Review: The Black Angel (Charlie Parker #5)

3 stars. Recovering from a major life interruption (an injured partner, resulting in pseudo-single parenthood, during my biggest and busiest work month of the entire year - honestly it seems trite to spell it out like that but when I tell you I am tired), which means I gave this book a big ole break at the 50% mark. Jumping back in was easier than expected, though, and that's a testament to the story.

In The Black Angel, poor, haunted Charlie Parker is pulled into an investigation to locate a relative of Louis'. He discovers that her disappearance is tangled up in a treasure hunt of sorts for an icon, an icon that supposedly reveals the location of a fallen angel. Yes, an actual fallen angel. Meanwhile, balancing the dark world of his work and his new family proves impossible.

I have to admit - I'm not tired of these books yet. I'm notorious for jumping ship... it's been a longtime goal to finish the series I start. It hasn't been easy - in fact, I might call it downright challenging considering how dense and detailed these particular books are - but it has been rewarding, and honestly interesting to consume a story this way. Charlie Parker's evolution is fascinating. Still, I could use a character guide! My memory just isn't that strong anymore.

A couple of things I reacted negatively to, in this one: 1) how quickly and deeply this turned into horror fantasy. Don't get me wrong - I love horror. It's my primary genre. And I know previous books foreshadowed this. It just felt a little strange to me, like instead of an onramp we were thrown off a cliff. Like the author had an idea for a different series in a different genre but decided to plop Charlie into it because it was easier. He does his best - there are references to how things from previous books fit into the narrative - but ... idk. It felt a little bit like retconning? Allowed but annoying. 2) The writing. Amazing, but not without faults... an overreliance on "for," for one (ex: he went to the store, for he was hungry; he pulled out his umbrella, for it was raining). 3) The fatphobic and sexist elements, leftover from a previous space and time, sure, but also forming a pattern not so easily ignored in this one. 

A couple of things I really enjoyed: 1) Brightwell. The villains in this series are UNBEATABLE. 2) The religious lore/mythology. What a fascinating idea for religious horror!! Takes the Chosen One trope to a whole new/intricate level. 3) The treasure hunt concept. It's actually quite complicated in classic Connolly style, but I was happy to stick with it. The way he unfolds things is really interesting - he zooms in and out in unique ways. This lends itself to incredibly detailed (boring) tangents and deep dives into history and organized crime, but also feels really characteristic of the universe and not a dealbreaker.

Time for a quick break, but I'm excited to jump back in.

The Black Angel on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads