The Gates: A Samuel Johnson Tale

Okay, I was desperate for another Charlie Parker Novel and as good as it was this novel is for kids only...very young kids so don't waste your time thinking otherwise. From now on I'll believe the store when they say it's for the younger crowd...fourth through eighth grade maybe.

A weak plot, poorly developed characters, sophomoric dialogue, and a predictable conclusion makes this novel the most disappointing of anything written by Connolly. Were this the first of his novels for me I would mark him off my list for the future. The only good news was that the book required little of my attention and I never had to worry about having to reread a section if I drifted off to sleep in the middle. Hopefully Connolly will get back on track and we will see his excellent skills as an author in his next book!

Let me preface this by stating that I really enjoyed this book - the Kindle edition is the problem. It is the first time I have read anything by this author, and will not likely be the last. The book is funny, fast-paced, and entertaining. My in-laws sent it to my daughter to read, and I got to read it first. I also got the Kindle edition so that I could read it wherever I was because I was enjoying it so much.

However, the Kindle edition has a serious flaw in it. Throughout the story, there are footnotes that can be found at the bottom of the page that are extremely funny, particularly in context with the story on the page. The Kindle edition has these as end-notes to the book that you have to follow using the cursor button. You then have to find your way back to the page you were reading. This was very poorly thought out. I hope that the fine folks at the store will re-edit this edition and put the footnotes at the bottom of the page where they can be properly enjoyed.

Until then, buy the print edition! It's a fun book!

I rarely read multiple books by the same author because there's just so much out there to read and not enough time! However, I was so impressed by his "Book of Lost Things" that I decided to try The Gates. Unfortunately it was nothing like the book of lost things. Predictable, overdone, and a plot that's too easy. Darn...

Meanwhile, Angel and Louis are faced with a potentially fatal decision. Someone is coming after them by targeting their business interests and the people that they care about. Tracking down the person behind it all brings Louis back in contact with a key figure from his past and puts them all in danger. Louis and Angel are out-numbered and out-maneuvered until a faithful friend contacts Charlie to come to the rescue. The question is, who will still be standing when the smoke clears away?

Book 7 in the Charlie Parker series is different from the previous books in that the story focuses on Louis and Angel more than on Charlie. In this one we get to learn a lot about Louis and Angel’s history and their relationship with each other. We meet some of the characters at the periphery of their lives, like the mechanic that Louis saved from ruin and who is infinitely loyal in return. I really enjoyed the opportunity to understand these two pivotal characters better. I did however miss Charlie as he really doesn’t show up until the middle of the book, but I liked the role reversal here where Charlie is the back-up man instead of the lead. The story itself is one you really have to pay attention to as these guys have lived very complicated lives. I think the change of focus in this book really shows the creativity of the author and his skill at developing multiple characters simultaneously. Finally, Charles Guidall, as narrator, has once again delivered a stellar performance.

Trying to get an early start on collecting his Halloween treats, Samuel Johnson and his super-smart dog Boswell unwittingly stumble upon a plot from the denizens of Hell to conquer the Earth. The Gates by John Connelly would probably best belong on the shelf of a younger teen, but as a 47-year-old fan of good writing and dry British wit, I was enamored from the start. Of course, no one is going to believe poor Samuel as he attempts to enlist the aid of the typical authority figures, and he needs to begin the battle with only his own rare bravery and the help of two friends who trust in him enough to join the fight. The forces of evil don’t realize they have a real challenge on their hands, and that one of their own will prove to be instrumental to the human resistance. This novel kept me speeding through the pages, laughing out loud, and eagerly searching for the sequel, The Infernals. I am sure it won’t take me long to get hooked on that title as well, and I cannot wait to see what new adventures await Samuel and Boswell. I will have to hide both books from my kids until I get a chance to finish.

I stumbled across this book by accident. I thought it was a different Connolly. I was listening to the audio version on my way to work and almost ran off the road I was laughing so hard. This book is funny and well written. If you don't read the footnotes your are missing the best part. If you are not a fan of warped and weird this book is not for you. If you are, sit back and enjoy a crazy ride. I have read the second book in the series and have just started the third. The second was every bit as good as the first and the third is shaping up to be the same. I suggest getting the audio version. The reader of the audio version is very good. His reading fits the tone of the book perfectly

Yes, this is obviously geared towards young adults. That being said, there is nothing wrong with us older folks sitting with a book in our laps while smiling and laughing out loud.

The characters are very well-developed and memorable. In particular, the main protagonist, Samuel Johnson, along with his loyal dog and a not-so-evil demon named Nurd, are very charming and lovable.

This novel is written in a light natured, yet mature and high level prose and contains elements of horror, science-fiction and fantasy. I love that the subject is approached without the insertion of dogma or specific religious ideals, although they are represented in context with the situations where appropriate.

The potential horror is lightened greatly by very charmingly interjected humor and also what I perceived to be an underlying message: Human beings are a very clever and adaptable species who will not stand down in the face of adversity, or the destruction of creative horticulture.

Imagine Douglas Adams and J.K. Rowling meeting to have tea with H.P. Lovecraft, then you should have a decent idea of the overall feel of this delightful novel.

Connolly himself describes The Gates as a "adult's novel written for children," but I have to say that I enjoyed the book every bit as much as any kid I know would, if not more. Much lighter in tone than Connolly's previous YA foray, The Book of Lost Things: A Novel, The Gates revolves around a young boy named Samuel Johnson who spies his neighbors undergoing a ritual to open the gates of Hell...and succeeding. Despite the horror novel feel of the plot, The Gates is definitely a kids book, with a tone that feels inspired by Adams or Pratchett, but a story that feels somewhere between Gaiman and Barker's The Thief of Always: A Fable. As always with a Connolly book, one of the best aspects of the book is the writing, and while the simpler prose eliminates some of Connolly's poetic asides, the sheer inventiveness of it all - from the namedropped demons of bad punctuation to the overwhelming menagerie of creatures from horrific to pathetic - is a complete joy. What's more, it's clear that Connolly is having a blast with this, and the joy is infectious; I laughed out loud several times, and just loved every page of it. Dabbling in everything from quantum theory to theology, all while telling a great story, The Gates is a great read, and definitely not just for kids.

