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Charlie Parker #15
A Game of Ghosts
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Horror (2017)“An epic supernatural suspense that will forever reset your standards for summer thrillers. From secret realms and horrific homicides to hauntings and criminal empires, there isn’t a single dull sentence found in the pages of A Game of Ghosts—and you’ll love it.” —Redbook: 10 Books You Have to Read This Summer
Books Every Dad Will Love This Father’s Day—PopSugar
Internationally bestselling author John Connolly returns with another “superb fusion of noir and the supernatural” (My Bookish Ways) in this latest thriller in his gripping Charlie Parker series.
It is deep winter and the darkness is unending. A private detective named Jaycob Eklund has vanished and Charlie Parker is assigned to track him down. Parker’s employer, Edgar Ross, an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has his own reasons for wanting Eklund found. Eklund is no ordinary investigator—he is obsessively tracking a series of homicides and disappearances, each linked to reports of hauntings. Now Parker is drawn into Eklund’s world: a realm in which the monstrous Mother rules a crumbling criminal empire, in which men strike bargains with angels, and in which the innocent and guilty alike are pawns in a game of ghosts...
Books Every Dad Will Love This Father’s Day—PopSugar
Internationally bestselling author John Connolly returns with another “superb fusion of noir and the supernatural” (My Bookish Ways) in this latest thriller in his gripping Charlie Parker series.
It is deep winter and the darkness is unending. A private detective named Jaycob Eklund has vanished and Charlie Parker is assigned to track him down. Parker’s employer, Edgar Ross, an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has his own reasons for wanting Eklund found. Eklund is no ordinary investigator—he is obsessively tracking a series of homicides and disappearances, each linked to reports of hauntings. Now Parker is drawn into Eklund’s world: a realm in which the monstrous Mother rules a crumbling criminal empire, in which men strike bargains with angels, and in which the innocent and guilty alike are pawns in a game of ghosts...
480 pages, Paperback
First published April 6, 2017
1067 people are currently reading
6162 people want to read
About the author
John Connolly
231 books7,830 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 636 reviews
July 24, 2018
Dark, eerie, and super creepy!
A Game of Ghosts, the 15th book in the Charlie Parker series, is filled with supernatural elements, oddball characters, and of course as the title implies, ghosts.
Tasked by SAC Ross to track down a PI gone missing, Parker; along with Angel and Louis, uncover a sick and twisted inhuman cult-like family known as “The Brethren.” This group is responsible for death and destruction spanning hundreds of years. Currently, the clan is led by brother and sister, Kirk and Sally, who let’s just say have their own special relationship. Sally is tasked with paying off the family’s debt, and must stop at nothing to protect "The Brethren" from eternal damnation. However, as Parker gets closer to discovering the secrets of “The Brethren,” the family begins to unravel.
At the same time, Parker is fighting with his ex, Rachel, over custody of his daughter. Sam, who possesses her own unique abilities, guided with the help of Parker’s daughter who died, Jennifer, is also working to protect her father from the danger of "The Brethren."
Once again, Connolly seamlessly weaves together a complex, multi layered plot. I haven’t read all the books in the series, and at times, was a little lost. However, I was able to eventually piece things together. If you are interested in starting this series, start with book one. Can’t wait for the next book, but in the meantime I need to go back and catch up on the ones I have missed.
A Game of Ghosts, the 15th book in the Charlie Parker series, is filled with supernatural elements, oddball characters, and of course as the title implies, ghosts.
Tasked by SAC Ross to track down a PI gone missing, Parker; along with Angel and Louis, uncover a sick and twisted inhuman cult-like family known as “The Brethren.” This group is responsible for death and destruction spanning hundreds of years. Currently, the clan is led by brother and sister, Kirk and Sally, who let’s just say have their own special relationship. Sally is tasked with paying off the family’s debt, and must stop at nothing to protect "The Brethren" from eternal damnation. However, as Parker gets closer to discovering the secrets of “The Brethren,” the family begins to unravel.
At the same time, Parker is fighting with his ex, Rachel, over custody of his daughter. Sam, who possesses her own unique abilities, guided with the help of Parker’s daughter who died, Jennifer, is also working to protect her father from the danger of "The Brethren."
Once again, Connolly seamlessly weaves together a complex, multi layered plot. I haven’t read all the books in the series, and at times, was a little lost. However, I was able to eventually piece things together. If you are interested in starting this series, start with book one. Can’t wait for the next book, but in the meantime I need to go back and catch up on the ones I have missed.
April 22, 2017
As the next chapter in John Connolly's Charlie Parker exploits hit the floor running with "A Game of Ghosts". One realizes just how fond we have become of Charlie and his family, yet having to wait an entire year for the next installment has caused a certain amount of salivation to occur.
On a side bar for anyone who might be interested and does not want to wait for the US publication of the book, the series usually is first printed in Ireland or England, If you have an Irish connection, or know of a reliable shop there, a signed hardcover copy can usually be obtained at no additional cost. I ordered mine a couple of months ago from the Book Depository and paid sixteen dollars for the hardcover with free shipping to around the world, and they mail your order on the release day in England.
In this installment Charlie is coerced into searching for a private detective named Jaycob Eklund.
Jaycob, beyond snooping into people's lives, is obsessed with ghostly incidents in America's history.
He has also been hired by the FBI to track a series of homicides and disappearances, each linked to reports of hauntings. Now he has disappeared. Enter Charlie into the picture.
I greatly enjoyed this book and would highly insist that anyone interest should begin the series with Book One in order to understand the backstories of many of the players. As always both the innocent and guilty alike are pawns in this highly exciting saga.
On a side bar for anyone who might be interested and does not want to wait for the US publication of the book, the series usually is first printed in Ireland or England, If you have an Irish connection, or know of a reliable shop there, a signed hardcover copy can usually be obtained at no additional cost. I ordered mine a couple of months ago from the Book Depository and paid sixteen dollars for the hardcover with free shipping to around the world, and they mail your order on the release day in England.
In this installment Charlie is coerced into searching for a private detective named Jaycob Eklund.
Jaycob, beyond snooping into people's lives, is obsessed with ghostly incidents in America's history.
He has also been hired by the FBI to track a series of homicides and disappearances, each linked to reports of hauntings. Now he has disappeared. Enter Charlie into the picture.
I greatly enjoyed this book and would highly insist that anyone interest should begin the series with Book One in order to understand the backstories of many of the players. As always both the innocent and guilty alike are pawns in this highly exciting saga.
August 28, 2023
Every year I look forward to reading a new Charlie Parker story, with Louis and Angel of course. I download it onto my kindle, and then let it sit there for awhile. It's a form of torture I suppose. The anticipation of knowing I can read it, but the sweet agony of holding off just a wee bit longer. When I finally start reading, I devour it...just up to the final 100 pages. Then I nurse it. Now begins another agonizing wait until next year. Dang. The title of this book was dead on. I had a few moments when my short hairs stood straight up! One of the series part-time regulars is killed off, and for someone who managed to scare the dickens out of me for so many years, his passing was incredibly moving. As for the story as a whole? Please, it's John Connolly. Things get eerie, Angel and Louie will make you laugh, and again we're left wondering, just what the heck is going on with Sam? Yep, I'd recommend this book and author. My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for this arc.
