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139th out of 590 books
—
555 voters
The Black Angel (Charlie Parker #5)
by
John Connolly (Goodreads Author)
When a young woman disappears from the streets of New York City, ties of friendship and blood inevitably draw ingenious, tortured detective Charlie Parker into the search. Soon he discovers links to a church of bones in Eastern Europe, a 1944 slaughter at a French monastery, and to the myth of an object known as the Black Angel -- considered by evil men to be beyond pricel...more
Paperback, 576 pages
Published
February 2006
by Pocket Star
(first published 2005)
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THE BLACK ANGEL (Thriller-US/Europe-Cont) – G-
Connolly, John - 5th in series
Atria Books, 2005 - ARC
Charlie Parker is trying to settle into life with his partner and new baby. At a party celebrating the baby's baptism, the Aunt of Charlie's friend, Louis, arrives telling him his niece, a prostitute and addict, has disappeared. But when Charlie, Louis and his partner, Angel, go looking for her, they find something much bigger, and rooted in history, killing young women.
*** I have loved Connolly's...more
Connolly, John - 5th in series
Atria Books, 2005 - ARC
Charlie Parker is trying to settle into life with his partner and new baby. At a party celebrating the baby's baptism, the Aunt of Charlie's friend, Louis, arrives telling him his niece, a prostitute and addict, has disappeared. But when Charlie, Louis and his partner, Angel, go looking for her, they find something much bigger, and rooted in history, killing young women.
*** I have loved Connolly's...more
Stylishly literate gore and terror Connolly once again blends the private-eye novel and the supernatural thriller in a way that's altogether unique. Parker himself is a complex creation whose depths have still, even through five novels, been barely explored
The Black Angel is nothing less than a classic work, a tale in which one can feel reality shifting and churning uneasily with the turn of each page. Highest possible recommendation The Black Angel soars with enigmatic villains and a complex pl...more
The Black Angel is nothing less than a classic work, a tale in which one can feel reality shifting and churning uneasily with the turn of each page. Highest possible recommendation The Black Angel soars with enigmatic villains and a complex pl...more
For some reasons I dont understand, the Indonesian publisher of this book decided to skip two books in the series (The Killing Kind & The White Road) and went straight from Dark Hollow to The Black Angel. Even though The Black Angel is a great story that can stand on its own, there are missing aspects, especially in the relationship between Charlie Parker and Rachel (hmmm...wait, they have a baby now??), that seriously bother me. For example, who is Kittim whom Charlie and Louis met to gain...more
Detective Charlie Parker is trying to help his friend Louis track down his missing cousin, an addict living rough on the streets of New York. When the investigation leads to a homemade house of horrors filled with human bones and statues made of remains, Parker tries to track down those responsible. He comes up against a group of cultists called The Believers, whom are convinced that angels fell to earth and took on human form, save one that was trapped in silver at a hidden location. The Believ...more
I nearly gave up on the first page (excluding the prologue), because of this sentence: ...the boy, now a man; her daughter, as she once was and as she now might be; and the one who had made her little girl upon her, his face sometimes contorted, as it was the moment of her daughter's conception, and at other times tattered and destroyed...
I mean, WTF?? I had to read it several times (and that's just a bit of the whole sentence), eventually deducing that 'made her little girl upon her' meant 'got...more
I mean, WTF?? I had to read it several times (and that's just a bit of the whole sentence), eventually deducing that 'made her little girl upon her' meant 'got...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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The rating is probably closer to 4 1/2 stars on this one. I'm taking 1/2 a star off because this book cost me a lot of sleep, in other words, it creeped me out. The Charlie Parker series is one of the best, with heartwrenching, bloody, violent stories that seem to get darker with each book, and poor tortured Charlies' ghosts' never letting up. This one was really interesting because it gave us a bit of a history lesson in archangels, eastern european monasteries, and some darker forms of art col...more
Crime and satanic myth come together in a Charlie Parker thriller. Not too successfully.
