The Dirty South

A Charlie Parker Thriller, Book 18

By: John Connolly

Narrated by: Jeff Harding

It is 1997, and someone is slaughtering young black women in Burdon County, Arkansas.

But no one wants to admit it, not in the Dirty South.

In an Arkansas jail cell sits a former NYPD detective, stricken by grief. He is mourning the death of his wife and child, and searching in vain for their killer. He cares only for his own lost family.

But that is about to change . . .

Witness the becoming of Charlie Parker.

(P) 2020 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd©2020 Bad Dog Books Limited

Critic reviews

A finely written thriller haunted by a powerful sense of the struggle between good and evil

Anyone who enjoys the exploits of the former New York Detective-turned-private-investigator Charlie Parker will be thrilled by this prequel to his stories . . . Beautifully told, this underlines the sheer brilliance of the character of Parker

A beautifully measured novel that is equal parts gripping mystery and an unsentimental meditation on grief, probably the best crime novel you will read this year

This is a story populated with richly described characters, be they honorable or slimy, as well as rich descriptions and dialogue. Fast-moving, witty dialogue helps speed this well-plotted yarn to a dramatic conclusion. A most satisfying read for crime buffs.

Intelligent and subtle . . . Connolly is writing at the top of his game

There's no denying this one is a hell of a tale: dark, haunting, and beautifully told . . . For fans of the Parker series, the book is required reading

It is a dark and wondrous tale . . . an indispensable addition to the Parker canon for Connolly's longtime readers and a terrific introduction for those who have yet to discover his dark prose magic

Mr Connolly's slam-bang thriller is studded with memorable characters and boasts cliffhangers within cliffhangers

I love Jeff Harding

At first the book took a time to grow on me, but it did. It feels we got back to the roots of the series we were solving a misery again. I love the narration and the way John Connolly tells this story.

As usual, a very good Charlie Parker story.

I'm a big fan of John Connolly and Jeff Harding. In my opinion, "The Dirty South" isn't the best in the series, but I enjoyed it a lot. Jeff Harding's performance is outstanding, as usual. The story gives us an interesting insight of Charlie Parker before is appearance in "Every Dead Thing".

Fantastic! One of the best in the series

Just what Charlie Parker needed. A reminder of who he was, where he came from and why he has been doing, throughout all the books, what he does