A review from 7/2017
A review from 7/2017
April 14, 2017
Book 15 in the Charlie Parker series and I loved every word of it! Everyone who matters was in it, Charlie, Angel, Louis, Sam, Jennifer, even Rachel although if she sinks any lower in my estimation I will be glad if she is not in the next one! Oh and the Collector of course featured largely.
John Connolly writes well which makes it a very enjoyable reading experience. This episode digs deeper into the supernatural than we have maybe been before but it was very neatly done. And Sam is becoming a real force to be reckoned with which will be something to look out for in future books.
A great book but best not read as a stand alone. This is a series that really needs to be read from book one in order to enjoy it completely.
John Connolly writes well which makes it a very enjoyable reading experience. This episode digs deeper into the supernatural than we have maybe been before but it was very neatly done. And Sam is becoming a real force to be reckoned with which will be something to look out for in future books.
A great book but best not read as a stand alone. This is a series that really needs to be read from book one in order to enjoy it completely.
January 10, 2020
"A new fall of snow had settled upon the old, like memories, like the years.
It would freeze, too, according to the weathermen, adding another layer to the ice that blanketed the city, and another day or two to the slow thaw that must inevitably come, although any release from the cold seemed distant on this February evening. Still, at least the latest snowfall, the first in more than a week, hid beneath it the filth of earlier accumulations, and the streets of Portland would look fresh and unsullied again, for a time.
Although the air was chill, it held no clarity. A faint mist hung over the streets, creating penumbrae around the streetlights like the halos of saints, and making a dreamscape of the skyline. It lent the city a sense of duplication, as though its ways and buildings had been overlaid imperfectly upon some earlier version of itself, and now that shadow variant was peering through, the people of the present within touching distance of those of the past."
It's not fair. One of the one writers who I would absolutely read a literary fiction book by has never written one. Oh, it's integrated, to be sure. I would just prefer even more passages devoted to our main characters, and even less time on various depravities. I liked the emotions in this book; there's tough work with Parker and Rachel, and serious things developing with Angel that result in some solid conversations. Jennifer and Sam both appear and do interesting things, although Sam's are definitely from a more age-appropriate perspective, and Jennifer's are from her otherworldly one.
For future-carol.: Parker is asked by Ross, FBI agent to informally look into a missing P.I., and Angel and Louis end up helping him out. This book is slightly more distinguishable through the multiple viewpoints that include Parker, Lewis, Jennifer, Sam, villain, the Collector, side villain. There's significant threads from other books brought in, particularly the Collector and his father, and the remnants of the Webb family (who I had forgotten). There horror factor is dialed far down, with only one torture scene, and the supernatural spooky is dialed up.
The short, spoiler-y (but not really) summation: this is the one where
Read again? Probably not. Except that first page. Solid.
It would freeze, too, according to the weathermen, adding another layer to the ice that blanketed the city, and another day or two to the slow thaw that must inevitably come, although any release from the cold seemed distant on this February evening. Still, at least the latest snowfall, the first in more than a week, hid beneath it the filth of earlier accumulations, and the streets of Portland would look fresh and unsullied again, for a time.
Although the air was chill, it held no clarity. A faint mist hung over the streets, creating penumbrae around the streetlights like the halos of saints, and making a dreamscape of the skyline. It lent the city a sense of duplication, as though its ways and buildings had been overlaid imperfectly upon some earlier version of itself, and now that shadow variant was peering through, the people of the present within touching distance of those of the past."
It's not fair. One of the one writers who I would absolutely read a literary fiction book by has never written one. Oh, it's integrated, to be sure. I would just prefer even more passages devoted to our main characters, and even less time on various depravities. I liked the emotions in this book; there's tough work with Parker and Rachel, and serious things developing with Angel that result in some solid conversations. Jennifer and Sam both appear and do interesting things, although Sam's are definitely from a more age-appropriate perspective, and Jennifer's are from her otherworldly one.
For future-carol.: Parker is asked by Ross, FBI agent to informally look into a missing P.I., and Angel and Louis end up helping him out. This book is slightly more distinguishable through the multiple viewpoints that include Parker, Lewis, Jennifer, Sam, villain, the Collector, side villain. There's significant threads from other books brought in, particularly the Collector and his father, and the remnants of the Webb family (who I had forgotten). There horror factor is dialed far down, with only one torture scene, and the supernatural spooky is dialed up.
The short, spoiler-y (but not really) summation: this is the one where
Read again? Probably not. Except that first page. Solid.
November 23, 2017
3.5 stars
A Man is a very small thing, and the night is very large and full of wonders.
- Lord Dunsany
Charlie Parker has been asked by Edgar Ross, an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to locate a private detective, Jaycob Eklund, who has vanished. Eklund has been investigating a series of homicides and disappearances which have been linked to hauntings. Those who are not familiar with John Connolly's paranormal mysteries may be scratching their heads and saying "huh?". Connolly is a master of writing mysteries with paranormal elements that make sense, are chilling, often eerie, and yes, haunting.
As Charlie Parker, Angel and Louis begin to search for Eklund, his personal life continues to unravel, and he has been served custody papers by his ex, Rachel. Their daughter Sam is still young and has a special "gift" which we see more of in this book. She continues to have contact with Jennifer, Parker's daughter who was viciously murdered along with her Mother (Jennifer's Mother/Parker's First wife.) The vicious murder of his first wife and daughter continue to haunt him. Parker is no stranger to pain and suffering. His daughter, Jennifer, continues to watch over him and provides what protection she can. Also looking over everything is The Collector. Series fans will enjoy seeing this character again.
Along with Louis and Angel, Parker meets with "Mother" and her creepy son, Phillip who had ties to Eklund. Eklund was hired by them and after he failed to make his monthly contact, they became “worried” and are interested in Eklund’s whereabouts. Parker is on their radar and he is on theirs but just how do they tie into the Brethren?
aaah yes, the Brethren with their sick and twisted relationships. They are in this world and in the next. It’s the plight of their family and their deepest secret which they want to remain a secret. Parker is getting close, what will they do to keep their secret(s) safe?
This book is the 15th in the series and I would not advise reading this as stand-alone novel. Of course, one could do that, but the beauty of this series is the character development/evolution of characters, the ongoing personal issues of Parker and the continuation of his story. I would advise those interested in this series to go back to the beginning. It's worth the time of effort. My first Charlie Parker book was “The wolf in Winter" and I have been a fan ever since. After reading that book as a stand alone novel, I read some of the earlier books and have continued to be a fan.
I do not feel that "A Game of Ghosts" was the best book in the Charlie Parker series, but it is a nice addition. As I previously stated, I think John Connolly is a master at writing mysteries with paranormal elements. His books are well written, well thought out, perfectly paced and entertaining. Connolly often has various plots going at once, there is great character development, and dialogue. His books are eerie, chilling and dark while at the same time being intelligent, witty and entertaining.
