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Charlie Parker #23
A River Red With Blood: the spellbinding new Charlie Parker novel
Not yet published
Expected 7 May 26The players call it The Game. There are just two
No Killing Close to Home.
No Killing Outside the Game
But what happens when those rules get broken?
When the drowned body of a troubled teenager is recovered from a river in Maine's Kennebec Valley, and a young woman disappears from a small rural town, they draw the attention of the private investigator named Charlie Parker.
Now Parker will be forced to confront a band of men without morality and without loyalty, not even to one another, in a place where the very darkness is alive.
Because something has emerged from the shadows, something very bad.
And it wants revenge.
No Killing Close to Home.
No Killing Outside the Game
But what happens when those rules get broken?
When the drowned body of a troubled teenager is recovered from a river in Maine's Kennebec Valley, and a young woman disappears from a small rural town, they draw the attention of the private investigator named Charlie Parker.
Now Parker will be forced to confront a band of men without morality and without loyalty, not even to one another, in a place where the very darkness is alive.
Because something has emerged from the shadows, something very bad.
And it wants revenge.
405 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication May 5, 2026
10 people are currently reading
6329 people want to read
About the author
John Connolly
219 books8,005 followersJohn Connolly was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1968 and has, at various points in his life, worked as a journalist, a barman, a local government official, a waiter and a dogsbody at Harrods department store in London. He studied English in Trinity College, Dublin and journalism at Dublin City University, subsequently spending five years working as a freelance journalist for The Irish Times newspaper, to which he continues to contribute.
He is based in Dublin but divides his time between his native city and the United States.
This page is administered by John's assistant, Clair, on John's behalf. If you'd like to communicate with John directly, you can do so by writing to contact-at-johnconnollybooks.com, or by following him on Twitter at @JConnollyBooks.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See other authors with similar names.
He is based in Dublin but divides his time between his native city and the United States.
This page is administered by John's assistant, Clair, on John's behalf. If you'd like to communicate with John directly, you can do so by writing to contact-at-johnconnollybooks.com, or by following him on Twitter at @JConnollyBooks.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See other authors with similar names.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 31, 2026
What can I say I like Charlie Parker novels, love all the characters who are involved and if you haven’t read any of them yet here’s a short summary of what they are about.Charlie is a former police officer who’s wife and daughter are brutally murdered,he doesn’t get answers and leaves the police department to become a private investigator. He has the ability to talk with his daughter from beyond, she helps him solve complex cases.Then enters all his friends !A former hit man gangster Louis and his boyfriend who is dying from cancer and can also talk to the departed Angel, two huge thugs that will do anything for him the Fulco brothers and a medium named Sabine who tracks missing children and is also a medium these stories are filled with such interesting characters and that’s not even touching on the villains some just evil some with deals with spirits and evil angels and occult villains you never know who he will be dealing with next so if this is what you’re interested in give them a try, I feel you won’t be disappointed there are many books some better than others but the characters always keeps it interesting.
February 3, 2026
A masterpiece. After several installments of not getting too much new in terms of progression with the lore, this one paid off in full.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A River Red With Blood, the twenty-third title in John Connolly’s international bestselling Charlie Parker series, is set in Maine’s rural Kennebec River Valley. It is a gritty, twisty, and absorbing blend of a supernatural crime thriller, horror, and hardboiled detective mystery. But does it measure up to its predecessors? Read my review.
An eccentric private detective and his longtime associates work to untangle a web of murder and contemporary wickedness linked with ancient supernatural evil in this dark, riveting crime thriller from John Connolly, the bestselling author of the Charlie Parker series.
A horrifying crime. A tenacious investigator. A supernatural thriller of epic proportions.
In the rural Kennebec River Valley in northern Maine, the body of a teenage runaway from a private disciplinary school for boys is discovered in the water. It appeared he had broken his right leg before going into the water. The Maine authorities ruled it an accidental drowning, a death by misadventure, but the boy’s father, Ward Vose, an inmate at the Maine State Prison doesn’t believe it. Vose feels sure someone killed his son.
Called in to investigate the circumstances of the troubled boy’s death is Charlie Parker, a private investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by his eccentricity. Parker visits Vose at the prison and listens to his story. Unconvinced that anything had happened but an accidental drowning, he still takes the case after Vose tells him his son’s death may be connected to a teenage girl living near his son’s school, who has gone missing. Parker then discovers a past acquaintance with the reputation of being a medium who communicates with the dead, is also in the area attempting to find the missing girl or her remains.
Soon, the mystery takes a disturbing supernatural turn. Parker uncovers a critical clue. It all makes for a thorny puzzle when he learns that present-day evil may be connected to an ancient one that holds a personal connection for him.
My Review
Having read all the books in the series, I am well acquainted with and thoroughly enjoy John Connolly’s writing. He is a gifted storyteller and writer. While the books of this series always contain elements of supernatural and horror, the majority are more crime thrillers than supernatural, which is what I most enjoy reading. But Connolly does such a brilliant job of writing both elements and blending them into a complex whole that I always find his stories entertaining and enjoyable reading even though I don’t generally read novels about forces, beings, or occurrences existing outside the laws of the physical universe that cannot be explained by science.
While an entertaining and worthwhile read, A River Red With Blood, isn’t my favorite Charlie Parker novel. While the violence in these books tends to be graphic and disturbing, the graphic descriptions of child abuse, torture, and rape in this novel were at times hard to read and may be too graphic and disturbing for some readers. This is in no way meant as criticism of Connolly’s work. None of the violence was gratuitous but important to the overall story. And after all, it is a work of fiction, a well-crafted one with both new and familiar vivid characters. I enjoyed reading it and recommend it for crime thriller fans who would like to read a crime thriller with a unique twist and for horror and paranormal fans who might enjoy a bit of realism along with fantasy. Of course, Charlie Parker fans like me will find it another welcome addition to the series.
I received a digital advanced reader’s copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley used for this honest review.
An eccentric private detective and his longtime associates work to untangle a web of murder and contemporary wickedness linked with ancient supernatural evil in this dark, riveting crime thriller from John Connolly, the bestselling author of the Charlie Parker series.
A horrifying crime. A tenacious investigator. A supernatural thriller of epic proportions.
In the rural Kennebec River Valley in northern Maine, the body of a teenage runaway from a private disciplinary school for boys is discovered in the water. It appeared he had broken his right leg before going into the water. The Maine authorities ruled it an accidental drowning, a death by misadventure, but the boy’s father, Ward Vose, an inmate at the Maine State Prison doesn’t believe it. Vose feels sure someone killed his son.
Called in to investigate the circumstances of the troubled boy’s death is Charlie Parker, a private investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by his eccentricity. Parker visits Vose at the prison and listens to his story. Unconvinced that anything had happened but an accidental drowning, he still takes the case after Vose tells him his son’s death may be connected to a teenage girl living near his son’s school, who has gone missing. Parker then discovers a past acquaintance with the reputation of being a medium who communicates with the dead, is also in the area attempting to find the missing girl or her remains.
Soon, the mystery takes a disturbing supernatural turn. Parker uncovers a critical clue. It all makes for a thorny puzzle when he learns that present-day evil may be connected to an ancient one that holds a personal connection for him.
My Review
Having read all the books in the series, I am well acquainted with and thoroughly enjoy John Connolly’s writing. He is a gifted storyteller and writer. While the books of this series always contain elements of supernatural and horror, the majority are more crime thrillers than supernatural, which is what I most enjoy reading. But Connolly does such a brilliant job of writing both elements and blending them into a complex whole that I always find his stories entertaining and enjoyable reading even though I don’t generally read novels about forces, beings, or occurrences existing outside the laws of the physical universe that cannot be explained by science.
While an entertaining and worthwhile read, A River Red With Blood, isn’t my favorite Charlie Parker novel. While the violence in these books tends to be graphic and disturbing, the graphic descriptions of child abuse, torture, and rape in this novel were at times hard to read and may be too graphic and disturbing for some readers. This is in no way meant as criticism of Connolly’s work. None of the violence was gratuitous but important to the overall story. And after all, it is a work of fiction, a well-crafted one with both new and familiar vivid characters. I enjoyed reading it and recommend it for crime thriller fans who would like to read a crime thriller with a unique twist and for horror and paranormal fans who might enjoy a bit of realism along with fantasy. Of course, Charlie Parker fans like me will find it another welcome addition to the series.
I received a digital advanced reader’s copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley used for this honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5 Stars ⭐️
I went back and read my last few reviews from this series and laughed to myself because most of them started with some variation of "I'm not sure how to review this series" - Of course, that is paraphrasing but it's funny because that was how I was going to start this one (before I went back and read the prior reviews).
The reason that I think I start with that is because this series is TRULY one of the most unique and original storylines, while also being so blatantly different from any other out there - and trust me, I read A LOT of books. There are the normal storylines following Charlie's PI cases, but there is also a HUGE overarching storyline of supernatural involvement that has been unfolding little by little with each new book. And it is NOT your usual perception of something easy like maybe ghosts. No, we get to see real EVIL, angels (and NOT the good kind), and yes, sometimes ghosts as well.
We have learned early on that Charlie's murdered daughter Jennifer, is at the center of the things that are happening, and now we are learning that Charlie, Loius and Angel have a connection that transcends the norm. What that is - that is something that we are beginning to understand more and more with each new book. But Mr. Connolly excels in creating such CHILLING, spine tingling, and let's be honest...creepy atmospheres, while at the same time pulling you in and getting you to want to keep going in order to try to finally understand what is going on.
We have followed Charlie Parker for YEARS as he had evolved and grown, but Charlie is a man who has dealt with immense trauma - you could even say he is a magnet for pain.
In this book, Charlie takes on a case from a client of one of his attorney friends dealing with the death of the son of one of his inmate clients. It takes the investigation to a type of reform school that the boy had been sent to - The Spero. The Spero is NOT a good place.
At the same time, we get an alternate storyline centering around a group of men who have been playing what they call "The Game. " This is in essence where they kidnap, rape and murder women on a certain schedule with certain rules. Are the two lines of investigation related? That is what he is going to find out.
This was another winner and I liked the fact that we are finally getting more and more information regarding the relationship - and possibly "prior" relationships between our favorite trio of friends.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. This book will be out for publication on June 2, 2026.
I went back and read my last few reviews from this series and laughed to myself because most of them started with some variation of "I'm not sure how to review this series" - Of course, that is paraphrasing but it's funny because that was how I was going to start this one (before I went back and read the prior reviews).
The reason that I think I start with that is because this series is TRULY one of the most unique and original storylines, while also being so blatantly different from any other out there - and trust me, I read A LOT of books. There are the normal storylines following Charlie's PI cases, but there is also a HUGE overarching storyline of supernatural involvement that has been unfolding little by little with each new book. And it is NOT your usual perception of something easy like maybe ghosts. No, we get to see real EVIL, angels (and NOT the good kind), and yes, sometimes ghosts as well.
We have learned early on that Charlie's murdered daughter Jennifer, is at the center of the things that are happening, and now we are learning that Charlie, Loius and Angel have a connection that transcends the norm. What that is - that is something that we are beginning to understand more and more with each new book. But Mr. Connolly excels in creating such CHILLING, spine tingling, and let's be honest...creepy atmospheres, while at the same time pulling you in and getting you to want to keep going in order to try to finally understand what is going on.
We have followed Charlie Parker for YEARS as he had evolved and grown, but Charlie is a man who has dealt with immense trauma - you could even say he is a magnet for pain.
In this book, Charlie takes on a case from a client of one of his attorney friends dealing with the death of the son of one of his inmate clients. It takes the investigation to a type of reform school that the boy had been sent to - The Spero. The Spero is NOT a good place.
At the same time, we get an alternate storyline centering around a group of men who have been playing what they call "The Game. " This is in essence where they kidnap, rape and murder women on a certain schedule with certain rules. Are the two lines of investigation related? That is what he is going to find out.
This was another winner and I liked the fact that we are finally getting more and more information regarding the relationship - and possibly "prior" relationships between our favorite trio of friends.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. This book will be out for publication on June 2, 2026.
February 22, 2026
I received this ARC from NetGalley and Atria in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I’ve always loved the Charlie Parker series by John Connolly, but A River Red with Blood really reminded me why this series continues to stand out in the crowded world of crime fiction.
From the first few pages, the novel pulls you into its dark, unsettling atmosphere. Connolly has always had a talent for blending hard-boiled detective storytelling with something more ominous and almost supernatural, and this book is no exception. Charlie Parker remains one of the most compelling protagonists in modern crime fiction, he is haunted, morally complex, relentless, yet still deeply human. That balance is part of what keeps me coming back to the series.
What makes A River Red with Blood especially powerful is its mood. The setting feels alive oppressive, tense, and layered with secrets. Connolly’s prose is sharp and lyrical at the same time. He doesn’t just describe violence; he makes you feel the weight of it. The emotional undercurrents of grief, guilt and vengeance run as strongly as the mystery itself. It’s not just a crime novel; it’s a meditation on consequence and darkness.
I also love how the recurring characters continue to evolve. The long-running relationships in the Charlie Parker series give the book real depth. There’s history there and Connolly respects it. Nothing feels disposable. Every action has weight, especially for readers who’ve followed Parker through earlier novels.
Another strength is pacing. The tension builds steadily, with moments of quiet dread punctuated by sudden bursts of brutality. Connolly never rushes, but he never drags either. The investigation unfolds in a way that feels both methodical and unpredictable.
