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A Time of Torment

(Charlie Parker #14)

John Connolly (Goodreads Author)

4.32 · Rating details · 5,299 ratings · 652 reviews

Jerome Burnel was once a hero. He intervened to prevent multiple killings and in doing so damned himself. His life was torn apart. He was imprisoned, brutalized.

But in his final days, with the hunters circling, he tells his story to private detective Charlie Parker. He speaks of the girl who was marked for death but was saved, of the ones who tormented him, and an entity t ...more

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Hardcover, 480 pages

Published April 7th 2016 by Hodder & Stoughton (first published 2016)

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Sep 19, 2016 Lyn rated it really liked it

OK reading friends … Why has no one told me about John Connolly’s freaking AMAZING Charlie Parker series of paranormally extraordinary crime fiction????

Reading the 15th in the series, 2016’s Time of Torment, my only thought was – where can I find the earlier books? Where are my car keys? What’s my Amazon password? I want to read them all!!!

Cool as the other side of the pillow and fun as a barrel full of monkeys, Connolly’s prose is thick with hidden meaning and ripe as a red apple presented to a OK reading friends … Why has no one told me about John Connolly’s freaking AMAZING Charlie Parker series of paranormally extraordinary crime fiction????

Reading the 15th in the series, 2016’s Time of Torment, my only thought was – where can I find the earlier books? Where are my car keys? What’s my Amazon password? I want to read them all!!!

Cool as the other side of the pillow and fun as a barrel full of monkeys, Connolly’s prose is thick with hidden meaning and ripe as a red apple presented to a pale companion of vertically challenged subterranean gem engineers. I could hear his Irish, impish wit casting voodoo and mischievous fun on the darkly euphonious pages.

Parker is a private investigator but what sets this apart is the penchant for and reliance on the occult. And I’m not talking about urban fantasy like Jim Butcher or Kevin Hearne, this is darker and more realistic. This is more magical realism than fantasy, but it’s not absurdist; Connolly is laying down a devil’s brew of bad juju that is just a shadow’s breadth beyond believability. There are open references to ghosts and ancient evil and Parker is smack dab in the middle of it.

A convicted felon is released from prison and then disappears. Parker investigates and runs across an ageless community in West Virginia that has kept to itself for generations. The odd community of a few families has literally created a fiefdom through which local law enforcement has not interfered and who do the policing themselves. The locals stay out and leave the residents alone because they’ve grown up having seen and heard enough to know when to leave well enough alone.

Parker is described by others reviewers as an anti-hero and here he is named “a weapon in the hands of an unseen god … he walked tangled paths”.

Connolly’s gifts for characterization and dialogue are spot on and this reads like a thriller but with the occult blended in to make a woven tapestry of COOL COOL COOL.

Thank you, Mr. Connolly; I will most definitely be reading more from you.

*** A free copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review

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Feb 18, 2016 Liz Barnsley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: highly-recommended, best-series-ever-written, books-for-my-soul, insanity-in-a-good-way, received-from-publisher, not-enough-stars-in-the-world, favourite-series, favourite-author

We are at Charlie Parker 14 now and honestly this series just gets better and better, each novel adding layers to the last, the mythology that John Connolly began creating way back in “Every Dead Thing” is brilliantly imagined, incredibly dark and insanely addictive. When I go into a new instalment my expectation is always high and this author meets and exceeds it every time, A Time of Torment was no different in that respect.

This had a slightly different vibe to it, shaking things up a bit, A T We are at Charlie Parker 14 now and honestly this series just gets better and better, each novel adding layers to the last, the mythology that John Connolly began creating way back in “Every Dead Thing” is brilliantly imagined, incredibly dark and insanely addictive. When I go into a new instalment my expectation is always high and this author meets and exceeds it every time, A Time of Torment was no different in that respect.

This had a slightly different vibe to it, shaking things up a bit, A Time of Torment is a slow burner full of tension and brimming with atmosphere. Following Charlie and his indomitable sidekicks Louis and Angel on the one hand as they track and deal with some very bad folk, on the other we have the Cut – an isolated and inbred community hiding a terrible secret, who keep the wider world away using fear and often violence. When Charlie hears a strange tale told by a man named Jerome Burnel, the two sides are set on a collision course that brought me to one of the most chilling endings Mr Connolly has yet achieved in this series. Now the wait for more begins once again. I hate that part.

The Cut as a concept was extraordinarily chilling, the characters within it endlessly fascinating and very scary – with his usual flair for setting and descriptive prose, the author paints a picture and leads you towards the inevitable clash, the journey is once again dangerous and taut, completely riveting I was utterly gripped and fully immersed back into Charlie’s world once more.