As long as Connolly keeps writing this series, I will keep reading!
See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
A Man is a very small thing, and the night is very large and full of wonders.
- Lord Dunsany
Charlie Parker has been asked by Edgar Ross, an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to locate a private detective, Jaycob Eklund, who has vanished. Eklund has been investigating a series of homicides and disappearances which have been linked to hauntings. Those who are not familiar with John Connolly's paranormal mysteries may be scratching their heads and saying "huh?". Connolly is a master of writing mysteries with paranormal elements that make sense, are chilling, often eerie, and yes, haunting.
As Charlie Parker, Angel and Louis begin to search for Eklund, his personal life continues to unravel, and he has been served custody papers by his ex, Rachel. Their daughter Sam is still young and has a special "gift" which we see more of in this book. She continues to have contact with Jennifer, Parker's daughter who was viciously murdered along with her Mother (Jennifer's Mother/Parker's First wife.) The vicious murder of his first wife and daughter continue to haunt him. Parker is no stranger to pain and suffering. His daughter, Jennifer, continues to watch over him and provides what protection she can. Also looking over everything is The Collector. Series fans will enjoy seeing this character again.
Along with Louis and Angel, Parker meets with "Mother" and her creepy son, Phillip who had ties to Eklund. Eklund was hired by them and after he failed to make his monthly contact, they became “worried” and are interested in Eklund’s whereabouts. Parker is on their radar and he is on theirs but just how do they tie into the Brethren?
aaah yes, the Brethren with their sick and twisted relationships. They are in this world and in the next. It’s the plight of their family and their deepest secret which they want to remain a secret. Parker is getting close, what will they do to keep their secret(s) safe?
This book is the 15th in the series and I would not advise reading this as stand-alone novel. Of course, one could do that, but the beauty of this series is the character development/evolution of characters, the ongoing personal issues of Parker and the continuation of his story. I would advise those interested in this series to go back to the beginning. It's worth the time of effort. My first Charlie Parker book was “The wolf in Winter" and I have been a fan ever since. After reading that book as a stand alone novel, I read some of the earlier books and have continued to be a fan.
I do not feel that "A Game of Ghosts" was the best book in the Charlie Parker series, but it is a nice addition. As I previously stated, I think John Connolly is a master at writing mysteries with paranormal elements. His books are well written, well thought out, perfectly paced and entertaining. Connolly often has various plots going at once, there is great character development, and dialogue. His books are eerie, chilling and dark while at the same time being intelligent, witty and entertaining.
As long as Connolly keeps writing this series, I will keep reading!
See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
February 15, 2017
Oh look its that time of year where I’m reading the next novel in the Charlie Parker series from John Connolly, ending up emotionally traumatised (and boy was THAT true this time) then wondering what the heck else I can say that I haven’t already said that can get across the pure brilliance of this series.
It really is a difficult one because you end up going around in circles and coming back on yourself then thinking well surely if I haven’t sold it by now its just never going to happen. But we’ll give it a go and I’ll even try and stay relatively sensible about the whole thing. Relatively.
This instalment finds Charlie on the hook again to FBI Agent Ross (a man I still haven’t made up my mind about) who sends him off on the trail of a missing private detective. This man, Jaycob , has been messing with things he can’t possibly understand so things are going to get fraught. Well lets face it if Charlie found him in the next town then went home for tea it wouldn’t be NEARLY SO TRAUMATIC. And breathe..
I can’t tell you anything else without then having to kill you, but suffice to say the indomitable Mr Connolly takes us on another emotional rollercoaster read, where the ongoing mythology deepens and just wraps you up in that enigmatic something that I have no words for, the current shenanigans are dark and so beautifully terrifying, the storytelling genius just gets me every single time. And THIS time particularly some things happen that had me needing to lie down. I’m still not over it.
I don’t know another writer around today that has such a gorgeous, descriptively haunting and brilliantly incisive prose, the scene setting is sublime, the entire time you are just enveloped into this whole other world that feels as real as any you leave behind whilst in it. Emotionally charged readers will understand what I mean when I say life is blurred around the edges slightly when coming out of it and it takes a while to settle down. It is just CLEVER. From the first book to this book and probably on into further books, the quality never falters, every one feels fresh, you genuinely never know where they might take you next. The best crime series out there currently? In this readers opinion definitely. Head and shoulders above the best of the rest.
Angel and Louis never cease to be funny yet inevitably flawed, Charlie himself is still facing down the problem of a daughter who may be scarier than he is, more revelations about the underneath of it all are drip fed out to us and overall this was a purely dazzling reading experience which once again left me desperate for more. But I’ll have to wait. I don’t like waiting. It makes me crazy. It’s worth it though. Every single time.
Fans of Charlie Parker do not fear. This is everything you were hoping for and more.
A note – A Game of Ghosts is book 15 and whilst I’m fairly sure that it might be more helpful to be able to say you could read it as a standalone, I’m afraid I’m often to be found screeching at people NO PUT THAT DOWN YOU MUST READ IN ORDER. There is of course no must about it, each book is a brilliant read and you’ll pick up some of the layers, but genuinely, if you don’t follow the arc’s I feel you will lose a lot of the soul of it. And it has a HELL of a lot of soul. So if you’ve not read these yet, you make your bets and you take your chances but I can almost guarantee book one will hook you and we won’t see you for a year while you burn through the rest (Every Dead Thing is where to start by the way)
Highly HIGHLY recommended.
It really is a difficult one because you end up going around in circles and coming back on yourself then thinking well surely if I haven’t sold it by now its just never going to happen. But we’ll give it a go and I’ll even try and stay relatively sensible about the whole thing. Relatively.
This instalment finds Charlie on the hook again to FBI Agent Ross (a man I still haven’t made up my mind about) who sends him off on the trail of a missing private detective. This man, Jaycob , has been messing with things he can’t possibly understand so things are going to get fraught. Well lets face it if Charlie found him in the next town then went home for tea it wouldn’t be NEARLY SO TRAUMATIC. And breathe..
I can’t tell you anything else without then having to kill you, but suffice to say the indomitable Mr Connolly takes us on another emotional rollercoaster read, where the ongoing mythology deepens and just wraps you up in that enigmatic something that I have no words for, the current shenanigans are dark and so beautifully terrifying, the storytelling genius just gets me every single time. And THIS time particularly some things happen that had me needing to lie down. I’m still not over it.
I don’t know another writer around today that has such a gorgeous, descriptively haunting and brilliantly incisive prose, the scene setting is sublime, the entire time you are just enveloped into this whole other world that feels as real as any you leave behind whilst in it. Emotionally charged readers will understand what I mean when I say life is blurred around the edges slightly when coming out of it and it takes a while to settle down. It is just CLEVER. From the first book to this book and probably on into further books, the quality never falters, every one feels fresh, you genuinely never know where they might take you next. The best crime series out there currently? In this readers opinion definitely. Head and shoulders above the best of the rest.