If I had to offer a personal opinion beyond pure praise, it’s this: the book leans heavily into its darker elements and readers who prefer straightforward procedural crime stories may not enjoy this. The Charlie Parker novels often blur the line between crime fiction and something more mythic or supernatural. For me, that’s a strength. It gives the series a unique identity.
Overall, A River Red with Blood is a powerful entry in an already exceptional series. It reinforces why Charlie Parker remains such a compelling figure and why John Connolly continues to be one of the most distinctive voices in crime fiction. If you’re already a fan of the series, this book won’t disappoint. And if you’re new to Charlie Parker, it’s a gripping and intense place to start.
I’ve always loved the Charlie Parker series by John Connolly, but A River Red with Blood really reminded me why this series continues to stand out in the crowded world of crime fiction.
From the first few pages, the novel pulls you into its dark, unsettling atmosphere. Connolly has always had a talent for blending hard-boiled detective storytelling with something more ominous and almost supernatural, and this book is no exception. Charlie Parker remains one of the most compelling protagonists in modern crime fiction, he is haunted, morally complex, relentless, yet still deeply human. That balance is part of what keeps me coming back to the series.
What makes A River Red with Blood especially powerful is its mood. The setting feels alive oppressive, tense, and layered with secrets. Connolly’s prose is sharp and lyrical at the same time. He doesn’t just describe violence; he makes you feel the weight of it. The emotional undercurrents of grief, guilt and vengeance run as strongly as the mystery itself. It’s not just a crime novel; it’s a meditation on consequence and darkness.
I also love how the recurring characters continue to evolve. The long-running relationships in the Charlie Parker series give the book real depth. There’s history there and Connolly respects it. Nothing feels disposable. Every action has weight, especially for readers who’ve followed Parker through earlier novels.
Another strength is pacing. The tension builds steadily, with moments of quiet dread punctuated by sudden bursts of brutality. Connolly never rushes, but he never drags either. The investigation unfolds in a way that feels both methodical and unpredictable.
If I had to offer a personal opinion beyond pure praise, it’s this: the book leans heavily into its darker elements and readers who prefer straightforward procedural crime stories may not enjoy this. The Charlie Parker novels often blur the line between crime fiction and something more mythic or supernatural. For me, that’s a strength. It gives the series a unique identity.
Overall, A River Red with Blood is a powerful entry in an already exceptional series. It reinforces why Charlie Parker remains such a compelling figure and why John Connolly continues to be one of the most distinctive voices in crime fiction. If you’re already a fan of the series, this book won’t disappoint. And if you’re new to Charlie Parker, it’s a gripping and intense place to start.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
“We've had some fun, but our time together has come to a close."
Goodreads, this is my first 5-star ARC read from Netgalley!
A River Red with Blood is due for release in May/June 2026.
That's right Ladies & Gents, my first 5-star Netgalley read, and it was so well deserved! A River Red with Blood is #23 in his Charlie Parker series, and my first book by John Connolly. I loved it so much that I'm going to start the series from the beginning! This mystery/suspense/detective/supernatural horror/thriller genre mash-up delivers such an interesting and riveting piece of fiction. Let me start by saying, if you are not familiar with this series like I wasn't, YES, you need to read these books in order. Even if some sources claim it has a self-contained mystery and can be read as a standalone, don't listen. lol Like me, you will be lost and miss out on key elements of the story! I paused at 25% and decided to perform a deep dive on the net about the series to try to bring myself up to speed the best I could.
The players call it "The Game" - a dark and chilling pastime: abduct and kill a stranger, then vanish without a trace. The players are masters, seasoned by years of practice. Their secret? Obey the rules and never kill near home or beyond The Game. But now, the rules have been broken. PI Charlie Parker is hired to investigate the drowned body of a troubled teenager and the disappearance of a young woman from a rural Maine town. Parker will have to confront a darkness that lives not only in the men he seeks, but something hiding in the shadows that wants revenge.
The Charlie Parker series, with its deeply atmospheric storytelling, is a haunting journey into the dark where the line between the living and the dead often blurs. Parker uncovers grisly crimes and faces unspeakable evils. For those who crave a unique hybrid that expertly merges hardboiled detective fiction with supernatural horror and dark noir, Connolly delivers a truly entertaining experience.
A big Thank You to NetGalley and Atria Books for gifting me this advanced copy. It was an absolute pleasure to read and review this book.
Goodreads, this is my first 5-star ARC read from Netgalley!
A River Red with Blood is due for release in May/June 2026.
