The Dirty South cover art

The Dirty South

A Charlie Parker Thriller, Book 18

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The Dirty South

By: John Connolly
Narrated by: Jeff Harding
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About this listen

 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 Crime Thrillers Fiction Modern Detectives Mystery Suspense Thriller Thriller & Suspense Crime Arkansas

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
All stars
Most relevant
I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook, I have read and listened to all the Charlie Parker series, I did think John Connolly was about to retire the detective but he is back to his best, read by Jeff Harding who is superb as usual, I’m sure everyone who follows the series will enjoy this book, looking forward to the next; seem to be growing older together

Enjoyable audiobook

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Loved this book, and it came at the perfect time in the series too. Superbly written and equally performed, it fills in a bit of time line left until now, untold whilst delivering some vintage Parker dIalogue and some familiar faces.

Back to basics - in the best way possible

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The story was much better than I was expecting after having read some of the other reviews. It's not a Parker tale in the classic mould but still has great Connolly tropes such as the dark, engrossing story, grizzly murders, scary bad guys and of course, Angel and Louis. Jeff Harding's narration is just okay. I've listened to many of his readings now and although he gets the job done, I sometimes find the cadence of his narration to be distracting and - worst of all - he just can't get to grips with any female voice - they sound like strange caricatures, which detracts from what the writer is trying to convey. Nevertheless, it didn't ruin the experience.

Engrossing Parker prequel

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Because it’s about another loner searching for justice and both are narrated by Jeff Harding it occasionally feels like you’re listening to a Jack Reacher novel, except more trouble seems to meet Reacher. Entertaining none the less.

Overly long

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amazing... not so otherworldly as the other books, but it left me on edge, longing to continue listening to each chapter . can't wait to start the next book ..

speechless

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