The mythology deepens, Charlie’s daughters, one living, one dead are becoming inceasingly important to the whole – this layer which speaks to the ongoing saga is incredibly alluring and honestly creepy. Shiver. The relationships between all the main protagonists are constantly in ebb and flow over the course of the entire body of work so far – the absolute creative genius the author brings to the core storyline is what inspires comments like “the best crime series currently in existence” although for me personally I don’t like the crime tag for these when taken on its own. Yes it is crime in a lot of the elements but it is so much more, an epic and increasingly spellbinding series that has too many facets to call it any one thing.

On a personal note one thing “A Time of Torment” did for me was knock Stephen King off his perch, from this point on I will happily tell anyone that asks that John Connolly is my favourite author – I would dump a new King book for a new Connolly book in under 10 seconds, if he wrote a book a month it would not be enough for me. As an emotionally charged reader I need an emotionally charged novel and this is what I get every single time, so what can you do except acknowledge that and so I have.

Character driven, literary and always always bang on the money, from my point of view the Charlie Parker series is the best series currently in existence. Forget the crime tag.

Highly Recommended. And then some ...more

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Jul 25, 2016 Zoeytron rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: net-galley, new-fangled-e-reader

Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.

You might want to steer clear of the Cut. It's a cloistered area and the folks inside don't cotton to those who stray inside its borders. Burning bodies, the art of discernment, an individual with two sets of sets of dentures - one for smiling and the other for something else. Beware the Dead King. His raspy whispers and mindless chittering are a harbinger of bad things to come.

The denouement is done to a tasty turn. Not too rushed, not too ...more

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Aug 09, 2016 Meredith ( on Semi-Hiatus until February) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley

4.5 stars

A Time of Torment is the first John Connolly/Charlie Parker book that I have read, and I must say that I was completely taken in. This is a multi-layered, well-written thriller with complex characters.

When accused sex offender Jerome Burnel is released from prison, he contacts private investigator, Charlie Parker. Burnel maintained that he was innocent and felt like he was being framed. He shares his story with Parker because he believes that he doesn’t have long to live. Shortly after ...more

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Aug 25, 2019 carol. rated it liked it

Recommends it for: series fans

Here’s the thing: I’ve been reading Bad Blood and I was in the mood for some retribution, so I switched to Connolly’s Charlie Parker series. Being more than a bit skittish with torture-porn, the title stirred some misgivings, but I can’t skip a book this late in the game. To absolutely no one’s surprise, much of the book seems to center on torture. While that’s not unusual for Connolly, what is unusual is the extent of it as a leitmotif in many variations. This, apparently, allows Parker to beco Here’s the thing: I’ve been reading Bad Blood and I was in the mood for some retribution, so I switched to Connolly’s Charlie Parker series. Being more than a bit skittish with torture-porn, the title stirred some misgivings, but I can’t skip a book this late in the game. To absolutely no one’s surprise, much of the book seems to center on torture. While that’s not unusual for Connolly, what is unusual is the extent of it as a leitmotif in many variations. This, apparently, allows Parker to become a hunter of evil.

I mean, I get it. You aren’t going to use a vengeful fallen angel on just any old embezzler or murderer, right? But the book opens with a peek into the head of the current home of an evil spirit who resides in a man who really gets his groove on by torturing the survivors of missing persons. Parker & Co. pay a visit, seeking some information. We then move on to a bar, where a woman is picking up a man, the mark for her three-person team, but little does she know that the tables will be turned. Parker is then visited by a heroic ex-con who wants justice against those who set him up, and who have likely ‘disappeared’ two of the people he saved. Is he a genuine hero or a pedophile or both?

Meanwhile, we are checking in with a small town and a small boy who lives with his mother and grandmother and who has a talent for seeing things he shouldn’t. There’s a very tightly knit family at the center of a large piece of property and they have no tolerance for trespassers–or anything that might draw legal attention their way. Yes, yes; Parker runs into yet another cult.

The beginning is rather distressing for those with low torture tolerance (me) and may require some skimming. But it’s still written well, and if it isn’t fun, at least the reader knows there will be punishment. But the Evil does seem to get out of control in this book, mostly because the sheer preponderance of the ways people can inflict torture on each other (really; if I can’t think of one that wasn’t used, it’s because I don’t want to brainstorm), but also because doesn’t come close to being balanced with Parker, Lewis or Angel, all of whom carry their own kinds of darkness.

The narrative and plot unify in the last half of the book; in the Acknowledgements, Connolly calls it an ‘odd book,’ and I’m inclined to agree, because it feels more patchwork than it ought for the first third (quiet about my math). A slight bit touching on the supernatural as always. Does it progress our knowledge? Only slightly, to note Parker’s role is no longer tortured, but purposeful. ...more

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Sep 14, 2015 Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-2016

A Time of Torment is one book that I have been deliberately delayed writing a review for. Not that the book was in any way bad, it's an utterly fantastic book. And, that's the problem. I just didn't know what to write. All I wanted was to tell you all that John Connolly has done it again. He has written a book that is so excruciating good that it's almost painful to finish it.

For those of you that have never read a Charlie Parker is it good to know that this is book 14 in the series and I would ...more

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Jan 11, 2016 Char rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: net-galley, evil-in-a-small-town, atria, dark-fiction, series, wickedly-disturbing, psychological-horror

With a decidedly darker bent than the previous books in this series, Charlie Parker rolls on.

Beginning with the story of Jerome Burnel and ending with the story of an isolated area of West Virginia called the Cut, John Connolly deftly weaves this story of the Dead King. Despite the fact that Angel and Louis are again here, A Time of Torment lacks the often humorous slant those two bring. This is a very dark book, indeed.

Even though this story took its time, I never found myself bored. In fact, ...more

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Jun 02, 2017 Emma rated it really liked it · review of another edition

It's stunning to think how many years i've spent with Charlie Parker, more than most other literary creations, and he's certainly much closer to my heart than any other detective. Every Dead Thing was one of the first crime novels I ever read and still sits in my top 5. I recommend it without reservation to anyone who can take the very dark themes it explores.

In this instalment we see Parker transformed, his very essence revitalised and ever so dangerous. For once it feels like the effect he ha ...more

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Aug 01, 2016 Barbara rated it liked it

3.5 stars

In this 14th book in the 'Charlie Parker' series, the private investigator is hired by an ex-convict who has dangerous enemies. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

Roger Ormsby is an evil man who delights in making people 'disappear' so their families will endure maximum long-term suffering.

Ormsby is about to do away with a little girl he snatched when Private Detective Charlie Parker.....

.....and his partners Angel and Louis, show up to save the day.

As it happens ANY bad guys ...more

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Nov 21, 2016 Petra rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: series, thriller, netgalley, audible, paranormal

Well, this was a lot more fun than I had expected! A Time of Torment is the 14th Charlie Parker thriller, but the first one that I have read, and I have to admit I wouldn't have picked this up if it hadn't been for the publisher inviting me to read a free copy. My main reason for that: Charlie is a private detective who died and was sort of reborn, and there are plenty of otherworldly elements to this story, which is something I wouldn't usually be desperate to read. But I've actually enjoyed th ...more

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Jul 29, 2016 Monnie rated it it was amazing

Okay, 5 stars it is - but only because I can't find a way to give it 6. Or, put another way, Charlie Parker rocks!

Actually, Parker started kicking otherworldly butt something like 13 books ago. I'm almost embarrassed to say I'd read only two others (Nos. 1 and 11), but based on how good those two were, when the publisher offered me the opportunity to read this one in exchange for an honest review, I wasted no time saying yes. And my honest opinion now that I've finished it? Wow.

To love these boo Okay, 5 stars it is - but only because I can't find a way to give it 6. Or, put another way, Charlie Parker rocks!

Actually, Parker started kicking otherworldly butt something like 13 books ago. I'm almost embarrassed to say I'd read only two others (Nos. 1 and 11), but based on how good those two were, when the publisher offered me the opportunity to read this one in exchange for an honest review, I wasted no time saying yes. And my honest opinion now that I've finished it? Wow.

To love these books does take a strong sense of imagination (it's no accident that I used the word "otherworldly"). Parker, you see, actually died - but he remains among the living. That experience left him in a sort of purgatory; he operates as a private detective in this world but is aware that there's another, darker world (dimension, if you will) filled with mostly evil entities. Yes, it's Twilight Zone stuff, and engrossing as all get-out. And if you're wondering, no, it's not necessary to have read previous books to enjoy this one; it's been a while since No. 11 for me, and I didn't feel lost at all.

The story begins as Parker is contacted by Jerome Burnel, a man who heroically kept some folks from being killed but in the process killed the perpetrators. But not long thereafter, he was tried and convicted for having pornography in his home despite insisting it was a set-up. Tortured unmercifully while in prison, he's now out, convinced he's still got a target on his back. Before someone hits it, he wants Parker to hear his story, which involves a cult-like community in an isolated part of West Virginia called the Cut.

