Review of "The Instruments of Darkness: A Charlie Parker Thriller" by John Connolly

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In this 21st book in the 'Charlie Parker' series, the sleuth investigates the disappearance of a child. This supernatural mystery thriller works fine as a standalone.

When two-year-old Henry Clark disappears from his toddler bed in Portland, Maine.....



.......suspicion quickly falls on Henry's mother Colleen.



Colleen's husband Stephen - who was on a business trip when Henry vanished - tells the police that Colleen had post-partum depression and anger issues. When Stephen finds a blood-stained blanket in the trunk of Colleen's car, that clinches it.



For her part, Colleen says she had a glass of wine, fell asleep, and woke up to find Henry gone. Colleen further claims to know nothing about the blood-stained blanket in her car, but the authorities don't believe her, and prepare to make an arrest.



Colleen is represented by attorney Moxie Castin......



......who works with private detective Charlie Parker. Colleen, who's distraught about her missing child, believes Parker will understand her plight because he lost his daughter years ago.



Little Henry's disappearance galvanizes the public, and journalists, vloggers, amateur detectives, web sleuths, and would be podcasters, along with protesters of various types haunt the Clarks' neighborhood.



Vandals aren't far behind, and Parker engages two bruisers, Paulie and Tony Fauci, to guard Colleen's house.



Meanwhile, state attorney general Paul Novak and assistant attorney general Erin Becker see an opportunity in the situation.





Novak plans to run for governor, and Becker hopes to climb the ladder into Novak's shoes. A successful prosecution of Colleen Clark would help their ambitions, and they mean to put her on trial and lock her up.

As Parker investigates Henry's disappearance, he learns that Colleen's husband Stephen had an affair with a woman, Mara Teller, whom he met at a National Gas and Petrochemicals Forum. When Parker tries to track down Teller, who's supposedly an industry consultant, he finds that Teller's name is fake and her company doesn't exist.



Meanwhile, a psychic named Sabine Drew, who's had mixed results finding missing children, contacts Parker. Sabine tells Parker she hears young Henry screaming in her head, and that the boy is in the clutches of an evil entity. Parker is skeptical - but since he sees and speaks to his dead daughter Jennifer - Parker doesn't blow Sabine off.



As all this is happening in Portland, we visit rural Maine, where the wooded property of the Michaud family harbors a very old house built from Sears Kit #174. No one has ever lived in the house, which is dilapidated but secure, with a heavy steel door. The unfinished basement of the dwelling harbors an ancient unseen hungry presence.



The Michauds, two sisters and a brother, have a home near the Sears dwelling, and do their best to ensure that no one disturbs the old place.





This is getting more difficult, because militant Neo-Nazis have a camp near the Michaud property, and they want to rent Sears House #174. The Neo-Nazis are funded by billionaire racist Bobby Ocean, who's an old enemy of Charlie Parker.



A firebomb thrown at Colleen Clark's house, seemingly by acquaintances of Bobby Ocean, brings Parker to rural Maine. As always in dangerous situations, Parker brings his good friends Angel and Louis, two tough birds who like nothing better than killing bad guys.





The novel is long and complicated, but all the story lines come together in an exciting, action-packed climax. People like to say Charlie Parker has nine lives, which is great, because I look forward to his further adventures.

Rating: 4 stars

Review of "Clete: A Dave Robicheaux Thriller" by James Lee Burke

 

Most books in the 'Dave Robicheaux series' are told from the POV of Detective Robicheaux.

This 24th novel in the series is a slight departure, and Dave's best friend Clete Purcell takes the lead. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a bonus.



Both Dave and Clete are Vietnam vets, and both suffer from PTSD because of their terrible experiences in Southeast Asia. Following Vietnam, Dave and Clete were partners in the New Orleans Police Department, where they called themselves the 'Bobbsey Twins from Homicide'.



In New Orleans, Dave and Clete dealt with mobsters, gambling, prostitution, drugs, loan sharks, money laundering, extortion, murder, and the inherent corruption in Louisiana.



