The Reapers

April 28, 2008
The past comes back with a vengeance in bestseller Connolly's unsettling eighth novel to feature ex-NYPD detective turned disgraced PI Charlie “Bird” Parker (after The Unquiet
). Parker's confidantes Louis and Angel—an ex–hit man and his lover—are targeted by members of a shadowy group of assassins known as the Reapers, of which Louis was a member. From Gabriel, his father-figure and mentor, Louis learns that the father of one of his long-ago targets is tracking him down bent on revenge. Thrown into the already explosive mix is Bliss, a former colleague of Louis's who went rogue and has his own reasons for wanting Louis dead. When Louis and Angel head upstate for a showdown with the killers, Parker follows as back up. Series fans may initially be disappointed to see Parker on the sidelines, but Connolly's rich prose and compelling plot more than compensate. 10-city author tour.

May 26, 2008
Connolly's latest commercial thriller is a taut and mysterious nail-biter that offers plenty of corruption and murder with just a twist of the otherworldly. Jay O. Sanders reads with a stern and clear voice, but never really captures listeners' undivided attention as he steers clear of any real, uncharted emotion. Sanders' deep and powerful bass voice seems perfectly suited for this tale, but it's hard to remain interested beyond the first few chapters. There is an underlying, monotonous quality present here and when Sanders attempts to bring a shot of life to the tale, offering a variety of paltry dialectical changes, he falls flat with unrealistic and over the top performances. An Atria hardcover (Reviews, Apr. 28).

Starred review from May 1, 2008
The Reapers are elite professional killers. Louis was well on his way to joining the group when he begins to question why a particular person was being targeted for death. Suddenly, Louis goes from being a Reaper himself to being a Reapers targetnot just any Reaper but the legendary Bliss, who specializes in killing killers. Connolly has crafted one of the most darkly intriguing books this reviewer has encountered in more than three decades of reading crime fiction. Louis, his partner Angel, and a host of secondary characters, including private eye Charlie Parker (familiar from several previous Connolly novels), are vividly drawn. Virtually every character is either a killer or a victim, orpotentially both. They are all troubled, complicated souls. But Connolly makes each one memorable and uses evocative narrative passages to examine the events that have shaped them; these narrative backstories give the novel additional depth, melding a compelling family saga onto a high-energy thriller. Connolly is equally adept at nuanced portrayals of places, including the Deep South; Queens, New York; and a Brighton Beach that teems with Russian immigrants. Never less than graceful and assured, his writing is often lyrical, but in his portrait of the Fulci brothers, he employs humor and panache that recalls Trevanian at his snarkiest. To call this a page-turner is to damn it with faint praise. Veteran crime fans will want to savor every note-perfect word.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)

May 15, 2008
Connolly's latest novel (after "The Unquiet") features the enigmatic characters Angel and Louis, introduced in previous books as sometime associates of former detective Charlie Parker. Louis contacts an ex-associate for information when figures from Louis's shady past as a member of an organization of elite killers reappear and target his home and friends. At the same time, his assistance is requested by a reclusive billionaire who seeks revenge against an old enemy who seems to be connected to the attacks against Louis. After Louis's ex-associate is shot, Louis and Angel agree to act on the billionaire's behalf, but the hunters end up being hunted when they find their information is incomplete. The novel flashes back on Louis's life as characters from his past reappear in his present, and readers learn what put him on the reaper's path. This latest offering from Connolly is as dark and convoluted as his previous novels and just as enjoyable. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 2/15/08.]Lisa O'Hara, Univ. of Manitoba Libs., Winnepeg

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