The Reapers
The Reapers: A Thriller

I received this as a gift and read it in one sitting, staying up far into the night to finish it. As with the other Connolly books I have read, I couldn't put it down and found it riveting. I've always wanted to know more about Louis and Angel, and was delighted to find this book focused on them. I also love the slight supernatural touch in Connolley's novels - just the right touch - never enough to be silly or to detract from the plot. Maybe one day he'll write a book about Louis' grandmother Lucy - that would be interesting.

Another reviewer complained about the language not being suited to an American audience. I did pick out some words that Americans might not 'get' or like, such as "fairy lights" instead of Christmas lights - but does not 'fairy lights' sound so much lovlier? I grew up hearing them called that and it brought back that bit of magick to my mind and a smile to my lips of Christmases recalled. And do not 'whilst' and 'spilt' sound so much more lyrical than 'while and spilled'? They do to me. I appreciate and prefer this style of language, maybe because I am a Celt. Each to his own though.

I am actually surprised and a bit taken aback by the one star reviews and think they are undeserved. Even at his worst Connolly is better than most other thriller writers' best. I do agree that the plot could have been developed a bit more, but it was still exciting and absorbing.

This book is definitely worth buying, and I recommend it to those who love thrillers and suspense - or who appreciate the mastery of the English language at its best. I found only one small mistake in the entire book - a rarity in these days of sloppy editing and self-published efforts that should never have seen the light of day.

Reading Connolly is like reading a deliciously long poem - one bites in and savours every word, phrase and sentence. Sometimes the characters and plot even take a back seat to the writing. Buy it. You'll be glad you did.

Picture Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) writing his own version of Army of Darkness. You end up with a tale about the dark forces invading the world, but in this case made up of misfit demons like "Nurd, Scourge of the Five Deities".

The full title of the book is, "The Gates of Hell Are About to Open. Want to Peek?". Or in some locales, the title is "The Gates of Hell Are About to Open. Mind the Gap." Either title is clever enough to catch my attention and make me pick it up right away.

So who is this book for? Well, I read it and loved it, and then passed it to my 11 year old son to read. I know he'll love it too.

Connolly's writing is supurb. He tells the story well and his writing style is delightful. It's fun to try to follow his train of thought, because he indulges in so many tangents through footnotes that sometimes take up more than half of the page. If you're not willing to go with the flow, then I can see how that might bug you. But if you're that kind of reader, then this whimsical story probably isn't for you anyway.

It's interesting to me how timely this story is, with one of the main "characters" standing out in the news this week. How can the CERN Particle Accelerator be a character? You'll have to read and find out.

I'll admit I'm a sucker for Irish authors. I don't consider myself an Anglophile, but I'm amused by their turns of phrase. I also love stories where the kids are smarter than the adults. I just wish the father in this story wasn't such a horrible man.

If you're in the mood to be taken away by sci-fi fantasy comic fiction, then put the kettle on, grab a plate of digestive biscuits, and settle in for a good read.

I actually expected this book to be a very serious book when I read the description. More of a horror tale that would have me twitching in my shorts.

But this book is far from that. This book was a very fun read and had me laughing several times throughout the book.

I actually bought it on Audible and Johnathan Cake does an amazing job of reading it to you. I think he does a great job at portraying the different characters, and the parts that i laughed on in the book were probably only funny because of the way he acts out the parts.

The only thing I didnt like is throughout the whole book the demons never seem to get the upper hand. It made the demons seem very weak as much as he was trying to make them sound terrifying.

It also took away from the suspense by the end because the humans kept overpowering the demons that you knew that's how it was going to be halfway through the story....except for the Abernathy's. Poor souls.

As much as I was really expecting a good chill of a tale, this book surprising was enjoyable and I recommend it.

Having never previously read a John Connolly book, my first thought was of the similarity of his last name to that of the premier mystery writer, Michael Connelly; the likeness was extended by the fact that both writers had main characters who shared the names of famous individuals: Hieronymous Bosch for Connelly, Charlie Parker for Connolly. As I started actually reading Connolly's novel The Reapers, I was quickly reminded of James Lee Burke with a grim description of a racially motivated murder that would have impact for decades to come. Later still, I'd start to compare Connolly to Andrew Vachss, as both used an ensemble of characters who existed outside the law and seemed a little over-the-top. By the end of The Reapers, it was clear that Connolly may have had the qualities of other writers, but he was distinctly his own voice.

As I started to read The Reapers, I was unaware it was part of an established series of Connolly's focusing on private eye Charlie Parker. Actually, Parker is a truly secondary character in this story; the main characters are Angel and Louis, partners in both their private lives and their shared careers as hired killers. Despite his profession, Angel has a measure of humanity. Louis, on the other hand, is almost a pure sociopath, with little regard for anyone outside of a very small circle of friends.

It is Louis who is the true center of The Reapers. A series of flashbacks show how Louis started killing in his teens with an act of vengeance that showed just how cold and methodical he could be. This brought Louis to the attention of Gabriel, the employer of several Reapers, or assassins-for-hire. Although Louis is no longer a Reaper, he has not been forgotten by Gabriel nor by another Reaper named Bliss. Bliss is out to kill Louis, and he is not alone. Bliss is working with a reclusive billionaire who has no problem hiring a private army to execute his enemies. Louis and Angel are hired by a second reclusive billionaire to kill the first. There are plots within plots, however, that leave Louis and Angel in dire straits.

It was said that legendary movie director Sam Peckinpah would make sure every character in his movie, no matter how minor, had a name, which he felt added a greater depth to his films. Similarly, Connolly has a tendency to flesh out even his minor characters, so even the more-or-less disposable henchmen of the villains have a personality. This adds to a richly entertaining story that makes me want to read Connolly's earlier books; and if a novel can motivate you to buy the author's other works, you know it has done a great job.

