For die-hard fans of the crime genre, the arrival of a new John Connolly novel in Spanish bookstores is always a highly anticipated event. Over more than two decades, the Irish writer has managed to cultivate his own unique universe where the police procedural and the supernatural intertwine in a way that sometimes sends shivers down our spines.
This new literary venture, published by Tusquets, brings back the beloved detective with the jazz musician's name. The novel arrives at a sweet moment for the author in Spain, as he has plans to drop by cities like Malaga and Granada during this month of June to meet with his readers as part of the Black Circle literary cycle.
The origin of a different perspective on crime
It all started back in 1999, when a young Connolly combined his work as a freelance journalist for the Irish Times with writing in the early hours of the morning. It was during those silent hours that 'Everything That Dies' was born, inspired in part by the true story of a woman whose violent death was ignored by society when it was discovered that she was a sex worker. That idea that there are first-class and second-class victims This category became the heart of his saga.
Charlie Parker emerged precisely to give voice to those cases that no one wants to touch, bearing the weight of his own family's murder. Over the course of twenty-two novels, the character has evolved into a bridge between the world of the living and the world of the dead, talking to her deceased daughter and operating in those margins where conventional logic sometimes falls short.
A plot that crosses borders from Maine to Mexico
This time, the story begins with the disappearance of Wyatt Riggins, a former soldier whose partner, artist Zetta Nadeau, receives only a terse message that reads: "RUN." Parker plunges headlong into a mess that starts in the Maine woods but soon connects with the violent world of the cartels Mexicans and the trafficking of precious antiques in places like Peru.
The search for missing children, mistakenly linked to a cartel boss, puts the detective in the crosshairs of truly unsettling characters like Eugene Seeley and a figure known simply as The Lady. These villains, who seem straight out of a gallery of horrorsThey force Parker to rely on his old allies, Angel and Louis, who provide that touch of unwavering loyalty that we fans appreciate so much.
The evolution of violence and the author's ethics
Over the years, Connolly has openly acknowledged that his relationship with graphic violence in his writing has changed considerably. He now prefers to focus on the human cost of suffering rather than the spectacle of horror itself. His aim is for the reader not to be a mere spectator, but rather... Make your own moral judgment Given what is happening in history, we must avoid turning women and girls into mere victims without a background.
The author defends a kind of secular theology that can be summarized in Edmund Burke's famous quote about how evil triumphs when good men do nothing. For Parker, taking action is not an option, but a vital necessity to achieve a redemption that never comes freeThis ethical depth is what separates his books from the disposable thrillers that sometimes flood the market.
The enduring success of this series demonstrates that the appeal of Charlie Parker's stories extends far beyond solving a simple mystery or finding a culprit. Through the eyes of this detective, Connolly invites us to reflect on memory, guilt, and the very real possibility of changing the world, even if only a little, and at the cost of great personal sacrifices.