Sadly, I never found it convincing and as I read on it always felt self-indulgent and contrived. I feel a bit guilty saying this as he has moments when he writes beautifully and it is clear a lot of research went into this book, but the plot let it down. That and the fact that two of the potentially most interesting characters in the books, Louis and Angel, continue to be flat and closed to the reader. Parker...more
Sadly, I never found it convincing and as I read on it always felt self-indulgent and contrived. I feel a bit guilty saying this as he has moments when he writes beautifully and it is clear a lot of research went into this book, but the plot let it down. That and the fact that two of the potentially most interesting characters in the books, Louis and Angel, continue to be flat and closed to the reader. Parker...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I'm a huge fan of Mr. Connolly and "The Charlie Parker Series". In this book Charlie faces a different kind of enemies. Brightwell is probably the darkest and the most gruesome so far.
I really loved the charecters development, personally for me there was a side of Louis that was hidden for the readers in the previous books. Charlie's character has developed a lot since "Every Dead Thing" where he was avenging the death of his wife and daughter. Here we see a different Charlie Parker, a Charlie...more
I really loved the charecters development, personally for me there was a side of Louis that was hidden for the readers in the previous books. Charlie's character has developed a lot since "Every Dead Thing" where he was avenging the death of his wife and daughter. Here we see a different Charlie Parker, a Charlie...more
I hate to say it, but this is my least favorite Charlie Parker novel to date (it was bound to happen at some point, I guess). I think the reason it wasn't as enjoyable for me was because I felt like Parker was barely in it. Connolly brings in a lot of history to this novel, as he always does, but this time there was a LOT of background. And we had the stories of a LOT of people who end up being eliminated from the story after their introduction and backstory (or a portion of it) is told in speci...more
What the hell happened? John Connelly had good things going on. A witty, enjoyable hero, a solid detective series with intriguing characters and a dark-yet-thin veil of the supernatural.
With "Black Angel," he decided to go full Indiana Jones sprinkled with with a bit of "Devil's Advocate."
It's a bad read from the get go and, as the bizarre plot gets punctuated with Connelly's desperate need to tell us EVERYTHING he knows about a specific subject, it only gets worse.
Where's the quick wit? The sna...more
With "Black Angel," he decided to go full Indiana Jones sprinkled with with a bit of "Devil's Advocate."
It's a bad read from the get go and, as the bizarre plot gets punctuated with Connelly's desperate need to tell us EVERYTHING he knows about a specific subject, it only gets worse.
Where's the quick wit? The sna...more
This is the book where all previous references towards the paranormal seem to come together for a large part. It is also the book that made me take some pause from the writings of mr. Connolly, because some of the topics in his books are well worth some time thinking about them.
In this 5th Charlie Parker novel he once more is on the road with Louis & Angel. They play a more important part this time one of them is actually the cause of Charlies quest.
A family member of Louis dissapears and a...more
In this 5th Charlie Parker novel he once more is on the road with Louis & Angel. They play a more important part this time one of them is actually the cause of Charlies quest.
A family member of Louis dissapears and a...more
Dec 24, 2011
Saura
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Any mystery lover
Oh my God, the ending broke my heart. Poor Parker :( This man really deserves a break!
I haven't reviewed any of the books in this series, but I think most people know by now that I love these books (by the fact that I've read 5 of them in such a short time!). The characters are what keeps me reading from book to book, because I want to know what's going to happen to them. Parker is a great main character here, and identifying with him is very easy. His action aren't always what we might call 'mo...more
I haven't reviewed any of the books in this series, but I think most people know by now that I love these books (by the fact that I've read 5 of them in such a short time!). The characters are what keeps me reading from book to book, because I want to know what's going to happen to them. Parker is a great main character here, and identifying with him is very easy. His action aren't always what we might call 'mo...more
If you like your detectives bad ass and brooding with lots of baggage then Connolly's Charlie Parker is for you. Connolly's world is dark and has a supernatural twist that differentiates it from your average detective story.