Samuel Johnson is a precocious eleven-year-old boy who always has his trusty dachshund Boswell by his side... and despite smarting from the loss of his Father from his family's daily life... faces life with a determined gusto... scientific intelligence... and an inner courage that is worthy of a person of much greater age and experience. This utterly unique story starts on October 28th when Samuel decides he'll get a "head start" on Halloween which of course... is October 31st. He begins his premature trick or treating at a neighbor's house... whose ominous address is *666* Crowley Road... and in the basement of that house there are strange "goings-on" indeed! Flashing lights... awful smells... openings in the ground... that lead to the "GATES-OF-HELL" and beyond. From there the author creates a bold method of storytelling that includes childlike innocence... fairytale like characters... and high level education that ranges from Michelangelo to "The Divine Comedy"... to Albert Einstein... to atoms and molecules... to religion... to philosophical dilemmas... and beyond... utilizing innumerable footnotes. These footnotes are not only educational... but in most cases are immersed in humor. Such as: "WHENEVER SOMEONE USES THE WORD "GLITCH", WHICH MEANS A FAULT OF SOME KIND IN A SYSTEM, YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY BE SUSPICIOUS, BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS. A TECHNICIAN WHO USES THE TERM "GLITCH" IS LIKE A DOCTOR WHO TELLS YOU YOU'RE SUFFERING FROM A "THINGY," EXCEPT THE DOCTOR WON'T TELL YOU TO GO HOME AND TRY TURNING YOURSELF ON AND OFF AGAIN." (Being that I'm in the computer business... this one is a favorite of mine that I can't wait to use in the future during interaction with one of my programmers.)

What transpires after the unsettling activities at *666* Crowley Road is no less important than the possible end of the world. Due to an occurrence by the Large Hadron Collider, which is 17 miles long, "and stretched inside a ring-shaped tunnel burrowed through rock, near Geneva, in Switzerland. The LHC was a particle accelerator, the largest ever constructed, a device for smashing protons together in a vacuum"... you can read about its other physical specifications yourself... BUT... this caused a temporary opening that allowed some demons to pass into our world... with the very real possibility that the entire Gates Of Hell would open letting an army of demons out including *THE-GREAT-MALEVOLENCE* himself into our world... which would lead to the end of the world as we know it! So as you can begin to see... the future of the world is left up to eleven-year-old Samuel... Boswell... and a few of their friends... because what parents are going to listen to a child telling them that The Gates Of Hell are opening? You'll get a chuckle out of some of the weapons used to save the world in a battle against the ugliest multi-eyed-multi-legged-ghastly smelling demons... that range from bug spray... to cricket bats... to poker's... to beer... to cars... to salt... to bricks... to an expertly timed toilet flush... and more.

This is an enjoyable book that despite having an eleven-year-old hero is still intellectually geared (in my opinion) to young teenagers and above due to its integration of science and gore.

John Connolly was born in Dublin in 1968 and spent five years working as a freelance journalist with the Irish Times. He's best known for his series of novels starring Charlie Parker, a private eye based in Maine. "The Gates" was first published in 2009 and - given that it's aimed at the teen market - is a step away from the norm for Connolly.

The book's hero is Samuel Johnson, a very intelligent - if slightly odd - eleven year old boy. Samuel lives with his mum and his dog - a dachshund called Boswell - on Crowley Avenue in Biddlecombe. (Samuel's parents have recently split up, something that's still a little raw : the only thing of his dad that remains is a very flash car in the garage). Despite his oddness, Samuel is popular at school and his two best friends are called Maria and Tom...in fact, the scariest thing he's had to deal with so far is his babysitter. However, things are about to get a lot scarier. Samuel has a new set of neighbours - the Abernathys, who have just moved into number 666. Unsurprisingly, with that house number, they're Satanists - and, when we first meet them, they're halfway through a secret ceremony with the Renfields. Thanks to a combination of their Satanic chants and the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, a portal has been opened between our world and Hell...and in no time at all, four demons have taken over the Abernathys' and the Renfields' bodies. Their mission is to prepare the way for the Great Malevolence and the arrival of Hell on Earth. Unfortunately for the demons, Samuel's onto them...

A funny book overall, and I enjoyed the book's scientific element too. Connolly has also come up with two great characters - Nurd, the likeable, car-loving, banished demon who's on "our" side, and Boswell, Samuel's loyal, brave and intelligent dog. However, I'd have found the book an awful lot more enjoyable if I hadn't already read "Good Omens" by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman - which, between the two, was the better book. There were just too many similarities - all Hell breaking loose, the eleven year old boy with the dog, the gags, the Pratchett-style humourous footnotes, even the nods to Crowley...

Samuel Johnson has a problem. There are demons across the street trying to open the Gates of Hell and no one believes him. That’s what happens when you’re a really intelligent kid who drives everyone just a bit to distraction with your constant questioning of… well, everything. Only his faithful Boswell (In this case a dachshund) and a few friends are willing to assist him when the CERN collider does something worse than create a black hole. Connolly has some fun with this offbeat book aimed at a younger audience but definitely has a bit of a Monty Python/Douglas Adams vibe that will serve an older reader well. The humor is often a bit on the dark side and there are a few scenes that could be a bit intense for very young readers, but overall it’s definitely a fun book and worth a look for those who want their fantasy served with a helping of wit.

I absolutely loved "The Book of Lost Things" by John Connolly so when I heard that he had written another fantasy I was very excited to read it. This is a very entertaining book and a great read. I didn't think it was quite as good as "The Book of Lost Things" but it was still entertaining.

Samuel spies something happening in his neighbors' basement. Basically he thinks his neighbors have opened a gate to hell and demons have taken over his neighbors' bodies. Meanwhile in Europe some physicists see a particle escape their particle accelerator; they have no idea what that means but potentially they may have inadvertently opened a gate to another realm.

Think of this book as some weird mix between a humorous treatise on particle physics and a tale of the end of the world. Much of the beginning of the book is taken to explaining, in as layman terms as possible, the theory behind the big bang, particle physics, dark matter, and dark energy. These little explanations are broken up by detailing the story of Samuel's life as he is chased down by the demon he saw open a gate to Hell. Eventually the chapters with the physicists and the chapters with Samuel collide to make an interesting story. There are many footnotes that either further explain the science discussed or further explain the strange actions of adults.