Angel and Louis never cease to be funny yet inevitably flawed, Charlie himself is still facing down the problem of a daughter who may be scarier than he is, more revelations about the underneath of it all are drip fed out to us and overall this was a purely dazzling reading experience which once again left me desperate for more. But I’ll have to wait. I don’t like waiting. It makes me crazy. It’s worth it though. Every single time.
Fans of Charlie Parker do not fear. This is everything you were hoping for and more.
A note – A Game of Ghosts is book 15 and whilst I’m fairly sure that it might be more helpful to be able to say you could read it as a standalone, I’m afraid I’m often to be found screeching at people NO PUT THAT DOWN YOU MUST READ IN ORDER. There is of course no must about it, each book is a brilliant read and you’ll pick up some of the layers, but genuinely, if you don’t follow the arc’s I feel you will lose a lot of the soul of it. And it has a HELL of a lot of soul. So if you’ve not read these yet, you make your bets and you take your chances but I can almost guarantee book one will hook you and we won’t see you for a year while you burn through the rest (Every Dead Thing is where to start by the way)
Highly HIGHLY recommended.
January 13, 2018
At some point, the screaming will end . . .
Strangeness abides within these pages. A series of hauntings, those who wander the paths of the dead, and others who stagger under the gravity of grief. The Brethren, watching and waiting. The Hollow Men, with their crispy whispers and voracious appetites. And Mother.
Crochety comment time. Someone had a picnic in this book, and it was not any of the characters inside. I borrowed this from the public library, and the pages were full of smears and actual fragments of stuck-on foodstuffs. Nasty. Have a little pride when you are reading a book that does not belong to you.
Strangeness abides within these pages. A series of hauntings, those who wander the paths of the dead, and others who stagger under the gravity of grief. The Brethren, watching and waiting. The Hollow Men, with their crispy whispers and voracious appetites. And Mother.
Crochety comment time. Someone had a picnic in this book, and it was not any of the characters inside. I borrowed this from the public library, and the pages were full of smears and actual fragments of stuck-on foodstuffs. Nasty. Have a little pride when you are reading a book that does not belong to you.
February 3, 2019
I read a lot of books, but if I had to pick just let's say five books to read during one year would the latest Charlie Parker book be among them. It is strange to think back to the first time I read a Charlie Parker book (not from the beginning) and how I liked the book but never thought that one day would come when it would be like Christmas every time a new book would be released.
So, how was A Game of Ghosts? Well, let me put it this way. This is a series that keep on being great, this is the fifteenth book and I loved it from the first page until the last and I both wanted to end the book and at the same time did I not want it to end.
In A Game of Ghosts is Charlie Parker contacted by FBI agent Edgar Ross to track down the missing private detective Jaycob Eklund. However, as usual, it's not an ordinary case, Eklund is obsessed with ghost and his investigation into a missing man have led him to the Brethren, a group of people both of this world and next and Parker, who has a track record of being something of a destroyer of evil people and groups is starting to get too close to them for their liking. And, the Brethren has reason to worry because The Collector is also interested in the case. And, he's not a man to cross. And as usual, has Parker his faithful friends Louis and Angel to help him out.
A Game of Ghosts is a fantastic book. I was deeply worried about the life of my favorite characters while reading the book, and the passing of one of them was both a surprise and something that saddened me. I loved the part Parker's daughters Sam and Jennifer played in the book and the ending made me crave more. Definitely one of the best books I have read this year!
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
So, how was A Game of Ghosts? Well, let me put it this way. This is a series that keep on being great, this is the fifteenth book and I loved it from the first page until the last and I both wanted to end the book and at the same time did I not want it to end.
In A Game of Ghosts is Charlie Parker contacted by FBI agent Edgar Ross to track down the missing private detective Jaycob Eklund. However, as usual, it's not an ordinary case, Eklund is obsessed with ghost and his investigation into a missing man have led him to the Brethren, a group of people both of this world and next and Parker, who has a track record of being something of a destroyer of evil people and groups is starting to get too close to them for their liking. And, the Brethren has reason to worry because The Collector is also interested in the case. And, he's not a man to cross. And as usual, has Parker his faithful friends Louis and Angel to help him out.
A Game of Ghosts is a fantastic book. I was deeply worried about the life of my favorite characters while reading the book, and the passing of one of them was both a surprise and something that saddened me. I loved the part Parker's daughters Sam and Jennifer played in the book and the ending made me crave more. Definitely one of the best books I have read this year!
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
April 12, 2018
4.5/5 stars!
This time around Charlie Parker is hired to look into the disappearance of Jaycob Eklund. Jaycob is a P.I. that has mysteriously vanished while investigating the history of a group named The Brethren. Louis and Angel get involved and the Collector and his aging father do as well. What FUN!
FBI Agent Edgar Ross is the man who hires Charlie and I still don't trust him or his motives. He won't even tell Charlie why he's searching for Eklund. I'm not sure where Mr. Connolly is going with this relationship, but I have a bad feeling about it, for sure.
Louis and Angel trade insults as always, but in this book their love became a little more real to me. You'll see why if you read it. (You SHOULD read it!)
Also playing a part in this volume are Rachel and Sam, Charlie's ex-girlfriend and (living) daughter, respectively. Rachel, understandably, is still angry and upset after what happened to Sam in the last book and is now taking legal steps regarding Sam's custody. Trusty Moxie, Charlie's lawyer, is on the case. Unfortunately, Rachel doesn't ask Sam how she feels about all this, but Sam makes her feelings known-in a way that is uniquely her own.
I loved this book! I believe I am seeing the beginning of the end, off in the distance, and that makes me sad. However, I am hoping that perhaps the series will continue in some other form, . But if I don't get it I will still be happy, because I believe that the Charlie Parker books have become the best ongoing series out there, bar none. They are consistently interesting, well written and just plain fun-and considering how dark some of them are, that's quite a feat!
I love Charlie, Louis and Angel and I love YOU, John Connolly! I can't wait to see what happens next! I highly recommend A Game of Ghosts to fans of the series, and to new fans, (but I strongly suggest you read them in order.)
*Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This is it.*
This time around Charlie Parker is hired to look into the disappearance of Jaycob Eklund. Jaycob is a P.I. that has mysteriously vanished while investigating the history of a group named The Brethren. Louis and Angel get involved and the Collector and his aging father do as well. What FUN!
FBI Agent Edgar Ross is the man who hires Charlie and I still don't trust him or his motives. He won't even tell Charlie why he's searching for Eklund. I'm not sure where Mr. Connolly is going with this relationship, but I have a bad feeling about it, for sure.
Louis and Angel trade insults as always, but in this book their love became a little more real to me. You'll see why if you read it. (You SHOULD read it!)
Also playing a part in this volume are Rachel and Sam, Charlie's ex-girlfriend and (living) daughter, respectively. Rachel, understandably, is still angry and upset after what happened to Sam in the last book and is now taking legal steps regarding Sam's custody. Trusty Moxie, Charlie's lawyer, is on the case. Unfortunately, Rachel doesn't ask Sam how she feels about all this, but Sam makes her feelings known-in a way that is uniquely her own.
