A GAME OF GHOSTS

The games begin anew as retired police detective Charlie Parker, along with fan-favorite sidekicks Angel and Louis, bring their special brand of cynicism and expertise to Connolly’s latest paranormal thriller.

Parker, a private investigator who seems to attract otherworldly baddies, works out of Portland, Maine. An unholy alliance with FBI Agent Edgar Ross helps pay the bills, though it means he gets to ask few questions about his assignments. When Ross tells him to find missing private eye Jaycob Eklund, he does bring in his own backup, Angel and Louis, deadly gangsters with mad skills and a longtime devotion to the injury-prone Parker. The three men find themselves embroiled with a deadly (and apparently mostly dead) clan called The Brethren, whose members track down anyone who might oppose them. After killing a man named Mike McKinnon, they go after his widow, May, and their son, Alex. But those are only three names on their list. They have many other targets, and the living Brethren kill without impunity or conscience. As Parker tries to stay one step ahead of the murderous group, he's also dealing with the possibility that his former girlfriend Rachel may limit his time with his daughter, Sam. Charlie Parker’s a tragic hero who’s worked through the loss of his wife and first daughter and survived both mental and physical abuse. But readers who’ve followed the intrepid detective through his many adventures know that, above all, he’s a good man who always tries to do the right thing. Although it’s best to start at the beginning of the series, Connolly skillfully weaves in enough back story to engage even first-time readers.

Connolly creates complicated plots that never unravel. He’s just that good.