This book started off as not as strong as his earlier Charlie Parker Novels. It tended to head away from crime more to a supernatural edge, which I found ineresting, but was not initially covinced by, his other novels all had elements of the supernatural but I found this one harder to believe than the others. But saying that, the further I read into this book the more I liked it so my opinions changed! This novel reminded me of Dan Brown as it had elements of Christian mythology in it and a lot...more
In "Black Angel", the fifth novel in John Connelly's series featuring private eye Charlie Parker, Parker, as usual, battles his own inner demons, but he is also thrust into battle with very real supernatural demons. In actuality, these demons are fallen angels. According to ancient texts ad Catholic lore, roughly 200 angels (including Lucifer) were banished from heaven by God. While a vast majority fell to the netherworld we know as hell, a small handful fell to Earth, and they have walked our p...more
I picked this book because I was excited to find a book by Michael Connolly that I hadn’t read. Then I couldn’t figure out why it was so outside Michael Connolly’s genre, and really so different that how he usually writes as well. That’s when I realized that it wasn’t written by Michael Connolly at all, but by John Connolly! Having established once and for all that I am a dork, I sat back and enjoyed this book, a “thriller” about how evil came into the world. Besides, you just have to love an au...more
It's dark and gritty, angels and demons sort of thing that is incredibly well-researched and detailed. Written present-day. The only things I dislike about it are that the POV/time changes are often a little disconcerting and there are a LOT of them, and that apparently everyone in the story has the same amazing wit. Normal people aren't that witty... it irks me that so many people in the story are brilliantly funny. Beyond that, it's a fascinating read and worth your time if you're into crime f...more
Very, very conflicted on this one. While a huge fan of both this author and this series of novels; I found this one to be quite muddled, confusing and jumping all over the place to the point of distraction. Despite these annoyances-he manages to bring the novel to a thrilling conclusion as only John Connolly can. I do believe that Connolly is the best at this and his writing is wonderful to behold. Just think this is the weakest of the Parker novels that I have read. Neat to read that Charlie Pa...more
This book is a multi-layered mystery centered on the search for an arcane religious artifact, but Connolly does an excellent job of elevating this from mere treasure hunt tale to a deep and profound exploration into the psyches and souls of the main characters, most notably private detective Charlie Parker. The plot appears complex with numerous characters and several diversions, but it's utterly simple when you realize this is a glorified scavenger hunt. Nevertheless, plot is not what's intende...more
Black Angel was different from the previous Charlie Parker books in a couple ways. First, it incorporates Da Vinci Code-like elements (ancient histories and puzzles)...although I think Connolly handles these a lot better than Brown ever did. For one thing, he doesn't just keep throwing exposition at you in the same way over and over. Connolly incorporates it in educational conversations, like Brown, but he also uses flashbacks by current characters, or chapters written as if the historical scene...more
I suspect that this is a very good book of its type, but I’ll never know. Sometimes, as a reader, I pick up a book and begin to read and know, very quickly that it isn’t for me. This is, obviously, a personal response.
Other readers may, however, gain value from the reasons why I failed to get past page 33 of a 596 page book. The book is described as ‘dark and powerful yet beautifully written’, by Big Issue, and that, I suspect, would have been my own assessment had I finished it. The writing is,...more
Other readers may, however, gain value from the reasons why I failed to get past page 33 of a 596 page book. The book is described as ‘dark and powerful yet beautifully written’, by Big Issue, and that, I suspect, would have been my own assessment had I finished it. The writing is,...more
John Connoly creates dialogue that you wish you could hear in movies and real life. If you have an active imagination you may have trouble sleeping too.
John takes you along a convoluted path following multiple lives and deaths along the way. Following the trail leading up to often unexpected places but the path to the treasure in this story is a great one. John's got some great action scenes along the way and characters you can enjoy seeing get theirs when the time comes. This wad my first Char...more
John takes you along a convoluted path following multiple lives and deaths along the way. Following the trail leading up to often unexpected places but the path to the treasure in this story is a great one. John's got some great action scenes along the way and characters you can enjoy seeing get theirs when the time comes. This wad my first Char...more
Si John Connolly est apparemment réputé pour ses romans d'horreur, pour ma part, j'ai été énormément déçue.
Certes, "l'ange noir" n'est pas sans intérêt. Certains personnages sont hauts en couleur et très intéressants, l'ossuaire de Sedlec est vraiment effrayant (mais ce n'est pas une invention de l'auteur puisqu'il existe vraiment...), mais pour ce qui est du reste...
