Really enjoyed this one. Less violence as he allows Charlie to age and a bit less of the super natural. A woman is accused of kidnapping and presumably killing her son. Charlie becomes involved and of course gets involved in a very tangled mess.

This, the 21st installment of the one of the best dark fiction series' ever created, holds up to the standards I've come to expect from John Connolly.

This time around Charlie is working a case for Moxie, one that appears to be cut and dried. But the mysteries and cases that Charlie works are never cut and dried, and this one was no exception. A woman's son is missing, taken from his bedroom while his mother slept. The police were furiously looking for the missing boy, until they found a blood-soaked blanket in the trunk of the mother's car. From that point on, the police are only looking at her and she is soon arrested. Luckily she has Moxie for a lawyer and Charlie comes along with him. Enter a sad and tortured psychic, a group of white supremacists, and a decrepit house in the woods, and you have the setup for THE INSTRUMENTS OF DARKNESS. Will Charlie clear the mother of murder? Will the psychic be redeemed and WHAT is in that house? You'll have to read this to find out!

Here we are 21 books in and I never want this series to end. I know that it's going to because all of my favorite characters are getting old now. Angel and Luis are beginning to show their age, and they don't move as quickly as they used to. Same with Charlie, too. But when an author is as good as John Connolly is, the reader never wants to let go of characters like this. Angel and Luis are killers and would be considered bad guys in any other books, but not these. Every time they appear I find myself smiling.

Once again, Connolly hits the top of the bar with this reader, and that bar was already set pretty high. I am eagerly anticipating, (and kind of dreading), the next book in the series. I sense heartbreak will soon be coming for Parker fans, but I still want my heart broken just the same. I mean, if it's going to be broken, it might as well be at the hands of one of the best crime writers out there, right? Until that time, I reluctantly say goodbye to Charlie, Angel and Luis. I hope to see you all again, alive and well, my friends.

My highest recommendation!

*ARC from publisher.*

Nothing--NOTHING--is comparable to a John Connolly "Charlie Parker" novel. I firmly believe this Series exists in some sort of liminal space, and as soon as I turn to the first page, I am "awa' wi' the faeries" (sometimes, almost literally, because long-bereaved Charlie Parker, brutally deprived of his first daughter and her mother, later of the presence of his second daughter), exists himself in a realm not quite our own, an in-between world where suspension of disbelief is unnecessary).

To enter any novel in Connolly's Charlie Parker universe is to step across a portal into an "unknown country" where surface "reality" might look just the same; but in a few moments you're going to discover that not only are you "not in Kansas any more, Toto," you're also not in recognizable reality any more. Here the dead are just a blink away, and apparently we all are psychic. Here the most convoluted conspiracy and plots imaginable are not only possible, but actual.

A child is missing, his mother under suspicion…but evil comes in many guises.

When young Henry Clark goes missing in Portland, ME, suspicion soon falls on his mother Colleen. She was known to have suffered from postpartum issues, and even her husband is convinced that Colleen is guilty. Her mother Evelyn contacts lawyer Moxie Castin to represent Colleen, and Moxie in turn brings investigator Charlie Parker on board. Colleen has been found guilty in the court of public opinion, and Attorney General Paul Nowak and Assistant AG Erin Becker concur. They also have political ambitions, and the successful conviction of a baby killer would help both of their career aspirations. Nowak and Becker also loathe Moxie and Parker, which will only complicate matters. Parker lost his own child to violence, which makes him either the best or the worst choice to investigate Henry’s disappearance. As he digs into the case, he looks more deeply into Stephen’s possible role in the disappearance, especially given the man’s recent infidelity. When Parker is contacted by Sabine Drew, a woman whose psychic powers had in the past helped law enforcement in cases like Henry’s but who retreated from public view when her involvement in a case went horribly wrong, new but dark avenues to pursue emerge. They are drawn to a property which in days of yore would have been simply marked on a map as, “here there be evil”. What if anything does the Michaud family land have to do with the Clarks? Is Sabine genuine, or does she have ulterior motives? Can Parker find out what happened to Henry, or will others have to die?
This is the 21st outing of Charlie Parker, but do not fear….this novel can easily be read as a standalone. The characters and their relationships are well drawn, and the story is one that grabs the reader’s attention quickly and doesn’t let go. There is more going on than just a missing child, there is a sense of tangible evil at play throughout the story. There is also a peek at the political considerations that can affect a criminal case, and the reality of how quickly the public can and does assign guilt and blame based on a few headlines. As a mother I can think of little more terrifying than for my child to go missing and then to be blamed for the crime….knowing myself to be innocent and realizing that the search for my child is not being pursued effectively. A nuanced and gripping thriller, The Instruments of Darkness should be snatched up by fans of Dean Koontz, John Sanford and Preston & Child, as well as by those who have already read some or all of author John Connelly’s previous books. Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for allowing me early access to this dark but gripping story.