Parker and his two cronies agree Burnel is telling the truth about his wrongful conviction and take on the investigation - and then learn that Cut members are highly protective not only of their own, but of an evil entity called the Dead King. That gives the Parker team pause (not to mention a great line):

"...as far as I can tell, there isn't even a rapper called Dead King, and those guys pick up on all the good names."

But alas, just the mention of that name is enough to strike fear in the hearts of men and women (and not infrequently, those who slip up and mention it end up tortured and killed in very unpleasant ways). That means yes, there's plenty of murder and mayhem here, so this book isn't for the squeamish.

Besides a really kinky plot and edge-of-seat action, I got a personal kick out of the fact that some of the action happens in places near and dear to my husband and me, like Portland, Maine, Columbus, Ohio (including my favorite German Village section and Go Bucks) and historic Lewisburg, West Virginia. Scenes take place in other interesting spots as well:

"It was the kind of bar where everybody knew your name, as long as your name was Motherf***er."

Hmmm; truth be told, we've spent time in a few of those as well.

The character development is outstanding and the excellent writing, as well as the action, is nonstop. The ending is satisfying, although there's a loose end that no doubt will be tied into the next installment. Bring it on!
...more

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Apr 27, 2016 Jon Recluse rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller, mystery

Let me begin by stating that I do not rate John Connolly against other thriller authors. It's simply not done. I rate John Connolly against John Connolly. His work stands alone in the field, and even a good John Connolly book is head and shoulders above anything else currently being written in the genre.

That being said, A Time of Torment is, in my humble opinion, the weakest in the Charlie Parker series. A man who stopped a pair of bizarre killers, only to have his life systematically taken apar ...more

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Jun 03, 2016 Karl rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016-06-books-bought

This is an Advanced Uncorrected Proof, On sale date August 2, 2016.

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Jul 02, 2020 Fiona rated it liked it

Shelves: into-the-woods, detectives, crime-and-punishment, theyve-taken-the-town

Again, I have to qualify that a three for the Charlie Parker series is as compared to that series - a series so unique and compelling in it's writing that I genuinely can't fairly compare it to other books. But as much as I like the writing, the overall tone in this book didn't reach the same balance as the books that came before it, where atrocities are balanced with acts of great heroism and hope.

carol nails it in her review, as far as what I found, especially in the analysis of the first part ...more

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Aug 29, 2016 Jean rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Imagine my surprise when NetGalley approved me for John Connolly’s new Charlie Parker book,
A Time of Torment. I hadn’t requested it. It wasn’t even on my radar, honestly, because I had never, ever read a single book by Mr. Connolly. That changed in a hurry because I am not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. I read the series debut, Every Dead Thing, and while it had its moments, I was not smitten with it. Still, I had heard that the books get better and better as the series progresses, so I ...more

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Mar 22, 2016 Sara rated it liked it

Shelves: eh, elusive, thriller, noir

I'm getting tired of writing the same review for John Connolly over and over and over again. I remain devoted to his wonderful dark poetic prose and his equally wonderful, wounded warrior Charlie Parker and his companions Angel and Louis but dear god am I getting tired of these stories.

I don't know when exactly these books stopped being about Charlie, possibly the coolest "bad" good guy ever written. Once upon a time you could follow Charlie into the darkest pit of human depravity and watch from I'm getting tired of writing the same review for John Connolly over and over and over again. I remain devoted to his wonderful dark poetic prose and his equally wonderful, wounded warrior Charlie Parker and his companions Angel and Louis but dear god am I getting tired of these stories.

I don't know when exactly these books stopped being about Charlie, possibly the coolest "bad" good guy ever written. Once upon a time you could follow Charlie into the darkest pit of human depravity and watch from the shadow while he, often with the help of hitman Louis and cat burglar Angel, dealt swift and terrible justice to the absolute worst of the worst the world had to offer. You could revel in the blood shed because there was something weirdly grand and sweet about it. Charlie's darkness was tempered with a thin beam of pure, uncorrupted belief in the better angels of human nature. He hated, but dear god did he ever love too.

Now, as with the last nine hundred books in this never ending series, we spend 95% of a "Charlie Parker" thriller with literally everyone BUT Charlie Parker. We meet character after character who we are told are doing really evil depraved things because of course its evil and depraved to sell children on the black market and use women for breeding stock but its not terrifying the way it once was. We see all these things but we don't really know or understand them. We don't care.

Literally nothing happens to advance the over arcing story here (Charlie may or may not be some kind of supernatural something who's supposed to battle another supernatural something and now somehow his daughter is also involved somehow) but that doesn't really matter since we don't really even know what that story even is. As usual Charlie and Angel and Louis arrive twenty pages from the end to dispense justice and witticisms and bad people die horrible and there's some demon or something and on the very last page once again some frickin' something is watching from the dark blah blah blah...

God these books make me tired.... ...more

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Oct 22, 2016 Sue rated it really liked it

Shelves: thriller-horror, read-2016, mystery, net-galley, paranormal-or-ghost-stories

After reading Night Music: Nocturnes Volume Two, I became a strong John Connolly fan. I've also heard about the Charlie Parker series in the past but never managed to get to it. Well NetGalley has corrected that reading deficit! And deficit it has been for Charlie Parker definitely took me to another region of reading where mystery and the paranormal intersect. I recently finished a Pendergast novel in a series that sometimes walks in the same area, but Connolly treads much deeper here.

What a mi ...more

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Sep 14, 2015 Mark rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: fans of scary crime and a wee supernateral adventures

Shelves: john-connolly, charlie-parker, 2016

"There's a kind of evil that isn't even in opposition to good, because good is an irrelevance to it. It's a foulness that is right at the heart of existence, born with the stuff of the Universe. It's in decay to which all things tend. It is, and it always will be, but in dying we leave it behind"

The 14th Charlie Parker and this one does show that there are plenty more good stories to be told. Connolly writes so fluent and casual that it is difficult to stop reading because daily life calls. This "There's a kind of evil that isn't even in opposition to good, because good is an irrelevance to it. It's a foulness that is right at the heart of existence, born with the stuff of the Universe. It's in decay to which all things tend. It is, and it always will be, but in dying we leave it behind"

The 14th Charlie Parker and this one does show that there are plenty more good stories to be told. Connolly writes so fluent and casual that it is difficult to stop reading because daily life calls. This time I was able to pace myself so I could enjoy the book a little longer.

Charlie Parker has changed and with this change comes a certain degree in cooperation with the FBI for whom he tracks down the monsters. Thus starts a new chapter albeit an uneasy one on the side of Law & Order due to Parkers entourage consisting of Angel & Louis.

A man gets released after a long time in jail as a convicted pedophile and he seeks out Parker to ask him to find out who he has offended so much that he got send to jail being framed for something he did not do. The man believes his heroic deed in killing a few robbers sealed his fate. Parker believes him and when the man disappears he starts looking for the man and his past.

In West-Virginia is a place that is ruled by evil and paid for by crime, where law does not apply unless it is the one laid down by the Dead King.

The story starts slow and gradually builds up into that inescapable storm that will bring Parker, Angel & Louis to the doorstep of a community that has not met the likes of these three men.

Even in the story I encountered shocking surprises that showed the plain on which Parker and his friends do their thing. Different to other books is that most of the story is not written from Parkers viewpoint but of those coming into contact with him and how they experience that.

This book is excellent and the ending left me somewhat taken aback. This book can be best enjoyed being read in sequence of the series as it does give it a better kick.

It will be a long wait for the next Parker story. ...more

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Aug 05, 2016 Julie rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley, e-book, thrillers, horror

A Time of Torment by John Connolly is a 2016 Atria publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It seems like it’s been a long while since I last touched base with Charlie Parker. The thirteenth book in the series ended on a rather chilling note, and I was hoping we could explore Charlie’s dynamic with his daughter after her big reveal. But, alas, the fourteenth book opens with a puzzling scenario in which a man who became a he A Time of Torment by John Connolly is a 2016 Atria publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It seems like it’s been a long while since I last touched base with Charlie Parker. The thirteenth book in the series ended on a rather chilling note, and I was hoping we could explore Charlie’s dynamic with his daughter after her big reveal. But, alas, the fourteenth book opens with a puzzling scenario in which a man who became a hero, sees his fortunes reversed after being sent to prison for a sickening crime.

Once out on probation, Jerome hires Charlie Parker, who agrees to take his case, knowing time is of the essence and the circumstances are dire. But, even Charlie couldn’t fathom the pure evil he would have to face down in a small, closed off community in West Virginia named “The Cut”, where the residents heed to a force they have named ‘The Dead King.’

This story is a little different from what I was expecting, although it is as deep, dark, and atmospheric as other installments in this series. However, I will have to confess I struggled for a good while before the threads began to connect. The story moves at a slow clip, and is not one to read on autopilot. I had to go very slow to digest the information, hoping I was following the story correctly, absorbing it the way the author intended.

I don’t want to say I was disappointed in this one, but it wasn’t what I was expecting and I felt, despite the rave reviews to the contrary, that Charlie was ‘off’ somehow, not the same, and yes, I do realize his character was expected to evolve after the previous events from book twelve, but he seems dulled somehow, almost robotic.

The story is fairly gruesome, with cringe worthy graphic violence and lurid imagery. It is more dense than usual, and falls squarely into the horror genre, with the detective aspects bringing up the rear, which is another disappointing change.

Despite becoming annoyed by this change in character behavior, and the off-kilter tone of the book, I finally found a groove and grudgingly admit the story turned out better than I thought it would.

Overall, this is a solid outing for the series, although it didn’t impress me the way it did most everyone else who has read it. So, I’ll have to be one of the very few to give it a middle of the road rating.

3 stars
...more

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Jul 25, 2016 Bam cooks the books ;-) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016-reading-challenge, 2016-netgalley, thriller-suspense

I was given the opportunity to read this latest installment in the Charlie Parker series by the publisher, author and NetGalley and many thanks to them!

This series is a blend of top-notch detective thriller with supernatural horror. Although I've only read one other in the series, The Wolf in Winter, my understanding is that Charlie has died and come back to life to do battle with evil on earth with his friends and partners, Louis and Angel.

Part One was a little difficult for me as a relative ne ...more

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Apr 18, 2016 Phrynne rated it it was amazing

John Connolly is rapidly becoming my most favourite author and the Charlie Parker books form one of the best series I have ever read. I don't think I read A Time of Torment - I absorbed it and in just two sittings (I could have done it in one but sadly I had to go to work). What a book! Charlie's character has changed a lot after his death experience in the last book and now he is more than he was in many ways. Angel and Louis, who are also great favourites of mine, play a huge part in this stor ...more

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Jul 26, 2016 Debbie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, net-galley-books

This was my first John Connolly book. Why it took me so long, I have no idea. I wish though that I could have read it all in one or two sittings as I did confused with the characters, a lot. And there were a lot of characters. However, that's my fault and by no means the author.

I loved this book. There were so many plot twists and bad guys. And these bad guys were ruthless. Too bad they were also stupid. There were also lots of surprises and a little creepiness involved which I will not be goin ...more

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Sep 15, 2016 Bill rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Charlie. Fucking. Parker.

The mere thought of Parker, Angel & Louis and the violence that follows them around (and that they seek out) makes me smile.

There is some deeeeep sh*t going on in this series right beneath the surface and it's starting to bubble up thru the pages. I have a feeling it’s going to engulf everything and everybody in its path. And soon.

Can’t wait for the next Parker book. Best series around.
...more

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Jan 11, 2016 Michael Hicks rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller-crime-suspense, horror, netgalley

There are a few authors whose novels are my own personal equivalent to comfort food. Stephen King is one; John Connolly is another. Every time I sit down with one of their stories, I know I’m in good hands, and their words bring a certain warmth to my soul. Connolly’s Charlie Parker series, in particular, is like a big bowl of beef stew or mac & cheese eaten beside the fireplace and in the company of good friends. Over the course of fourteen novels, I consider Parker, Angel, and Louis very good There are a few authors whose novels are my own personal equivalent to comfort food. Stephen King is one; John Connolly is another. Every time I sit down with one of their stories, I know I’m in good hands, and their words bring a certain warmth to my soul. Connolly’s Charlie Parker series, in particular, is like a big bowl of beef stew or mac & cheese eaten beside the fireplace and in the company of good friends. Over the course of fourteen novels, I consider Parker, Angel, and Louis very good friends, indeed. And, jeez, do I ever eat up these stories!

Connolly is a superb storyteller, first and foremost. His prose is both simple and elegantly constructed, and although he sometimes wanders off into tangents of both local and personal history for his settings and characters, I certainly don’t mind reading those words even if I wonder at the necessity of their inclusion. Would A Time of Torment be better if some tangential segments were shortened? I suspect it wouldn’t be by much, frankly, and, for me, it’s a bit of the charm Connolly brings to the table. You can tell this man does his research, and he’s eager to share what he’s learned. And when you tell a story as well as Connolly, well…the more the better, in my opinion. He’s a craftsman, and one of the best in the business as far I’m concerned.

As far as A Time of Torment is concerned, I feel a bit of sympathy for readers encountering this author and these characters here for the very first time. This is not a book for the inexperienced, and the Parker novels are very much a Read In Order series. This particular volume builds off the events, story, and character threads established in the prior three Parker thrillers, which themselves are shaped by the supernatural mythology of the preceding volumes. Characters like The Collector and Parker’s daughter, Sam, who make brief appearances here will likely leave the uninitiated scratching their head as to their importance. Those who have been around since the beginning, though, will be much more appreciative of their roles in the overarching mythology of the series as a whole. My advice, as always, to anyone who hasn’t read Connolly yet is to start from the very beginning with Every Dead Thing.

