The Wrath of Angels by John Connolly

". . . evil from the first page to the last . . ."

Through ten novels, fans have come to love the character of Charlie Parker. In this, Connolly’s eleventh offering, he proves that not only is Charlie still in top form, but that he is still one of the true masters when it comes to the world of suspense!

Pure and utter evil from the first page to the last is what Angels is all about, beginning with the death of Harlan Vetters, a man who has spent his entire life living in the stark loneliness of Northern Maine where he raised his family and led a reasonably happy life.

While on his deathbed, Harlan relays a story to his two grown children regarding a hunting trip that he once went on with his friend, Paul Scollay, into the North Woods. It was there they found an airplane that had ended in a horrendous crash. Although there were no signs of human life, the men did find $200,000 inside the plane along with a list of people who were not exactly ‘well-liked’ public figures. Neither Harlan nor Paul ever told anyone what had occurred so long ago, but now that the end has come Harlan wants his daughter, Marielle, to set up a meeting with renowned Private Investigator Charlie Parker, and tell him about this odd discovery.

Turns out Charlie has his own personal interest in this specific crash, seeing as that he was told the evil man who murdered his own wife and son in the past – a serial killer by the name of Brightwell – had also looked for that particular plane.

Charlie soon learns about another list that Brightwell was privy to that listed ‘souls’ belonging to the devil – a list that had his name on it. Soon the paranormal meets up with a very frightening reality as everything from an avenger to a collector to a beautiful young woman appear in the tale and begin to blend the occult and the ‘norm’ into one adrenaline-pumping concoction. The everyday lives of the people living in this out-of-the-way locale are about to change, as Charlie Parker soon discovers evidence that someone or something survived the crash…and it or they are waiting to bring about destruction. Could it be the Devil, himself?

Yet again, Connolly takes one of the favorite characters in fiction and knocks it out of the park. Every scene is a surprise and the amazing path that readers are led down is one they will never forget! The only thing left to say is ‘bring on Number 12!’

Reviewer: Amy E. Lignor