That's right Ladies & Gents, my first 5-star Netgalley read, and it was so well deserved! A River Red with Blood is #23 in his Charlie Parker series, and my first book by John Connolly. I loved it so much that I'm going to start the series from the beginning! This mystery/suspense/detective/supernatural horror/thriller genre mash-up delivers such an interesting and riveting piece of fiction. Let me start by saying, if you are not familiar with this series like I wasn't, YES, you need to read these books in order. Even if some sources claim it has a self-contained mystery and can be read as a standalone, don't listen. lol Like me, you will be lost and miss out on key elements of the story! I paused at 25% and decided to perform a deep dive on the net about the series to try to bring myself up to speed the best I could.
The players call it "The Game" - a dark and chilling pastime: abduct and kill a stranger, then vanish without a trace. The players are masters, seasoned by years of practice. Their secret? Obey the rules and never kill near home or beyond The Game. But now, the rules have been broken. PI Charlie Parker is hired to investigate the drowned body of a troubled teenager and the disappearance of a young woman from a rural Maine town. Parker will have to confront a darkness that lives not only in the men he seeks, but something hiding in the shadows that wants revenge.
The Charlie Parker series, with its deeply atmospheric storytelling, is a haunting journey into the dark where the line between the living and the dead often blurs. Parker uncovers grisly crimes and faces unspeakable evils. For those who crave a unique hybrid that expertly merges hardboiled detective fiction with supernatural horror and dark noir, Connolly delivers a truly entertaining experience.
A big Thank You to NetGalley and Atria Books for gifting me this advanced copy. It was an absolute pleasure to read and review this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Charlie Parker series teaches us that there is another world beyond this one and that there are spirits in that other world who, tormented, will reach out and touch us in this one. The Parker series is, thus, a private eye series, but one set in a modern time, but one that reaches deeply into the spiritual world. Parker, himself, is haunted. He is a former police officer, whose wife and daughter were murdered, and he has heard their cries for years without peace. He particularly still hears his daughter who never rests. His world is one aided often by Angel and Louis, two hard men who have one foot in the spirit world and one hear on the cold tough earth.
A River Red With Blood is set in Maine, but it is a Maine off kilter spiritually. First, there is a prison inmate who was never much of a father, but whose son was found drowned somewhere north of Spero School, one of those tough-love facilities where parents send their incorrigible sons and daughters to be beaten and tormented by other tougher merciless children and sometimes by the twisted adults who run these places. The official verdict is that the boy ran off and drowned in an alcoholic stupor in the river. But Vose wants to know if there was something else going on, consumed as he is with guilt for not being there for his son and for his son being abandoned by his ex-wife and her new politician husband. Meanwhile, there has been another sordid disappearance in this forgotten corner of Maine with a teenage girl named Mallory, who perhaps was someone Vose’s son was sneaking out to see.
But while these deaths might be wholly innocent and accidental in nature, there are other men who are playing the Game, meaning they live regular lives with regular families, but every so often go out hunting for human game who they sweep off the streets and abuse and then wash the corpses before disposal.
Parker does not have much to work with, but he gets a feeling that some of the people he is dealing with at the school and at the state Department of Education are not quite as decent as they appear to be.
This murder mystery is dark, foreboding, haunted, and quite outside the ordinary experience of a private eye story.
A River Red With Blood is set in Maine, but it is a Maine off kilter spiritually. First, there is a prison inmate who was never much of a father, but whose son was found drowned somewhere north of Spero School, one of those tough-love facilities where parents send their incorrigible sons and daughters to be beaten and tormented by other tougher merciless children and sometimes by the twisted adults who run these places. The official verdict is that the boy ran off and drowned in an alcoholic stupor in the river. But Vose wants to know if there was something else going on, consumed as he is with guilt for not being there for his son and for his son being abandoned by his ex-wife and her new politician husband. Meanwhile, there has been another sordid disappearance in this forgotten corner of Maine with a teenage girl named Mallory, who perhaps was someone Vose’s son was sneaking out to see.
But while these deaths might be wholly innocent and accidental in nature, there are other men who are playing the Game, meaning they live regular lives with regular families, but every so often go out hunting for human game who they sweep off the streets and abuse and then wash the corpses before disposal.
Parker does not have much to work with, but he gets a feeling that some of the people he is dealing with at the school and at the state Department of Education are not quite as decent as they appear to be.
This murder mystery is dark, foreboding, haunted, and quite outside the ordinary experience of a private eye story.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The body of seventeen-year-old Scott Theriault is drifts down a stream days after he ran away from a behavior-modification facility. Scott’s father’s convinced his son’s death was no accident and PI Charlie Parker knows the pain of losing a child. Parker, our soft-charging protagonist’s daughter, Jennifer was brutally murdered twenty years earlier. The gruesome event was formative in this long running series, and Parker is naturally drawn to cases involving children.
