A thriller of rather epic proportions, what immediately sets Every Dead Thing aside from the crowd is the exceptional quality of its prose. The novel deals with some harrowing themes and should be approached with caution by those faint of heart or weak of stomach, and yet the writing is of such high quality that it is hard not to recommend this book to anybody and everybody. The plotting is extremely ingenious and Connolly pulls of a bit of a coup with this, his debut novel. Every Dead Thing was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award and won the Shamus award for best first Private Eye Novel. The novel drips atmosphere and has more than a few twists to keep things interesting. The multiple plots are a joy to work through and the way Connolly holds everything together is remarkable. It really feels like you're getting more than you've paid for. The use of multiple locations is another bonus. Some readers will no doubt compare the use of Orleans in the second part of the novel to the works of James Lee Burke. Connolly cites Burke as an influence, unsurprisingly. I don't want to say too much about the plot, because the very nature of the reading experience hinges on the reader not knowing too much beforehand. I will simply say that the novel centers around an ex-cop looking for the killer of his wife and daughter, which is a bit like saying the Bible is about Good & Evil. Read this novel!