He then introduces us to attorney Eldritch and " the collector" in chapter three, and we are again entangled in a world only Connolly can build. When he finally introduces the protagonist, Charlie Parker, we aren't sure what to expect. This is the 14th book in the Parker series, and it probably helps to have read a few previously, but this is still an excellent story on its own. Charlie is a bit different in this book, after a near death experience in the last. The main storyline is about an ex-con Jerome Burnel, a hero who saved the lives of several people by killing the "bad guys." He explains that the thieves' angry relatives set him up for child pornography, and he spent five years being tormented in prison. He is out now and believes they are still after him. He disappears shortly after seeing Charlie, and the hunt is on.
Parker ends up in a place called "the Cut" in West Virginia, where people don't take kindly to strangers. They live among themselves and the criminal mentality runs The Cut. The various parts of the story start coming together, and characters from his previous novels show up in Time of Torment. Angel and Louis are particularly interesting and the relationship and dialog between them and Charlie add much to the book.
Connelly writes like few others, and this book particularly has a spooky feel throughout. If you have never experienced Parker before, you are in for a treat. Just make sure you read it with all of the lights lit around you.
- Beverly
Publisher - Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Date of Publication - August 2, 2016