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Charlie Parker #5
The Black Angel
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 priceless. But the Black Angel is not a legend. It is real. It lives. It dreams. And the mystery of its existence may contain the secret of Parker's own origins.
576 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 31, 2005
1076 people are currently reading
4083 people want to read
About the author
John Connolly
220 books7,899 followersJohn 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, to which he continues to contribute.
He is based in Dublin but divides his time between his native city and the United States.
This page is administered by John's assistant, Clair, on John's behalf. If you'd like to communicate with John directly, you can do so by writing to contact-at-johnconnollybooks.com, or by following him on Twitter at @JConnollyBooks.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See other authors with similar names.
He is based in Dublin but divides his time between his native city and the United States.
This page is administered by John's assistant, Clair, on John's behalf. If you'd like to communicate with John directly, you can do so by writing to contact-at-johnconnollybooks.com, or by following him on Twitter at @JConnollyBooks.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See other authors with similar names.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 612 reviews
January 4, 2021
“Normality had no place in his existence.”
The Black Angel is a complex and complicated story about a missing woman and the people known as The Believers who have taken her. All are inextricably linked to Charlie Parker.
Grounded in the supernatural and religious prophetic text, this installment is the turning point in the series. A good portion of the book takes place in the past, recounting events that occurred at the Sedlec Ossuary.
What I loved was the focus on Louis and seeing him grapple with his emotions. Charlie also struggles with not forgetting his past; he is reminded in very loud and creepy ways, as well as trying to hold onto his present life with Rachel and their new baby, Sam. However, what he learns in this book rips all of what he knows to shreds.
The tone is dark, but a different kind of darkness than in other books; it is somehow heavier and sadder.
This wasn’t a favorite of mine in the series, BUT it is tautly plotted, well-written, and delves into an unearthly world, filled with the bizarre and creepy. The history of the Sedlec Ossuary was both fascinating and disturbing. Having read this series well out of order, I appreciate this book because of the pivotal role it plays in setting up the remainder of the series.
The Black Angel is a complex and complicated story about a missing woman and the people known as The Believers who have taken her. All are inextricably linked to Charlie Parker.
Grounded in the supernatural and religious prophetic text, this installment is the turning point in the series. A good portion of the book takes place in the past, recounting events that occurred at the Sedlec Ossuary.
What I loved was the focus on Louis and seeing him grapple with his emotions. Charlie also struggles with not forgetting his past; he is reminded in very loud and creepy ways, as well as trying to hold onto his present life with Rachel and their new baby, Sam. However, what he learns in this book rips all of what he knows to shreds.
The tone is dark, but a different kind of darkness than in other books; it is somehow heavier and sadder.
This wasn’t a favorite of mine in the series, BUT it is tautly plotted, well-written, and delves into an unearthly world, filled with the bizarre and creepy. The history of the Sedlec Ossuary was both fascinating and disturbing. Having read this series well out of order, I appreciate this book because of the pivotal role it plays in setting up the remainder of the series.
September 23, 2017
The sixth entry in the Charlie Parker series takes a slightly different approach. To date, Parker has been involved in cases that touched him or were jobs he willingly took on. In The White Road, Parker began to seriously evaluate his connection to evil though the cases he took on. The Black Angel begins with the christening of his and Rachel's daughter, and though it is initially played for laughs, it becomes emotionally fraught as Rachel starts to overreact to any hint of danger or John's connections. The celebration is interrupted by Louis' aunt seeking him out and enlisting his help in finding her daughter, a prostitute and heroin addict. Parker has one of his premonitions and feels called by both friendship and his inner compulsion to help.
The narrative explores a number of viewpoints getting to the actual beginning of the case, including that of the niece, her pimp, and a killer. As the story progresses, he brings in even more viewpoints, usually not for long. It isn't always well done or pertinent, and I'd question what his point was. Sometimes it seems as if it is supposed to contribute to the tension, making it clear how awful the antagonists are. Not infrequently the viewpoints are people who are about to die or play only a very limited role. Connolly might also have done it in service of plot points he thinks are necessary (a hotel near the border of Mexico is a brief setting), but I think it actually just confuses the plot and the narrative flow.
Speaking of plot, this one is a bit different. While most of the stories to date have revolved around solving a murder and confronting the killer(s), in this one the mystery of the killer is solved relatively quickly as incidental to a larger goal. There's a lot of forced situations here (Louis' aunt taking a bus to Maine, the journalist/art critic having an in to an auction). The plot eventually takes a DaVinci Code type turn that feels somewhat incongruous with where the story actually began. This is also the book where the supernatural/spiritual angle becomes more overt, with Parker's connection to these evil cases become clear. Connolly plays it cagey, leaving open the possibility for more real-world explanations for those who have trouble believing, but ultimately, it's the foundation for the series. Less satisfying is the storyline between Parker and Rachel, not necessarily because of the drama, but because it makes so little sense in context of all they've been through together. It felt in service of a plot more than congruous.
But I'll tolerate a lot of plot issues with such beautiful writing. There's a connection to a kind of effigy art that ends up being a powerful part of the book. A passage from Parker's reflections on his life:
"The past lies in the shadows of our lives. It is endlessly patient, secure in the knowledge that all we have done, and all that we have failed to do, must surely return to haunt us in the end. When I was young, I cast each day aside unthinkingly, like dandelion seeds committed to the wind, floating harmlessly from the hands of a boy and vanishing over his shoulder as he moved onward along the path toward the sunset, and home...
Now, as I look back over my shoulder at the path that I have taken, I can see that it has become tangled and obscured by undergrowth, where the seeds of past actions and half-acknowledged sins have taken root. Another shadows me along the path. She has no name, but she looks like Susan, my dead wife; and Jennifer, my first daughter, who was killed beside her in our little house in New York, walks with her."
Overall, a good installment, and likely critical to the series in terms of Parker's mystical connection to his cases. It could serve as a jumping-in point for people who would like to give the series a try.
The narrative explores a number of viewpoints getting to the actual beginning of the case, including that of the niece, her pimp, and a killer. As the story progresses, he brings in even more viewpoints, usually not for long. It isn't always well done or pertinent, and I'd question what his point was. Sometimes it seems as if it is supposed to contribute to the tension, making it clear how awful the antagonists are. Not infrequently the viewpoints are people who are about to die or play only a very limited role. Connolly might also have done it in service of plot points he thinks are necessary (a hotel near the border of Mexico is a brief setting), but I think it actually just confuses the plot and the narrative flow.
Speaking of plot, this one is a bit different. While most of the stories to date have revolved around solving a murder and confronting the killer(s), in this one the mystery of the killer is solved relatively quickly as incidental to a larger goal. There's a lot of forced situations here (Louis' aunt taking a bus to Maine, the journalist/art critic having an in to an auction). The plot eventually takes a DaVinci Code type turn that feels somewhat incongruous with where the story actually began. This is also the book where the supernatural/spiritual angle becomes more overt, with Parker's connection to these evil cases become clear. Connolly plays it cagey, leaving open the possibility for more real-world explanations for those who have trouble believing, but ultimately, it's the foundation for the series. Less satisfying is the storyline between Parker and Rachel, not necessarily because of the drama, but because it makes so little sense in context of all they've been through together. It felt in service of a plot more than congruous.
But I'll tolerate a lot of plot issues with such beautiful writing. There's a connection to a kind of effigy art that ends up being a powerful part of the book. A passage from Parker's reflections on his life:
"The past lies in the shadows of our lives. It is endlessly patient, secure in the knowledge that all we have done, and all that we have failed to do, must surely return to haunt us in the end. When I was young, I cast each day aside unthinkingly, like dandelion seeds committed to the wind, floating harmlessly from the hands of a boy and vanishing over his shoulder as he moved onward along the path toward the sunset, and home...
Now, as I look back over my shoulder at the path that I have taken, I can see that it has become tangled and obscured by undergrowth, where the seeds of past actions and half-acknowledged sins have taken root. Another shadows me along the path. She has no name, but she looks like Susan, my dead wife; and Jennifer, my first daughter, who was killed beside her in our little house in New York, walks with her."
Overall, a good installment, and likely critical to the series in terms of Parker's mystical connection to his cases. It could serve as a jumping-in point for people who would like to give the series a try.
March 2, 2020
Wow! I wasn't expecting to get this type of plot or how the series is planning on moving forward.
Going with 4.5 stars with The Black Angel.
After finishing up The Black Angel late last night, I had a few thoughts.
1. How will I sleep now after that ending? Ha!
2. If one of the main characters (Charlie, Louis or Angel) gets killed, I will throw the damn book across the room and be in despair.
3. John Connolly just took this series in a whole new supernatural angle and I'm here for it!
And one last thing...
4. I guess I need to plan a trip to see Sedlec Ossuary. This place sounds creepy and wild!
The Black Angel follows the story of Charlie Parker helping his friend Louis track down his cousin.
