The Burning Soul

A Charlie Parker Mystery

By: John Connolly

Narrated by: George Guidall, Tony Ward

Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

What's the worst thing you've ever done?

"There are some truths so terrible that they should not be spoken aloud, so appalling that even to acknowledge them is to risk sacrificing a crucial part of one's humanity, to exist in a colder, crueler world than before."

Randall Haight has a secret: He is a convicted murderer, a man with the blood of a young girl on his hands. He has built a new life for himself in the small Maine town of Pastor's Bay, but someone has discovered the truth about him. He is being tormented by anonymously sent reminders of his crime. He wants private detective Charlie Parker to make them go away.

But another girl has gone missing, this time from Pastor's Bay itself, and her family has its own secrets to protect. Now, in a town built on blood and shadowed by old ghosts, Parker must unravel a twisted history of violence and deceit involving the police and the FBI, a doomed mobster and his enemies, and Randall Haight himself.

Because Randall is telling lies.

More mayhem? Listen to another Charlie Parker mystery.

©2011 John Connelly (P)2011 Simon & Schuster

Does Anyone Actually Listen?

Does anyone actually listen to these performances before they are published for consumption. Wow! This may be one of the worst performances of audio book EVER! The story was fine, but the performances were horrendous. Boring and uninspired. Keeping characters straight in a conversation was nearly impossible.

Thankfully, this book didn’t seem to suffer the bloat of previous books. There was no 5 page description of a character’s appearance, and he seemed to keep the chapter long brooding sessions to a minimum as well. And there was no mention of “the honeycomb world” - a concept I never understood nor found interesting.

Another great Charlie Parker story

I found that listening to two narrators was a bit confusing. Of course, George Guidall was excellent, but switching back and forth wasn't really my thing

Tony Ward's voice does not fit

Their voices alternate every chapter, and we go from this soft fitting voice to this harsh voice that seems like it hates the book

Great Story, Uneven Narration

In the small town of Pastor’s Bay, a 14 year old girl has gone missing. Randall Haight, an unassuming local accountant, has a secret. A secret that may lead to him becoming not only a suspect, but a pariah in the small community. To make matters worst, someone knows Haight has a secret, and through a series of anonymous letters, may be willing to use that information to harm him. So, Haight’s lawyer brings in Private Investigator Charlie Parkers, to discover the identity of the would-be blackmailers. Thus begins another complex mystery, the kind that Connolly does so well. Connolly’s Charlie Parker series is a brilliant mix of modern detective tale with a simmering undercurrent of the supernatural. In The Burning Soul, Connolly again finds the right balance, allowing Parker to work the mystery in a straight manner, yet still feel the added levels that the case brings. I have always loved the balance Connolly brings. He never uses the supernatural elements as an easy out. Parker never solves his mysteries by tapping into the spirit world, but through his own bullheaded, straightforward detective work. The central mystery, the disappearance of 14 year old girl, brings with it a wild mix of local Police, FBI, mobsters and lowlifes, and Connolly deftly maneuvers the reader through the intricate plot full of twists, without ever leaving the readers behind. If I had any complaints about The Burning Soul it would be that the peripheral characters of the series, like Louis and Angel, and the Fulci brothers only have minor roles here. Yet, aside from that small complaint, Connolly latest Charlie Parker novel is a winner, with a solid contained plot that will please new readers, yet with enough nods to Parker’s past to keep fans of the series happy.

The audio production was another story. The Burning Soul was read by two narrators, George Guidall who handles the third person POV’s and Tony Ward, who read Charlie Parker’s first person perspective. I found this handling of the story strange, but tolerable. I have never been a huge fan of George Guidall’s voice. I find it too old sounding and gruff, but he’s a professional and handles his material fine. He really doesn’t do much to bring the story to life, just reads it in a workman-like manner. Tony Ward’s reading was rough. There was just something off about it. It sort of reminded me of when the audio is just slightly off on a DVD, and it just feels wrong. Ward’s reading seemed to have strange slurred quality, as if you were talking to a person with a bit of a beer buzz. He rarely changed tones when reading dialogue, having Haight’s female attorney sound quite similar Charlie Parker himself. Despite the fact that the action takes place in New England, not a single authentic New England accent could be found in the production. If it wasn’t for the fact that Connolly’s story was so engaging and that I had to know the outcome of the mystery, I may have given up on this production based on the strange, uneven narration. Yet, Connolly’s story did suck me in, enough so that I was able to put my issues with the audio production aside and just enjoy the tale I was being told.

Great Book.

What made the experience of listening to The Burning Soul the most enjoyable?

The narators were very good at doing all the different voices.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Burning Soul?

For me it was when Charlie thought about his own child being murdered, but still took the case on.

Which scene was your favorite?

It always has to be when Angel and Louie get involved, they just bring the book to life!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me do both. smile

Any additional comments?

I wish Audible would get this hole Charlie Parker series on here so the hole thing can be read..

I’m biased but...

I’m a big John Connolly fan, so much so that I’m always a little bit disappointed when I get to the end of one of his books. It’s a testament to his skill that the reoccurring themes of his writing (extreme violence, central characters named after famous people, serial killers, the supernatural) would usually be enough to put me off immediately but I was strongly recommended Every Dead Thing by a co-worker who I regularly swapped books with in the early 2000’s. Despite my initial reticence I read it and was hooked!

This book was not a disappointment; his recurring central character, PI Charlie Parker (don’t let the name put you off) is drawn into investigating the disappearance of a young girl when he is asked to look into a possible blackmail case of a man living under a new identity. As always elements of the supernatural are weaved into the storyline and the story moves forward at a fast pace, keeping you wanting more. I would strongly recommend.

Why do they change readers?

Did George Guidall and Tony Ward do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

I love the Charlie Parker series and so looked forward to this newest book. Jay O. Sanders was perfect for the part of Charlie Parker. George Guidall is a great reader, but I was disappointed when he replaced Sanders. (You come to know a character, almost like an old friend. A new voice severs that relationship.) Tony Ward is a good reader, but so different from Sanders and Guidall. He sounds too young, naive, and optimistic. Charlie Parker calls for a reader that can project a hard boiled, burnt out character. The series is dark. Ward cannot produce that voice.

Guidel saves book

If it weren’t for George Guidal narration of certain characters this book would have to go down as the worst book I e ever listened to to end. Other narrator very very flat, there’s an issue with audio where 2nd narrator changes his tones like he went back and re-recorded passages and the quality of recording better. By the end of the book you can tell this poor narrator has learn from Guidal and definitely improves. But story writing is flat with too much detail like Connelly always does.

A narrator too many.

Good story. The 2 narrators are recorded at different volumes. Should have been only 1 narrator for comfortable, enjoyable listening.

Excellent book, flawed performance

While I enjoyed the story enormously, I found the transition between the two narrators off-putting. I would have preferred George Guidall as the sole narrator.