The Belladonna’s Reviews > A River Red with Blood > Status Update
The Belladonna
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Uh, oh... I think this is one of those series where they claim the books are standalone stories, but really, if you don't read them in order, you are lost.
*My first John Connolly read. Guess I have to spend some time on the internet learning about the characters and the backstory. You're cutting into my Olympics watching Connolly!
— Feb 16, 2026 08:07AM
*My first John Connolly read. Guess I have to spend some time on the internet learning about the characters and the backstory. You're cutting into my Olympics watching Connolly!
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The Belladonna’s Previous Updates
The Belladonna
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"Hell hath no limits, nor is circumscrib'd in one self place, but where we are is hell, And where hell is, there must we ever be."
-Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus
— Feb 20, 2026 07:53AM
-Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus
The Belladonna
is 50% done
Woooo! I'm diggin' this book! Let's gooo Connolly! Let's ride! Definitely going to start this series from the beginning, love it. Phenomenal writing.
— Feb 18, 2026 03:22PM
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Mark
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Feb 16, 2026 09:28AM
True and most avid fans dislike you a lot for getting a copy that is your first Connolly read while they read the whole series. Have fun reading.
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Oh yeah? He's a Goodreads favorite? I admit, I don't know anything about him, and I haven't really seen his books floating around on the platform. Def no need to be jealous or to dislike me, Mark, anyone who has a free 20 minutes can sign up for Netgalley and get new reads as I do. It's actually quite easy to do. Happy Reading to you as well! 🖤
Definitely need to read them in order. All the books say you don't need to, but some of them will no sense whatsoever if you don't You could probably skip the first one but that's it. Even if you skipped the first book you would miss the most important scene in the whole series. I met him a few years ago when I was a bookseller, lovely lovely man.
Glad to know this information, as there is a lot, according to his bibliography this is the 26th in the Charlie Parker series. As a novice, what work/s of his would be recommended?
Simon - Yeah, I'm kinda bummed. I did make sure before I requested the book for this very reason. I wanted to try Connolly's work, but I didn't want to feel like I was missing out on the story. (For instance, Colson Whitehead is coming out with his 3rd book in the Ray Carney series in July called Cool Machine. You can request it on NetGalley, but it clearly states to read them in order, so I didn't request it because I haven't read Harlem Shuffle or Crook Manifesto yet.) But to be honest, I did a deep dive on the net today and saw many hits stating that for various reasons (like deep character development, evolving supernatural elements, etc.), to NOT try to read Connolly's books as a standalone. Don't get me wrong, I was understanding the basic gist of the story so far, but I could already tell I was missing out on things, and I don't like that. I learned more today about Parker's personal history, the death of his wife & daughter, and The Traveling Man, his relationship with Louis and Angel etc. I think I am in a better spot now to continue with the book than I was before. I am interested in starting the series from the beginning at some point. I'll just have to try my best here. Wish me luck. lol 🖤
D - I can't tell if your question is directed at Simon or me?
The Belladonna wrote: "D - I can't tell if your question is directed at Simon or me?"Hey, B it was open-ended. I was curious if there was a particular book or books for someone who just wanted to dip their toes in Connolly ... I am not sure about that idiom. 😄 Impressed by the amount of research you have done, especially considering typing "Charlie Parker" in a search engine probably gets you the alto saxophonist 9 out of 10 times. 🎷
D - Originally, I had his book The Book of Lost Things on my TBR to be the first read. I'd go with that one, it has the most ratings. If you read it before I get to it, you can report back to me how it was! P.S. The US teams are kicking butt in hockey! Wooo! The girls are so much fun to watch!
@Daniel If want to read the Charlie Parker novels it really is best to start and the beginning.
I have read The Book Of Lost Things as mentioned by Belladonna, and I really enjoyed it, so maybe that is a good place to start with the author. I think there is another book called Land of Lost things which is the follow up.
@B and @Simon. Thanks for your suggestions, it is much appreciated. The Book of Lost Things is at my local library, so I hopefully will rectify my Connolly ignorance. It is also wonderful to find new authors. ☺️The US and Canadian Women's hockey teams have been one of the best rivalries of the last 20 years and it is great that both are playing so splendidly. My prediction is the US wins 3-1, though I suck at prognostication. 😆 What is your prediction, B?
Hey D - Well, this Thursday game is for the gold, so it's gonna be intense! I'll guess 4-1 USA. We beat them 5-0 in the last game. I'd love for them to do it again. But the smell of gold brings out the beast in people, so I don't think it's going to be a shutout. GO USA!