Alice, a cousin of Louis is a junkie along with being a prostitute. When Alice goes missing, Louis blames himself and enlists the help of Charlie and Angel.
But when questions get answered on Alice's disappearance, this plot goes in a sinister and deadly path to a church of bones in Czech Republic.
Too evil men who are more complicated than they appear to be along with a whole subplot of underworld morbid "art". It's definitely grotesque and mesmerizing!
The Black Angel takes us in dark directions along with showing us the path that Charlie Parker might possible take as the series moves forward.
The only thing that I had an issue with in this book was
I guess the character of Charlie Parker is pulling on my heart strings more then I realize! hahaha
Definitely recommend this series if you like thrillers with supernatural themes.
I'm really impressed with this series and especially with John Connolly's writing.
Connolly is an amazing writer and I'm so looking forward to continuing with the series!
Going with 4.5 stars with The Black Angel.
After finishing up The Black Angel late last night, I had a few thoughts.
1. How will I sleep now after that ending? Ha!
2. If one of the main characters (Charlie, Louis or Angel) gets killed, I will throw the damn book across the room and be in despair.
3. John Connolly just took this series in a whole new supernatural angle and I'm here for it!
And one last thing...
4. I guess I need to plan a trip to see Sedlec Ossuary. This place sounds creepy and wild!
The Black Angel follows the story of Charlie Parker helping his friend Louis track down his cousin.
Alice, a cousin of Louis is a junkie along with being a prostitute. When Alice goes missing, Louis blames himself and enlists the help of Charlie and Angel.
But when questions get answered on Alice's disappearance, this plot goes in a sinister and deadly path to a church of bones in Czech Republic.
Too evil men who are more complicated than they appear to be along with a whole subplot of underworld morbid "art". It's definitely grotesque and mesmerizing!
The Black Angel takes us in dark directions along with showing us the path that Charlie Parker might possible take as the series moves forward.
The only thing that I had an issue with in this book was
I guess the character of Charlie Parker is pulling on my heart strings more then I realize! hahaha
Definitely recommend this series if you like thrillers with supernatural themes.
I'm really impressed with this series and especially with John Connolly's writing.
Connolly is an amazing writer and I'm so looking forward to continuing with the series!
August 3, 2023
Quizás la más “sobrenatural” de las novelas de Charlie Parker que le he leído hasta ahora. Y también de las más lentas. Aunque contiene elementos que la hacen extraordinariamente interesante, (los pasajes referentes a los ángeles caídos, al libro de Enoc, y a la abadía de Sedlec, entre otros), no termina de redondear el conjunto. Al menos, no tanto como en anteriores novelas. La parte positiva es que nos hacemos una idea bastante definida de quién es en realidad Charlie Parker. La negativa, por simplificar, que acaba con los “malos” de forma poco creíble, apresurada y no acorde con el resto de la novela. Una novela a la que no se le puede negar que está escrita con finura y elegancia, incluso en sus partes más escabrosas, pues no en vano John Connolly es un gran escritor.
Es muy recomendable leer esta serie de forma cronológica, (cosa que yo no siempre he hecho, aprovechando gangas de precio en libros posteriores). De lo contrario, es muy posible que al protagonista solo se le dé una oportunidad, y no sería justo. El universo de Charlie Parker merece un seguimiento concienzudo.
3 🌞🌞🌞
Es muy recomendable leer esta serie de forma cronológica, (cosa que yo no siempre he hecho, aprovechando gangas de precio en libros posteriores). De lo contrario, es muy posible que al protagonista solo se le dé una oportunidad, y no sería justo. El universo de Charlie Parker merece un seguimiento concienzudo.
3 🌞🌞🌞
July 31, 2020
So weird to give a Charlie Parker book 3 stars, but here we are. This one did not work as well as previous installments in the series. I think that there was a lot going on and the book just drags for the last 30 percent of it. I just didn't care anymore about "the black angel" or who would find it first. I did think it was interesting to find out about the mysterious "captain" though. I think the book was hurt by trying to cram Louis and Angel in there too (and I say this as huge fans of both of those characters). The book felt like it was zig zagging all over the place and you just didn't know where it was going. Now we have something even more supernatural going on with Charlie, which the series has hinted at all along. I don't know how I feel about that yet. Will have to read the next book to see.
"The Black Angel" has Charlie Parker at a crossroads. He is a new father and living with his lover/girlfriend Rachel. Rachel all of a sudden seems to be doing a you need to choose with Charlie regarding his past and present and she of all people I would have thought would not have put him in such a bad place.
Charlie even turns down working on things he knows will upset her, but when a case comes up involving a relative of Louis, he can't say no, which angers Rachel and sets her apart for the first time from the happy group of Charlie, Rachel, Louis, and Angel. The case leads down a darker and even more supernatural path for Charlie which reveals a lot of things the book has hinted at til now. And now we know more than ever, why Charlie can't say no to the dead who call to him.
So Charlie was great. If I could have stayed in his head the whole book I would have been happier. Connolly jumps around a lot to several different characters and then we do flashbacks to previous time periods and it was a lot people.
I also started to get annoyed with the whole character of Rachel in this book. To me there's a lot of jealously there that I think we only saw hinted at before. She knew Charlie's backstory and life going in but now wants to say no to it. I went eh about her and felt okay with how Connelly handled that whole thing.
Louis and Angel seem stronger now more than ever and Angel better than anyone had a better read on Rachel. I do like how those two pop up in every story.
We had previous characters return in this one and Connolly tries to tie things altogether based on the previous happenings in the other books.
The writing I thought was strong, the flow for me was what put it down to 3 stars though. The book goes on endlessly about Czech Republic and the Sedlec Ossuary. I was interested in the beginnings of church's and what the words meant and all of that, but after a while my eyes glazed. I just didn't think that the book needed jam packed with so much stuff. Especially since we revisited so many people. Also the plot was really force fit in this one I thought. Louis's cousin angle and his past was enough for me honestly, throwing in the whole how is Charlie connected to all of this and the [redacted] thing was a bit much.
The book setting moves on from lonely Maine to New York and then the Czech Republic. I maybe blinked a few times. I got nothing else.
The ending leaves things on a sad and haunted note, but it works for this book.
"The Black Angel" has Charlie Parker at a crossroads. He is a new father and living with his lover/girlfriend Rachel. Rachel all of a sudden seems to be doing a you need to choose with Charlie regarding his past and present and she of all people I would have thought would not have put him in such a bad place.
Charlie even turns down working on things he knows will upset her, but when a case comes up involving a relative of Louis, he can't say no, which angers Rachel and sets her apart for the first time from the happy group of Charlie, Rachel, Louis, and Angel. The case leads down a darker and even more supernatural path for Charlie which reveals a lot of things the book has hinted at til now. And now we know more than ever, why Charlie can't say no to the dead who call to him.
So Charlie was great. If I could have stayed in his head the whole book I would have been happier. Connolly jumps around a lot to several different characters and then we do flashbacks to previous time periods and it was a lot people.
I also started to get annoyed with the whole character of Rachel in this book. To me there's a lot of jealously there that I think we only saw hinted at before. She knew Charlie's backstory and life going in but now wants to say no to it. I went eh about her and felt okay with how Connelly handled that whole thing.
Louis and Angel seem stronger now more than ever and Angel better than anyone had a better read on Rachel. I do like how those two pop up in every story.
We had previous characters return in this one and Connolly tries to tie things altogether based on the previous happenings in the other books.
The writing I thought was strong, the flow for me was what put it down to 3 stars though. The book goes on endlessly about Czech Republic and the Sedlec Ossuary. I was interested in the beginnings of church's and what the words meant and all of that, but after a while my eyes glazed. I just didn't think that the book needed jam packed with so much stuff. Especially since we revisited so many people. Also the plot was really force fit in this one I thought. Louis's cousin angle and his past was enough for me honestly, throwing in the whole how is Charlie connected to all of this and the [redacted] thing was a bit much.
The book setting moves on from lonely Maine to New York and then the Czech Republic. I maybe blinked a few times. I got nothing else.
The ending leaves things on a sad and haunted note, but it works for this book.
September 30, 2021
So I left a wonderful review about this book on another book (don’t ask— never write midnight reviews for books with authors that have similar last names).
Loved this book— not used to a subdued Charlie Parker but don’t worry, by the end, the dude got his mojo back. And if you appreciate the unnatural aspects of Parker’s life— this one will give you the creeps more than usual— at least it did for me.
At this point in the series, I feel myself pacing myself— just two or three each year.
Loved this book— not used to a subdued Charlie Parker but don’t worry, by the end, the dude got his mojo back. And if you appreciate the unnatural aspects of Parker’s life— this one will give you the creeps more than usual— at least it did for me.
At this point in the series, I feel myself pacing myself— just two or three each year.
June 15, 2012
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 an aunt comes looking for her and needs Louis help. Of course Charlie does his best to help out his friends. Only this time he find more on his road than he bargained before. He meets acquintances from old foes and has to go head to head with some parts in himself.
