John Connolly keep em' coming ! - Rated 
I have to say this was not my favourite JC book, this still being The Killing Kind. However i have been waiting to read this one since travelling the globe and as usual it does not disappoint. Always impacting, always gripping, his characters really come to life from the pages. I do enjoy the humorous banter between the three main characters Parker, Louis and Angel. I always found myself pausing after two or three chapters to take account of what had happened previously and to savour what was to come. Thrillingly dark and indeed shocking in places tackling a difficult subject. It continues to border just the right side of the 'honeycomb world' in my opinion anyway. I am just wondering when one of the books will be made into a film adaption although as always I am sure any film will never quite reach the impact of any of his books. Actually I just read that he hasn't optioned any of his Parker books to be made as yet...
Please keep em' coming, I look forward to the Reapers in May.
PS. I also enjoyed the Book of Lost Things ! As a further note, check out Dennis Lehane as he is another favourite.
Weak entry in dark and disturbing series - Rated 
I am a big fan of John Connolly and have acquired all his books as soon as I became aware of them. I am disappointed to say that I think success has negatively impacted his writing. This, and his previous, non-Charlie Parker publication, The Book Of Lost Things, have represented a significant falling off of quality from his previous books. In addition to a storyline hampered by diversions and slow pace, the writing has deteriorated as well. There is insufficient attention to detail, sections that drag and lack tension, and in parts too much detail about matters of no consequence while other sections seem under-written and sketchy.
Fortunately, Connolly's imagination has not deserted him along with his discipline. The atmosphere is creepy and full of dread (though occasionally even that flags) and there are three significantly unsettling characters. Louis and Angel are present but under-used. I finished the book, but with considerable impatience, which I never experienced with the early novels. I think Connolly could do with slowing down and taking his time. This book was both too long and under-developed, suggesting a weak editorial hand.
Still, in today's overcrowded market, Connolly's books are still better than most, and deserve a read.
Pure evil, beautifully written - Rated
I have read all of JC's books but never have I found one as disturbing as this one. In a way there are no surprses here. Charlie is still haunted by ghosts from the past, Louis and Angel strut their stuff and there is the usual cast of nasties, killers and ghouls. Yet something is different. And it is not JC. His style is still excellent, his views come across clearly, his descriptions are beautiful and his prose almost poetic.
What has changed, is me. Since his last novel I have started a family and I have a child not yet 16 months old. And the subject of this latest novel is so dark, so evil that no parent could read it without feeling extremely uncomfortable. But yet, you can not stop reading either. And that is due to JC's writing quality. Somehow, no matter how evil and dark the tale gets, you get sucked in to the black world of Charlie Parker. And at the end, you know that there is a fictional place where the actions he and his friends take are acceptable, and almost justifyable.
Charlie Parker and his friends are fiction. However, the main subject of this novel is something you read about in real life newspapers. And is that not the scariest thing about this novel?
Unsettling at first, but worth persistence - Rated 
This is the first Charlie Parker novel I have read, and once I got used to the surreal aspects as well as the underlying crime story I found it engrossing and gripping. The subject matter - organised child abuse - is never easy to handle, but Connolly manages to base the narrative around it without it feeling gratuitous or tawdry. The characters - including Charlie Parker remain sympathetic despite their high capacity for violence, and I look forward to becoming better acquainted with all of his sidekicks. Connolly uses them well to lighten the tone of the book at times from Jackie Garner and the Fulci brothers (who take doors off their hinges so they can hit people with them) to wisecracking Angel and Louis.
Dialogue is another real strength of the book. If you like your characters to have fast mouths you will enjoy The Unquiet.
Overall, and interesting and quite spooky read
Yearning for more... - Rated
Having read all of Connolly's books, I'd actually say this is possibly his weakest, Black Angel by far the best. Yet saying that it is still far better than most other thriller writers out there. Connolly himself said The Unquiet was purposely scaled down a bit, he tried to keep the plot tighter than his other books and it was a bit more controlled as a result. I know what he means. Thing is, I think it suffers from not being allowed to 'wander' a little. Still a great read though and left me with the feeling I have at the end of every Parker book, yearning for the next one. Towards the end you get the impression that Parker is getting much closer to resolving his own inner demons which have plagued him since the first book, Every Dead Thing. This will happen through forces outside his control. I really like the way Connolly links the 'hint' of the supernatural with everyday life whilst not making it unrealistic. I met Connolly at a signing event and was impressed at his warm and friendly way. I've met other authors who put me off by aggressive or 'can't be bothered' personalities, but Connolly is just an ace guy. Roll on the next book.
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