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Joel Sorrell #2
Sonata of the Dead
Even as he recovers from his encounter with an unhinged killer, PI Joel Sorrell cannot forget his search for Sarah. He receives a tip that photographs of her have been found at a murder scene, where a young man whom Sarah knew when they were children has been killed. Finding a link between the victim and an writers' group, Joel follows the thread, but every lead ends in another body. Someone is targeting the group, and it is only a matter of time before Joel's daughter is run to ground.
317 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 5, 2016
223 people want to read
About the author
Conrad Williams
103 books170 followersIn 2007 Conrad Williams won the International Horror Guild Award for Best Novel for The Unblemished. In 2008 he won the British Fantasy Award for Best Novella, for The Scalding Rooms. In 2010 he won the British Fantasy Award for Best Novel for One.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 5, 2016
Originally published at Risingshadow.
Conrad Williams' Sonata of the Dead is the second novel in the Joel Sorrell series. Just like the previous novel, Dust and Desire, this novel was a pleasant surprise for me. I consider this novel to be an excellent example of well written thriller, crime and PI fiction that has a few elements that border on the line of being horror elements.
Before I write more about this novel, I'll mention that I'm difficult to please when it comes to crime and thriller fiction, because I've been mostly disappointed by many novels. I have high standards when it comes to thriller fiction, and I only read carefully chosen novels. I think it's good to have high standards, because way too many thriller novels tend to be simple and don't have much style or substance. Fortunately, Conrad Williams' Sonata of the Dead is a different kind of a thriller novel, because it has plenty of style and substance and it fully satisfies the needs of a jaded thriller reader who wants to read quality.
One of the most important reasons why Sonata of the Dead is a good novel is due to the fact that Conrad Williams has written horror novels. I've noticed that horror authors often write excellent thriller fiction, because they know how to thrill and surprise readers, and what's best, they don't underestimate the intelligence of their readers. Because of its horror-like elements, this novel will be of interest to speculative fiction readers.
Another reason why Sonata of the Dead is a good novel is that Conrad William is a British author. Just like many other British authors, Conrad Williams has an uncanny skill of writing believably about everyday life and he keeps an eye on what's important. He avoids unnecessary filler material that has nothing to do with the story arc or the atmosphere and concentrates fully on delivering a good story.
Sonata of the Dead is a dark, complex and well written novel that has a few scenes that come pretty close to being horror fiction (especially psychological horror fiction). In my opinion, the author handles the psychologically challenging elements in an excellent way and doesn't resort to using cheap tricks to amuse his readers.
Here's information about the story:
- The events take place shortly after what happened in the previous novel.
- Joel Sorrell has been in the hospital and has recoverd from his wounds. He has received a scar that hasn't faded away yet. Ian Mawker calls him and tells him that a body has been found. He hears from Mawker that photographs of his daughter, Sarah, have been found at a crime scene near the dismembered body. Joel recognises the body as Martin Gower, because his daughter used to know him. During his investigations he finds out that Martin may have been Sarah's boyfriend. Martin's diary indicates that he has had a meeting with The Accelerants. Joel think that The Accelerants may be a rock band, but it turns out to be a writing group, the members of which appear to be anything but normal...
This is the beginning of an exceptionally intriguing story with a touch of grittiness and British elegance.
I seldom use the adjective "absorbing" when I write about this kind of novels, but in this case I'll use it, because it perfectly describes the nature of the story. It's been a while since I've read as good and entertaining a thriller as this.
The characterisation is excellent. Joel is a man who's haunted by the loss of his wife and the disappearance of his daughter. He tries to find his daughter, but is a bit afraid of what will happen when he finds her, because he fears that the reunion may not happy. He's a failed father and grieving widower whose once normal life has turned into a pain-filled existence.
There's aching realism - and also striking honesty - in Joel's search for his lost daughter. The author writes well about Joel's feelings towards his daughter and fluently tells how he tries to find her. Reading about Joel's problems is deeply touching, because the author avoids writing sentimental and melodramatic prose. The realistic account of Joel's search for his daughter has a strong feel of gritty and harsh realism to it.
In my opinion, Joel Sorrell is one of the most believable protagonists in this kind of fiction. The author paints such a realistic picture of him and his problems that you can't help but be impressed by it. In the previous novel, the author already wrote well about Joel, his work and his problems, but now he makes it even better.
It's great that there are plenty of sarcastic and witty remarks in this novel, because theu offer good counterbalance for the crime and PI elements. Joel's comments and observations about many things are satisfyingly sharp.
Joel's investigations concerning the writing group are interesting and they shed light on many intriguing things. He finds it a bit difficult to get into the group, because gaining the trust of its members is not easy. The members of the group are a bit uneasy about what has happened to one of the members.