I loved this book! I believe I am seeing the beginning of the end, off in the distance, and that makes me sad. However, I am hoping that perhaps the series will continue in some other form, . But if I don't get it I will still be happy, because I believe that the Charlie Parker books have become the best ongoing series out there, bar none. They are consistently interesting, well written and just plain fun-and considering how dark some of them are, that's quite a feat!
I love Charlie, Louis and Angel and I love YOU, John Connolly! I can't wait to see what happens next! I highly recommend A Game of Ghosts to fans of the series, and to new fans, (but I strongly suggest you read them in order.)
*Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This is it.*
April 25, 2023
Another excellent addition to the Charlie Parker series!
The stakes keep getting bigger and just when I think that John Connolly can't keep up this level of writing and excellent plots, he hits me over the head again.
The Game of Ghosts takes the series in some new directions with our characters while closing out some plot themes from past books.
I'm really happy that I'm buddy reading this series with some friends on Goodreads. It's been so much fun to get their ideas about where this series is going.
It's great storytelling and I'm excited for the next book in the series!
The stakes keep getting bigger and just when I think that John Connolly can't keep up this level of writing and excellent plots, he hits me over the head again.
The Game of Ghosts takes the series in some new directions with our characters while closing out some plot themes from past books.
I'm really happy that I'm buddy reading this series with some friends on Goodreads. It's been so much fun to get their ideas about where this series is going.
It's great storytelling and I'm excited for the next book in the series!
October 29, 2023
Another great Charlie Parker story. Actually sad to see the demise of a great character. Can only hope that Angel is ok after his hospital visit.
Updated as noticed I had announced something I shouldn’t have.
Updated as noticed I had announced something I shouldn’t have.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2018
Despite hitting number 15, this series remains as brutally, bloodily vibrant as its first offering. Not only that, but things change- this is a novel of transformation, most of it far from good. The strands of recent trauma tighten to life threatening levels, while the hints about Sam's nature become ever more worrying. This many books in and we still have questions, about Parker especially. There are buried truths, and buried gods, which are still to come to light. Or which may yet drag us into the shadows...
July 24, 2017
I have read every Charlie Parker book and I have loved every one. In this book Charlie Parker is tasked to find a missing investigator and is not told the real reason why. As he gets closer and closer it becomes clear this man was more than a simple investigator. He has been following disappearances and homicides that may go back decades and he has been working with the husband of a missing woman who was missing for a couple of years and whose body has just been discovered and she has not been dead as long as she has been missing. The clues take Charlie and his crew into the path of organized crime and Rachel has started proceeding for sole custody of the daughter. I cannot wait for the next Charlie Parker book. A great read. I would like to thank the Publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.
July 18, 2017
*4.5 stars.
Get ready for a spine-tingling ghost story as Charlie Parker once again delves into the supernatural in this fifteenth book in the series.
Who is Charlie Parker? A detective who 'died not once but three times following [a] shooting at his home and was brought back by the physicians. But the man who came back was not the same as the one who had fallen under a volley of shotgun blasts and pistol shots. He had seen what lay beyond, and he remembered.'
Charlie is under contract to SAC Ross of the FBI and this time he has been assigned to investigate the disappearance of Jaycob Eklund, a private investigator who has been looking into a series of strange disappearances and murders that he feels are somehow tied to a clan called The Brethren with roots in America's early past whose founder was a charismatic man named Peter Magus. Around 1860, he and his followers would prey on travelers: stealing, murdering and then hiding the evidence. Magus established a settlement for his clan in Capstead near the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. Eventually their acts of murder and mayhem became so infamous that authorities attacked and most of the clan were killed in a Waco-style conflagration. They became known as the Capstead Martyrs. But a few escaped...
Charlie and his two friends Angel and Louis follow the trail of clues, looking into Eklund's life and work. The relationship those three guys have is always good for a laugh. More heavy though are the problems Charlie is having with Rachel, the mother of his child. She is suing for sole custody of Sam but the girl has other plans. And then there's Jennifer; that's on a whole different plane.
The cast of characters is fleshed out with some interesting and wacky people along the way--there's the Collector, and Mother, gangsters, and a nosey neighbor, just to name a few.
Be prepared to not get much sleep till you finish this one. There's a couple of surprising twists at the end which make me say the Charlie Parker series just keeps getting better and better.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read an arc of this thrilling new novel.
Get ready for a spine-tingling ghost story as Charlie Parker once again delves into the supernatural in this fifteenth book in the series.
Who is Charlie Parker? A detective who 'died not once but three times following [a] shooting at his home and was brought back by the physicians. But the man who came back was not the same as the one who had fallen under a volley of shotgun blasts and pistol shots. He had seen what lay beyond, and he remembered.'
Charlie is under contract to SAC Ross of the FBI and this time he has been assigned to investigate the disappearance of Jaycob Eklund, a private investigator who has been looking into a series of strange disappearances and murders that he feels are somehow tied to a clan called The Brethren with roots in America's early past whose founder was a charismatic man named Peter Magus. Around 1860, he and his followers would prey on travelers: stealing, murdering and then hiding the evidence. Magus established a settlement for his clan in Capstead near the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. Eventually their acts of murder and mayhem became so infamous that authorities attacked and most of the clan were killed in a Waco-style conflagration. They became known as the Capstead Martyrs. But a few escaped...
Charlie and his two friends Angel and Louis follow the trail of clues, looking into Eklund's life and work. The relationship those three guys have is always good for a laugh. More heavy though are the problems Charlie is having with Rachel, the mother of his child. She is suing for sole custody of Sam but the girl has other plans. And then there's Jennifer; that's on a whole different plane.
The cast of characters is fleshed out with some interesting and wacky people along the way--there's the Collector, and Mother, gangsters, and a nosey neighbor, just to name a few.
Be prepared to not get much sleep till you finish this one. There's a couple of surprising twists at the end which make me say the Charlie Parker series just keeps getting better and better.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read an arc of this thrilling new novel.
November 23, 2019
I absolutely LOVED this book! I found it at a discount store and didnt really look into it so I had no idea that this was the 15th book in the series. It wasnt till after I was almost finished with it that I decided to look up the author and discovered this books placement in the series. But I am very surprised, and in a good way, that I was able to enjoy this book and understand the story so well even though I didn't read the first 14. John Connelly is a brilliant writer who does an amazing job with writing very likeable and unlikable characters. He makes even the most unreal situation seem like that could really happen. I was sucked into this book from the first page and never wanted to put it down. Brilliant and amazing book. I cant wait to read more from this author.
October 29, 2023
Once again John Connolly draws me in with his smooth writing, twisting (and twisted) plot and familiar characters, this time with a story of ghosts, the afterlife, and ancient evil. After 15 books I feel really attached to the characters, but despite the familiarity these books are always fresh and gripping. I also love the way the author takes the time to flesh out even minor characters, which adds to the realism (if that’s an appropriate word for a book about the supernatural?).
June 12, 2022
El frío de la muerte / ( A game of Ghosts) Un juego de fantasmas.
