Someday must I take time off from my busy reading schedule to re- read the Charlie Parker series. It's such a fabulous series and I envy those that have yet read a single book and will discover just how great the books are and have 16 (as of now) books to read. Do you need to read the previous books in this series before you read THE WOMAN IN THE WOODS? No, the books can be read as stand- alone, however, there is a theme running through the books that all starts in the first book when Charlie Parker's wife and daughter are murdered. That event starts off everything and reading this book will give you a hint of past events. To get the full story you do need to start from the beginning, but it doesn't take away from reading this book on its own.

READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION! ( )

Someday must I take time off from my busy reading schedule to re- read the Charlie Parker series. It's such a fabulous series and I envy those that have yet read a single book and will discover just how great the books are and have 16 (as of now) books to read. Do you need to read the previous books in this series before you read THE WOMAN IN THE WOODS? No, the books can be read as stand- alone, however, there is a theme running through the books that all starts in the first book when Charlie Parker's wife and daughter are murdered. That event starts off everything and reading this book will give you a hint of past events. To get the full story you do need to start from the beginning, but it doesn't take away from reading this book on its own.

READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION! ( )

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.** ( )

My Thoughts:
This series has always had a paranormal bent, however, I believe that this book might be the turning point from a "tendency to have paranormal bend", to really paranormal crime fiction. I'm not complaining though, I like where its going... however, some of the die-hard crime fiction geeks might not appreciate it...

Another thing that I am happy about this book, is that I get to see more of Angel and Louise! I just wished that there was a little bit more of Sam as well.

Incidentally, or perhaps not so incidentally, the book touched on a subject which is in-line with current events and perhaps, an issue which resonates in a lot of us. Parker opining that "bigotry and hatred appeared newly empowered"... Watching the news, that seems awfully true now a days... it gives a reader an eerie sense of surreality.

This book is another good instalment in the Charlie Parker series. John Connolly is his usual fabulous self. Wonderful story telling quality ! Good story... An enjoyable read. Being a long time fan, it is worth the wait. However, it just doesn't seem to feel like as good as the first few books in this series for some reason. It might just be me becoming jaded... or it is just one of those fluctuations like any other series have... either way it did not warrant a 5, but it does not feel like a 4 or under either. If you add up all the parts, it'll get a five, but when it comes to a book, the whole is not always the sum of its parts. Thus this book gets a 4.5.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 5
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 4.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (14 hrs & 33 mins)
Plot = 4.5
Narration = 5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 ( )

Es primavera y, en los bosques de Maine, las tormentas aceleran el deshielo. Hasta que, de pronto, cuando un árbol cae, junto a las raíces queda al descubierto el cadáver de una joven. Los policías y forenses que investigan lo que pudo ocurrir no tardan en averiguar que la mujer dio a luz poco antes de morir. Sin embargo, en los alrededores no hay ni rastro del recién nacido, que quizá ahora cuente unos tres o cuatro años. Para encontrarlo, el abogado Moxie Castin pide ayuda al detective Charlie Parker. Pero Parker no es el único que ha emprendido esa búsqueda. Tiempo atrás, alguien siguió los pasos de esa joven, alguien que deja cadáveres tras de sí. Y en una casa cercana a los bosques, un teléfono de juguete empieza a sonar. Suena para un niño que está a punto de recibir una llamada de una mujer muerta. Pero, cuando los muertos llaman, sólo Charlie Parker se atreve a contestar.