L'histoire reste très pauvre; on s'attend au dénouement; les principaux protagonistes sont assez fades, comme le héros qui ressem...more
Certes, "l'ange noir" n'est pas sans intérêt. Certains personnages sont hauts en couleur et très intéressants, l'ossuaire de Sedlec est vraiment effrayant (mais ce n'est pas une invention de l'auteur puisqu'il existe vraiment...), mais pour ce qui est du reste...
L'histoire reste très pauvre; on s'attend au dénouement; les principaux protagonistes sont assez fades, comme le héros qui ressem...more
"John Connolly", what can I say? You either love his novels or you hate them.I absolutely love them.This is the 5 th in the Charlie "Bird" Parker series. ( there are 9 in total ) and the great supporting cast of Louis, Angel, Jackie Garner and the Fulci Brothers thankfully all have prominant roles.Connolly has marvelous dexterity when it comes to using the English language.His prose can best be described as not only outstanding but actually beautiful. Connolly's novels occupy a distinctive niche...more
So, I'm 5 books into the Charlie Parker saga and so far, so good.
With this book, Connolly seems to have completely abandoned the realistic approach taken with the earlier books and gone full force into supernatural mode. That's not necessarily a bad thing, I mean, if it's done right anyway and Connolly seems to know just what he's doing.
When I read the initial plot and some spoiler free reviews, I was a little worried that Connolly was going to take Parker somewhere that I wasn't interested in r...more
With this book, Connolly seems to have completely abandoned the realistic approach taken with the earlier books and gone full force into supernatural mode. That's not necessarily a bad thing, I mean, if it's done right anyway and Connolly seems to know just what he's doing.
When I read the initial plot and some spoiler free reviews, I was a little worried that Connolly was going to take Parker somewhere that I wasn't interested in r...more
The 5th Charlie Parker novel steps up the doom and gloom with a religious mystery that starts with the disappearance of Louis' niece. As with any Parker book, the initial disappearance he's asked to investigate is only the tip of the iceberg.
Connolly is a nearly impeccable writer, as always, but I found myself easily distracted while reading. What should have taken me a few days stretched out to an entire week, and I think it's because of how many times the point of view switched. Parker's narr...more
Connolly is a nearly impeccable writer, as always, but I found myself easily distracted while reading. What should have taken me a few days stretched out to an entire week, and I think it's because of how many times the point of view switched. Parker's narr...more
A supernatural thriller with elements of horror and crime.
Tells the on-going story of detective Charlie Parker who appears to have some connection to those who have died violently.
In this book Parker assists the black, gay assasin Louis to find his junkie Niece who has disappeared rom the streets of New York. In the middle of his marriage breaking down due to the trouble and violence that always seems to follow him, Parker struggles to discover the truth behind the sinister and grisly events tha...more
Tells the on-going story of detective Charlie Parker who appears to have some connection to those who have died violently.
In this book Parker assists the black, gay assasin Louis to find his junkie Niece who has disappeared rom the streets of New York. In the middle of his marriage breaking down due to the trouble and violence that always seems to follow him, Parker struggles to discover the truth behind the sinister and grisly events tha...more
This book was pretty good. Up until this book, it was a build up to what's been haunting Charlie "from beyond" and this book opens it up in-depth. It was interesting learning about the history of the Sedlec ossuary, but it seemed to go a bit beyond what the Charlie Parker series was about.
Unlike the White Road where we learned of Angel's background, here we learn of Louis's background. I really enjoy Angel and Louis in these books. It's add a lot of humor, but mostly a great balance to Charlie'...more
Unlike the White Road where we learned of Angel's background, here we learn of Louis's background. I really enjoy Angel and Louis in these books. It's add a lot of humor, but mostly a great balance to Charlie'...more
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John Connolly was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1968 and has, at various points in his life, worked as a journalist, a barman, a local government official, a waiter and a dogsbody at Harrods department store in London. He studied English in Trinity College, Dublin and journalism at Dublin City University, subsequently spending five years working as a freelance journalist for The Irish Times newspaper...more
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