This book is targeted at the young adult crowd; there isn't anything bad in here that would make it inappropriate for that crowd. It does a pretty good job of trying to explain quantum mechanics to the masses, but at times the footnotes get a bit length, silly, and plain out boring.

Samuel's story is a good one. The end of the book especially is action packed and really grabs the reader in. Although there are certain things, like the scenes at the church with the vicar, that I never really did figure out the point of in regards to the main story.

The writing style itself is jaunty and humorous even at the darkest times in the book. The characters are all a bit quirky and odd. This book reminded me a lot of The Neddiad: How Neddie Took the Train, Went to Hollywood, and Saved Civilization by Daniel Pinkwater or Going Bovine by Libba Bray. At times the writing style (and the extreme number of footnotes) also put me in mind of Douglas Adams. In general, although this was an entertaining read, I felt like I had heard this story in this type of jaunty tone before. This is an entertaining read andhumorous but it is not nearly as original as "The Book of Lost Things" was.

Overall a great read, but not as excellent as "The Book of Lost Things". I would still recommend this as a good book for all ages to read and I am still eager to read Connolly's future adult fantasy novels.

Set in present-day rural England, this novel is about young Samuel Johnson and his faithful dachshund, Boswell. Samuel is showing initiative by going trick-or-treating three days early. He sees strange things happening at 666 Crowley Road.

Looking in through a basement window, he sees two local married couples, the Renfield's and the Abernathy's, dressed in long black cloaks, and with a pentagram drawn on the floor. They got hold of a book of spells, and are playing at devil worship. Things work better than they expected, because an actual gate to Hell is opened. All four are taken over by demons from Hell. Mrs. Abernathy becomes the extremely sexual "leader" of the invasion of Earth, while the others have become decaying, humanoid things that catch flies with their tongues.

What can Samuel do? His mother doesn't believe him, and his father walked out on the family months before, and is now living elsewhere, with another woman. Knowing that Samuel is "the enemy," Mrs. Abernathy sends some demons to take care of him, once and for all, but they are failures. Meantime, the invasion of Earth has begun, with "minor league" demons coming through the gate, but the townspeople start to fight back. Samuel recruits a couple of friends, Maria and Thomas, who is pretty good at whacking demons with a cricket bat. The only way to stop the invasion is to reverse the portal, which has now consumed the house. They get some unexpected help from Nurd, another demon who was planning to rule Earth, but had a change of heart.

Here is a wonderful piece of storytelling. It is made to be read aloud to older children (it may be a little too much for younger children). Adults will love it, because it is full of that dry, understated, British-type humor. Either way, this is very much recommended.

Call it a collaboration of Stephen King and Dave Barry, or of Bill Bryson teaming with Victor Gischler to write an episode of Harry Potter, but whatever it is, "The Gates" is an emphatically different tact for moody Irish writer John Connolly and his dark, somber, and beautifully poetic tales of investigator Charlie "Bird" Parker. Granted, the Parker series and "Gates" share a supernatural theme, though where the former treats the spiritually sinister side Connolly's "honeycomb" world subtlety, "The Gates" opens the Gates of Hell - literally - as eleven year old Samuel Johnson, with his dachshund Boswell at his side, stand bravely against the forces of evil and saves the world from imminent apocalypse.

Where vintage Connolly broods and glooms through broken lives and grisly murders, "The Gates", despite the Stygian theme, is light, humorous, mostly benign, always harmless, and ultimately entertaining. With a paradoxical but clever parallel drawn between the Underworld and the massive Hadron Particle Accelerator, young Samuel, out for some early Halloween trick-or-treating, stumbles upon a quartet of bored middle-aged suburbanites experimenting with sorcery, who succeed in summoning Satin. Meanwhile, far beneath the surface of Switzerland's CERN laboratories, scientists find that some of their "energy" has escaped, and Hadron starts running without supervision. With some interesting bits of quantum physics thrown in, and a liberal use of footnotes reminiscent of Josh Bazell's recent blockbuster "Beat the Reaper", Connolly takes the reader on whimsical jaunt through very real childhood fears of spiders, monsters-under-the-bed, and things that go bump in the night. This is a fast and easy read, but despite the brevity, begins to drag at points, but is quickly rescued with Connolly's previous well-hidden sense of humor.

So if you're looking for an unfamiliar treatment of a familiar theme, told by an accomplished wordsmith with a fertile imagination, there are many worse ways to spend a few hours than with John Connolly and "The Gates."

Brief summary, no spoilers.

Just before Halloween, scientists in Switzerland activate the CERN particle accelerator and accidently allow a gap to open in our world that leads to the Gates of Hell. And You-Know-Who wants to come out and destroy everything and take control. But before he can do that, he must have some faithful demons prepare for his arrival, which will happen within days.

Meanwhile, a precocious young boy named Samuel, along with his faithful dachshund companion Boswell, discover that portal to Hell has opened up in his neighbors home, the Abernathy's, when they experiment with a dark magic ceremony. The Great Malevolence (as he is called) closest demon aide takes over the body of Mrs. Abernathy, and finds out that Samuel may have seen too much and must be destroyed.

But the boy and his dog will prove mighty adversaries, helped by a demon named Nurd who becomes Samuel's friend. And yes, hilarity ensues.

What makes this novel so special, is that it is very very witty, and laugh-out-loud funny. Although marketed as a YA book, (and in many ways it feels like one), it is something that I think many adults will enjoy as well. In some ways the humor reminded me of the Gideon DeFoe Pirate books - and if you were a fan of those stories, I think you will like this as well. I also saw a comparison with Good Omens, that wonderful book by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.

Because there were bits that did feel very YA, and because I thought there were parts that seemed to lack a certain logic (yes, I know we're talking about demons, but still), I am not sure that this is a book that all adults would appreciate. I also thought there were parts where my interest flagged a bit.

I do recommend this book, but even more so, I recommend this author's previous book, The Book of Lost Things. That was just a perfect little book, in my opinion. This one is very good, but just misses that high mark.

I've read a few of the "Charlie Parker" mysteries by John Connolly. but I tend to prefer more "cozy" mysteries. They were well written, but not necessarily my thing. Still, when I read the description of this book, I knew I had to pick it up. It just sounded hilarious. I wasn't disappointed and actually read the book from cover to cover in only two days.