A great tale that has a splendid historical background which is used to his fullest. It does make me want to visit a certain sight that features strongly in this book.
But while I really enjoyed this book some of the darkness the previous opponents had in themselves and the crimes involved are somewhat less in this book. It is a far more straigthforward story about church, faith, church-history and the believes of people. This time the story has a lot of violence but is for the average reader slightly more removed from his/her own experiences.
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 an aunt comes looking for her and needs Louis help. Of course Charlie does his best to help out his friends. Only this time he find more on his road than he bargained before. He meets acquintances from old foes and has to go head to head with some parts in himself.
A great tale that has a splendid historical background which is used to his fullest. It does make me want to visit a certain sight that features strongly in this book.
But while I really enjoyed this book some of the darkness the previous opponents had in themselves and the crimes involved are somewhat less in this book. It is a far more straigthforward story about church, faith, church-history and the believes of people. This time the story has a lot of violence but is for the average reader slightly more removed from his/her own experiences.
June 1, 2025
This book is always a stumbling point in the series for me, but I've finally done it!
The Black Angel is where the ambiguously supernatural nature of this series really ramps up - while simultaneously cooling down the relationship between series hero Charlie Parker and his psychologist sweetheart, Rachel. Between those two things, this book lost me a little.
Firstly, I'm just not a fan of the "man must save world bravely sacrificing relationships he was happy getting into until they required real work" trope. There's a lot of men out there who truly value the partners and children in their lives; there's a lot of women out there who live with partners who bring danger into their lives in the course of trying to make the world a better place. Why they never make it into detective novels is beyond me.
And secondly, I liked the ambiguity of the supernatural side of things. Technically, it could be argued that nothing is entirely set in stone still, but you'd have to have some pretty convincing evidence that events of this book weren't otherworldly in nature. That one's less of a pain point though, and not as strong of a departure from the rest of the series.
The writing, however, is as strong as it ever has been, and that was enough to finally get me through the book. On to the next - and hopefully to a better experience.
Update on reread simply to clarify - this is one of those writers with their own rating systems. A John Connolly three-star still beats out quite a few other writers at their best.
The Black Angel is where the ambiguously supernatural nature of this series really ramps up - while simultaneously cooling down the relationship between series hero Charlie Parker and his psychologist sweetheart, Rachel. Between those two things, this book lost me a little.
Firstly, I'm just not a fan of the "man must save world bravely sacrificing relationships he was happy getting into until they required real work" trope. There's a lot of men out there who truly value the partners and children in their lives; there's a lot of women out there who live with partners who bring danger into their lives in the course of trying to make the world a better place. Why they never make it into detective novels is beyond me.
And secondly, I liked the ambiguity of the supernatural side of things. Technically, it could be argued that nothing is entirely set in stone still, but you'd have to have some pretty convincing evidence that events of this book weren't otherworldly in nature. That one's less of a pain point though, and not as strong of a departure from the rest of the series.
The writing, however, is as strong as it ever has been, and that was enough to finally get me through the book. On to the next - and hopefully to a better experience.
Update on reread simply to clarify - this is one of those writers with their own rating systems. A John Connolly three-star still beats out quite a few other writers at their best.
Want to read
April 19, 2017Book came with a music CD to accompany the book and is signed by John Connolly.
June 27, 2024
[Read in Aug 2020; Reviewed June 2024]
Now this is more like it.
Not the first time I’d had this thought regarding a book. It was the first time, however, while reading a John Connolly novel, and it was completely unfair. It implies that I did not enjoy the previous Charlie Parker effort, The White Road. Not true. I just felt it did not quite reach the level of the first three in the series. I enjoy Connolly’s storytelling too much to dislike any offering, at least so far.
Perhaps my affection for The Black Angel was prompted by an immediate and obvious difference from the preceding books. The supernatural elements that are integral to the series are introduced early on in the story proper. Usually there's a prologue that establishes that such things exist in this world, and then it introduces Charlie Parker's current situation as if the start of a classic hard-boiled detective novel. From there the story unfolds as such, and it is only well into the novel that the supernatural materializes. Here, the fallen angels presented in the prologue reappear almost immediately, albeit in a different form.
Another key difference is that the initial focus revolves around Charlie Parker's friend Louis, who may well be my favorite “tougher than the hero” supporting character, a trope popularized by Robert B. Parker's Hawk, Spenser's longtime friend. Along with Louis, my other favorites of this type of character are Elvis Cole’s partner Joe Pike and Burke’s “brother” Max the Silent.
Louis’ cousin Alice has gone missing and Charlie Parker chooses to assist in the search, much against the wishes of his immediate family. Alice was the only surviving witness to a drug-related massacre in rural South Carolina. She had to run, leaving behind a family she had by now all but alienated. Already trading her body for drugs, the depths of New York City only exacerbated her decline. Harder drugs were more readily available and she fell into a pimp’s stable. Louis was supposed to keep an eye on her but that was an impossible task without the cooperation of the subject, particularly while trying to live your own life.
Alice's one concession to the world she had once known was a weekly phone call to her mother. When those ceased, her mother takes a bus to New York City. A fruitless and dangerous attempt to find Alice forces her to turn to Louis. Louis, his partner Angel, and Charlie Parker begin their search for Alice. Meanwhile, a couple of the fallen angels are searching for Alice’s only friend, Sereta. Together the women had stumbled across an object of value, and where Sereta chose to run, Alice’s addictions forced a return to familiar territory. Each search will set all involved on a collision course.
The Black Angel is Connolly’s best work since Dark Hollow (#2 in the series), with the perfect mix of real world and the paranormal. If he had chosen to write these stories as straight up detective novels, he'd be taking home Edgars and Shamuses left and right. Apparently his desire was to break new ground. Now some could argue that the ground had already been broken, as we’ve seen many a mystery-slash-science-fiction book, and, of course, mystery-slash-horror, two genres more naturally adjacent. And you can point specifically to F. Paul Wilson and Repairman Jack and I’d be hard pressed to argue. Particularly as I’m also a big fan of that particular series. But what Connolly is building here feels much denser. This world beneath the world that we know is a tapestry as rich and detailed as any you would find in a long running fantasy series. And best of all, he has chosen to take his time. In fact, the supernatural component in the first two novels could easily have been figments of Charlie Parker's fractured mind. The third entry makes it clear that these elements are “real.” And now with the fifth it is even clearer that we're only going get a few glimpses at a time, just enough to expand the picture without blurring the image. There is an inherent challenge built into the greater forces concept: how to keep these cosmic entities from rendering irrelevant the actions of the human participants. As long as John Connolly succeeds at keeping Charlie Parker and his friends pertinent, I’m here for the duration.
Now this is more like it.
Not the first time I’d had this thought regarding a book. It was the first time, however, while reading a John Connolly novel, and it was completely unfair. It implies that I did not enjoy the previous Charlie Parker effort, The White Road. Not true. I just felt it did not quite reach the level of the first three in the series. I enjoy Connolly’s storytelling too much to dislike any offering, at least so far.
Perhaps my affection for The Black Angel was prompted by an immediate and obvious difference from the preceding books. The supernatural elements that are integral to the series are introduced early on in the story proper. Usually there's a prologue that establishes that such things exist in this world, and then it introduces Charlie Parker's current situation as if the start of a classic hard-boiled detective novel. From there the story unfolds as such, and it is only well into the novel that the supernatural materializes. Here, the fallen angels presented in the prologue reappear almost immediately, albeit in a different form.
Another key difference is that the initial focus revolves around Charlie Parker's friend Louis, who may well be my favorite “tougher than the hero” supporting character, a trope popularized by Robert B. Parker's Hawk, Spenser's longtime friend. Along with Louis, my other favorites of this type of character are Elvis Cole’s partner Joe Pike and Burke’s “brother” Max the Silent.
Louis’ cousin Alice has gone missing and Charlie Parker chooses to assist in the search, much against the wishes of his immediate family. Alice was the only surviving witness to a drug-related massacre in rural South Carolina. She had to run, leaving behind a family she had by now all but alienated. Already trading her body for drugs, the depths of New York City only exacerbated her decline. Harder drugs were more readily available and she fell into a pimp’s stable. Louis was supposed to keep an eye on her but that was an impossible task without the cooperation of the subject, particularly while trying to live your own life.
Alice's one concession to the world she had once known was a weekly phone call to her mother. When those ceased, her mother takes a bus to New York City. A fruitless and dangerous attempt to find Alice forces her to turn to Louis. Louis, his partner Angel, and Charlie Parker begin their search for Alice. Meanwhile, a couple of the fallen angels are searching for Alice’s only friend, Sereta. Together the women had stumbled across an object of value, and where Sereta chose to run, Alice’s addictions forced a return to familiar territory. Each search will set all involved on a collision course.
The Black Angel is Connolly’s best work since Dark Hollow (#2 in the series), with the perfect mix of real world and the paranormal. If he had chosen to write these stories as straight up detective novels, he'd be taking home Edgars and Shamuses left and right. Apparently his desire was to break new ground. Now some could argue that the ground had already been broken, as we’ve seen many a mystery-slash-science-fiction book, and, of course, mystery-slash-horror, two genres more naturally adjacent. And you can point specifically to F. Paul Wilson and Repairman Jack and I’d be hard pressed to argue. Particularly as I’m also a big fan of that particular series. But what Connolly is building here feels much denser. This world beneath the world that we know is a tapestry as rich and detailed as any you would find in a long running fantasy series. And best of all, he has chosen to take his time. In fact, the supernatural component in the first two novels could easily have been figments of Charlie Parker's fractured mind. The third entry makes it clear that these elements are “real.” And now with the fifth it is even clearer that we're only going get a few glimpses at a time, just enough to expand the picture without blurring the image. There is an inherent challenge built into the greater forces concept: how to keep these cosmic entities from rendering irrelevant the actions of the human participants. As long as John Connolly succeeds at keeping Charlie Parker and his friends pertinent, I’m here for the duration.
February 15, 2024
Dennis Wheatley meets Raymond Chandler. Really good read - plot and dialogue. Will now look out for his other works
March 3, 2020
Upon completing book 5 in the Charlie Parker series, I continue to find it to be my favorite on-going series. There is no disputing that they are dark stories, and deal with tough subject matter. But the writing is so good, the thoughts so deep, the mysteries so thoughtful and intriguing that they drag you in and just don't let you go. I finished this book yesterday, and haven't stopped thinking about it.
One of the aspects I enjoy about these books is that they're not just straight up good vs evil. There are gradations and layers to the characters and the decisions they make, a peeling of the onion that has to take place. Nothing is simple. Nothing is easy.
The characters are so well-written in these books, both the regular cast, and the new arrivals. They feel real, and fit roles and grow and live across these pages. I want to know what they're thinking.
I enjoyed the resolution of this book because it wasn't that cut and dry. I'm left wondering if things are as they seemed, or not. That may not always be a good thing, but it feels right here, and totally hooks me into wanting to immediately read the next book. I need to know!
As I said before, the writing in these books is so good. I think it's gotten better in each book. I added two quotes from the book to my list which I feel exemplify this, one dealing with human nature and the other with inner turmoil. Both made me pause and reread multiple times as I was going through.
Anyway, if you are a fan of mysteries, or dark stories (both in storyline and character), then I would not pass this series up. I'm very glad to have so many more of these books to look forward to. 4.5/5.0 stars!
One of the aspects I enjoy about these books is that they're not just straight up good vs evil. There are gradations and layers to the characters and the decisions they make, a peeling of the onion that has to take place. Nothing is simple. Nothing is easy.
The characters are so well-written in these books, both the regular cast, and the new arrivals. They feel real, and fit roles and grow and live across these pages. I want to know what they're thinking.
I enjoyed the resolution of this book because it wasn't that cut and dry. I'm left wondering if things are as they seemed, or not. That may not always be a good thing, but it feels right here, and totally hooks me into wanting to immediately read the next book. I need to know!
As I said before, the writing in these books is so good. I think it's gotten better in each book. I added two quotes from the book to my list which I feel exemplify this, one dealing with human nature and the other with inner turmoil. Both made me pause and reread multiple times as I was going through.
Anyway, if you are a fan of mysteries, or dark stories (both in storyline and character), then I would not pass this series up. I'm very glad to have so many more of these books to look forward to. 4.5/5.0 stars!
October 16, 2014
BLACK ANGEL in Connolly's Charlie Parker series is even darker than some of its predecessors. This supernatural thriller goes to great lengths in furthering the possible origins of Parker, and why he stands apart from others around him. Joining him once more--in a very personal role for one--are Lewis and Angel. As in all of John Connolly's books, there are many quotes that stand out to me. In this one, one of my personal favorites comes from
In addition to furthering the series, the events that unfold here go a long way towards showing us that Charlie Parker's "work" is far from over. This blend of history and fiction was an immensely enjoyable excursion, and it won't be long before I'm reading the next in the series.
Highly recommended!
In addition to furthering the series, the events that unfold here go a long way towards showing us that Charlie Parker's "work" is far from over. This blend of history and fiction was an immensely enjoyable excursion, and it won't be long before I'm reading the next in the series.
Highly recommended!
April 15, 2016
THE BLACK ANGEL IS NOT AN OBJECT
THE BLACK ANGEL IS NOT A MYTH
THE BLACK ANGEL LIVES
A Young woman goes missing on the streets of New York those who have taken her thinks nobody cares about her& that no one will look for her they were wrong!!
She is blood to the killer Louis the man who stands at the hand of detective Charlie Parker & he will stop at nothing to find her, but as Louis attempts at finding her Charlie concludes that it is part of an old mystery that is linked to an ornate church of bones in eastern Europe.
I found this story to be the most darkest & creepy CREEP CREEP book i have read in this series a well put together novel that only John Connolly could write
THE BLACK ANGEL IS NOT A MYTH
THE BLACK ANGEL LIVES
A Young woman goes missing on the streets of New York those who have taken her thinks nobody cares about her& that no one will look for her they were wrong!!
She is blood to the killer Louis the man who stands at the hand of detective Charlie Parker & he will stop at nothing to find her, but as Louis attempts at finding her Charlie concludes that it is part of an old mystery that is linked to an ornate church of bones in eastern Europe.
I found this story to be the most darkest & creepy CREEP CREEP book i have read in this series a well put together novel that only John Connolly could write
January 9, 2021
The main problem here is the author spends most of his time narrating rather than writing scenes. Page after page of "telling" with a few scenes here and there that dramatize/show us. This gets especially boring when he goes into historical detail so we get the backdrop on artifacts and ancient connextions. At its worst is when you have characters in the present interacting and then suddenly there is a long narrative of what happened between then fifty years ago.
I imagine most readers want dramatic scenes with Angel, Louis and Parker and the bad guys. These are far and few between.
Even the creepy parts are sometimes muted by these past "memories" narrated.
And Rachel. She just sort of is barely in the book hanging on to their kid. For some reason she came back to Parker and they have a baby but she wants him out of the killing and detecting. But of course he goes back into it and she is at home with the kid, almost forgotten about after the opening part until we get tidbits of someone trying to sneak into the house and her blasting a face through a window, and then she is gone again.
SPOILER ALERT REGARDING ENDING
The ending to this book, like the ending of the last one, is abrupt. The action part of the story is wrapped up in a bit shootout. Fine. But what about the other stuff? What about the whole Rachel and the kid story line. Granted the entire book sidelined this, but I think a lot of people are going to wonder about whether or not the main character is going to stand by his actual family when the family is in crisis. Instead, the ending just narrates a bit of the character back at home without his wife and the local landscape burned down by a fire started earlier in the book by the bad guy. Yeah, ok, this can be a symbol for his life being burned down. But I think lots of readers will feel, as they will throughout the book, that we need more than narrative and some images to suggest his wife will not come back.
The idea here of the Black Angel is great and scary. But the story wanders around and just flat does not have enough direct drama.
I imagine most readers want dramatic scenes with Angel, Louis and Parker and the bad guys. These are far and few between.
Even the creepy parts are sometimes muted by these past "memories" narrated.
And Rachel. She just sort of is barely in the book hanging on to their kid. For some reason she came back to Parker and they have a baby but she wants him out of the killing and detecting. But of course he goes back into it and she is at home with the kid, almost forgotten about after the opening part until we get tidbits of someone trying to sneak into the house and her blasting a face through a window, and then she is gone again.
SPOILER ALERT REGARDING ENDING
The ending to this book, like the ending of the last one, is abrupt. The action part of the story is wrapped up in a bit shootout. Fine. But what about the other stuff? What about the whole Rachel and the kid story line. Granted the entire book sidelined this, but I think a lot of people are going to wonder about whether or not the main character is going to stand by his actual family when the family is in crisis. Instead, the ending just narrates a bit of the character back at home without his wife and the local landscape burned down by a fire started earlier in the book by the bad guy. Yeah, ok, this can be a symbol for his life being burned down. But I think lots of readers will feel, as they will throughout the book, that we need more than narrative and some images to suggest his wife will not come back.
The idea here of the Black Angel is great and scary. But the story wanders around and just flat does not have enough direct drama.
October 24, 2024
In "The Black Angel", the fifth novel in John Connolly'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 planet for centuries, wreaking havoc, pain, and misery upon anyone in their path.
Parker inadvertently stumbles upon them while involved in a case of a missing young prostitute. The young girl, it turns out, was involved in the theft of a priceless statuette that is extremely important to a number of people, including a grotesque soul-eating fat demon named Mr. Brightwell.
Parker's investigation soon leads him into an underground world of "art" collectors of pieces made from human remains and a monastery in the Czech Republic that hides a centuries-old secret that the Catholic Church is even too horrified to touch.