Novela de la serie de Charlie Parker que hace la número 15. Otro día más en la oficina para John Connolly que tiene una facilidad natural para crear historias a medida de sus personajes.
En esta novela crea una trama para relanzar la serie.
A mi parecer esta novela es sólo para fans de la serie porque intervienen personajes como el coleccionista o los hombres huecos que se incorporan al juego de fantasmas de la secta de "los hermanos", que representan aquí el mal.
Ya, ya sé que no habéis entendido nada, pues imaginaos leyendo la novela sin conocer el pasado de estos secundarios.
Algo que se confirma es el poder que aumenta en un personaje de la serie. Si hace un par de novelas se veía como la tierra se resquebrajaba ante el nacimiento de este poder, ahora vemos como sale a la superficie con una fuerza descomunal.
Sorprende esta aparición no por inesperada, se podía intuir, sino por su poder, que forzosamente dará un giro a la serie más todavía hacia lo sobrenatural.
Intrigado por este giro, como Connolly es bastante accesible en redes sociales, en cuanto he acabado la novela le he preguntado a Connolly a través de Twitter si este poder que le da a este personaje es planeado hace tiempo o simplemente darle más interés puntual a la serie.
Cómo no podía ser de otra forma, me ha dicho que lo que pasa en la serie todo está cuidadosamente planeado, cada cosa que ocurre tiene su propósito.
No me extraña en absoluto porque Connolly dirige muy bien este aspecto, siempre ha sabido dar ese plus a sus novelas, así, tenemos como en el libro "Los amantes" (8), desveló muchos secretos de Parker haciendo un break para relanzar la serie hasta "La canción de las sombras"(13): otro break, ya que es aquí dónde empezamos a vislumbrar ese poder en ese brote que acaba de salir a la superficie.
Lo siento mucho amigos/as pero pónganse en fila y lean por riguroso orden. A nadie se le ocurre ver Peaky blinders , Ozark, etc. empezando por la cuarta temporada. 🤷
Novela de la serie de Charlie Parker que hace la número 15. Otro día más en la oficina para John Connolly que tiene una facilidad natural para crear historias a medida de sus personajes.
En esta novela crea una trama para relanzar la serie.
A mi parecer esta novela es sólo para fans de la serie porque intervienen personajes como el coleccionista o los hombres huecos que se incorporan al juego de fantasmas de la secta de "los hermanos", que representan aquí el mal.
Ya, ya sé que no habéis entendido nada, pues imaginaos leyendo la novela sin conocer el pasado de estos secundarios.
Algo que se confirma es el poder que aumenta en un personaje de la serie. Si hace un par de novelas se veía como la tierra se resquebrajaba ante el nacimiento de este poder, ahora vemos como sale a la superficie con una fuerza descomunal.
Sorprende esta aparición no por inesperada, se podía intuir, sino por su poder, que forzosamente dará un giro a la serie más todavía hacia lo sobrenatural.
Intrigado por este giro, como Connolly es bastante accesible en redes sociales, en cuanto he acabado la novela le he preguntado a Connolly a través de Twitter si este poder que le da a este personaje es planeado hace tiempo o simplemente darle más interés puntual a la serie.
Cómo no podía ser de otra forma, me ha dicho que lo que pasa en la serie todo está cuidadosamente planeado, cada cosa que ocurre tiene su propósito.
No me extraña en absoluto porque Connolly dirige muy bien este aspecto, siempre ha sabido dar ese plus a sus novelas, así, tenemos como en el libro "Los amantes" (8), desveló muchos secretos de Parker haciendo un break para relanzar la serie hasta "La canción de las sombras"(13): otro break, ya que es aquí dónde empezamos a vislumbrar ese poder en ese brote que acaba de salir a la superficie.
Lo siento mucho amigos/as pero pónganse en fila y lean por riguroso orden. A nadie se le ocurre ver Peaky blinders , Ozark, etc. empezando por la cuarta temporada. 🤷
October 10, 2017
John Connolly is an amazing writer and Charlie Parker a great creation. This outing contains so many aspects of the mystery, with supernatural overtones, that I appreciate, that it's difficult to know where to begin. First of course is Parker himself with his unconventional life, family and cohorts who might bristle under the title of friends. There is an unexplained disappearance, hints of otherworldly influences, (one of my favorite aspects in suspense novels), mysterious daughter(s). I do have to pick up more of the back story, though my enjoyment of this book was not lessened by my lack of knowledge.
As I have been advised by other readers, more experienced with this series, the violence, while present, is not gratuitous and so much of the story is carried out in a more thought-full sphere, as Charlie works to piece together multiple strands of a large puzzle.
All in all, an excellent story, well told.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
As I have been advised by other readers, more experienced with this series, the violence, while present, is not gratuitous and so much of the story is carried out in a more thought-full sphere, as Charlie works to piece together multiple strands of a large puzzle.
All in all, an excellent story, well told.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
January 16, 2018
I'm not a huge fan of series, but I have read some of the other books in this series, including the last 3 books, and they seem to be trending more towards the paranormal and less towards the thriller genre, but maybe my memories of the earlier books are faulty. In any event, you shouldn't start reading this series unless you are prepared to devote a significant amount of time to it. The books have been slowly doling out a complicated and apparently endless mythology of spooky and extremely violent goings-on with no conclusion in sight. I keep reading them though because I enjoy the writing style and I like the dialog and interplay among Charlie Parker and his colleagues Louis and Angel. I also like Charlie's daughter Sam and her dead half-sister Jennifer.
Charlie is now working on a retainer for the FBI and is asked to locate Jaycob Eklund, a missing private investigator. The chapters of Charlie's investigation are interspersed with chapters dealing with his relationship with Sam and her mother Rachel and chapters introducing numerous characters who are involved in various forms of paranormal events (floating men, precognition, ghostly voices, etc.). My major problem with the book is that there are way too many characters to keep track of. A lot of them are dead by the end of the book, but I was not invested enough in any of them to care. There is also too much paranormal mumbo-jumbo happening here - ghosts, angels, the Brethren, the Collector, the Hollow Men. People who come in contact with any of these are in serious danger.
While I like Charlie and his crew, I wanted a more focused plot and fewer characters. I'm ready for the series to reach some conclusion with its underlying supernatural storyline. Enough with the spooky groups of bad guys. Cut to the chase about what is lying in wait for Charlie and let me see exactly what powers Sam has. But I guess then the series would be over.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
Charlie is now working on a retainer for the FBI and is asked to locate Jaycob Eklund, a missing private investigator. The chapters of Charlie's investigation are interspersed with chapters dealing with his relationship with Sam and her mother Rachel and chapters introducing numerous characters who are involved in various forms of paranormal events (floating men, precognition, ghostly voices, etc.). My major problem with the book is that there are way too many characters to keep track of. A lot of them are dead by the end of the book, but I was not invested enough in any of them to care. There is also too much paranormal mumbo-jumbo happening here - ghosts, angels, the Brethren, the Collector, the Hollow Men. People who come in contact with any of these are in serious danger.