Conrad Williams has come up with a fascinating vision of a secret writing group and its strange customs. The members of the group use code names to hide their identity, and their meetings places change. Each new member has to undergo an initiation ceremony and has to be committed to being a writer. They have an intense vision of what it takes to write good fiction.
I think it's good to mention that Sonata of the Dead can be read and enjoyed as a standalone novel, but it works better if you're familiar with the previous happenings. I recommend reading Dust and Desire, because it's an excellent novel and reveals what has happened to Joel Sorrell.
Before I write the final words of this review, I'll mention that Joel Sorrell will return in the third novel, Hell is Empty, which will be published in November 2016. I look forward to reading it, because I was impressed by this novel and its predecessor.
It is very rare that I give full five stars (on the scale from one to five stars) for a thriller novel, but now I feel compelled to do so, because I immensely enjoyed Sonata of the Dead. In my opinion, this novel is perfect and compelling thriller fiction. It's every bit as good as Dust and Desire and it'll impress everyone who enjoys well written stories.
Conrad Williams is in top form in Sonata of the Dead and demonstrates that he's a skilled master of his craft. If you want to read good thriller and crime fiction, you can't go wrong by reading this novel, because it's one of the best and most intriguing novels of its kind. It's modern British thriller fiction at its best.
Excellent thriller novel!
Conrad Williams' Sonata of the Dead is the second novel in the Joel Sorrell series. Just like the previous novel, Dust and Desire, this novel was a pleasant surprise for me. I consider this novel to be an excellent example of well written thriller, crime and PI fiction that has a few elements that border on the line of being horror elements.
Before I write more about this novel, I'll mention that I'm difficult to please when it comes to crime and thriller fiction, because I've been mostly disappointed by many novels. I have high standards when it comes to thriller fiction, and I only read carefully chosen novels. I think it's good to have high standards, because way too many thriller novels tend to be simple and don't have much style or substance. Fortunately, Conrad Williams' Sonata of the Dead is a different kind of a thriller novel, because it has plenty of style and substance and it fully satisfies the needs of a jaded thriller reader who wants to read quality.
One of the most important reasons why Sonata of the Dead is a good novel is due to the fact that Conrad Williams has written horror novels. I've noticed that horror authors often write excellent thriller fiction, because they know how to thrill and surprise readers, and what's best, they don't underestimate the intelligence of their readers. Because of its horror-like elements, this novel will be of interest to speculative fiction readers.
Another reason why Sonata of the Dead is a good novel is that Conrad William is a British author. Just like many other British authors, Conrad Williams has an uncanny skill of writing believably about everyday life and he keeps an eye on what's important. He avoids unnecessary filler material that has nothing to do with the story arc or the atmosphere and concentrates fully on delivering a good story.
Sonata of the Dead is a dark, complex and well written novel that has a few scenes that come pretty close to being horror fiction (especially psychological horror fiction). In my opinion, the author handles the psychologically challenging elements in an excellent way and doesn't resort to using cheap tricks to amuse his readers.
Here's information about the story:
- The events take place shortly after what happened in the previous novel.
- Joel Sorrell has been in the hospital and has recoverd from his wounds. He has received a scar that hasn't faded away yet. Ian Mawker calls him and tells him that a body has been found. He hears from Mawker that photographs of his daughter, Sarah, have been found at a crime scene near the dismembered body. Joel recognises the body as Martin Gower, because his daughter used to know him. During his investigations he finds out that Martin may have been Sarah's boyfriend. Martin's diary indicates that he has had a meeting with The Accelerants. Joel think that The Accelerants may be a rock band, but it turns out to be a writing group, the members of which appear to be anything but normal...
This is the beginning of an exceptionally intriguing story with a touch of grittiness and British elegance.
I seldom use the adjective "absorbing" when I write about this kind of novels, but in this case I'll use it, because it perfectly describes the nature of the story. It's been a while since I've read as good and entertaining a thriller as this.
The characterisation is excellent. Joel is a man who's haunted by the loss of his wife and the disappearance of his daughter. He tries to find his daughter, but is a bit afraid of what will happen when he finds her, because he fears that the reunion may not happy. He's a failed father and grieving widower whose once normal life has turned into a pain-filled existence.
There's aching realism - and also striking honesty - in Joel's search for his lost daughter. The author writes well about Joel's feelings towards his daughter and fluently tells how he tries to find her. Reading about Joel's problems is deeply touching, because the author avoids writing sentimental and melodramatic prose. The realistic account of Joel's search for his daughter has a strong feel of gritty and harsh realism to it.
In my opinion, Joel Sorrell is one of the most believable protagonists in this kind of fiction. The author paints such a realistic picture of him and his problems that you can't help but be impressed by it. In the previous novel, the author already wrote well about Joel, his work and his problems, but now he makes it even better.