Plot-wise, Parker is hired by a recently released prisoner, who quickly goes missing. Parker’s subsequent investigation brings to his attention a small cult-like community known as The Cut, and their religious idol, The Dead King.

There’s echoes of Prosperous, the community featured in The Wolf In Winter, but not so much that it feels like a total retread. There’s enough differences in The Cut’s actions, history, and characters to differentiate them from Prosperous, and, in some ways, make them a dark mirror reflection of an already nasty bunch. They’re darker, and, to a degree, one might even say more primitive. Then again, so, too, is Charlie Parker. It’s the events of that prior novel that have helped shape the subtle alterations in Parker’s persona and methods. The detective has become a more aggressive hunter, very much so a wolf in his own right. And the Cut is certainly worthy of his particular brand of attention.

A Time of Torment is a bit slower paced than previous installments, but not detrimentally so. If anything, for me, it just means it takes a bit more time to savor and enjoy, and I was left feeling perfectly satiated. Now begins the wait, once more, for the next book…

[Note: I received an advanced copy of this title for review from the publisher via NetGalley.] ...more

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Apr 27, 2016 Brandon rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction, detective-books, john-connolly, 2016

Charlie Parker is approached by Jerome Burnel. Burnel was at one time considered a hero, foiling a botched gas station robbery. Tragically, all was forgotten when a short time later, Jerome was brought up on child pornography charges. Jerome claims he’s innocent and although he’s served his time, some may not feel his punishment was adequate. Burnell hires Parker to clear his name and look into his prison tormentor, Harpur Griffin, also recently released from jail.

The events in the twelfth book Charlie Parker is approached by Jerome Burnel. Burnel was at one time considered a hero, foiling a botched gas station robbery. Tragically, all was forgotten when a short time later, Jerome was brought up on child pornography charges. Jerome claims he’s innocent and although he’s served his time, some may not feel his punishment was adequate. Burnell hires Parker to clear his name and look into his prison tormentor, Harpur Griffin, also recently released from jail.

The events in the twelfth book of the series, A Wolf in Winter, altered Parker forever. While he spent the majority of the last novel (A Song of Shadows) licking his wounds, he fully emerges as a changed man in A Time of Torment. Now, less a detective and more of a hunter, Parker, accompanied by his long time friends and associates Louis and Angel, seek to track down and destroy those who prey on the weak.

This time around, Parker is going toe-to-toe with a mysterious cult-like society dubbed “The Cut” – a group of maniacs residing in a backwoods county in West Virginia. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Parker novel without a hearty dose of the paranormal! The residents of The Cut serve a spooky, violent master named “The Dead King”, a detail that Burnel’s prison rapist Harpur Griffin lets slip during one of their not-so-romantic encounters.

I absolutely love what Connolly is doing with Parker by turning him into an absolute beast of a character. Charlie is remorseless in his pursuit of those named on a list found in a downed plane several books back – the list of which its purpose remains unknown other than the fact that there are some pretty unsavory characters named on it – folks who Parker would feel safer if they were dead, and vice-versa I’m sure.

Over the course of the last seventeen years, Connolly has managed to pump out nearly one Parker novel a year – which is impressive considering their length, quality and research required into the weird adversaries that Connolly presents to his signature detective. But there are some novels that while they are still enjoyable, fall a little short of what I consider his best work. Don’t get me wrong, A Time of Torment is a very good read, but just not as electrifying as some of his others – most notably his last one, A Song of Shadows. ...more

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Jun 13, 2016 Debra rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

Received form the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Charlie Parker is approached by a recently released convict, Jerome Burnel, who wishes to tell Parker his story. A sad, twisted story of a broken and tormented man. A man framed for a crime he did not commit and suffered brutality at the hands of his tormentors. Then Burnel disappears. This, in addition to Burnel's story, peaks Parker's interest.