While I like Charlie and his crew, I wanted a more focused plot and fewer characters. I'm ready for the series to reach some conclusion with its underlying supernatural storyline. Enough with the spooky groups of bad guys. Cut to the chase about what is lying in wait for Charlie and let me see exactly what powers Sam has. But I guess then the series would be over.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
April 25, 2017
At the conclusion of the eleventh book in the series, THE WRATH OF ANGELS, Parker came into contact with a list containing the names of many evil men and women. Following the discovery of this list, Parker connected with FBI Agent Ross, a man with whom Parker has since struck a deal. In exchange for selected pages over time, Parker is given impunity to seek out and hunt those named. Along with this negotiated freedom, Parker also receives a generous retainer in exchange for his services to Ross and the FBI, albeit under the table.
Unfortunately, along with the retainer are requests from Ross for additional work. In A GAME OF GHOSTS, Parker is tasked with tracking down Jaycob Ecklund, a private investigator who recently went off the grid working a case for Ross. As Parker, along with Louis & Angel, begin digging into Ecklund’s life, they quickly become caught up in a web of organized crime, murder and the mysterious actions of a deadly cult that will stop at nothing to protect its anonymity.
A GAME OF GHOSTS, the fifteenth book in the series, is the most transformative since the above mentioned THE WRATH OF ANGELS. While dealing with a deadly cult is nothing new for Parker, there are several major moments that will irreparably alter the timeline. Although Connolly has crafted a rich world filled with deeply developed characters, it’s good to know he isn’t just content to coast and is willing to shake things up when needed. I wish I could spill the beans about one of the several shocking events, but I’d ruin it for fans of the series seeing as it hasn’t even been released in North America yet (I nabbed the early UK release).
As far as supernatural activity goes, on a scale of one to ten, if the first novel in the series was a one, then A GAME OF GHOSTS is an eleven. Over the course of the series, Connolly has slowly ratcheted up the scare-factor with each passing entry. Now, at book fifteen, we’re seeing Connolly throw realism completely out the window. While I can remember being hesitant initially with this gradual change in direction, I’ve come to alter my opinion as it helps the series stick out and feel different in a sea of thrillers.
I am forever grateful to Mr. Connolly for providing his readers with a new installment of Charlie Parker’s story every single year. There are not many authors who can do that yet still keep the quality of their work at such a high level. I’d lament about having to wait a whole year for the next book but then I think of George R.R. Martin fans and well.. it could be much worse.
Unfortunately, along with the retainer are requests from Ross for additional work. In A GAME OF GHOSTS, Parker is tasked with tracking down Jaycob Ecklund, a private investigator who recently went off the grid working a case for Ross. As Parker, along with Louis & Angel, begin digging into Ecklund’s life, they quickly become caught up in a web of organized crime, murder and the mysterious actions of a deadly cult that will stop at nothing to protect its anonymity.
A GAME OF GHOSTS, the fifteenth book in the series, is the most transformative since the above mentioned THE WRATH OF ANGELS. While dealing with a deadly cult is nothing new for Parker, there are several major moments that will irreparably alter the timeline. Although Connolly has crafted a rich world filled with deeply developed characters, it’s good to know he isn’t just content to coast and is willing to shake things up when needed. I wish I could spill the beans about one of the several shocking events, but I’d ruin it for fans of the series seeing as it hasn’t even been released in North America yet (I nabbed the early UK release).
As far as supernatural activity goes, on a scale of one to ten, if the first novel in the series was a one, then A GAME OF GHOSTS is an eleven. Over the course of the series, Connolly has slowly ratcheted up the scare-factor with each passing entry. Now, at book fifteen, we’re seeing Connolly throw realism completely out the window. While I can remember being hesitant initially with this gradual change in direction, I’ve come to alter my opinion as it helps the series stick out and feel different in a sea of thrillers.
I am forever grateful to Mr. Connolly for providing his readers with a new installment of Charlie Parker’s story every single year. There are not many authors who can do that yet still keep the quality of their work at such a high level. I’d lament about having to wait a whole year for the next book but then I think of George R.R. Martin fans and well.. it could be much worse.
July 7, 2017
I received only an excerpt .. Chapter 1 only ... of this latest Charlie Parker thriller.
Since I have not read all the previous books, I felt a little left out in the cold. And with only one chapter to read, there is a lot left to desire.
Charlie Parker meets his employer, Edgar Ross, an FBI Agent, in a restaurant in the middle of winter. Almost the entire first chapter is descriptive of the weather, and lamenting his numerous aches and pains and old wounds.
The two men have a drink and order their dinner and then make small talk until the food arrives. And then Parker asks the question .... Why am I here?
This could have been any number of books. I found nothing compelling that would draw me in and keep me involved in the story line. I am sure that a fan of this author would not agree.
To explain my rating --- It is so difficult to rate an entire book on only one chapter. Unless it was an explosive beginning or a dreadful beginning, I feel it fair to put it right in the middle and let readers of the entire book be the judge.
Many thanks to the author / Atria Books / Netgalley for the excerpt of this novel. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Since I have not read all the previous books, I felt a little left out in the cold. And with only one chapter to read, there is a lot left to desire.
Charlie Parker meets his employer, Edgar Ross, an FBI Agent, in a restaurant in the middle of winter. Almost the entire first chapter is descriptive of the weather, and lamenting his numerous aches and pains and old wounds.
The two men have a drink and order their dinner and then make small talk until the food arrives. And then Parker asks the question .... Why am I here?
This could have been any number of books. I found nothing compelling that would draw me in and keep me involved in the story line. I am sure that a fan of this author would not agree.
To explain my rating --- It is so difficult to rate an entire book on only one chapter. Unless it was an explosive beginning or a dreadful beginning, I feel it fair to put it right in the middle and let readers of the entire book be the judge.
Many thanks to the author / Atria Books / Netgalley for the excerpt of this novel. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
June 23, 2019
Charlie Parker recibe un nuevo encargo del agente del FBI Edgar Ross: localizar a un detective, Jaycob Eklund, que lleva desaparecido un tiempo. Parker pronto sabrá que Eklund investigaba extraños homicidios y desapariciones. Y, cómo no, contará con la ayuda de Louis y Angel.
‘El frío de la muerte’ (A Game of Ghosts, 2017; raro que una editorial importante como Tusquets no haya respetado el original), del irlandés John Connolly, es otra muestra de la mejor novela negra que se puede leer actualmente. Novela negra sobrenatural, hay que añadir, elemento que cada vez está más presente en las tramas, algo que me fascina. Además, Connolly escribe francamente bien. Como dice una de las frases promocionales: ”En ninguna de sus páginas encontrarás una sola frase aburrida”. No puedo estar más de acuerdo.
‘El frío de la muerte’ (A Game of Ghosts, 2017; raro que una editorial importante como Tusquets no haya respetado el original), del irlandés John Connolly, es otra muestra de la mejor novela negra que se puede leer actualmente. Novela negra sobrenatural, hay que añadir, elemento que cada vez está más presente en las tramas, algo que me fascina. Además, Connolly escribe francamente bien. Como dice una de las frases promocionales: ”En ninguna de sus páginas encontrarás una sola frase aburrida”. No puedo estar más de acuerdo.
