REVIEW: The Woman in the Woods

The Woman in the Woods
Author: John Connolly

I usually have a rule about reading book series in order. The book blurb for this one sounded interesting enough for me to break my rule. The Woman in the Woods is the 16th book in the Charlie Parker series. While some characters from prior novels pop back up in this one, I was able to follow the story and figure things out enough to really enjoy this book. The plot is complex...the characters gritty....and the suspense almost unbearable. I loved it! I now have to back track and start the Charlie Parker series from the beginning! Some events and discussion of past cases will make much more sense if I re-read this after reading the prior books.

A mummified corpse is discovered in the woods. Charlie Parker is hired to investigate and identify the dead woman. Apparently the woman died soon after giving birth, but the infant's corpse is not present. It turns out the case is much more complicated than an unidentified dead woman. And dangerous.

I loved how all the different story lines going in this book all came together. The characters are amazing and the complex plot was just awesome. This is the first book by John Connolly that I have read -- I will most definitely be reading more. A lot more. Like everything this man has written. Just outstanding -- great writing and a creative, suspenseful plot.

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Atria Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**