The Killing Kind

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!
Review: I have just finished reading this book, the third one from Mr. Connolly. The only thing I can say is that he is a very gifted writer. I could not let go of the book, so much that I finished reading it at 3 a.m. !Wow! Interesting, very well written, characters so very finely represented that one feels the action alongside them, feels the emotions, the sensations expressed by the writer without getting tired, wanting more and more of the story. I think this is the best book by Mr. Connolly, without in no way diminishing his other books, but this one really had me biting my nails. I will not easily forget the "bad" characters, they are vivid and really frightening. Wonderful book. I hope he continues writing like this, with real insight of his "children". Excellent!!

Rating:
Summary: I Couldn't Put It Down
Review: I loved this book! I couldn't put it down -- it's recommended read, just have plenty of time to finish it because you won't be able to stop!

Rating:
Summary: I Couldn't Put It Down
Review: I loved this book! I couldn't put it down -- it's recommended read, just have plenty of time to finish it because you won't be able to stop!

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent, Captivating Read
Review: I was walking though the bookstore where I work and came across this book, and I am happy that I did. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading the other books this author has written. I love Connolly's main character Private Detective Charlie Parker and his shady and colorful associates, Angel and Louis. It has taken me all of 2 days to read this book and I look forward to reading the 2 previous to this novel and the 2 after it. Excellent Writer.

Rating:
Summary: Not very plausible
Review: I'm not sure why this book was nominated for the Bram Stoker award. It's not scary or very horrific at all (with the exception of two or three scenes). The book is solidly written, but the story moves along like a TV movie-of-the-week, from one clue to another -- none of which is very believable. The coincidences and connections seem to easy and unrealistic, as if Mr. Connolly is struggling to connect the pieces of the story together. The story does moves rather quickly, but seems to be bogged down by various sub-plots that take our chararacter off in different directions. It's funny that one of Charlie Parker's first leads was the witness Marcy Becker, but conveniently Charlie doesn't get around to looking for her until the end. The book would have been 100 pages long if he had. I also had a problem with the amount of cliches during many of the action /danger scenes. With the exception of the very enjoyable opening involving Alison Beck, I've seen everything in this book before. A much better thriller writer is author Kevin O'Brien. With books like "Make Them Cry" and "Watch Them Die", he leaves John Connolly in the dust.

Rating:
Summary: Not very plausible
Review: I'm not sure why this book was nominated for the Bram Stoker award. It's not scary or very horrific at all (with the exception of two or three scenes). The book is solidly written, but the story moves along like a TV movie-of-the-week, from one clue to another -- none of which is very believable. The coincidences and connections seem to easy and unrealistic, as if Mr. Connolly is struggling to connect the pieces of the story together. The story does moves rather quickly, but seems to be bogged down by various sub-plots that take our chararacter off in different directions. It's funny that one of Charlie Parker's first leads was the witness Marcy Becker, but conveniently Charlie doesn't get around to looking for her until the end. The book would have been 100 pages long if he had. I also had a problem with the amount of cliches during many of the action /danger scenes. With the exception of the very enjoyable opening involving Alison Beck, I've seen everything in this book before. A much better thriller writer is author Kevin O'Brien. With books like "Make Them Cry" and "Watch Them Die", he leaves John Connolly in the dust.

Rating:
Summary: a reporter's eye, a poet's heart
Review: If W.B. Yeats had written crime fiction, it might have looked something like John Connolly's novels. This latest installment in Connolly's Charlie Parker series explores faith, guilt, sorrow and evil. Parker's investigation into the apparent suicide of a graduate student turns up the secret fate of a religious group in Maine, decades earlier; both events are tied to the mysterious and terrifying Mr. Pudd, a character who still haunts me. These books get better and more frightening, even as Parker himself seems to get more comfortable with the hand life has dealt him.

Rating:
Summary: The best yet...
Review: John Connolly deserves to be a household name...at least in the houses that enjoy crime novels. He has to be one of the most overlooked novelists in the genre. The Killing Kind was my favorite of the series so far. His use of words is superb. The visual images he paints are unbelievable. Great novelist....great novel. I recommend it to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: The best yet...
Review: John Connolly deserves to be a household name...at least in the houses that enjoy crime novels. He has to be one of the most overlooked novelists in the genre. The Killing Kind was my favorite of the series so far. His use of words is superb. The visual images he paints are unbelievable. Great novelist....great novel. I recommend it to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Another 5 Star From A Gifted Writer
Review: John Connolly is one fine writer: not only are plot and characters exceptionally well done, but his prose style is close to poetic. I re-read sections simply because the style was so grand. And he improves with each book. His protagonist in all three books is Charlie Parker, an ex-cop who left the force when his wife and child were brutally murdered in Connolly's first book, "Every Dead Thing". Characters introduced in this book follow through all three, so while "The Killing Kind" can be read on its own, many of the references to Parker's past can be better understood by a reading of the previous books. Which ain't all bad, folks, because, as I've said, this is one fine writer. Here, Parker is investigating the death of a young woman who was conducting research into a religious cult. No plot giveaways from your friendly reviewer, but be advised that the bad guy, "Mr. Pudd" is REALLY scary, and the uncertainty of the outcome persists to the very last page. I cannot recommend this book too much or praise Connolly's skills too highly. It's a "great read". And for fans, be advised that the fourth Parker novel, "The White Road", is available now from Amazon.com.uk. Trust me on this one, guys; enjoyment is guaranteed.