This was one of the funniest books I've ever read. If you're a fan of books like Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch or Practical Demonkeeping, then you'll love this. Connolly's writing style with this book is more akin to Douglas Adams than his usual mystery-thriller books. Of particular note is the use of footnotes and how funny they are.

I also really liked all the little homages and clever in-jokes. the main character is named Samuel Johnson and his dog is named Boswell. Restoration period literature fans should be amused by both of these. There are streets named after Crowley and Howard Phillips Lovecraft. There is a constant running joke with the Large Hadron Collider.

I'm glad the book does leave room for a sequel as I really want to see everyone from Samuel to Mrs. Abernathy to Nurd, Scoure of Five Dieties at least one more time.

It's hard to think of anyone that wouldn't enjoy this story. It's written on two different levels: one for younger readers and one for well-read adults with a background in folklore or horror literature. This is easily the best thing I've read by Connolly and hope that this is just the first in a long line of black humour novels by him.

John Connolly's latest, THE REAPERS, elevates Parker novel sidekicks Angel and (especially) Louis to the starring role. Angel and Louis are an interracial gay criminal couple -- Angel is a white thief, Louis a black hitman. In this story, Louis and all of his friends and associates (including partner Angel) are targeted by killers linked to Louis's past. Many ancillary characters from previous novels make appearances, such as mechanics Willie Brew and Arno, Parker himself, and the thug-for-hire trio of Jackie Garner and the Fulci brothers.

Most of Connolly's novels star NYPD detective-turned-Maine PI Charlie Parker. They are primarily told in the 1st-person from Parker's perspective, and they are identifiably hardboiled crime stories, often featuring serial killers, albeit with original twists (such as an emphasis on the supernatural.)

THE REAPERS is a departure in several ways -- it's all told in 3rd-person, with shifting perspective (and in this regard it's similar to Connolly's stand-alone novel BAD MEN.) Even when Parker's in the picture, it's 3rd-person. On the plus side, Connolly does a good job (as in BAD MEN) of using shifting perspectives to heighten tension and suspense. On the downside, I did miss being privy to Parker's internal monologue, which Connolly always makes a lot of fun. This novel is also a departure in that there is no real supernatural element to it.

It's a good solid crime/suspense tale, for sure. Connolly demonstrates (as always) his gift for prose. Still, I felt it was a little bit less distinct than some of his other novels, and I was let down a tiny bit, if only because Connolly has written some truly outstanding stuff in the past, in the process raising the bar for himself.

Props to Connolly for trying something different, but I admit I can't wait for the next full-blown "Parker novel."

Last, it appears that most of the genuinely negative reviews of this novel were written by folks who hadn't read any of the previous Parker books. I can see how THE REAPERS would be less enjoyable if you didn't already know these characters, but I think Connolly can be forgiven for assuming a little foreknowledge on the part of most readers. I mean, you wouldn't expect to be able to start, say, Stephen King's Dark Tower series with book five and have it make as much sense and be as fulfilling, would you?

This series really should be read in order, starting with Connolly's (and Parker's) debut, EVERY DEAD THING, for maximum enjoyment and understanding.

Yes its true, "The Reapers" is chock full of violence, murder, gunplay and death in so many forms its hard to keep count. For a guy who likes action, this reader was in hog heaven. But what really sets Connollys works apart from most in this genre are the sharp, and sometimes brutal characterizations which are even stressed in many of his secondary characters. He can take a minor character, Like the killer Quinn from this novel, and after just a short explanation, he makes you feel like you really know the guy.
So when one guy you like survives, you almost feel like it could have been one of your family members in the relieved feeling you get. And when one of the not so good guys meets a grisly end, its gets the reader pumping his fist and emitting a rowdy "hell yeah!"
There arent many so-called "good guys" in this novel, just mostly different levels of bad guys but oh you have to love the main two baddies (Louis and Angel). Actually theyre more like the good guys who play very very dirty to come out on top but most times, their victims get exactly what they got coming to them. How can you not like that?
Im glad Connolly included our favorite detective Charlie Parker near the end but we could always use more Parker.
Although i love all Connollys novels, sometimes he gets a bit heavy handed with the supernatural overtones. Not so with "The Reapers".
If you want a supremely well crafted action, suspense yarn written almost like poetry, then give this one a try, you wont be disappointed.
Bring on more Charlie Parker, and more of the craftiest killers in town, Louis and Angel.

People keep calling this an extremely dark book. I have to disagree with their assessments. The things that could really make it dark usually seem like asides or tangents. When the author starts telling us about Louis' background it doesn't really strike as dark and chilling. It seems like a long side road.

The protagonist Louis isn't really the darkest character in the book. He lives in a perpetual world of solitude, even amongst friends. Of course besides the few nightmares we're told about he really doesn't seem very much like sociopath or very menacing. He seems like any number of real life military personnel I have met. Is he supposed to be more dark and intriguing because he is a privateer? Bliss... Well that guy seems many times darker and more sadistic than anyone in the book. Then in the end even he feels like just another soldier with a score to settle.

There is a lot of death in this book and some touchy subjects from the past or broached. However, I never felt an uneasy darkness settle in when reading the book. I believe that is mainly because I felt like I was constantly being told things instead of shown. Connolly reveals Louis' past through these twelve (or more) page breaks in the story. It constantly interrupts the flow of the narrative. They also begin to feel like a lecture on the evils of the post civil rights south. It becomes almost academic in nature at times. We are told what a "sundown town" is and what constitutes a town to southern people. We aren't shown with characters or through dialogue. We are told of the physical suffering that befalls Louis' as a teenager but we don't see what happens. This pattern seems to hold true across the entirety of the book.

It is true that Connolly does try to show us the nature of his characters. There are a few scenes that show the emerging humanity of his protagonist couple. They just number too few for the length of the book. They also lack real depth or a sense of understanding. In the end I felt like I knew Willie the car mechanic better than I did anyone in the book.

I would have given this story a 2.5 because of how the action was written and Willie the mechanic. the store doesn't allow half stars so I rounded up. Reapers is a decent book that will entertain most people. If you are looking for something truly dark and disturbing this really isn't the cream of the crop.

When J.K. Rowling suddenly made "young adult" fiction immensely more marketable (and appealing to a much wider age range), she opened the door for a lot of other authors, including established ones who had already been successful in the adult literature market. John Connolly is one such writer, with The Gates being his latest foray in the young adult field.

The Gates tells the tale of Samuel Johnson, an eleven year old whose dog is, of course, named Boswell (these sorts of sly names pepper the book). Samuel witnesses his neighbors accidentally opening a gateway to Hell, leading to their possession by demons and the unleashing of a plot to unleash Hell on Earth.

Hell in this case is in a parallel universe and ruled by the Great Malevolence, a being of immense power. It is the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland that is somehow involved with this dimensional rift, though at first only Samuel is aware of the danger. But is awareness enough? The Great Malevolence is so powerful that it is almost unstoppable. What can one kid do?

Connolly is an adept writer and his story is well-plotted and laced with a lot of humor. On the other hand, his writing style is more clearly directed towards younger readers, so adults may find his tone a little simplistic or condescending. Some might be annoyed at this narrative voice, but I was not: The Gates is a fun fantasy novel that will please most who read it.

Fun fun read!

Samuel is an inquisitive, inventive boy. He's the type that gets in trouble for asking too many difficult questions from the adults around him. He decides to go trick or treating several days before Halloween, to get started early. He interrupts his neighbors in the middle of their attempt at a Satanic ritual of some sort. As he peeks, he sees they manage to succeed in opening a portal, a wormhole to Hell. Unfortunately, the big bad demon Ba'al sees Samuel, who must then who must then split time between trying to convince the adults that there's something wrong and dodging Ba'al's attempts on his life. There's also a demon who's not so bad, Nurd, The Scourge of Five Deities. And CERN is involved. and a little dog named Boswell. Such a good story.

There were many great scenes that would translate well to a movie. Two demons getting drunk in a bar, weeping to "Danny Boy". A boy defeating a flock of flying skulls with a cricket bat. Nurd learning to drive in a Porsche. I don't read much comedy writing, so this one really reminded me of Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Prachett. I read that..man, like 15 years ago probably? This book was quite good, shorter than Good Omens though. I recommend it!

The action in this powerful and graphic novel centers on the background of one recurring character in Mr. Connolly's books, Louis, both as a boy as well as his development as a Reaper--a professional killer. By means of flashbacks and forwards, the story develops to a momentous conclusion. Along the way, we learn of his boyhood and past transgressions, as well as his personality and businesses.

When Louis accepts a contract, Angel, his lover and partner, has trepidations, but goes along with the flow. Meanwhile, Bliss, a killer of killers, is hunting Louis, who years before was assigned to eliminate him. Instead, Bliss was injured and survived the attempt. Now he seeks revenge on the very grounds where Louis and Angel attempt to fulfill their latest contract. Instead they become the hunted, with little at their disposal to survive but their ingenuity (and some friends).

"The Reapers" is an interesting psychological study of how Louis has developed as a professional assassin, while maintaining a semblance of normality, raising questions about why a person is selected as a target, among other indications of individuality. Carefully crafted, this dark but deep novel rises above the level of mere crime fiction. The writing and characterizations are sharp and realistic, and the situations drawn almost photographic. Highly recommended.

John Connolly undertook quite a change three years ago when he wrote The Book of Lost Things, a fairy tale for children of all ages based on tales and legends heard at an early age. Now he has continued with another imaginative effort. According to the author, the earlier book was intended as a children's book for adults, and the current effort an adult book for children.

Gates is a blend of fantasy and science, with substantial but amusing footnotes adding to the seriousness and levity of the novel. As a result, the story combines quantum physics with an allegorical tale of how the devil plans to take over the universe, including this small planet. At the heart of the plot is a young boy, Samuel Johnson, and his dog, Boswell, who must stand up to Satan and save the world.

Both novels are a far cry from the Charlie Parker series, but are diverting and unusual. Written at times with tongue-in-cheek, the little nuggets of information on a wide variety of subjects are both informative and often just plain funny. They range from black holes to the painting of the Sistine Chapel, Einstein's Theory of Relativity, to Dante's Divine Comedy. A very enjoyable read that is highly recommended.

First Sentence: Sometimes Louis dreams of the Burning Man.

Louis and Angel are killers; accustomed to being the hunters. Now they find they are the hunted and the targets of a fellow hitman named Bliss.

I was a huge fan of Connolly's earlier books. Unfortunately, his style seems to have changed and the elements I one loved have been lost, particularly the lyrical style of his writing. That was completely missing in this book. His books have always been dark to the point where I have cautioned those to whom I have recommended his books.

This, however, seemed to be violence for the sake of violence. There were a lot of characters in this book and only one about whom one could really care. Louis and Angel are interesting and I originally liked the idea of learning more of Louis background, but without Parker, of whom very little was seen in this book, there was no balance and I found the two characters without redemption.

Connolly's wonderful dialogue was in evidence, but that wasn't enough to make me like the book. In fact, it's the only book by Connolly I found myself putting down and almost dreading going back to.

Connolly's writing both attracts and repels me, which may be his objective, but I am not certain whether I shall continue reading him.

Those familiar with John Connolly's Charlie Parker series are already acquainted with Louis & Angel; a hitman and burglar respectively, they usually serve as secondary characters to Parker's lead. In The Reapers, Louis and Angel finally take center stage and the result is... mixed.

While I enjoyed the book tremendously, being a big fan of Angel I couldn't help but come away somewhat disappointed at the lack of attention given to his character's history. Louis' youth and path to becoming a hitman, a Reaper, is explored beautifully and extensively, yet we were given nothing more about Angel in this offering than had already been alluded to in previous Parker outings. Angel is such an interesting character in the way that he often serves as a bridge between Parker and Louis, as well as acts as Louis' conscience on occasion, more about him and his history would have been more than welcomed.

Still, the story, which revolves around an event from Louis' early years as a Reaper coming back to haunt him, is strong (duh, it's Connolly) and the little appetizer tastes of Louis and Angel we normally have to settle for are finally served up here as a pretty satisfying full course meal.

The Gates introduces us to Samuel Johnson and his beloved dachshund Boswell. Samuel is a strange boy who likes to confuse his teachers and dreams of getting his soon-to-be-divorced parents back together. In order to get a leg up on all the other kids during Halloween Samuel goes trick-o-treating two days before only to witness the gate to Hell opening up at 666 Crowley Road due to the rituals the owners playing at devil worship while at the exact time the Hadron Collider is working on the other side of Europe. No one believes poor Samuel that the end of Earth is near, demons are trying to kill him and that the neighbors are Satan's minions. No one except Boswell and his friends Maria and Thomas.

The book becomes a keystone- cops type of comedy, with the minions of Hell being roughed up and a lower entity demon - Nurd, The Scourge of Five Deities - becoming a lovable figure which I hope we'll meet again.

Even though I'm not the target audience for this book, I found this book hilarious (dry English humor), enchanting, and brilliant and wonderfully told.
I even learned a thing or two along the way.

John Connolly thrilled readrs and critcs while showing great versatility with his previous release THE BOOK OF LOST THINGS. It was an inventive, creative fairy tale/ fantasy story told with imagination and heart. There was good and evil and life lessons told through a boys journey into a secret world. It is definitely a treat for John Connolly to leave the thriller genre behind yet again to provide us with another magical exploration of fantasy and magic.

This is told in the vein iof a childrens story but is definitely a story for all. It is a welcome treat but sadly it misses the mark in comparison to THE BOOK OF LOST THINGS. We have here a young boy who peeks in a neighbors basement window a few days before Halloween and gets sucked into true evil. And that is what this book is about - how the world was created and how evil and good came to be. The messages aren't as strong as with the previous book. This novel is a fun, inventive story particularly where it is being released around Halloween. I just wish it was a little longer with more depth. It's like a short fable. I enjoyed it but it didn't grab onto me and hold on which is what the best books do. But it is a good attempt.

Totally intrigued. Wonderfully surprised. This is the first novel I have read for John Connolly and I am hooked. When you pick up one of those paperbacks to read about killing and mayhem, you are not expecting "good writing", you expect decent and readable at best. And that was the surprising part about this incredible author. He took the time to make it not only an exciting adventure but an enjoyable and proper reading venture. I will read another to enjoy his use of the English language and the flow of conversations.

The story line was easy to follow, the characters had depth and dimension and the dialogue bobbed, ebbed and flowed to make you want more. A great story written with intelligence and respect for the reader. Most readers are not morons, we like a good story but love good writing. Connolly fulfills both.

I loved everything about this one. Had a real Gaiman-esque feel to it.

Samuel and his dog Boswell, Nurd, the Scourge of Five Dieties, Shan and Gath the warthog demons getting hammered on Spiggit’s Old Peculiar beer and the very gates of hell opening in the quaint little town of Biddlecombe.

5 Stars and Highly Recommended.

I got this book as a present after telling everyone how interesting I thought it was when I picked it up and read the first bit in a book store. I was so excited when I got. I read it in one day.
At first it seemed like it was a bit jumpy. One chapter would be talking about a little boy dealing with demons coming from the basement of his neighbor's house and the next chapter would be talking about some mean saint that died a long time ago or a molecule smasher in a completely different country but then I started to see that everything was tied in together somehow and the little cliff notes at the bottom of the page are funny and interesting.
It reminded me of the movie Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy.
The only thing I didn't like was that it was a little short for me and the very, very end (I'm talking like the last two pages) was a bit lame. I think it kind of fizzled out compared to the rest of the book but I would still read it again.
I'm planning on buying more of his books. I'm hoping that I've found another author to get in to. =]

Unlike John Connolly's Charlie Parker novels, THE GATES is arguably a book for young adults. But that shouldn't deter any "old" adults from picking it up, as they almost certainly will enjoy it as much as his other works. The hero of the piece is, indeed, a youngster on the cusp of adolescence. Samuel Johnston lives with his mother in the town of Biddlecombe, England. His dad has recently moved out of the house and traded up, so to speak, on female companions, demonstrating that he is on the cusp of adolescence as well. His mom, understandably, is a bit preoccupied and upset about this state of affairs, leaving young Samuel and his dog, a dachshund named Boswell, on their own.

Two simultaneous events --- one occurring locally, the other far away --- change things for Samuel and Boswell. In Europe, a group of scientists are futzing around with a particle accelerator in the hopes of discovering something that is often referred to as the "God particle." At the same time, the Abernathys and the Renfields, two couples in Samuel's neighborhood, are fooling around with a nasty little book that Mrs. Abernathy found in a local bookstore. Neither the scientists nor Samuel's neighbors really know what they're doing, and as a result of their tomfoolery, they unleash demons into our world. Only Samuel, two of his friends, and the valiant Boswell know what is going on. Initially, they can't get anyone to believe them, though that certainly changes once a couple of flying skulls, a reluctant demon named Nurd, and a horrible bishop who has been dead for several hundred years all get into the act. There is, of course, a nasty battle between good and evil, as often happens with such things, but the conclusion to said battle might not be the conclusion you were expecting.

Speaking of the unexpected, there were a few things that I personally didn't expect from THE GATES. One is that parts of it are funny --- really funny. Though one might not know it from his Parker novels, Connolly is possessed of great humor, and he lets it shine through here. I'm talking laugh-out-loud humor that is doled out in a ration of every page or so. I also did not expect THE GATES to be frightening. It is, in places, similar to the way the original version of Darby O'Gill and the Little People remains frightening no matter how many times you've seen the banshee come flying onto the screen in its carriage. It stays with you and chills you to the bone.

But THE GATES is more than your garden-variety literary entertainment. Connolly explains some basic principles of physics very well here, especially for those whose ready knowledge of such things begin and end with apples dropping (hand raised here). He also pulls off a major coup by making his footnotes --- which are quite frequent --- so entertaining that they don't interfere with the flow of the narrative. You actually come to miss them when they are absent for more than a few pages. It's amazing. However, what is really impressive --- and frightening --- is Connolly's timing. I am given to understand that Connolly had been working on this novel for some eight years, and its publication corresponds eerily with a failed collider experiment, the latest in a series of such. On almost the same day as the book's release, some scientists theorized, quite seriously, that the otherwise inexplicable failures may be occasioned by an "outside" source as a warning. THE GATES leaves open the possibility that somewhere a young man stands athwart space and time, yelling "Halt!"

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

The Gates is a lighthearted Fantasy story about an eleven-year-old named Samuel who likes to challenge adults' expectations of children by bringing up philosophical arguments during show-and-tell time and trying to apply carelessly prescribed advice like "show initiative" to Trick-or-Treating by arriving at neighbors' houses in costume looking for sweets days early. It is during one of these unsuccessful Trick-or-Treating escapades that Samuel spies his neighbors and their friends circled up in dark robes in their basement and (out of boredom) accidentally opening the gates of Hell. I pictured the scene from Polanski's Rosemary's Baby where all the elderly otherwise harmless-seeming folks gather to summon Satan.

Samuel spends much of the book trying to find an adult, or anyone for that matter, to help him avoid the evil creatures escaping from the portal all while evading the demons out to get him and befriending one kind demon who takes a hankering to driving fast cars and munching on jelly beans.

I've never read anything by Connolly before so I don't know that all of his writing is this way, but at least with this book, think Terry Pratchett meets Lemony Snicket. If you're familiar with either of those authors you've probably already guessed what I'm referring to: witty footnotes. With these authors you can almost hear their under-the-breath chuckles as they type out little jokes and witty commentary on their own writing, smiling to themselves with how clever they are and lovingly slipping the pages of their manuscript into a mailbox to be shipped to their editors. Yet they are witty, and they make the reader chuckle too, so we can excuse them for their moments of self-indulgence and happily enjoy their humorous musings while their plots progress.

The Gates by John Connolly
This is my second novel by John Connolly, the first being the "The Book of Lost Things", which I loved and thought was fantastic.
In "The Gates", Samuel Johnson,only 11 years old observes a supernatural happening at a neighbors house which doesn't look to be a good thing. He tries to tell his mum but to no avail and its up to him and his friends to do something about it.
This plot driven novel has some great characters, some of which are demons, some nice ones and some not so nice. Either way John connolly is very descriptive in his imagery.
The demons have personalities, some quirky and some menacing but very charming all the same.
The footnotes add much to the novel as they are sometimes quite funny and are really entertaining!
I plan on having my 12 and 14 year old kids read it next as I think they would get a kick out of it.
I will be reading other novels by John Connolly as he really has a talent for storytelling.

When one is in an airport bookstore after spending ten hours on a plane with no reading material, still looking at another few hours before reaching one's final destination, one doesn't take chances. One buys multiple books, in different genres, to ensure that the remainder of the journey will pass smoothly. If the first novel fails to please, there is always another.

In the above paragraph, I am the One. Among the books I purchased that fateful day was The Reapers: A Thriller, by John Connolly. Yep, they put the genre right into the title, so there could be no confusion. That might be a good thing, now that I think about it, because the `thriller' part of the book is a pretty simple revenge-begets-revenge storyline without too much actual thrill. Sure, there's some suspense (not that much, though), along with plenty of violence and action -- people are thrust into bad situations and have to dig themselves out. Ultimately, though, the narrative seems to exist not to thrill but to provide the author a framework to explore the soul (or lack thereof) of people who can kill a stranger in the blink of an eye. Are such men born or made?

Connolly has written several stories featuring a detective named Charlie Parker; in this installment the crusty ex-detective plays a subordinate role as the author focuses on Louis, one dangerous mo-fo to be sure. Gay, black, soft-spoken, likes country music, frighteningly cold-blooded. Louis is unusual even among killers; his ego makes no demands, even when he is motivated by revenge. He doesn't need to see the person die, he doesn't need to make it poetic, doesn't need to gloat, as long his target's heart stops beating. (Although the author glosses over one purely egotistical touch that allows the bad bad guy to get away at one point.)

How did Louis come to be this way? It's a long story, or a short story, depending on how you look at it. The short version: some people are just born that way. The long version is told over several long flashbacks. As a young man Louis is witness to a particularly horrific hate crime. More crimes against his family follow. After Louis takes his revenge he is discovered and nurtured (or at least trained) by men who work for The Government (or do they?). Louis is retired now, the only one of his group to walk away without being killed. Or so he thought. (insert dramatic sting)

To be honest, after a while the long backstory sections started to feel redundant, as if Mr. Connolly was himself unsure of his thesis that just because Louis was a cold-blooded killer doesn't mean he's a bad man. At least for me, he was selling past the close. I got it about two flashbacks before Connolly was ready to trust me that I got it, and move on with the story. The rest started to feel defensive.

Naturally to bring out the best in Louis in this story he must be confronted by a rival of similar pedigree. Turns out that he and his rival have each failed to kill the other on previous occasions. Not a bad set-up by Mr. Connolly.

One of the best things about this book: No one is safe. Even people you like, some little more than innocent bystanders, are fair game. There's no guarantee that everyone will live happily ever after. That's critical if you aspire to the title `thriller', and in this case you better not let your guard down until you've closed the book. Maybe I have to take back what I said about about it not having much thrill.

Still, did I really have to know the whole backstory of the hired goon who gets whacked? Three pages of backstory for his half-page of action? No, I don't think I needed to know that. Did I need the detailed description of a rifle, just to have the bad guy choose the other rifle? No, that just came off as the author showing off. Should someone who goes into such great detail about firearms refer to `clips' in an autoloading pistol? Absolutely not.

This sort of story thrives on detail, but let's keep it to the details that matter, please, and make sure our terminology is correct. Louis would never say `clip' when he means `magazine', and neither should the author.

Overall, however, the rather straightforward plot was very satisfactorily balanced by the character study of the central personality. He is a complex person, a perfect storm of intelligence, physical ability, and near-complete dispassion toward his victims. Was this a thriller? I can't say I was on the edge of my seat. Wasn't thrilled, per se. I was interested, and I was wrapped up in the action, however, and I really liked the central characters and they way Connolly introduced them to me. Overall, a pretty good read.