In a parallel plot we learn of a group of men who play, “The Game’’, an amusement which includes the kidnap, rape and murder an out-of-state woman at random. We are offered a bit of their sick background, how there used to be four in this Game, but rules were broken and a player was eliminated by the others. Now two of the men worry a third might have murdered off schedule and jeopardized their safety. Also, a young woman named Mallory Norton recently disappeared and the reader is left to assume she might be connected to the twisted Game and the missing boy, Scott Theriault.
The real-world setup is done well, our bad guys are drawn with fierce authenticity, but this is a Charlie Parker novel, so supernatural elements are also at play. Charlie’s dead daughter has loosely guided him for years, but she has never, before now, appeared to Angel and Louis, Charlie’s closest friends. Angel sees Jennifer's spirit waiting for him by a lake and just to raise the stakes a bit more, Louis discovers he has a contract out on his life, possibly a chit called in from beyond the grave.
If this seems like a lot for an opening, don’t worry, Connolly hybridizes the hard boiled detective genre with a strong hand at the tiller. Once the plot takes off it becomes a masterful police procedural. The author clearly became an expert on federal agents use of high tech methodology to solve crime.
This will satisfy fans of the series and lovers of Maine. I would have liked to see a few more curve balls in the finale but the ending closes most of the loops opened in the gripping first half of the novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for a review copy.
In a parallel plot we learn of a group of men who play, “The Game’’, an amusement which includes the kidnap, rape and murder an out-of-state woman at random. We are offered a bit of their sick background, how there used to be four in this Game, but rules were broken and a player was eliminated by the others. Now two of the men worry a third might have murdered off schedule and jeopardized their safety. Also, a young woman named Mallory Norton recently disappeared and the reader is left to assume she might be connected to the twisted Game and the missing boy, Scott Theriault.
The real-world setup is done well, our bad guys are drawn with fierce authenticity, but this is a Charlie Parker novel, so supernatural elements are also at play. Charlie’s dead daughter has loosely guided him for years, but she has never, before now, appeared to Angel and Louis, Charlie’s closest friends. Angel sees Jennifer's spirit waiting for him by a lake and just to raise the stakes a bit more, Louis discovers he has a contract out on his life, possibly a chit called in from beyond the grave.
If this seems like a lot for an opening, don’t worry, Connolly hybridizes the hard boiled detective genre with a strong hand at the tiller. Once the plot takes off it becomes a masterful police procedural. The author clearly became an expert on federal agents use of high tech methodology to solve crime.
This will satisfy fans of the series and lovers of Maine. I would have liked to see a few more curve balls in the finale but the ending closes most of the loops opened in the gripping first half of the novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for a review copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you for the opportunity to preview A River Red with Blood.
Wow. One of Connollys best work ever.
The is novel brings together a cast of characters from his entourage to villains and even those whose lives are not determined yet.
Charlie Parker is a flawed man with a personal agenda which is to stand and fight those wanting to harm him and those he loves. He is a private investigator.
The novel starts with the death of a young man and a missing girl. Charlie is called upon to look into the death by the boys father who is an inmate in prison.
At the same time we meet some older men with their own agenda. Kill and main women as part of a game they play to satisfy their lust for the obscene.
Connolly pulls a thread to connect the dots and lulls the reader into one of his finest books in the series.
Of course Louis and Angel are front and center as well as a few others which also makes this novel deep and compelling.
My only issue is to have to wait another year or so until Parker’s adventures come to pass.
This is well written and satisfying for a fan. If you never read a Charlie Parker novel you are in for a treat because there are many to sink into.
Start by reading the first book and keep going.
5 stars!
Wow. One of Connollys best work ever.
The is novel brings together a cast of characters from his entourage to villains and even those whose lives are not determined yet.
Charlie Parker is a flawed man with a personal agenda which is to stand and fight those wanting to harm him and those he loves. He is a private investigator.
The novel starts with the death of a young man and a missing girl. Charlie is called upon to look into the death by the boys father who is an inmate in prison.
At the same time we meet some older men with their own agenda. Kill and main women as part of a game they play to satisfy their lust for the obscene.
Connolly pulls a thread to connect the dots and lulls the reader into one of his finest books in the series.
Of course Louis and Angel are front and center as well as a few others which also makes this novel deep and compelling.
My only issue is to have to wait another year or so until Parker’s adventures come to pass.
This is well written and satisfying for a fan. If you never read a Charlie Parker novel you are in for a treat because there are many to sink into.
Start by reading the first book and keep going.
