The Unquiet: A Thriller (Charlie Parker Thrillers)
by John Connolly
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Book Summary Information
Author: John ConnollyEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-05-15
ISBN: 0743298934
Number of pages: 432
Publisher: Atria Books
Book Reviews of The Unquiet: A Thriller (Charlie Parker Thrillers)
Book Review: Has Bird lost his mojo?
Summary: 4 Stars
I have read every single one of John Connolly's offerings and in the right order, so you could call me a fan. And THE UNQUIET was one of a very select number of novels new out in 2007 that I had to buy as soon as possible. It's very good, for sure, but I can't convince myself that I enjoyed it as much as one or two of Connolly's earlier works, my personal favourite remaining THE WHITE ROAD. I have to admit though that he seems to have addressed one of my most consistent complaints over the past few years, that being the excessive and often gratuitous levels of violence displayed by all characters past, be they on the right or wrong side of the law. In this latest episode in the life of Charlie `Bird' Parker, you will find yourself deep into the second half before so much as a bullet is fired, and I certainly welcomed this. This relatively mellow tone doesn't last forever of course, because normal service is eventually resumed even if the triggers of Parker and his associates Louis and Angel remain in place from start to finish. This might suggest that there are many lighter moments that give Louis an opportunity to display his super-cool wit, but this isn't the case, as there is little in the way of humour at any time and certainly less than in many of the preceding Parker tales.
By now you will know that the underlying theme of this tale is the sexual abuse of children, and somewhat inevitably Connolly, in his own style, makes it clear that in the pecking order of evil, paedophiles rank below (i.e. worse than) the likes of violent criminals, contract killers and characters who might represent the Devil himself. Few would disagree, I guess, but apart from that classification the reader gains little in the way of insight into what makes such monsters do what they do, indeed in the closing pages Parker raises numerous questions but neither he nor the writer offers much in the way of answers. Furthermore, as all the despicable acts have taken place in years past, the reader is not really caught up in what might otherwise have been the emotional trauma that, in reality, parents and children suffer while it is taking place. Although there were many emotionally troubling moments throughout this tale, they sometimes related more to the supernatural experiences that Parker continues to endure and to the introspective nature of his life and character that the reader gets a closer look at here than in novels past. The bottom line is that while it is at all times interesting it never really raises the heartbeat in quite the same way as Connolly's earlier works succeeded in doing. I couldn't really call it a thriller, at least not my own interpretation of what a real thriller is supposed to do. And curiously, Parker sympathises with his leading opposite number - a professional killer who has spent most of his life in jail and is now on the trail of those responsible for the abduction of his young daughter years earlier. This is a man with a ruthless ability to terminate life but only if, in his own somewhat twisted judgement, the victim is deserving of it.
All I can say about the end was that it was `quiet' and mostly devoid of violence; an anti-climax in a sense. That's not to say that it was an unsatisfying end, but for anyone familiar with the other five Parker escapades, it's safe to say that it's really rather different from any of them. The writer picked a subject that invited the greatest possible sense of hatred for the fictional villains, yet strangely elected to keep the paedophiles in the background while focusing more on those seeking retribution and in doing so possibly instilled a sense of respect for the avenger despite his uncompromisingly evil and murderous past. Personally I found THE TREATMENT by Mo Hayder tackled this issue of child abuse in a darker and more `thrilling' fashion, and succeeded in drawing the reader down to the lowest level of the lows as one should expect in tales of this kind.
Just faintly disappointing, then, but expectations were sky-high and it's possible that the author's recent excursions into non-Parker territory have taken the edge of his writing a little, even if the finished product is his most authentic and well-rounded to date. I liked it a lot, it's an intelligent piece of writing throughout but it didn't thrill me in the way I know Connolly can.
Summary of The Unquiet: A Thriller (Charlie Parker Thrillers)
That is the nature of revenge. It escalates. It cannot be controlled. One hurt invites another, on and on until the original injury is all but forgotten in the chaos of what follows.Daniel Clay, a once-respected psychiatrist, has gone missing. His daughter insists that he killed himself after allegations surfaced surrounding the harm done to patients in his care. Now, a killer obsessed with finding the truth about his own daughter?s disappearance is seeking revenge?and private investigator Charlie Parker finds himself trapped between those who want the truth about Clay?s disappearance to be revealed, and those who will go to any length?no matter the cost?to keep a deep, dark secret about a local town hidden.
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