this book and not in a good way. Who thinks it's a good idea in this day and age to use "high yellow" when describing how a seemingly white man whose family has a history of slavery probably got "that kink in his hair"

I mean really. Even outside of the graphic murder, torture, and rape in this book the most stomach churning thing was the writing pertaining to people of color. I don't care about the setting, time, whatever. This book was written NOW in this climate. And this is what Connolly gives us?

Extremely pleased to get an advanced copy of this book. I adore John Connollys work, from Every Dead Thing onwards, it’s been an amazing adventure across the years. To have the opportunity to go back to the early days, fresh after the loss of his wife and child, and find out what happened between their deaths and the first book. I am probably biased as to me this author can do no wrong, This story has believable characters, and it’s interesting to see early Parker, compared with the man he becomes over the years. Highly recommend, and will go back and start the adventures all over again. Again!!

This book had great potential in the character of Charlie Parker. Graphic, brutal murders were not pleasant to read, especially when details were constantly repeated over and over throughout the book.

Steady building plot. The use of some obscure words had me wondering if they were used deliberately (somebody had a thesaurus). The chapter numbering using large font Roman Numerals was a distraction from the story line when chapters delineated the focus and change of characters. these totaled over 100.

Charlie Parker, former NYPD Detective, is on the hunt for the person who brutally murdered his wife and young daughter. Parker has a lot of friends who show up to help him throughout the novel increasing the number of characters to a barely manageable level. Helping a small town solve three murders was the good part if they were not so gruesome.

The Dirty South is the eighteenth book in Connolly's Charlie Parker detective series and, perhaps because it is chronologically a prequel to the other seventeen books, for me, it was a great place to start. Connolly offers us here a novel about a man haunted by a past where his wife and daughter were brutally butchered. Parker, a former NYPD Detective, deals with his agony, by traipsing across the country after mutilated bodies are found, hoping some similarities might lead him to exact what needs to be done.

Here, Parker finds himself in a small, out of the way, rundown Arkansas town, sort of the place where everyone knows everyone's business and wishes they didn't. It's a town stuck in decline and hoping that, like Huntsville, Alabama, a major defense contract can bring prosperity to a town with nothing going for it. Corruption, apathy, and a series of vicious killings of young Black girls threaten to derail the lucrative defense contract. That is, if such things don't get swept under the table.

Skillfully written, hauntingly told, The Dirty South is a great place to begin exploring this series.