5 stars!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This Charlie Parker novel does not fail to take you to another supernatural thriller. I remember the first Charlie Parker novel published in 1999. It had a character who was unlike any other and the storyline was unlike any other. I was hooked. This is the 23rd or 24th novel in that series and it is as usual, a fantastic read.
Charlie is hired by a man in prison to look into the death of his teenage son. His son was placed, by his mother and step-father, into a "school" for hard to handle kids. The school is in the middle of nowhere and his son's death makes little sense. Charlie agrees to look into it. At the same time, a young woman has disappeared, in the same area, around the same time. There are also several other major threads going on. Luis and Angel appear looking into other things, but all converge. There are no coincidences.
I love how easily one can be grabbed and caught up in the happenings of the book. It is almost impossible to stop reading once you have started and again, I wish I had read this slower. There is always that question, who is Charlie Parker?
I would like to thank Atria books and NetGalley for this early read. I loved it and I am most appreciative.
Charlie is hired by a man in prison to look into the death of his teenage son. His son was placed, by his mother and step-father, into a "school" for hard to handle kids. The school is in the middle of nowhere and his son's death makes little sense. Charlie agrees to look into it. At the same time, a young woman has disappeared, in the same area, around the same time. There are also several other major threads going on. Luis and Angel appear looking into other things, but all converge. There are no coincidences.
I love how easily one can be grabbed and caught up in the happenings of the book. It is almost impossible to stop reading once you have started and again, I wish I had read this slower. There is always that question, who is Charlie Parker?
I would like to thank Atria books and NetGalley for this early read. I loved it and I am most appreciative.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A River Red with Blood, By John Connolly
This Thriller by one of my favourite Authors, and is the 23rd book in The Charlie Parker series.
I have read my way through the first 9 books of this series, and then a few of the more recent ones as well, and did not feel that the order took away from the rhythm of the storylines. I have the balance on my to read list as it is an exceptional series.
The main character is the private detective Charlie Parker.
We are introduced to this character in the first book when we read about the unsolved slayings of his wife and daughter.
John Connolly's books are intense, dark, and filled with ghosts and torment, but are true psychological stories.
In this newest instalment we have a very dark topic and two disappearances that are intertwined, taken place in the rural Kennebec Valley of Maine.
Charlie Parker is such an interesting main character and this newest book does not disappoint.
Pick it up, and read it now.
Thank You to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Author John Connolly for my advanced copy to read and review
4 Stars for me
#netgalley
#atriabooks
#johnconnollybooks
This Thriller by one of my favourite Authors, and is the 23rd book in The Charlie Parker series.
I have read my way through the first 9 books of this series, and then a few of the more recent ones as well, and did not feel that the order took away from the rhythm of the storylines. I have the balance on my to read list as it is an exceptional series.
The main character is the private detective Charlie Parker.
We are introduced to this character in the first book when we read about the unsolved slayings of his wife and daughter.
John Connolly's books are intense, dark, and filled with ghosts and torment, but are true psychological stories.
In this newest instalment we have a very dark topic and two disappearances that are intertwined, taken place in the rural Kennebec Valley of Maine.
Charlie Parker is such an interesting main character and this newest book does not disappoint.
Pick it up, and read it now.
Thank You to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Author John Connolly for my advanced copy to read and review
4 Stars for me
#netgalley
#atriabooks
#johnconnollybooks
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I didn’t realize A River Red with Blood had supernatural elements when I started it, and that’s usually not my favorite kind of read. It’s also part of a series, so at times it was a little hard to follow without having read the earlier books.
That said, I really enjoyed the mystery/thriller aspects of the story. The investigation kept me interested, and I especially liked the character of Charlie Parker, the private investigator.
For me, the book might have been even stronger if it were about 100 pages shorter and focused more on the thriller elements rather than the supernatural. But I know many readers love those aspects, and it’s part of what makes this series popular.
I’d definitely be interested in reading more about Charlie Parker and exploring earlier books in the series to understand his character better.
That said, I really enjoyed the mystery/thriller aspects of the story. The investigation kept me interested, and I especially liked the character of Charlie Parker, the private investigator.
For me, the book might have been even stronger if it were about 100 pages shorter and focused more on the thriller elements rather than the supernatural. But I know many readers love those aspects, and it’s part of what makes this series popular.
I’d definitely be interested in reading more about Charlie Parker and exploring earlier books in the series to understand his character better.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
“A River Red With Blood” by John Connolly is the newest addition to the Charlie Parker series. It opens with Charlie looking into the death of a boy who had been living at a specialized facility for troubled teenagers. This book is especially chilling and unsettling, which results in a mystery that’s ominous and morally complex. Although there is always a supernatural element in these thrillers, I found this book to be darker and more brutal than the others.