This is Connolly's darkest novel to date, and, in my opinion, his best one in the series. A word of warning: you may want to sleep with the lights on after reading this...
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 planet for centuries, wreaking havoc, pain, and misery upon anyone in their path.
Parker inadvertently stumbles upon them while involved in a case of a missing young prostitute. The young girl, it turns out, was involved in the theft of a priceless statuette that is extremely important to a number of people, including a grotesque soul-eating fat demon named Mr. Brightwell.
Parker's investigation soon leads him into an underground world of "art" collectors of pieces made from human remains and a monastery in the Czech Republic that hides a centuries-old secret that the Catholic Church is even too horrified to touch.
This is Connolly's darkest novel to date, and, in my opinion, his best one in the series. A word of warning: you may want to sleep with the lights on after reading this...
July 9, 2018
Δεν ξέρω τι παραπάνω να πω για αυτή τη σειρά που δεν το έχω ήδη πει! Από τη στιγμή που διάβασα το πρώτο βιβλίο, έγινε η αγαπημένη μου αστυνομική σειρά. Στο συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο ο συγγραφέας κάνει μία απότομη βουτιά στο μεταφυσικό στοιχείο, το οποίο βέβαια πάντα έπαιζε σημαντικό ρόλο και στα προηγούμενα βιβλία. Για ποιον λόγο όμως έγινε το κυρίαρχο στοιχείο σε αυτό;
Με μια πρόχειρη ανάγνωση θα έλεγα πως χρησιμοποιείται για να εξηγήσει γιατί ο Τσάρλι Πάρκερ έλκεται από αυτές τις υποθέσεις και για να δείξει πως κάποιοι πρέπει να κυνηγήσουν το απόλυτο κακό, ώστε να μην το γνωρίσει ο κόσμος. Δηλαδή, κάποιοι πρέπει να θυσιάσουν τη δική τους ζωή, για να ζήσουν φυσιολογικά οι υπόλοιποι… Μπορεί να κάνω και λάθος… Έχω πολλά βιβλία να διαβάσω ακόμα για να καταλήξω σε ασφαλή συμπεράσματα…
Στο βιβλίο αυτό, ο Connolly δείχνει ακόμα μία φορά το ταλέντο του στην έρευνα, αφού είναι φανερή τόσο η ιστορική όσο και η θρησκευτική έρευνα που έχει κάνει.
Η ιστορία είναι δεμένη και καλογραμμένη, ο Τσάρλι Πάρκερ εξαιρετικός και έτοιμος για δράση, ο Λούις πιο βασανισμένος από ποτέ και έτοιμος να κάνει όλον τον κόσμο να πληρώσει και ο Έιντζελ έτοιμος να τον βοηθήσει. Η Ρέητσελ για ακόμα μία φορά με προβληματίζει και θέλω να δω τη συμπεριφορά της στα επόμενα βιβλία!
Με μια πρόχειρη ανάγνωση θα έλεγα πως χρησιμοποιείται για να εξηγήσει γιατί ο Τσάρλι Πάρκερ έλκεται από αυτές τις υποθέσεις και για να δείξει πως κάποιοι πρέπει να κυνηγήσουν το απόλυτο κακό, ώστε να μην το γνωρίσει ο κόσμος. Δηλαδή, κάποιοι πρέπει να θυσιάσουν τη δική τους ζωή, για να ζήσουν φυσιολογικά οι υπόλοιποι… Μπορεί να κάνω και λάθος… Έχω πολλά βιβλία να διαβάσω ακόμα για να καταλήξω σε ασφαλή συμπεράσματα…
Στο βιβλίο αυτό, ο Connolly δείχνει ακόμα μία φορά το ταλέντο του στην έρευνα, αφού είναι φανερή τόσο η ιστορική όσο και η θρησκευτική έρευνα που έχει κάνει.
Η ιστορία είναι δεμένη και καλογραμμένη, ο Τσάρλι Πάρκερ εξαιρετικός και έτοιμος για δράση, ο Λούις πιο βασανισμένος από ποτέ και έτοιμος να κάνει όλον τον κόσμο να πληρώσει και ο Έιντζελ έτοιμος να τον βοηθήσει. Η Ρέητσελ για ακόμα μία φορά με προβληματίζει και θέλω να δω τη συμπεριφορά της στα επόμενα βιβλία!
June 10, 2018
I highly recommend this strange, peculiar series (so far), but for the life of me, I don’t know why I am liking it. There is no reason for this atheist reviewer to give a dark Christian-theology-based noir series any of my time, except that I am very curious and entertained (plus I didn’t know what the series was about). It is a thrill ride (so far), if gore, torture, justified and unjust murder, terror and horrific graphic death doesn’t cause vomiting, gentle reader. (On second thought, people who actually read the Bible probably will be ok with the violent content of this series.) Also, there is no preaching and no attempt to glorify Christianity (so far). It is all about mysterious demonic horrors and a book-to-following-book reveal of threads (the reader MUST start reading with the first book “Every Dead Thing’ Every Dead Thing - I don’t believe any Charlie Parker book is a standalone).
English graphic-novel fans of Constantine, Hellboy, Spawn, or Ghost Rider should give this series a try.
The number one creepiest thing about book five, 'The Black Angel’, is that the setting for a climatic scene actually exists:
However, without question, many of the supernatural scenes in ‘The Black Angel’ will induce queasiness. Normal dark detective noir is not recommended for reading while eating, but I can now say from personal experience evil dark-hearted angels facing off with dark noir detectives nudge up the gross-meter arrow into the bloody-red zone.
If you watch the Scifi channel regularly when bored (no need to confess to me, gentle reader), then the series will not offend or annoy (so far). After all, every major movie star (and not-so-major) have made a demonic-killer movie at the beginning of their acting careers. I will confess, to clear the air, I try to see every bad monster movie on TV (however, to be utterly honest, I have missed many an ending when I found myself suddenly under my bed holding my dear teddybear…)
I did not investigate the Charlie Parker detective series beyond what I was actually reading in the series, so I thought the character Charlie Parker was a normal horrifically-damaged drunken PTSD detective in a normal dark death-infused noir PI series. It is a dark noir mystery series, but Parker is not a drunk and he is not normal. He is paranormal.
Each book in the series has gradually revealed that the source of the terrors haunting private detective Charlie Parker
My only defense is the series is well-written, interesting, and quite thrilling in some scenes. The author, John Connolly, is a mature intelligent writer with considerable skill in developing a horror/mystery noir environment for his characters. So far, the series has been entirely the kind of entertainment any popular male American action movie actor wouldn’t hesitate to involve himself, at least once (usually the first breakout one), before moving on, while the sequels (if there are any) are made with actors not paid as well as those in the first one.
English graphic-novel fans of Constantine, Hellboy, Spawn, or Ghost Rider should give this series a try.
The number one creepiest thing about book five, 'The Black Angel’, is that the setting for a climatic scene actually exists:
However, without question, many of the supernatural scenes in ‘The Black Angel’ will induce queasiness. Normal dark detective noir is not recommended for reading while eating, but I can now say from personal experience evil dark-hearted angels facing off with dark noir detectives nudge up the gross-meter arrow into the bloody-red zone.
If you watch the Scifi channel regularly when bored (no need to confess to me, gentle reader), then the series will not offend or annoy (so far). After all, every major movie star (and not-so-major) have made a demonic-killer movie at the beginning of their acting careers. I will confess, to clear the air, I try to see every bad monster movie on TV (however, to be utterly honest, I have missed many an ending when I found myself suddenly under my bed holding my dear teddybear…)
I did not investigate the Charlie Parker detective series beyond what I was actually reading in the series, so I thought the character Charlie Parker was a normal horrifically-damaged drunken PTSD detective in a normal dark death-infused noir PI series. It is a dark noir mystery series, but Parker is not a drunk and he is not normal. He is paranormal.
Each book in the series has gradually revealed that the source of the terrors haunting private detective Charlie Parker
My only defense is the series is well-written, interesting, and quite thrilling in some scenes. The author, John Connolly, is a mature intelligent writer with considerable skill in developing a horror/mystery noir environment for his characters. So far, the series has been entirely the kind of entertainment any popular male American action movie actor wouldn’t hesitate to involve himself, at least once (usually the first breakout one), before moving on, while the sequels (if there are any) are made with actors not paid as well as those in the first one.
April 10, 2018
Ο Μαύρος Άγγελος είναι το πρώτο βιβλίο του Κόνολι που διάβασα. (Πριν καμιά πενταετία). Το αστείο είναι ότι τότε μού είχε φανεί εντελώς αυτοτελές –με μια μικρή εξαίρεση στα “οικογενειακά ζητήματα” του Πάρκερ. Πλέον, έχοντας πιάσει τη σειρά από την αρχή, απορώ αρκετά μ’ αυτήν μου την εκτίμηση.