Soon Parker along with his fellow investigators/friends, Louis and Angel begi ...more

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Aug 05, 2016 Thomas rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Paranormal fans

Recommended to Thomas by: NetGalley

Shelves: netgalley, fantasy

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this ebook in return for an honest review. It is book 14 in the Charlie Parker series. I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the previous books in the series, as there are references to incidents in the the previous books, such as Charlie dying and coming back to life. Charlie is able to summon help from the afterlife as a result of his brief stay in the afterlife. Charlie is a determined private investigator, taking cases w/o pay. He is ...more

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Jul 29, 2016 Karen R rated it really liked it

Just finished reading my first Charlie Parker novel by John Connelly. This is #14 in the series. Gosh, have I got a lot of catching up to do. The book works well as a standalone and it made me eager to go back to the beginning when character relationships and dynamics begin to evolve. It can’t be easy keeping things fresh by book #14 but his fans continue to give these books high marks so I am now committed! My husband and I have a hard time finding books to listen to together on our long road t ...more

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Jan 17, 2017 aPriL does feral sometimes rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: cold-hard-mean, black-gleeful-fun, horror, paranormal, mysteries-potboilers-thrillers, magical-drama

'A Time of Torment', #14 in the Charlie Parker series, is in some ways, the detective's coming out party. John Connolly, the author, has been teasing readers, and Charlie Parker, off and on in this detective series with vague hints of paranormal interferences and more overt episodes of evil gods and angelic attacks against the innocent who are victims and the willing who embrace being possessed.

Parker has been resisting messages which could only be from spirits. He also has been turning away fr 'A Time of Torment', #14 in the Charlie Parker series, is in some ways, the detective's coming out party. John Connolly, the author, has been teasing readers, and Charlie Parker, off and on in this detective series with vague hints of paranormal interferences and more overt episodes of evil gods and angelic attacks against the innocent who are victims and the willing who embrace being possessed.

Parker has been resisting messages which could only be from spirits. He also has been turning away from acknowledging actual ghostly visitations, telling himself it all likely was a psychological delusion, arising out of his unending grief from the horrendous murders of his first wife Susan and their young daughter Jennifer. However, after nearly dying two books ago, he not only is accepting he is a warrior in an invisible battle of possessed humans, he is realizing his second daughter, Samantha, is somehow a powerful paranormal channeler to the dead. Between Sam and the ghost Jennifer, who refuses to leave him, he is now firmly leading his friends, Louis, an assassin, and Angel, a thief, into taking certain cases from private clients desperate for help the police can't give. (view spoiler)

The members of Parker's dream-team, a kind of nightmare 'Fellowship of the Ring', do not quite understand why they are drawn to follow and protect Parker, only that they must do as he asks, especially after he appears to be more powerful in the force against evil angels and gods since he died and was resurrected.

Parker relies only on guns, his wits, his helpers and, often not knowing how they are helping him, his daughters, to investigate the crimes clients bring to him. Some clients are in particularly gruesome difficulties because they have unluckily rubbed up against or interfered with either possessed people or someone who has eagerly embraced serving these dark bloodthirsty gods.

One such client is the pathetic ex-con who tells Parker his name is Jerome Burnel. Like many such, he claims he is innocent. Upon meeting the man and hearing his story, Parker thinks he could be telling the truth.

Burnel's crime was possessing child pornography, for which he was sentenced to five years in prison. While there, another con took considerable delight in arranging that Burnel be raped almost every day. Burnel says he knew nothing about the kiddie porn on his computer and he believes he was set up. Two months before the police were tipped off to the photos, Burnel had stopped two killers in the middle of a robbery of a store. He thinks the vicious criminals he stopped had friends who had decided to destroy Burnel's life in revenge.

Parker opens an investigation. What he learns has him believing Burnel. The two killers have a past and a link to an isolated and very small community in a West Virginia valley called the Cut. The Cut was settled by very secretive people hundreds of years ago. The Cut is such a scary place, the local police avoid it. So do bikers and drug dealers. Everyone who is known to have gone to do new business in the Cut never came back. Police who try to dig around too much have been known to suddenly quit their jobs and take their family far away. No one wants to talk about the Cut...

Ir sounds exactly like the kind of place Parker has to visit!

I do not think this is a standalone novel. It begins very slow with a number of seemingly unrelated events, introducing different characters. For the first half of the book the reader cannot see the plot, only threads. What begins unfolding, though, is pure horror. ...more

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Aug 01, 2016 Chris C - A Midlife Wife rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, reviews, suspense, gallery-books, dark, thriller, crime

I can usually go into a suspenseful thriller relatively easy. However this one immediately takes your breath away from the very beginning. I found myself very hesitant to read the book because of the graphic nature and depiction of some seriously twisted people.

However, I kept turning the pages and I found myself getting more and more involved and sucked in to the story. The author is a master at creating situations that allows you to think you know what's going on when in reality it's something ...more

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About John Connolly

John Connolly

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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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Quotes from A Time of Torment

“It was the kind of bar where everybody knew your name, as long as your name was ‘Motherfucker’.” — 5 likes

“Every individual spends a lifetime trying to disprove Copernicus by placing him- or herself at the heart of existence, but a small core of diehards manages to turn it into an art.” — 4 likes

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