October 24, 2024
Not to be flippant, but it takes a global pandemic to truly reevaluate one’s place in the universe. Something as unprecedented as the spread of the coronavirus automatically lends one’s thoughts toward issues of life, death, and the afterlife.
Thoughts about an afterlife rarely crossed my mind on a daily basis prior to the last few weeks. They are ever-present now, it seems. With a steadily rising death rate and an exponentially rising infection rate in the U.S., it’s a wonder more people don’t seem to be going insane with terror, running through the streets, screaming. We’re all keeping it together, though, so we have that to be proud of, I suppose. Then again, we haven’t even reached the projected peak of the infection, so who knows what the fuck will be happening in a few more weeks.
Anyway, the afterlife: I’m inching closer and closer to believing in one. To be honest, I’m not sure that I ever truly stopped believing in one, I’ve just come closer and closer to the realization that we can’t comprehend, at all, what it is like. My childhood vision of heaven and hell—-with angels, clouds and harps; demons, fire and brimstone—-is probably as close to the truth as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are close to being real.
Of course, it doesn’t help that I have been reading a lot of John Connolly lately. “A Game of Ghosts”, Connolly’s fifteenth book to feature his haunted private detective, Charlie Parker, is all about the afterlife, but the afterlife and the supernatural in general have always played a preeminent role in Connolly’s fiction. This one just kicks it up a notch.
The plot—-as par for the course for a Connolly novel—-is elegantly convoluted. There are so many storylines going on, so many characters to keep track of, it’s almost silly of me to try and break it down for you, so I won’t.
I will say that if you have never read a Connolly novel—-and a Parker novel, in particular—-this one is probably not the one to start with. So many narrative threads have transpired prior to this book, so many well-established characters have, or will, come to their (satisfactory and/or satisfying) end in this book, and so much of Parker’s backstory is vital to fully understanding what is going on in this book, that the book would read like gibberish to a reader coming at Parker for the first time. Sure, it might suck you in with Connolly’s hauntingly beautiful prose, and the ideas within may seem fascinating, but you simply won’t get it.
Just know that it is a humdinger of a ghost story. Creepy as hell, guaranteed to give one hair-raising goosebumps and possible night terrors months from now. It will—-like the events in the world right now—-also force one to contemplate what awaits us all after death. For some of us, the thought of an afterlife is a pleasant thought, a consoling thought of a place where we may one day reunite with loved ones and see paradise, finally.
Others, however (and Connolly seems to take very little glee in the thought), may find the thought of an afterlife as a terror beyond anything that this world can concoct, because if the afterlife is a place where we ultimately meet our final judgment, the thought of death as a vast infinite nothingness may actually be preferable.
Thoughts about an afterlife rarely crossed my mind on a daily basis prior to the last few weeks. They are ever-present now, it seems. With a steadily rising death rate and an exponentially rising infection rate in the U.S., it’s a wonder more people don’t seem to be going insane with terror, running through the streets, screaming. We’re all keeping it together, though, so we have that to be proud of, I suppose. Then again, we haven’t even reached the projected peak of the infection, so who knows what the fuck will be happening in a few more weeks.
Anyway, the afterlife: I’m inching closer and closer to believing in one. To be honest, I’m not sure that I ever truly stopped believing in one, I’ve just come closer and closer to the realization that we can’t comprehend, at all, what it is like. My childhood vision of heaven and hell—-with angels, clouds and harps; demons, fire and brimstone—-is probably as close to the truth as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are close to being real.
Of course, it doesn’t help that I have been reading a lot of John Connolly lately. “A Game of Ghosts”, Connolly’s fifteenth book to feature his haunted private detective, Charlie Parker, is all about the afterlife, but the afterlife and the supernatural in general have always played a preeminent role in Connolly’s fiction. This one just kicks it up a notch.
The plot—-as par for the course for a Connolly novel—-is elegantly convoluted. There are so many storylines going on, so many characters to keep track of, it’s almost silly of me to try and break it down for you, so I won’t.
I will say that if you have never read a Connolly novel—-and a Parker novel, in particular—-this one is probably not the one to start with. So many narrative threads have transpired prior to this book, so many well-established characters have, or will, come to their (satisfactory and/or satisfying) end in this book, and so much of Parker’s backstory is vital to fully understanding what is going on in this book, that the book would read like gibberish to a reader coming at Parker for the first time. Sure, it might suck you in with Connolly’s hauntingly beautiful prose, and the ideas within may seem fascinating, but you simply won’t get it.
Just know that it is a humdinger of a ghost story. Creepy as hell, guaranteed to give one hair-raising goosebumps and possible night terrors months from now. It will—-like the events in the world right now—-also force one to contemplate what awaits us all after death. For some of us, the thought of an afterlife is a pleasant thought, a consoling thought of a place where we may one day reunite with loved ones and see paradise, finally.
Others, however (and Connolly seems to take very little glee in the thought), may find the thought of an afterlife as a terror beyond anything that this world can concoct, because if the afterlife is a place where we ultimately meet our final judgment, the thought of death as a vast infinite nothingness may actually be preferable.
July 12, 2017
Another exceptional entry in the Charlie Parker series with Charlie investigating the disappearance of a private investigator at the request of the FBI man Ross, with a mysterious group known as The Brethren working its way into the mystery. All of the familiar characters are present in this one and the story contains some surprising developments for important characters. Further proof as to why this is the best series out there and Connolly is the best thriller writer alive, bar none. If you're not reading this series you are seriously missing out. 4.5 stars. Very highly recommended for fans of the series.
May 23, 2018
John Connolly is really at the top of his game with “A Game of Ghosts". Hands down, the best supernatural thriller series out there. I am always bummed when I finish the latest in the series and have to wait for the next release. I want it now.
April 20, 2023
Wow, just wow. I feel like this book marks the end of a chapter. I loved it, of course! This series is just phenomenal. It's so hard not to end one and start the next one right away. Thankfully, I am reading these with some friends so that helps. All of my friends should be reading this series. What are y'all waiting on?! :p
July 18, 2024
Saw a blurb on the back of one of his books that said, "A genre of one." Can't say it much better than that. Starts with a little incest and only gets weirder from there.
April 2, 2025
Завършвам годината както я започнах - с роман от серията за Чарли Паркър.
Но нещо не останах съвсем доволен от "Игра на духове". :(
Нова порция от откачалки пресичат пътя на митичния детектив и естествено, съжаляват дълбоко за това.
Съчетано с кофти превод и убийствено дребен шрифт, тази част е далеч от най-доброто в поредицата.
Но нещо не останах съвсем доволен от "Игра на духове". :(
Нова порция от откачалки пресичат пътя на митичния детектив и естествено, съжаляват дълбоко за това.
Съчетано с кофти превод и убийствено дребен шрифт, тази част е далеч от най-доброто в поредицата.
August 7, 2018
Καταπληκτικό! Για άλλη μία φορά ο John Connolly εντυπωσιάζει με τη γραφή του!!
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