Ουσιαστικά είναι το –μέχρι τώρα- βιβλίο κλειδί της σειράς, αυτό που ενώνει πολλά πράγματα από τις πλοκές των προηγούμενων βιβλίων, οδηγώντας τα προς μια καινούργια κατεύθυνση…
Ας πάρουμε όμως τα πράγματα από την αρχή. Όπως λίγο-πολύ λέει και το οπισθόφυλλο, από τους δρόμους της Νέας Υόρκης εξαφανίζεται μια γυναίκα. Είναι πόρνη, εθισμένη στα ναρκωτικά και λογικά κανένας δεν θα νοιαστεί γι’ αυτή. Μόνο που τελικά η κοπέλα αυτή είναι και συγγενής του Λούις, ο οποίος είναι ένας από τους καλύτερους φίλους του Τσάρλι Πάρκερ (και βασικός χαρακτήρας σε κάθε βιβλίο της σειράς).
Όπως είναι προφανές, τα πράγματα αλλάζουν… Ο Λούις μπαίνει φουριόζος στην αναζήτησή της, με τον Τσάρλι να θέλει να τον βοηθήσει. Βήμα με το βήμα, όμως, ανακαλύπτουν ότι όλα αυτά είναι μέρος μιας πολύ μεγαλύτερης και παλιότερης ιστορίας, η οποία τελικά έχει να κάνει περισσότερο με τον Τσάρλι παρά με οποιονδήποτε άλλον.
Για να πω την αλήθεια, τώρα που το ξαναδιάβασα το βιβλίο στη σωστή χρονική του σειρά, μου άρεσε λίγο λιγότερο από την πρώτη φορά. Καταρχάς έκανα και πάλι αναπόφευκτα εκείνη τη σύγκριση με το αξεπέραστο –μέχρι τώρα– ντεμπούτο της σειράς, (κάθε νεκρό πράγμα) και το βρήκα ελαφρώς υποδεέστερο. Έπειτα, άρχισε να μου ξενίζει λίγο και η βαθιά βουτιά της ιστορίας προς το μεταφυσικό. Όχι επειδή δεν δίδεται ωραία –το κάθε άλλο. Απλά ο Κόνολι μέχρι το τρίτο βιβλίο της σειράς μού είχε δώσει την αίσθηση ότι η ιστορία του Πάρκερ θα είναι 80 τοις εκατό αστυνομική και 20 με υπερφυσικά στοιχεία (και αυτά με υπόνοιες). Και αυτή η αναλογία μού είχε αρέσει πάρα πολύ, μου είχε φανεί κάπως σαν το σήμα κατατεθέν του. Επειδή έχω αγορασμένα πάντως όλα τα βιβλία της σειράς μέχρι το 14ο, υπάρχει σοβαρή πιθανότητα παρακάτω να συνηθίσω τη μεταστροφή και να ανακαλέσω! Καλό είναι επίσης σε αυτό το σημείο να κάνω σαφές ότι όλο αυτό είναι απλώς μια υποκειμενική προτίμηση για την πορεία της σειράς και ότι ο Κόνολι εξακολουθεί να είναι ένας από τους αγαπημένους μου συγγραφείς.
Στα της ιστορίας, τώρα, υπάρχουν αναμειγμένα πολλά ιστορικά στοιχεία και έχουν να κάνουν κυρίως (όπως λέει και στην περίληψη) με μια εκκλησία μακάβρια διακοσμημένη με ανθρώπινα οστά στην Ανατολική Ευρώπη και μια σφαγή σ’ ένα γαλλικό μοναστήρι το 1944. Μέσα σε όλα αυτά, καινο��ργιοι, απίστευτα περίεργοι χαρακτήρες, μπαίνουν στο διάβα του Πάρκερ, με κύριο σκοπό να επαναφέρουν τον Μαύρο Άγγελο. (Δεν αναφέρω καθόλου τι είναι, για την περίπτωση που κάποιος θέλει να το ανακαλύψει τη στιγμή που επιθυμεί ο συγγραφέας). Το βέβαιο είναι ότι ο συνδυασμός όλων των ανωτέρω δημιουργεί μια πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα ιστορία με δαιδαλώδης πλοκή και αλλεπάλληλες ανατροπές. Μικρό ατόπημα του συγγραφέα (και μόνιμο) είναι μόνο οι μακροσκελείς περιγραφές του σε σημεία που ο αναγνώστης διψάει για τη συνέχεια. Δεν καταστρέφουν όμως με τίποτα τη συνολική ποιότητα του βιβλίου.
Κλείνοντας να πω ότι έχω προχωρήσει πολύ παρακάτω τη σειρά και ότι δεν έχω μετανιώσει στιγμή που την ξεκίνησα.
Ουσιαστικά είναι το –μέχρι τώρα- βιβλίο κλειδί της σειράς, αυτό που ενώνει πολλά πράγματα από τις πλοκές των προηγούμενων βιβλίων, οδηγώντας τα προς μια καινούργια κατεύθυνση…
Ας πάρουμε όμως τα πράγματα από την αρχή. Όπως λίγο-πολύ λέει και το οπισθόφυλλο, από τους δρόμους της Νέας Υόρκης εξαφανίζεται μια γυναίκα. Είναι πόρνη, εθισμένη στα ναρκωτικά και λογικά κανένας δεν θα νοιαστεί γι’ αυτή. Μόνο που τελικά η κοπέλα αυτή είναι και συγγενής του Λούις, ο οποίος είναι ένας από τους καλύτερους φίλους του Τσάρλι Πάρκερ (και βασικός χαρακτήρας σε κάθε βιβλίο της σειράς).
Όπως είναι προφανές, τα πράγματα αλλάζουν… Ο Λούις μπαίνει φουριόζος στην αναζήτησή της, με τον Τσάρλι να θέλει να τον βοηθήσει. Βήμα με το βήμα, όμως, ανακαλύπτουν ότι όλα αυτά είναι μέρος μιας πολύ μεγαλύτερης και παλιότερης ιστορίας, η οποία τελικά έχει να κάνει περισσότερο με τον Τσάρλι παρά με οποιονδήποτε άλλον.
Για να πω την αλήθεια, τώρα που το ξαναδιάβασα το βιβλίο στη σωστή χρονική του σειρά, μου άρεσε λίγο λιγότερο από την πρώτη φορά. Καταρχάς έκανα και πάλι αναπόφευκτα εκείνη τη σύγκριση με το αξεπέραστο –μέχρι τώρα– ντεμπούτο της σειράς, (κάθε νεκρό πράγμα) και το βρήκα ελαφρώς υποδεέστερο. Έπειτα, άρχισε να μου ξενίζει λίγο και η βαθιά βουτιά της ιστορίας προς το μεταφυσικό. Όχι επειδή δεν δίδεται ωραία –το κάθε άλλο. Απλά ο Κόνολι μέχρι το τρίτο βιβλίο της σειράς μού είχε δώσει την αίσθηση ότι η ιστορία του Πάρκερ θα είναι 80 τοις εκατό αστυνομική και 20 με υπερφυσικά στοιχεία (και αυτά με υπόνοιες). Και αυτή η αναλογία μού είχε αρέσει πάρα πολύ, μου είχε φανεί κάπως σαν το σήμα κατατεθέν του. Επειδή έχω αγορασμένα πάντως όλα τα βιβλία της σειράς μέχρι το 14ο, υπάρχει σοβαρή πιθανότητα παρακάτω να συνηθίσω τη μεταστροφή και να ανακαλέσω! Καλό είναι επίσης σε αυτό το σημείο να κάνω σαφές ότι όλο αυτό είναι απλώς μια υποκειμενική προτίμηση για την πορεία της σειράς και ότι ο Κόνολι εξακολουθεί να είναι ένας από τους αγαπημένους μου συγγραφείς.
Στα της ιστορίας, τώρα, υπάρχουν αναμειγμένα πολλά ιστορικά στοιχεία και έχουν να κάνουν κυρίως (όπως λέει και στην περίληψη) με μια εκκλησία μακάβρια διακοσμημένη με ανθρώπινα οστά στην Ανατολική Ευρώπη και μια σφαγή σ’ ένα γαλλικό μοναστήρι το 1944. Μέσα σε όλα αυτά, καινο��ργιοι, απίστευτα περίεργοι χαρακτήρες, μπαίνουν στο διάβα του Πάρκερ, με κύριο σκοπό να επαναφέρουν τον Μαύρο Άγγελο. (Δεν αναφέρω καθόλου τι είναι, για την περίπτωση που κάποιος θέλει να το ανακαλύψει τη στιγμή που επιθυμεί ο συγγραφέας). Το βέβαιο είναι ότι ο συνδυασμός όλων των ανωτέρω δημιουργεί μια πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα ιστορία με δαιδαλώδης πλοκή και αλλεπάλληλες ανατροπές. Μικρό ατόπημα του συγγραφέα (και μόνιμο) είναι μόνο οι μακροσκελείς περιγραφές του σε σημεία που ο αναγνώστης διψάει για τη συνέχεια. Δεν καταστρέφουν όμως με τίποτα τη συνολική ποιότητα του βιβλίου.