It's great that there are plenty of sarcastic and witty remarks in this novel, because theu offer good counterbalance for the crime and PI elements. Joel's comments and observations about many things are satisfyingly sharp.
Joel's investigations concerning the writing group are interesting and they shed light on many intriguing things. He finds it a bit difficult to get into the group, because gaining the trust of its members is not easy. The members of the group are a bit uneasy about what has happened to one of the members.
Conrad Williams has come up with a fascinating vision of a secret writing group and its strange customs. The members of the group use code names to hide their identity, and their meetings places change. Each new member has to undergo an initiation ceremony and has to be committed to being a writer. They have an intense vision of what it takes to write good fiction.
I think it's good to mention that Sonata of the Dead can be read and enjoyed as a standalone novel, but it works better if you're familiar with the previous happenings. I recommend reading Dust and Desire, because it's an excellent novel and reveals what has happened to Joel Sorrell.
Before I write the final words of this review, I'll mention that Joel Sorrell will return in the third novel, Hell is Empty, which will be published in November 2016. I look forward to reading it, because I was impressed by this novel and its predecessor.
It is very rare that I give full five stars (on the scale from one to five stars) for a thriller novel, but now I feel compelled to do so, because I immensely enjoyed Sonata of the Dead. In my opinion, this novel is perfect and compelling thriller fiction. It's every bit as good as Dust and Desire and it'll impress everyone who enjoys well written stories.
Conrad Williams is in top form in Sonata of the Dead and demonstrates that he's a skilled master of his craft. If you want to read good thriller and crime fiction, you can't go wrong by reading this novel, because it's one of the best and most intriguing novels of its kind. It's modern British thriller fiction at its best.
Excellent thriller novel!
March 4, 2017
Sonata of the Dead builds on what Dust and Desire had achieved but moved the focus towards the chase of the villain and added more in-depth horror elements. Joel has been given hope in the search for Sarah in more ways than one and it is tearing him to pieces. When a school friend of Sarah's is brutally murdered by The Hack, Joel receives news that photos of Sarah have been recovered at the crime scene.
Tracking Sarah and her involvement with the recently deceased, Joel finds himself with a big new lead in the search. Sarah is a possible member of an underground, high stakes, adrenaline seeking writers group. Joel sets out to mine this huge find of all the information he can. Unfortunately he is not the only one who wants a word with them and as the murders continue, Joel is seeing his chances slipping into the abyss. Joel is desperate and has nothing to lose which in this scenario is a good cocktail for success.
Towards the beginning of the book when I found out the main plot was centred around a creative writing group; I was half disappointed and half amused. I was quickly hushed by the unrelenting chaos surrounding the group and as the plot developed I found myself really enjoying the creative writing aspect. It broke up the text and skewed the facts quite well, which helped cultivate the unpredictable tone that CW crafts so well.
The character development in the Joel Sorrell series so far has been hit and miss. I find that CW seems to craft characters to meet the needs of Joel instead of him or others adapting themselves to the situation. This is sort of a complaint as CW's books are seemingly over-populated but CW is an outstanding character builder and this means we consistently get interesting, development and unique characters throughout which makes for great reading.
Ian Mawker is back and the dynamic between him and Sorrell is brilliant as always, they hate each other with a passion, but their regard for their work and finding Sarah continuously drag them together. The main villain in Sonata of the Dead is again hidden in the shadows and for me personally, this is frustrating. I prefer protagonist/antagonist interaction instead of both characters working opposite to each other, so I have to mark down for that.
CW's work is rooted in two major themes, meaningful character interactions and a punishing, honorific and desperate attempt for reunion. The tone of Sonata of the Dead elevates to a frantic, destructive and seemingly futile level. Joel is inches away from Sarah at all times but can he get to her before The Hack can?
Overall, I have been blown away by elements of this series so far, but I have also been frustrated by them. I do recommend this book to crime/noir/Conrad Williams fans and I can guarantee you will be thrilled by all the chaos that CW packs into every page. I have given this book 4/5 as CW is consistently awesome and I am looking forward to seeing where he will eventually take this series.
Tracking Sarah and her involvement with the recently deceased, Joel finds himself with a big new lead in the search. Sarah is a possible member of an underground, high stakes, adrenaline seeking writers group. Joel sets out to mine this huge find of all the information he can. Unfortunately he is not the only one who wants a word with them and as the murders continue, Joel is seeing his chances slipping into the abyss. Joel is desperate and has nothing to lose which in this scenario is a good cocktail for success.
Towards the beginning of the book when I found out the main plot was centred around a creative writing group; I was half disappointed and half amused. I was quickly hushed by the unrelenting chaos surrounding the group and as the plot developed I found myself really enjoying the creative writing aspect. It broke up the text and skewed the facts quite well, which helped cultivate the unpredictable tone that CW crafts so well.
