Dark Hollow. The second book in the series of Charlie Parker novels. A review of the story and the deepening mythos being hinted at in this brilliant detective/supernatural blend.

 

Dark Hollow by John Connolly, a review.

    This begins with a series of events that appear unrelated to one another. A sting turned bad, and the suicide of an old woman near the town of Dark Hollow. Unfortunately, though that is not the case, one proves to impact the other. Charlie Parker finds himself in the middle of something he cannot escape as the events spiral outwards and bring an old evil back into the world. 

    I always enjoy the novels following Charlie Parker. For me, Connolly's writing style drags me in and keeps me engaged even after reading the book several times. Parker feels so real, his world almost tangible, and those he interacts with leave a lasting impression of their own. Connolly always does a good job of building the tension throughout his books, as we, and Parker, learn more about what the detective faces. We meet Parker still dealing with the aftermath of the confrontation with the Travelling man and all that occurred, still haunted by his deceased wife and daughter. We catch him just as he is dealing with a new case and pinned with a knife cutting into his cheek. Parker is not having a good day as he attempts to deal with one, Billy Purdue. He has come to get child support from the brutish young man, an attempt to help Purdue's ex-wife and child, and things have not gone well. The novels are written largely in the first person, and we get everything from Parker's point of view. His internal monologue often has me smiling as the detective comments on his own stupidity or that of others around him. Billy Purdue is trouble from the get-go and proves to be at the center of everything that unfolds around Parker. From this simple interaction, Parker managing to get out of it relatively unscathed, things spiral rapidly. It isn't long before Parker finds himself dealing with the Mob, assassins, and worse, the detective reeling from one murder to another. Somehow, it all revolves around Purdue, from the sting to the sudden unexpected deaths of his ex-wife and child. Parker is driven by his sense of principle, unwilling to let their deaths go as he moves from one line of inquiry to another. This aspect of Parker is probably the most compelling. Parker isn't driven by anger or hate but by empathy and compassion. This single factor means that he can't turn away from what is going on around him.

    Parker doesn't believe that Purdue is responsible for his family's death, no matter how it looks. He begins to think that he may have inadvertently caused it through his dealings with the Mob boss Tony Clean. The thing is, more people begin to turn up dead, ones that Tony Clean would not know about, people from Billy's past. As Parker delves deeper into these mysteries, more problems arise, and it is only through the arrival of his friends, Louis and Angel, that we learn of them. The relationship between these three men feels very real. Louis and Angel have Parker's back at every turn, and without them, he would fall afoul of the dangers that lurk out in the dark. Connolly does well at wrapping up Parker's family history as part of the tale, events in his grandfather's past that impact the things Parker is now up against. It all feels very organic in its presentation and the way it takes place within the novel. Faced with another complication, Parker, finds himself looking for the daughter of old friends. Ellen Cole has gone missing, having last been seen, with her boyfriend, heading Northwards. This doesn't feel like a coincidence to Parker, but he is unsure which party could be responsible. The story builds rapidly, further complications added as he arrives in the town of Dark Hollow, old wounds reopened, and more dangers than the detective had anticipated. Throughout it, Parker continues to be haunted by half-seen figures and the specters of his dead wife and child, the anniversary of their deaths creeping upon him. Again Connolly does a good job of weaving in elements of the supernatural, of another world that exists alongside our own. Again and again, a singular name comes up, Caleb Kyle. Kyle is a figure of dark legend, a tale of darkness and fear that is supposed to be nothing more than the bogeyman. Parker knows that there is more to that name than that. Years ago, his grandfather met such a man and was left horrified by what he discovered in his wake.

    The theme of this book seems to be of the past influencing the present, of old evils that corrupt and live on far longer than they have a right to. Again Parker is left changed by these encounters. How could he not be? There is enough character development here to warrant the changes, enough to keep readers interested in how Parker may change in future novels. As someone who has read many of them, it is worth continuing on with the series.

    This book easily gets a 4 out of five. This should be higher, but I have to compare it to the rest of the series, and in comparison, 4 seems the right number. I would recommend it to any fan of detective novels or horror/supernatural books in general. Let me know if you think the same.