Review of "The Dirty South: A Charlie Parker Thriller" by John Connolly

 

This is the 18th book in the Charlie Parker series, but it's actually a prequel that introduces us to the former cop turned independent investigator. The book works fine as a standalone.

*****

It's 1997 and NYPD Detective Charlie Parker, who's devastated by the horrific ritualistic murders of his wife and daughter, quits his job. Hearing of other macabre murders from an FBI source, Charlie wanders the country seeking his family's killer.



This brings Parker to the downtrodden town of Cargill, Arkansas, where two black girls were tortured and slain.



Unfortunately the county's Chief Investigator, Jurel Cade, is disinclined to look into the homicides.



Cade's family, a wealthy clan that owns most of the property in Cargill, is negotiating with Kovas industries to build factories in the area. The plants would bring prosperity and jobs to the region, and Jurel and other residents don't want to scare Kovas off.

Thus the first murder is swept under the rug and the second killing is declared an accident, though both victims were stabbed with a knife and and violated with tree branches.



When Parker rolls into town asking questions about the dead girls, he irritates the townsfolk and comes to the attention of Police Chief Evander Griffin, who throws Charlie in jail overnight. Coincidentally another dead black girl is discovered, this time in Griffin's jurisdiction, and the Police Chief DOES plan to investigate.



When the Chief learns Parker is a former NYPD detective, he asks the ex-cop to help with the murder inquiry, and Parker (reluctantly) agrees.



Cargill is a typical poverty-stricken, old-fashioned southern town with a strong racial divide, though not much overt animosity between blacks and whites.





Still, most of the white population doesn't make a fuss when the murders of black victims go unsolved.

When Parker starts looking into the black girls' homicides, the Cade family, which has a LOT to lose, takes exception....and one of them hires thugs to beat Parker to a pulp. Charlie hears about this plan and phones his acquaintances Louis and Angel, who hustle down to Cargill to watch his back. What they do when they get there made me smile. 🙂



In addition to being plagued by a serial killer, Cargill has other problems. The abutting Ouachita Forest is home to meth labs, which spawns an entire criminal industry;



the negotiator from Kovas who flies into Cargill periodically is corrupt;



and Pappy Cade (Jurel's father) bribes, threatens, cheats, and strongarms the locals to acquire their land.



The criminal elements also employ sadistic enforcers, who just add to Cargill's woes.



The story has a large cast of characters, including a troubled preacher; a sociopathic pedophile; a venal businessman; a haughty woman; and other folks I wouldn't want to meet. The novel is almost a sociological study of a poor town run by a heartless. greedy, self-serving family.

Unlike other Charlie Parker novels, this one has almost no supernatural elements, as Charlie (apparently) hasn't plugged into his paranormal abilities yet.

I liked seeing Parker at the beginning of his private detective odyssey, and his early association with Louis and Angel. A good addition to the series.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (John Connolly), and the publisher (Atria/Emily Bestler Books) for a copy of the book.

Rating: 3.5 stars