The Dirty South by John Connolly
It’s 1997 and someone is killing young black women in Burdon County, Arkansas. But no one wants to admit, not in the Dirty South. In a jail cell sits former NYPD detective, Charlie Parker, stricken by grief. He is mourning the death of his wife and child, and searching in vain for their killer.
Barring a few Jack Reacher novels, and the odd thriller by Stephen King, I don’t generally bother with crime fiction. When I read a book, I want to escape; to be transported somewhere else, somewhere better. For me, crime fiction has always seemed to share too much of a resemblance with the real world.
John Connolly’s Dirty South has completely upended this conviction. It is without doubt, the best crime novel I have ever read; and the author, surely a genius. With its combination of short and succinct chapters, and cliff-hangers at every turn, The Dirty South is almost impossible to put down.
Yet more striking is the way in which the author manages to breathe life into and fill his story with memorable characters. Ostensibly a detective thriller, such is his use of lyrical language and witty dialogue that you will find yourself pouring over every chapter, regardless of Charlie Parker’s presence.
If I have a complaint, it’s only that this book had to end. Thankfully, this is only the latest book in a series which Connolly has been working away on for the past two decades.
If you haven’t picked any up yet, consider sending them my way.
10/10 – a modern classic
Submitted by Daniel