When John Connelly published his first Charlie Parker book in 1999, I'm not sure if he expected the series to take on a life of it's own. THE INSTRUMENTS OF DARKNESS is book #21 in this awesome series that combines so many different story elements that I'm not sure how the publishers settle on mystery/thriller for the genre. You could read this as a stand alone and be absolutely WOWed by it, but I'd plan on some serious binge reads to catch up. The story lines are unique, each has some elements of mystery, thriller, horror, supernatural, a little romance and an unforgettable cast of characters. Charlie is a private investigator who takes his show on the road on a regular basis, so you never quite know where he'll end up next. The book synopsis gives you an overview of the basic story line but you'll find so much more inside. This is the kind of book you read, then tell your reading circle.....OMG, you have to read this book!

The Instruments of Darkness by John Connolly is a wonderfully dark and fabulous supernatural/mystery novel.
The characters are so strong and well developed. Charlie is flawed and realistic and he is one of my favorites.
This was deliciously creepy, compulsively addictive and thrillingly satisfying! I LOVED it!

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Nothing made me happier than seeing that a new Charlie Parker novel was being released. In this story, Charlie is hired by Moxie Castin to do some investigating for one of his clients. His client is Colleen Clark and she has been accused of murdering her two year old son. The child was reported stolen in the night and no sign of what happened until ten days after his disappearance and even then, he has not been found.

All is not normal however when Charlie Parker is involved. He is given information by a medium, maybe, that the child is dead and a general area of where his body may be found AND that there is something very dark, some entity with the child. Everyone, including the husband believe Colleen is guilty, but not Charlie. This book has the regular Charlie Parker wit and methods and eventually he brings in his guys, Louis and Angel. I was so thrilled that they joined him and it was a really good idea that they did so.

Twists and turns and solid investigative work brings this story to a big flash of an ending.

Loved the read and I would like to thank Atria books and NetGalley for this ARC which was given to me in exchange for my honest review.

Detective Charlie Parker is hired by the defense lawyer of a woman accused of murdering her own child. Naturally, when Parker's involved, the story is never what it seems to be, and once again the mystery involves more than a touch of the supernatural. John Connolly is a master of his craft and mixes the complexity of the murder mystery with the supernatural forces in a way that almost feels real. There's a lot to this story, and not all loose ends are tied up as neatly as could be, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment. I highly recommend this book and many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was pleased Connolly returned to the supernatural elements after The Dirty South. I don’t really see the Furies as much more than 2 small stories in a greater universe so for me The Dirty South was the last real Parker book.

All the trademarks were here, as John Connolly agains writes the macabre so beautifully with his cast of damaged yet resolute characters in Parker, Angel and Louis who continue to fight the darkest of evils as they age and darkness seems always ready to befall them.

Connolly is elite. The series is for me is no 1.

5 stars

When attorney Moxie Castin asks for Charlie Parker's help with his latest client, Parker is at first reluctant to take the case. The client, Collen Clark, is accused of abducting and possibly killing her young son. But as Parker gets to know her better and investigates deeper, he comes to believe her innocence. Bringing in his usual cohorts in the form of the Fulci brothers and New York couple Angel and Louis, Parker will engage with illicit figures he's dealt with in the past, including gangsters and white supremacists, plus a somewhat famous, or infamous, Maine psychic who believes she's in contact with the missing boy. What he doesn't know is awaiting him in the backwoods are neighboring feuding clans and a boarded up house that hides something ancient and evil within its depths.
After the most recent entries in the Charlie Parker series included a multi-book arc involving the villains Quayle and Mors, a "solo" adventure for Louis (and Angel) helping out with someone from his past, a case very early in Parker's life that he wasn't responsible for but happened to stumble into, and a pair of one-off novellas in one book, The Instruments of Darkness was a welcome return to the more conventional and enjoyable adventures because of Parker's investigations. It did have the requisite inclusion of him running into some villains he squared off with in other books, though they turned out not to be the reason for his client's predicament, though in a tangential way they aided his endeavors. And, like some of my favorite books in the series, this was a hardboiled crime case mixed with a supernatural entity, meshing squarely between crime thriller and horror. Even though I still enjoyed the previous entries, this was by far my favorite book in the series in quite some time.

This is a translated version of the original review which was published in Spanish on Goodreads:

Score: 4.6 Stars.

For many years my colleague Juancho from the Juancho Juanchito Books channel had recommended John Connolly to me. He spoke so highly of the author that every time I found his books in bookstores I bought them. The funny thing is that, thanks to Netgalley, the first book I read by this writer ended up being book #21 of his acclaimed Charlie Parker series: The Instruments of Darkness.