Κλείνοντας να πω ότι έχω προχωρήσει πολύ παρακάτω τη σειρά και ότι δεν έχω μετανιώσει στιγμή που την ξεκίνησα.
February 20, 2014
The fifth Charlie Parker novel and also the scariest so far. In this one we plunge deep into the supernatural but not so far that I could not read the book in bed at night! So no actual nightmares but a lot of serious thought about the weird and the creepy. I love that Louis and Angel always have Charlie's back and that together they always come out smarter than the bad guys. I was very disappointed in Rachel - she knew what she was getting into and now she is letting him down. I guess I am getting really involved in Charlie's story now and I think there are four more books to go! I love that in a series :)
July 19, 2008
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 previous books. Although brutal, there was a balance of lyrical writing, crisp humorous dialogue, an element of mysticism, and a sense of hope at the end. They grabbed me at page one and kept me there until the end. I did not find that with this book. First, had I not read the previous books, I'm not certain I'd have understood who Charlie, Louis and Angel were and relationship between them. Second, although interesting, for more than half the book there was so much expository history, it slowed the pace to where I'd put the book down and have trouble picking it back up. Third, it was unrelentingly dark with very little of the wonderful dialogue which usually offsets the brutality. Fourth, rather than being left with a sense of hope, I was left with a feeling of despair. I regret Mr. Connolly's move from mystery with mysticism to thriller. However, I do read the occasional thriller. I more regret losing all those elements I felt made Mr. Connolly's books exceptional, as they were not apparent here.
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 previous books. Although brutal, there was a balance of lyrical writing, crisp humorous dialogue, an element of mysticism, and a sense of hope at the end. They grabbed me at page one and kept me there until the end. I did not find that with this book. First, had I not read the previous books, I'm not certain I'd have understood who Charlie, Louis and Angel were and relationship between them. Second, although interesting, for more than half the book there was so much expository history, it slowed the pace to where I'd put the book down and have trouble picking it back up. Third, it was unrelentingly dark with very little of the wonderful dialogue which usually offsets the brutality. Fourth, rather than being left with a sense of hope, I was left with a feeling of despair. I regret Mr. Connolly's move from mystery with mysticism to thriller. However, I do read the occasional thriller. I more regret losing all those elements I felt made Mr. Connolly's books exceptional, as they were not apparent here.
September 15, 2020
Με κούρασε πολύ. Κάποια στιγμή ξεκίνησα να γράφω για κάποιες αστοχίες και αντιφασεις που παρατηρησα αλλά στην πορεία είδα ότι ήταν άσκοπο. Πολύ χαλαρή δομή και με μη πειστικές κατά τη γνώμη μου απαντήσεις στα ερωτήματα που γεννιούνται στον αναγνωστη, υποτυπώδης πλοκή, μου έδωσε την εικονα ένα υβριδιου Ιντιάνα Τζόουνς και Strange. Πολυπροσωπο σε υπερβολικό βαθμο και φορτωμένο με πολλες λεπτομέρειες που βαραίνουν το κείμενο χωρίς να βοηθούν την εξέλιξη της πλοκής αλλα ούτε θα μας απασχολήσουν στην συνέχεια της ιστοριας. Ναζί, Δαίμονες; , εκπεσοντες άγγελοι, συλλέκτες, Πιστοί, πορνες, νταβατζήδες, ένα παραταιρο αλλά λίγο χάρτινο ζευγάρι συμπρωταγωνιστων, δημιουργούν ένα μπλεγμένο αλλά μαλλον αδιαφορο ψηφιδωτό.
Ο Κονολλυ δείχνει να έχει μια αδυναμία στην φλυαρία, διαθέτοντας ενα πλούσιο λεξιλογιο, αλλά και τις παρομοιωσεις αρκετές από τις οποίες είναι πολυ πετυχημένες, όμως, σε καποια σημεία νομίζω ότι μπουκώνεις όπως και με την συχνη επανάληψη του προσωπικού εφιάλτη του πρωταγωνιστη.
Ο Πάρκερ πάντως είναι ωραίος τύπος, με χιούμορ και ευαισθησίες και είναι αλήθεια ότι δίνει κάποιες σκηνές απολαυστικές. Είναι επίσης εμφανής η έρευνα που προηγήθηκε της συγγραφής αλλά δε φτάνει, ίσως και να γυρνάει μπούμερανγκ κάποιες φορες.
Δεν απορρίπτω σε καμία περιπτωση τον συγγραφέα και κάποια στιγμή θα τον ξαναδοκιμασω καθώς άνθρωποι που εκτιμώ τα διαβάσματα τους τον αγαπούν, αυτή όμως θεωρώ ότι δεν ήταν μια απ τις καλές του στιγμές. Ίσως αν ήταν μικρότερο, λιγότερο φλύαρο (η φλύαρο όπως του Κινγκ) το αποτέλεσμα να ήταν καλύτερο.
Ο Κονολλυ δείχνει να έχει μια αδυναμία στην φλυαρία, διαθέτοντας ενα πλούσιο λεξιλογιο, αλλά και τις παρομοιωσεις αρκετές από τις οποίες είναι πολυ πετυχημένες, όμως, σε καποια σημεία νομίζω ότι μπουκώνεις όπως και με την συχνη επανάληψη του προσωπικού εφιάλτη του πρωταγωνιστη.
Ο Πάρκερ πάντως είναι ωραίος τύπος, με χιούμορ και ευαισθησίες και είναι αλήθεια ότι δίνει κάποιες σκηνές απολαυστικές. Είναι επίσης εμφανής η έρευνα που προηγήθηκε της συγγραφής αλλά δε φτάνει, ίσως και να γυρνάει μπούμερανγκ κάποιες φορες.
Δεν απορρίπτω σε καμία περιπτωση τον συγγραφέα και κάποια στιγμή θα τον ξαναδοκιμασω καθώς άνθρωποι που εκτιμώ τα διαβάσματα τους τον αγαπούν, αυτή όμως θεωρώ ότι δεν ήταν μια απ τις καλές του στιγμές. Ίσως αν ήταν μικρότερο, λιγότερο φλύαρο (η φλύαρο όπως του Κινγκ) το αποτέλεσμα να ήταν καλύτερο.
October 15, 2020
'She is blood to me.'
Louis and his revenge brought the dark team together, and boy did it get dark! The pathway that this unfolds onto brings such excitement into what lies in wait beyond.
As always Connolly brings alive the real monsters that should only ever be make believe, surrounding them in excellent dark and historical settings. Even with a lamp on you feel yourself entering his dark realm, pulled deeper with each turn of a page. An exciting and thrilling ride for sure!
'Through these years I've seen days that I wont miss at all. '
... I do have one thing that I have questioned through a couple of these series... At the end of one of the early books, Louis hints to Parker that he knows he has some sort of connection with the world beyond ours and then in the following book after Louis's knowledge of such is not mentioned. But in The Black Angel both Louis and Angel are thrown into Parkers world, of which to most would be unexplained and unimaginable... It annoys me a little that it all happens with no reaction or question of reality. Angel and Louis heard the stories and even experienced and witnessed the supernatural blackness. And yet, not a flinch, question or comment... Have I read it wrong? Missed something? Who knows! I do know that it narks me, alot... For this it loses half a star rating and gets 4.5* but, I still loved it so rounded it up instead of down!
Louis and his revenge brought the dark team together, and boy did it get dark! The pathway that this unfolds onto brings such excitement into what lies in wait beyond.
As always Connolly brings alive the real monsters that should only ever be make believe, surrounding them in excellent dark and historical settings. Even with a lamp on you feel yourself entering his dark realm, pulled deeper with each turn of a page. An exciting and thrilling ride for sure!
'Through these years I've seen days that I wont miss at all. '
... I do have one thing that I have questioned through a couple of these series... At the end of one of the early books, Louis hints to Parker that he knows he has some sort of connection with the world beyond ours and then in the following book after Louis's knowledge of such is not mentioned. But in The Black Angel both Louis and Angel are thrown into Parkers world, of which to most would be unexplained and unimaginable... It annoys me a little that it all happens with no reaction or question of reality. Angel and Louis heard the stories and even experienced and witnessed the supernatural blackness. And yet, not a flinch, question or comment... Have I read it wrong? Missed something? Who knows! I do know that it narks me, alot... For this it loses half a star rating and gets 4.5* but, I still loved it so rounded it up instead of down!
March 1, 2020
This series just keeps getting darker. Not the type of book to read if you're in the wrong frame of mind.
The fat man smelled peculiar. He hadn't noticed any stench from the other one in blue but the tubby guy had an unusual body odor. He smelled earthy and Ruiz involuntarily found himself picturing pale worms breaking through damp clods of dirt and black beetles scurrying for the shelter of stones.
9/10
re-read 2020
They identify what they believe to be the flaw in God's creation: God has given man free will, and so he is open to evil as well as good. So the war against God continues on earth, waged through men.
The problem is that, like cancer, a little corruption of the soul will eventually spread throughout the whole.
The problem is that there are no small evils.
The fat man smelled peculiar. He hadn't noticed any stench from the other one in blue but the tubby guy had an unusual body odor. He smelled earthy and Ruiz involuntarily found himself picturing pale worms breaking through damp clods of dirt and black beetles scurrying for the shelter of stones.
9/10
re-read 2020
They identify what they believe to be the flaw in God's creation: God has given man free will, and so he is open to evil as well as good. So the war against God continues on earth, waged through men.
The problem is that, like cancer, a little corruption of the soul will eventually spread throughout the whole.
The problem is that there are no small evils.
September 6, 2010
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 reading. I mean, I have enough supernatural in my reading life with Stephen King and I really enjoyed the Parker series having its distinct feel - the career of a witty and sarcastic P.I. with his two buddies, a hit-man and a retired career criminal specializing in B&E. However, Connolly does not go over board. Yes, this novel is supported on the readers ability to grasp the existence of Angels and seemingly immortal individuals but Connolly's back story supports it so well that it honestly does not seem like that much of a stretch.
While he spends a good portion of the book developing his characters (old and new) and their reasons for the acquisition of The Black Angel itself; he spends very little time on action. So little that I think that Connolly is not aware of just how well he writes action. The scenes involving intense shoot outs are far and few between - that being said, I can do without Connolly throwing in that stuff for the sake of it - I'm just craving more of it.
I'm a big fan of where this book went when the initial plot seemed to be taken care of. Connolly never abandons old plots and important events from previous novels - he blends everything in so very well. It's clear that he's not doing it to only seem consistent; he appears to have a long and drawn out vision of where this character is going. Which is reassuring considering I have the next 3 sitting on my bookshelf.
While the ending of this book isn't exactly the most thrilling of his work to date, the events that unfold could not be better for the longevity of the Charlie Parker character. I'm still just as interested to read the 6th book as I was to pick up the 2nd.
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 reading. I mean, I have enough supernatural in my reading life with Stephen King and I really enjoyed the Parker series having its distinct feel - the career of a witty and sarcastic P.I. with his two buddies, a hit-man and a retired career criminal specializing in B&E. However, Connolly does not go over board. Yes, this novel is supported on the readers ability to grasp the existence of Angels and seemingly immortal individuals but Connolly's back story supports it so well that it honestly does not seem like that much of a stretch.
While he spends a good portion of the book developing his characters (old and new) and their reasons for the acquisition of The Black Angel itself; he spends very little time on action. So little that I think that Connolly is not aware of just how well he writes action. The scenes involving intense shoot outs are far and few between - that being said, I can do without Connolly throwing in that stuff for the sake of it - I'm just craving more of it.
I'm a big fan of where this book went when the initial plot seemed to be taken care of. Connolly never abandons old plots and important events from previous novels - he blends everything in so very well. It's clear that he's not doing it to only seem consistent; he appears to have a long and drawn out vision of where this character is going. Which is reassuring considering I have the next 3 sitting on my bookshelf.
While the ending of this book isn't exactly the most thrilling of his work to date, the events that unfold could not be better for the longevity of the Charlie Parker character. I'm still just as interested to read the 6th book as I was to pick up the 2nd.
May 19, 2020
I thought this took the Charlie Parker books to a completely new, deeper and darker, level. Fantastic!
October 16, 2014
I am really enjoying this series. I think that Connolly bit off a bit too much with this one, however. It read to me more like a Preston/Child supernatural thriller than an installment in this gritty noir series.
That isn’t a bad thing really but it made this book feel different to me that than the ones in the series. In The Black Angel, Mr. Connolly provides a history of the source of evil that has permeated the first two books and fills out a mythology of sorts to explain it all. In the first four books we are certainly aware of another plane of existence that keeps bleeding into the real world or at least Charlie Parker’s real world, but the style was mainly gritty noir. The supernatural elements were given a lesser stage as mainly it was the unavenged dead that sought him out and plead to him to bring justice to their killers. Later, once he learns of and starts to travel The White Road creatures less (or more?) than human noticed him and began to seek him out. Well, in this installment they find him and he realizes that his mission might be much bigger than he thought.
I am not sure what this means for the rest of the series. I have no intention of stopping, that is for sure.
That isn’t a bad thing really but it made this book feel different to me that than the ones in the series. In The Black Angel, Mr. Connolly provides a history of the source of evil that has permeated the first two books and fills out a mythology of sorts to explain it all. In the first four books we are certainly aware of another plane of existence that keeps bleeding into the real world or at least Charlie Parker’s real world, but the style was mainly gritty noir. The supernatural elements were given a lesser stage as mainly it was the unavenged dead that sought him out and plead to him to bring justice to their killers. Later, once he learns of and starts to travel The White Road creatures less (or more?) than human noticed him and began to seek him out. Well, in this installment they find him and he realizes that his mission might be much bigger than he thought.
I am not sure what this means for the rest of the series. I have no intention of stopping, that is for sure.
February 22, 2010
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 is the first person narrator while the 3rd person narrator in the non-Parker parts is able to see inside the heads of several of the bad guys, especially the deliciously repulsive Brightwell, but what about Louis and Angel?
The ending was sadly predictable (not a good thing in a detective story) and also rather damp. We're dealing possibly with supernatural beings and yet they are removed within 1 or 2 pages. That was disappointing after hundreds of pages of build up.
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 is the first person narrator while the 3rd person narrator in the non-Parker parts is able to see inside the heads of several of the bad guys, especially the deliciously repulsive Brightwell, but what about Louis and Angel?
The ending was sadly predictable (not a good thing in a detective story) and also rather damp. We're dealing possibly with supernatural beings and yet they are removed within 1 or 2 pages. That was disappointing after hundreds of pages of build up.
August 10, 2022
First time I have read this author. Not bad a solid 3.5. David Parker is investigating the disappearance of Alice Temple a relative of Louis. This is number five in the series so I may have to read some earlier ones to understand Parker’s past exploits.
This supernatural story involves fallen angels trying to find a hidden silver statue with an evil angel imprisoned in it. The Believers are racing to assemble a map of the location of the silver black angel.
The ending was odd. Brightwell the obese evil entity was despatched but his partner Stern was imprisoned. I felt the story’s ending was a bit weak.
This supernatural story involves fallen angels trying to find a hidden silver statue with an evil angel imprisoned in it. The Believers are racing to assemble a map of the location of the silver black angel.
The ending was odd. Brightwell the obese evil entity was despatched but his partner Stern was imprisoned. I felt the story’s ending was a bit weak.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2024
Update: Now that I've finished the whole series so far, I've recalibrated my rating from 4 to 5 stars. This was my favorite novel of the series.
We're finally getting somewhere with understanding Charlie's origins!
Similar to the first book, Every Dead Thing, in that you can cut it into two at the midpoint. The first half is Charlie, Louis and Angel searching for Louis' cousin, a twentysomething who prostitutes herself to pay for her addiction. In an incredible coincidence, the bad men who kidnap her are connected to Charlie's past in supernatural ways he can't begin to imagine. The second half of the book reminded me of The Davinci Code, except replace the Illuminati with the Believers. Our trio searches New England and Eastern Europe for a mythical relic said to house the soul of one of the rebel angels God cast out of Heaven...
Okay, I am *not* a big fan of gigantic redirects halfway through a novel, but it seems to be Connolly's stock in trade. The second half is much more my speed than the first half, mostly because that's where most of the action occurs and a lot of answers and backstory are finally revealed.
I need to resign myself to the fact that John Connolly overpopulates his books with characters and storylines. The Charlie Parker series is just too fun to complain much about. Onward to The Unquiet.
We're finally getting somewhere with understanding Charlie's origins!
Similar to the first book, Every Dead Thing, in that you can cut it into two at the midpoint. The first half is Charlie, Louis and Angel searching for Louis' cousin, a twentysomething who prostitutes herself to pay for her addiction. In an incredible coincidence, the bad men who kidnap her are connected to Charlie's past in supernatural ways he can't begin to imagine. The second half of the book reminded me of The Davinci Code, except replace the Illuminati with the Believers. Our trio searches New England and Eastern Europe for a mythical relic said to house the soul of one of the rebel angels God cast out of Heaven...
Okay, I am *not* a big fan of gigantic redirects halfway through a novel, but it seems to be Connolly's stock in trade. The second half is much more my speed than the first half, mostly because that's where most of the action occurs and a lot of answers and backstory are finally revealed.
I need to resign myself to the fact that John Connolly overpopulates his books with characters and storylines. The Charlie Parker series is just too fun to complain much about. Onward to The Unquiet.
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