At Elaine’s, his favorite New York City restaurant, Barrington meets Carrie Cox, an aspiring actress and singer intent on landing a big Broadway musical part. In the meantime, she works as a lipstick model for an advertising agency.
Meanwhile, Barrington is hired to investigate artist Derek Sharpe and convince him to stay away from Hildy, a rich girl who’s soon to come into trust fund big money .
Rafe Khatchadorian has never been cool. But all that changes when he becomes the guitarist in an awesome rock band and wrangles a part-time job at Hills Village’s trendiest new coffee shop slash yoga studio. No more being at the bottom of the middle school food chain—Rafe is finally going to be popular!
He just has two teeny problems: the awesome rock band is led by none other than the school bully. And the band actually isn’t awesome—they absolutely stink, and Rafe has to whip them into shape for the Best Band Competition.
With Rafe’s newfound coolness on the line, will he find a way to hit the stage in style or is he doomed to dorkdom forever?
The CBS made for TV movie looks entertaining, as well. 😀
I haven’t read the Michael Bennett book series — but #17 Paranoia (2025) is an excellent read.
An easy read, too.
Like the Alex Cross and Women’s Murder Club series, FAMILY is very important in this series.
Michael Bennett is an Irish American New York City detective — who raises 10 mixed race adopted children. In this book, his wife is pregnant. That would make 11 children.
In this one, Bennett is investigating a series of deaths of retired cops. Accidents? Suicides?
The assignment is top secret and he is to report to Inspector Cantoronly.
Bennett brings in his new, young partner on the case.
The bad guy is super skilled former military.
Weirdly, the title and marketing is all about paranoia. A very minor focus of this plot.
Rebus retired at age-60 in book #17 — Exit Music. (2007)
But the man somehow carries on. 😀
In this book, John Rebus is in prison. Convicted of murdering his lifelong nemesis, Morris Gerald Cafferty
An interesting premise, but I wouldn’t call this one of the strongest in the long series.
JOHN REBUS SPENT HIS LIFE AS A DETECTIVE PUTTING EDINBURGH’S MOST DEADLY CRIMINALS BEHIND BARS. NOW, HE’S JOINED THEM. As new allies and old enemies circle, and the days and nights bleed into each other, even the legendary detective struggles to keep his head.
That is, until a murder at midnight in a locked cell presents a new mystery. They say old habits die hard…
However, this is a case where the prisoners and the guards are all suspects, and everyone has something to hide.
With no badge, no authority and no safety net, Rebus walks a tightrope – with his life on the line.
But how do you find a killer in a place full of them?
I should say the sequel is not as good. It should have been much shorter.
John Connolly has the skill to write multiple story lines from multiple characters — and still keep the story easy to follow.
Respect.
Some might compare his books to Stephen King. Set in Maine. Often a supernatural element.
But John Connolly is more murder mystery. King more horror.
Connolly is more literary. King a pure story teller with simpler dialogue.
John Connolly is a BIG FAN of King. And might well have been influenced.
… A Book of Bones draws to a close the most recent mini-arc within the Parker series, one that involves a shadowy lawyer named Quayle, his murderous accomplice Mors, and their efforts to reassemble – and awaken – a book known as the Fractured Atlas, which might be able to plunge the Earth into a nightmare world populated by entities only known as the “Not-Gods”.
As ever with Connolly, it hardly matters whether these events are truly happening or only a matter of zealotry within the minds of those committing horrific acts; either way, people are dying, and tensions are rising. …
… a relentless crime thriller in which women are being killed at ancient sites of worship and being staged to look like hate crimes to inflame anti-Muslim hysteria.
Meanwhile, Parker and his comrades are trying to understand what role the Atlas plays in all of this, track down Quayle, and deal with the re-emergence of a religious sect which nearly cost them their lives once.
In other words, there’s a lot going on here, but Connolly weaves all of his threads seamlessly, building the pace and tension constantly until a finale which teeters on what might be the literal apocalypse with genuine suspense and dread. …
Rick McCharles 