I start this review by telling you that this is a crime book that takes place in Maine, United States, a place well known to horror readers, especially those who enjoy the work of Stephen King.

The plot of the novel seems simple: After a child goes missing, his mother (Colleen Clark) is accused not only of her disappearance, but also of his death. Stephen Clark, her husband, fervently believes that she has committed this terrifying crime, this after finding a blood-soaked towel in the trunk of his wife's car, which tests ended up determining to be the little boy's (Henry's) blood.

This becomes national news, portraying Colleen as a heartless woman who deserves the full weight of the law to fall on her. But what if Colleen isn't the real culprit? This is where Charlie Parker, the protagonist of this literary series, comes in. He works together with Moxie Castin, the lawyer who will be defending Colleen.

Parker's task is to find, through his investigation, the evidence that will help confirm that Colleen is another victim of this event, and that she had nothing to do with this heinous crime. In the process of the investigation, Parker will follow trails of criminal organizations, oil industry trade fairs, and even a medium, who suggests that even the supernatural world could be involved in this matter.

I really enjoyed this novel. I found the ending fascinating and full of action. Connolly gives us several revelations in these last pages that have left me completely satisfied and excited for what is to come, plus I am now extremely eager to explore the previous 20 books in the Charlie Parker series.

From the characters and the plot, to the narration, the supernatural elements and the way in which the events developed in the novel, I am convinced to read more books by this author and, in addition, I would be positioning this novel as the best thriller book that I have read so far this year. Obviously, I recommend this story to crime novel readers, I assure you that it will not disappoint you.

Secrets and red herrings keep this story moving. A familiar character, Charlie Parker adds to the intriguing mystery. The mother is a mysterious character, and it is not easy to determine if she is a likable one. This talented author has once again penned a book that is quickly read. Thanks Netgalley.

Charlie Parker returns in The Instruments of Darkness, by John Connolly, the twenty-first book in the series. Parker has been bruised and battered by his work as a private investigator, but he can’t stop when there’s a chance that he can take a measure of evil out of the world. Evil is absolutely real for Parker. He can sense the presence of supernatural evil when it begins to infect our world. It’s a wonder Parker can still joke. This entry in the series sees Parker taking on two evils: a child murderer and a pack of neo-Nazis.

The client this time is Colleen Clark, a passive and damaged woman accused of killing her toddler son, Henry. Henry’s body hasn’t been recovered but a bloody blanket was recovered from the Clarks’ garage. Parker’s old friend, Moxie Castin, who is defending Colleen, calls him in to try and find out what really happened to the boy. An early meeting with Colleen convinces Parker that Colleen is not only innocent but that something sinister is going on with her weirdly affectless husband—a husband who was far too quick to throw his wife under the bus.

Fans of the series will be pleased to see old friends show up to help: the Fulci brothers, Louis and Angel. I’m not so sure, however, that they will be thrilled by the muddled plot. Much of the first half of the book centers on the investigation into the Clarks and what happened to their son. I was intrigued by the shadowy figure of Mara Teller, a woman who is strangely hard to track down after it’s revealed that she had an affair with Henry’s father. Why would a woman create an identity and pay for a money order to get into a petrochemical conference just to seduce Stephen Clark? What’s up with the mysterious plot of land “Mara” is tracked to that everyone in the community avoids? In the second half of The Instruments of Darkness, Parker et al. are surprised by the reappearance of an old enemy, who takes the opportunity to instigate a bizarre firebombing of Colleen’s house. I was very confused by this addition, especially since I was sufficiently interested in learning what happened to Henry and if Colleen would be successfully railroaded into a prison sentence.

I might’ve been more forgiving of the overstuffed plot if I hadn’t kept seeing British-isms in the dialogue of a bunch of American characters. It was little things like people being phoned instead of called. Connolly is Irish but I don’t remember his books about Parker and his crew being so inauthentic with their vocabularies. I recognize this as a pet peeve of mine. That said, I hope there’s time for someone familiar with American English to do some swaps.

From blurb: "In Maine, Colleen Clark stands accused of the worst crime a mother can commit: the abduction and possible murder of her child. Everyone—ambitious politicians in an election season, hardened police, ordinary folk—has an opinion on the case, and most believe she is guilty."
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Colleen's lawyer is Moxie Castin and those familiar with the series know that Moxie is good; any who underestimate him will regret it. He may not look like much and he certainly fails at healthy eating, but Moxie wins cases and Charlie Parker trusts him.

The case hinges on a bloody blanket. No body. The assumption is that the amount of blood assures that little Henry could not have survived, and when Colleen's husband makes comments about Colleen's "failures" as a mother, public sentiment turns against her.

