The Whisperers

Yay insomnia! Well if I'm going to be up I might as well read. "The Whisperers" (407 pages) is only the second novel I've read by John Connolly. I was a little shocked at how well I liked this read. From Goodreads:

"The border between Maine and Canada is porous. Anything can be smuggled across it: drugs, cash, weapons, people.

Now a group of disenchanted former soldiers has begun its own smuggling operation, and what is being moved is infinitely stranger and more terrifying than anyone can imagine. Anyone, that is, except private detective Charlie Parker, who has his own intimate knowledge of the darkness in men's hearts.

But the soldiers' actions have attracted the attention of the reclusive Herod, a man with a taste for the strange. And where Herod goes, so too does the shadowy figure that he calls the Captain. To defeat them, Parker must form an uneasy alliance with a man he fears more than any other, the killer known as the Collector . . ."

Why am I so surprised by this novel? Because it's so totally different from the other book in the Charlie Parker series that I've read by Connolly. I was expecting a by-the-numbers mystery/thriller and was treated to a story that evolved into something with fantasy elements. The story very nearly went over the edge for me near the conclusion but I think it put on the brakes at the last second.

In addition to a unique story, I really enjoy Connolly's writing style. First his ability with descriptions is very much appreciated. A little heavier than a book a year author. Secondly the author really fleshes out all the characters in the story, no matter how large or small their involvement. At certain points he would direct a complete side story about one of the characters that had nothing to do with the overall plot of the book, but it was always interesting. This can bother some readers but I found it to be entertaining.

Recommended for fans of mysteries and thrillers with a little bit of fantasy thrown into the mix.