Clete's inability to follow rules got him kicked off the New Orleans police force, and he's now a private investigator/bail bondsman in New Orleans and New Iberia. Clete works for gangsters and lowlifes; eats to excess; drinks too much; falls for the wrong women; and uses violence (and worse) against his enemies. Clete loves Dave like a brother, and would give his life for him.



Dave is now a recovering alcoholic who drinks Dr. Pepper and works as a sheriff's investigator for the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office. Dave is a widower with a grown adopted daughter, Alafair, who he rescued from a downed plane when she was five. Dave sometimes has blackouts, during which he does violent things he can't remember. Dave considers Clete his best friend, and rues his pal's self-destructive behavior.



*****

As the story opens in the 1990s, Clete Purcell leaves his vintage, lavender pink Cadillac Eldorado convertible, with a stereo that plays his jazz and R&B and rock and roll tapes, at Eddy's Car Wash.



A couple of days after Clete picks up his car, he wakes up to find three roughnecks ripping his Cadillac apart. One vandal is covered in tattoos and holding a crowbar; one is wearing dirty cargo pants, and one sports a Neo-Nazi T-shirt. Clete, who carries a picture of a Jewish mother and her children going to the gas chamber in a Nazi concentration camp, ESPECIALLY hates Neo-Nazis and racists.



It seems Clete's car got mixed up with another Cadillac at the car wash, and the lowlifes are looking for their 'goods' hidden in the car. A vicious fight ensues, Clete gets knocked out, and the vandals skedaddle.

When Clete recovers, he confronts the owner of the car wash, Eddy Durbin, who's very cagy. When pressed, Eddy admits his shady, brain-damaged brother Andy was involved with whatever was hidden in the Cadillac, but Eddy insists he doesn't know what it is.



Clete calls his friend Dave Robicheaux, who agrees to hang out at Clete's New Orleans house for a few days, in case the creeps come back. Clete and Dave do some nosing around, and learn that the Neo-Nazi who ripped up Clete's car belongs to a racist group called the New Rising.



Afterwards, circumstances lead Clete to harbor three women in his house: a night club dancer called Gracie Lamar, who got into trouble for kicking an aggressive customer in the mouth, and damaging his teeth;



a young Chinese drug addict called Chen, who was rescued from a human trafficker;



and a cleaning lady named Miss Dorothy, who's looking after Chen, and helping her kick the habit.



Meanwhile, all sorts of people seem desperate to find 'the goods' (supposedly) hidden in Clete's Cadillac. Some of them are murdered in horribly gruesome ways, which brings in a New Orleans vice cop and an FBI agent.





As this is happening, Clete meets a pretty filmmaker named Clara Bow, who hires him to investigate her crooked husband.



It's clear Clara has an agenda, and Clete has a habit of falling for pretty young women, but this time Clete is 'rescued' by 15th century Joan of Arc. Joan has begun appearing to Clete when he needs help, or requires a nudge in the right direction, and Clete is convinced she's real.



Clete and Dave eventually learn the 'lost goods' the Neo-Nazis and their cohorts are looking for is a deadly substance called Leprechaun, that could do immeasurable harm. The conspirators don't care, as long as they make money from selling it.

Clete and Dave make it their mission to stop the 'dealers', which leads to hazardous situations, violence, and death. The Bobbsey Twins from Homicide have a hard time dealing with all this horror, and Clete drinks too much, and tries to prevent Dave from blacking out and killing people.





As always in the Dave Robicheaux books, James Lee Burke does a superb job of capturing the ambiance of southern Louisiana. with its mixed population of Acadians, Whites, Blacks, and others; the swamps and bayous; the spicy Cajun food, the jazz music; recreational fishing, etc. The reader almost feels like a visitor.




This is an engaging thriller, and I enjoyed the adventure scenes as well as the delectable scenes where Clete and Dave enjoy great local food, such as: porkchops; biscuits with butter and milk gravy; deep-fried fish and shrimp and oysters; fried chicken and dirty rice; ham and onion sandwiches with tomatoes, mayonnaise, and sauce piquante; beignets and coffee; and more.


Pork Chops


Biscuits with Butter and Milk Gravy


Deep-fried Fish and Shrimp and Oysters


Ham and Onion Sandwich with Tomatoes, Mayonnaise, and Sauce Piquante


Beignets and Coffee

Thanks to Netgalley, James Lee Burke, and Atlantic Monthly Press for a copy of the book.

Rating: 4 stars

Review of "The Debt Collector: A Thriller " by Steven Max Russo

Petite, pretty, blond Abigail (Abby) Barnes looks like a college co-ed, but she's really a debt collector for bookies. loan sharks, and other people who want to get paid what they're owed.



The tools of Abigail's trade include custom made brass knuckles with a blade and spike on either side; a 357 Magnum with a 6-inch barrel; and expertise in Krav Maga.







Running from trouble in Baltimore, Abby arrives in New Jersey looking for work.



Abby happens to meet an amiable drunk named Hector, who's just robbed a six pack of beer from a liquor store, and they take a casual liking to each other.



When Hector learns about Abby's profession, he introduces her to his cousin Raffie. Hector explains "Raffie done time, two years in Northern State. He runs with some guys, heads a crew does work for the Italians. You meet him, he seems nice enough. But....he's a hard case." Raffie usually hangs out with his pal Vincent, who does collections for mobsters.



Raffie is a criminal in his own right, but he also helps out mob boss Ronnie Slacks, a ruthless gangster who extorts money every which way he can.



Once Abby demonstrates her combat skills to Raffie - by beating up his right hand man Vincent - Raffie sends Abby to bookie Benny Friedman, who needs some collecting done. Benny is skeptical about hiring a Barbie doll lookalike to do collections, so Abby gives him a demonstration.



Looking innocent, Abby says, "What do you see, Mr. Friedman? A cute girl standing here, maybe someone you would like to buy an ice cream cone?" Then Abby leans in and points her 357 Magnum in Benny's face and says, "No, Mr. Friedman, I don't think so. I think all you can see is the black hole at the end of this barrel...and right now you would anything, and I mean anything just to get rid of me."



Benny sends Abby to collect fifty grand from a spoiled rich stockbroker who drives around in a beautiful Porsche 911, but won't pay his debts.



Abby persuades the stockbroker to pay up by putting him in a choke hold, squeezing his head between her thighs, taping his hands together, pulling out clumps of his hair with a pliers, and threatening to hurt his mother. Abby gets the fifty grand the stockbroker owes Benny, takes her cut, and delivers the rest of the cash to the bookie.

The next day, Benny the bookie is found dead in his office, his head on the desk in a dark pool of blood, and his safe open and empty.



The New Jersey cops are pressured to find the killer fast, because New York business mogul Alexander Bayne is planning to move his offices to New Jersey, and the mayor doesn't want him to be put off.



This sets off a cascade of events, as the mayor leans on Police Detective Dennis Eagen;



who pressures mobster Ronnie Slacks;



who puts the screws to Raffie.



They collectively decide to pin Benny's murder on Abby, who was known to be in the bookie's office on the day he was killed. So Raffie calls his cousin Hector - who's friendly with Abby - to discover the collector's whereabouts.



The thing is, Hector is QUITE chummy with Abby, and Abby is VERY clever. As the cops, gangbangers, and mobsters pursue Abby, she takes evasive and aggressive action, with Hector's help as needed.



There's plenty of death and destruction in the novel, which is an action packed thriller, lightened with a big dose of humor. One ongoing gag is Abby's name; Hector thinks she's called Gabby; and the criminals think her name is Sally.

I like Abby, who's essentially a nice gal who has to make a living.....and doesn't feel bad about making people pay what they owe. Hector is a fun character as well, being a small time criminal who longs to work in lawn maintenance.



The novel's finale leaves room for a sequel, which could be another action filled adventure.

Thanks to Netgalley and Steven Max Russo for a copy of the book.

Rating 3.5 stars