Although the evidence is circumstantial, there are those who see this as slam dunk case that will elevate their careers. Moxie turns to Charlie Parker, who is initially reluctant to get involved, but after meeting with Colleen, Parker agrees to work on the case.

All the usual suspects (the Fulci brothers, Louis, Angel, Dave, etc.) appear and lend a hand. An appealing new character gets involved, Sabine Drew--medium/psychic, who has had successes in the past and one demoralizing failure. Hope to see more of Sabine.

As usual, Charlie Parker is a winner for me. Now I have to wait for the next book.

Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for this ARC.

Publication date: May 7, 2024 blog publication on April 23, 2024

I love all of the Charlie Parker books, some resonate more than others, but there isn’t one I have regretted reading. We are back in Maine, with a creepy house, an evil entity, and various other bad guys in the middle of the forest. Our cast begins with Charlie and Moxie and a new mystery to solve. The Fulcis are back to help out and add some humor. I was hoping to see Louis and Angel and was ecstatic when they also joined the case. I really enjoyed meeting Sabine Drew and hope to see her again in future books.

This is the 21st book in the series. Even if you start with this one, you can follow the storyline with no issues, but beware, as you will be intrigued to start at the first one and read them all. The story provides mystery, paranormal elements, justice, a little redemption, and some well-deserved payback.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books, and John Connolly for the eARC.

This book was one of the best. It was amazing from start to finish. Thank you so much to the publisher for the copy!

One thing is certain when you're dealing with private investigator Charlie Parker - there'll be some other-worldly "stuff" in it. This is the 21st book in the series - I've read several others - and this one certainly doesn't spoil the pattern.

When Colleen Clark's son Henry goes missing, as is customary, the parents are early-on suspects. When evidence appears to not only confirm that the young boy is dead, Colleen - who by her own admission suffered from post-partum depression - is arrested for his murder. That her husband, and just about every former friend and neighbor, are convinced of her guilt as well doesn't help her case.

But Charlie's long-time friend and attorney, Moxie Castin, will; he'll serve as her attorney. And of course, he enlists Charlie's help. At the outset, both are suspicious of the husband, who even without the evidence seemed convinced that his wife did the dirty deed.

Even with the evidence, though, a body certainly would bolster the case on one side or the other. Enter into the picture a remote cabin deep in the woods of Maine that seems to harbor those aforementioned other-worldly secrets and that isn't far from a cult-like settlement of Fascists. In the midst of the investigation comes Sabine Drew, a psychic who claims to have heard Henry's plaintive cries from somewhere nearby. No one believes her, of course, except possibly Charlie - who knows firsthand what it's like to be in touch with those who've gone on (somewhere) before.

As the investigation progresses, another of Charlie's old enemies, Bobby Ocean, pops up, opening up the necessity of bringing in Charlie's bodacious friends and bodyguards, Angel and Louis (love these guys). That, in turn, brought up what perhaps is the best-ever description of a thug-style bodyguard, who "probably barely emerged from the womb before the obstretrician offered him twenty bucks to watch the surgery door."

There's plenty more murder and mayhem from this point to the end, and I loved every minute of it. Many thanks once again to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to binge on a pre-release copy of this latest installment of a favorite series.

This one was a little wordy for me but wow what a plot. I loved how this story unravelled and came together. The characters were solid and even the ones you hate were so well done. This one was dark, so dark with the worst of crimes that caused my mama heart to break. The supernatural aspect was well woven and believable and not hookey. This was a great fast paced read that kept me enraptured from start to finish.

I've always enjoyed Connolly's books but haven't read one in a while so I'd forgotten how detailed and crazy-interconnected they are! In this one P.I. Parker is on a case of a missing child, two-year-old Henry who disappeared in the middle of the night and is feared dead. Mother, Colleen is the suspect as a bloodied blanket was discovered under her tire and as she is separated from husband, Stephen she was alone with her son. Bring in attorney, Moxie who hires Parker to discover what he can. And then there's Sabine, an odd woman who "hears" the cries of little Henry and seems to know more than investigators as she knew another missing girl had oatmeal for breakfast when no one else did. The novel takes some crazy twists and turns but Connelly is adept at incredible descriptions and plot lines that make your head spin, all while pacing the book perfectly!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Atria Books in return for a fair and honest review.

I have read every Charlie Parker novel that has been published and Mr. Connolly repeatedly delivers on the mystery and paranormal aspects of the series. Parker is joined again by Louis and Angel in this story and I find the friendship of the three to be an endearing part of the novels. The tying of loose ends from other stories in the series can be a satisfying aspect but the reader doesn’t need to have read the entire series to enjoy the book. Having said that I highly recommend reading the entire series and look forward to reading subsequent stories.