N O V E L S B A D    M E N R E V I E W S UK US DEADLY PLEASURES MAGAZINE Although this is John Connolly's first non-Parker novel, Charlie does make an off-stage cameo appearance in this intricately-plotted tale of convergence and evil. The book is principally set on an island off the coast of Maine -- Sanctuary, renamed Dutch Island after a Dutch sailor (who coincidentally shares the name of John Connolly's Dutch publisher). It is guarded by a policeman known as Melancholy Joe Dupree who is over seven feet tall, and who can trace his family back several generations into the island's grim history. Early on, two local teenagers steal a car from one of the summer houses, and after a drinking binge, they embed it into an oak tree, killing themselves in the process. This simple act, is Bad Men in microcosm, for the narrative examines the lives and the history of a group of people locked into the trajectory of inevitable tragedy; almost like watching a car crash in slow motion. Part violent thriller and part ghost story, this unusual blend of Jim Thompson and M. R. James examines the decent and the degenerate that encompass the people living on or heading for 'Sanctuary'. The cast list is enormous, but Connolly pulls off the major feat of making each of them distinct, so when they bleed, so do we. Even minor characters such as the forger Karen Meyer, who tries to redeem herself, becomes a figure we care for as the car pickups up speed, locked for an unavoidable collision. This tale is not built for comfort, but more for speed, as the back-story comes out in little vignettes that help us understand the dark-side of the human condition. There are some very moving and tragic tales that sit on the periphery of this novel. The one that really burned into me was the story of the one-legged soldier asked to stand and take a bow on the Ed Sullivan show. A tragic story, but with a dark slice of the irony that peppers this tale. This book will definitely divide Connolly's audience, but I think it will do something more important -- it will broaden it considerably, as it has a darkly moral undercurrent with the ghost story creeping out as the car crash approaches. It is not a book without fault, as at times it does feel overwritten, but at other times the prose sparkles with wit and a flourish that many other writers fail to realize when working with the English language. Bad Men is a deeply ambitious book. It is full of ideas, characters, and a love for history and language, as well as an understanding that often bad things can happen to good people, as well as good things happen to bad people. However, Connolly does show that there are people like Joe Dupree, who patrol our highways and try to ensure that when they see a car crash coming -- they do something about it. These people, like John Connolly, have ambition and do not fear risks and for that I applaud them. A deeply disturbing and thought provoking read and not to be read without a seatbelt. 4.5    —Ali Karim TANGLED WEB UK When you read John Connolly's previous books you are aware of an element of the supernatural - another world at the edge of the real one. It is as if there is a grey mist that drifts disturbingly around the base of your skull, or scarcely perceived out of the corner of your eye. In Bad Men, Connolly brings the supernatural centre-stage.... The story soon began to pull together, and carried me along at the usual cracking pace towards its inevitable conclusion, with a few surprises thrown in along the way. Undertones of familiarity? The isolated island defended by a good man (and woman) against cold, evil men (and a woman) in foul weather with all the telephone links down. It doesn't matter. Aren't all stories a variation on a theme? Connolly writing remains entertaining and stylish, and Bad Men, though something of a departure, is well worth the read.    —Ian Morson AMAZON.CO.UK John Connolly writes dark, streetwise thrillers that pull no punches when showing human cruelty. Bad Men blends noir crime with supernatural horror as murderous gangsters invade an island whose ghosts have a special way with bad men. Bad Men is a standalone novel despite the brief, superfluous appearance of Connolly's regular PI character Charles Parker. It's a suspenseful, compelling read, hypnotic in its orchestration of brutality and mayhem; readers are likely to wince frequently and even involuntarily shut their eyes.    —David Langford BOOKS N BYTES Bad Men is a departure for John Connolly. Maine is here and so too is Charlie Parker in a brief cameo. Bad Men is not a "crime" novel though. Instead Connolly has presented us with literary folklore done on a grand scale. I cannot recommend this book highly enough to my fellow mystery fans. My hope is that Mr. Connolly felt as refreshed after writing it as I did after reading it.    —Ruth Jordan SUNDAY EXPRESS For those without a trace of squeamishness... Connolly's remarkably assured and atmospheric crime novels will provide some pulse racing diversion. Read the Prologue. Read a Q & A. Support an independent bookstore, or buy online from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk.