Review | A Book of Bones by John Connolly

Charlie Parker arrives in Arizona at the behest of his FBI contact, Agent Ross. Ross needs Parker’s assistance in identifying a dead body which he believes to be that of Pallida Mors, Quayle’s enforcer. But Quayle and Mors are safe in London, intent on continuing their search for the Fractured Atlas. As more information filters in, Parker finds himself tracking Quayle in Europe with the help of Louis and Angel.

Meanwhile, bodies of young women are found in marked ruins in the English countryside. When the police investigate, they find clues suggesting the murders could be staged to incite something bigger. Eventually, these deaths will connect to Parker’s hunt and Quayle’s desire to spark the end of the world.

We walk on blighted soil. It holds within it the record of blood spilled, of villages and towns that thrived once but exit no longer, of all who have lived and all who have died in those places.

The earth remembers.

I’m a huge fan of John Connolly’s Charlie Parker series ever since I first discovered them about 5 years ago. I blew through the first 10 books in a couple of months and dreaded having to wait for new ones! The series started out as a crime fiction about Charlie Parker, a former detective who seeks to avenge his murdered wife and daughter. But as the series goes on, it starts to incorporate supernatural elements alongside evil villains, complicated mysteries and human drama. Each book deals with not just murders and criminals but also with things unseen, beyond this side of the world. Death might be the end or it might be the beginning.

A Book of Bones is the 17th book in the series and it’s massive, clocking at 720 pages. The series has a set mythology and regular characters, but can be read as standalones. However, this would be the first book that doesn’t completely function independently of the rest. The main plot is a continuation from The Woman In The Woods (#16) with references to The Wolf In Winter (#12) and ‘The Fractured Atlas’ novella from Night Music. So a new reader can still enjoy this book but might miss out on the significance of certain events. I highly recommend reading The Woman In The Woods first though as A Book of Bones does feel like the second part of the overall story featuring the villain Quayle.

In Parker’s search for Quayle, he travels to Arizona, Amsterdam and London. Being outside his usual territory in Maine makes him off-kilter and reflective. While he has his loyal companions Louis and Angel, age and past hurts are catching up with them. Louis is recovering from his wounds in his fight with Pallida Mors, while Angel is undergoing cancer treatment. Although Parker is still described as fit, there are moments where he realises he could no longer fight the way he used to. The trio are still as lethal as ever, but more cautious and less invincible this time around.

The temptation is to suffer and grieve alone, to cut yourself off from others. For some, it’s the only way, and it kills them in the end. They die inside, but they don’t know they’re dead.

As always my favourite moments in this series are when new characters encounter Parker. Other than distrust at his vigilante ways (especially from the authorities!), there’s usually a sense of disbelief, fear, even awe. There is a huge cast of new characters in this book. There’s the police team of Priestman, Hynes and Gackowska, the student Karl Holmby, the bookseller Bob Johnston, the farmer Hood and his dog Jess, the FBI legat Armitage. Everyone gets their moment; whether to shine, to hurt, to suffer or to protect. One of my favourite scenes is Parker’s conversation with a murder victim’s father. The writing is moving and brims with humanity. It’s brutal how the book makes us care for these characters we just met, only to take them away. But it also means the stakes are high enough so that no one is truly safe.

The series has produced terrific villains in the past and this book is no different. Quayle and Mors are formidable opponents for Parker and his team. Mors is especially nasty not just in her cruelty but in her appearance. She is decayed and rotten, as if her evil deeds has seeped out through her physical form for the world to see. There is also a pair of terrifying new villains leaving dead bodies in their wake. Their bland, misguided justification for their actions gave me chills.

The change in location from Maine to London also marks a change in the format. Besides Parker’s quest and the investigation into the serial killings in Northumberland, the book is packed with historical information. There are detailed descriptions of old sites and churches, as well as short interludes featuring tales from the past. This is where I struggled a little. While the archival anecdotes are entertaining, they feel disconnected and take the focus away from our hero. As much as I like to learn about the origins of certain events, I think they are better served in a separate story.

It is best to read A Book of Bones you have the time to digest it. While not a slow-burn per se, the pacing is steady, intertwining what seems like a million threads to merge together at the end. I love the sense of dread that simmers beneath the conflict, keeping me guessing. There are also some frightening moments when the supernatural rears its head. It’s hard to believe but in its 20th year, the series is as strong as ever. For me, each time a new book comes out it’s like meeting old friends. It‘s been a long journey for Parker yet the last chapter hints at more things to come. I can’t wait!

A Book of Bones is out in the UK but will be released in US and Canada on 15 October.  You can pre-book it now!

About the author: John Connolly

Photo by Mark Rasmuson