I still remain a staunch fan of this author and of this unique series, but this book did not engage me in the same way as its predecessors. That being said, this is still a bone chilling addition that I recommend to all Charlie Parker fans.
Thank you NetGalley and Altria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I still remain a staunch fan of this author and of this unique series, but this book did not engage me in the same way as its predecessors. That being said, this is still a bone chilling addition that I recommend to all Charlie Parker fans.
Thank you NetGalley and Altria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
March 9, 2026
The long running Charlie Parker series returns and with a welcome return to what made the series so great.
The last book or 2 have been more straight crime thrillers and whilst this continues that’s trend to a point, we do have the super natural elements return.
Dark as ever; the crime writing is the best there is, mesmerising prose that few can put on a page and a set of characters I have grown to love this past 20 years.
An absolute master at work. This is for all us fans but for the new, it’s a damn good crime thriller - tho some of the lore of the stories part may be a little confusing.
Parker, Louis and Angel. I thought we might be coming to and end a couple of books back but the trio so interlinked to each other continue to go from strength to strength.
Superb
The last book or 2 have been more straight crime thrillers and whilst this continues that’s trend to a point, we do have the super natural elements return.
Dark as ever; the crime writing is the best there is, mesmerising prose that few can put on a page and a set of characters I have grown to love this past 20 years.
An absolute master at work. This is for all us fans but for the new, it’s a damn good crime thriller - tho some of the lore of the stories part may be a little confusing.
Parker, Louis and Angel. I thought we might be coming to and end a couple of books back but the trio so interlinked to each other continue to go from strength to strength.
Superb
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This review is my own. Charlie Parker investigates the death of a boy at a “troubled teen” school, and he, once again, confronts the honeycomb world and its dark secrets. Sabine Drew is drawn into Parker’s world again, and together, they confront an old enemy. Angel and Louis are uncharacteristically melancholy, though with reason. I am honestly at a loss for words. Connolly is a storyteller without equal. This was an excellent entry in the series, and I already preordered my copy of the published novel!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Many thanks to John Connolly, Atria Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this novel. A River Red with Blood is another masterful Charlie Parker novel. As always with John Connolly, the writing is exceptional and rich. I think fans of the series will love this book but those who are not as familiar with the series and the characters may find it tough going. The subject matter is dark and there is a strong supernatural element to this book, which some may like more than others.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I don't know what else to say but WOW! It did start of slow but as the story unfolded it got more and more intriguing. The characters are ones you would never think would do all of those vile actions.
As weird as this may sound my favorite part was the ending (chapters 110. 111). It creeped me out.
This book is part of the Charlie Parker series but can definitely be read as a stand alone. I will definitely be looking at his other books.
As weird as this may sound my favorite part was the ending (chapters 110. 111). It creeped me out.
This book is part of the Charlie Parker series but can definitely be read as a stand alone. I will definitely be looking at his other books.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I LOVE this series, and am beyond pleased to see Connolly picking back up on the underlying series-long mystery about who, exactly, Charlie Parker is (or was)... This one was another fabulous installation in the series, with a book-specific investigation that was very dark and disturbing but fit well with the overarching themes of the set of books. I don't know how he does it - each book has its own, unique mystery/investigation, yet each also builds slowly and surely on the narrative arc of the main characters. At 23 books to date, it's an incredible feat - and I cannot wait to see what comes next because the ending was highly intriguing!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
March 29, 2026
Loved this book!
If you are a Charlie Parker fan, this is absolutely an important hint of the unraveling of what we all are waiting.
The story is haunting and filled with horror from this world and beyond.
This can be read as a standalone, since the main plot revolves on the search of a missing teen and the death of troubled young man that might be related.
Definitely recommend it.
Note: I received an ARC for review purposes and an honest and unbiased opinion.
If you are a Charlie Parker fan, this is absolutely an important hint of the unraveling of what we all are waiting.
The story is haunting and filled with horror from this world and beyond.
This can be read as a standalone, since the main plot revolves on the search of a missing teen and the death of troubled young man that might be related.
Definitely recommend it.
Note: I received an ARC for review purposes and an honest and unbiased opinion.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
It's been a while since I've read a Charlie Parker novel but they never disappoint as there are twists and turns at every corner. in this one, seventeen-year-old Scott is sent to a "reform" school and then drowns in the river. That's all you need. Go in blind and prepare to stay up all night reading this one!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A welcomed addition to the series. Charlie Parker is a unique investigator, and this tale includes all the special ingredients his followers appreciate. fear not, the supernatural is there again. I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and voluntarily provided an honest review.
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