The character development in the Joel Sorrell series so far has been hit and miss. I find that CW seems to craft characters to meet the needs of Joel instead of him or others adapting themselves to the situation. This is sort of a complaint as CW's books are seemingly over-populated but CW is an outstanding character builder and this means we consistently get interesting, development and unique characters throughout which makes for great reading.
Ian Mawker is back and the dynamic between him and Sorrell is brilliant as always, they hate each other with a passion, but their regard for their work and finding Sarah continuously drag them together. The main villain in Sonata of the Dead is again hidden in the shadows and for me personally, this is frustrating. I prefer protagonist/antagonist interaction instead of both characters working opposite to each other, so I have to mark down for that.
CW's work is rooted in two major themes, meaningful character interactions and a punishing, honorific and desperate attempt for reunion. The tone of Sonata of the Dead elevates to a frantic, destructive and seemingly futile level. Joel is inches away from Sarah at all times but can he get to her before The Hack can?
Overall, I have been blown away by elements of this series so far, but I have also been frustrated by them. I do recommend this book to crime/noir/Conrad Williams fans and I can guarantee you will be thrilled by all the chaos that CW packs into every page. I have given this book 4/5 as CW is consistently awesome and I am looking forward to seeing where he will eventually take this series.
October 16, 2016
Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Conrad Williams is a brand new author to me, and when I started reading his book, I didn't know what to expect. This is his second book in the series but definitely can stand alone.
The main character is Joel Sorell, a private investigator who is still recovering from the physical and emotional injuries in the past. He hasn't seen his daughter for years, not knowing if she is missing or she is just running away from him.
The story starts with a murder, very brutal murder. But what is very unusual and out of ordinary, is the dead man's surrounding. Pages of typewritten text covered with blood and explicit photos of a young woman. A woman who is missing. Joel Sorrell's daughter. The detective who is in charge of the case recognises Sorrell's daughter on the photos and contacts him. But Sorrell is definitely not in charge of the case. So, the private investigator starts his own research to find the killer and most important to him, to find his daughter. The investigation takes him to the members of an underground group called The Accelerants, people who might be musicians, writers, or killer's next victims. Or murderers.
As I mentioned previously, this is my first book from this author. His main character, Joel Sorrell, is a real anti-hero. He doesn't care because of the murders, nor the victims, but his own daughter. He tries to calm down his consciousness, doesn't want to think that he's been a lousy father. The whole story didn't disappoint me, but also didn't impress me very much. The thriller part is done properly and overall the story is ok. But the beginning was far more interesting than the ending, and that's why I am rating it with three and half stars.
My opinion: 3,5 / 5.
Conrad Williams is a brand new author to me, and when I started reading his book, I didn't know what to expect. This is his second book in the series but definitely can stand alone.
The main character is Joel Sorell, a private investigator who is still recovering from the physical and emotional injuries in the past. He hasn't seen his daughter for years, not knowing if she is missing or she is just running away from him.
The story starts with a murder, very brutal murder. But what is very unusual and out of ordinary, is the dead man's surrounding. Pages of typewritten text covered with blood and explicit photos of a young woman. A woman who is missing. Joel Sorrell's daughter. The detective who is in charge of the case recognises Sorrell's daughter on the photos and contacts him. But Sorrell is definitely not in charge of the case. So, the private investigator starts his own research to find the killer and most important to him, to find his daughter. The investigation takes him to the members of an underground group called The Accelerants, people who might be musicians, writers, or killer's next victims. Or murderers.
As I mentioned previously, this is my first book from this author. His main character, Joel Sorrell, is a real anti-hero. He doesn't care because of the murders, nor the victims, but his own daughter. He tries to calm down his consciousness, doesn't want to think that he's been a lousy father. The whole story didn't disappoint me, but also didn't impress me very much. The thriller part is done properly and overall the story is ok. But the beginning was far more interesting than the ending, and that's why I am rating it with three and half stars.
My opinion: 3,5 / 5.
October 17, 2016
I won an ARC of this novel in a goodreads drawing.
A PI at the bottom of his profession, still recovering from his last case, gets called into a case involving his estranged daughter.
Dark, dank stuff.
A PI at the bottom of his profession, still recovering from his last case, gets called into a case involving his estranged daughter.
Dark, dank stuff.
February 12, 2017
Will I
Read the next in the series, sure. I could give you a clever and witty review but I think all you need to know is on the strength of the two Joel Sorrow novels. Do I want to read the third and the answer is yes.
Read the next in the series, sure. I could give you a clever and witty review but I think all you need to know is on the strength of the two Joel Sorrow novels. Do I want to read the third and the answer is yes.
April 3, 2021
Interesting plot, confusing ending.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews