A mother’s love under fire in gripping drama

It’s hard to believe that this is the 21st book in John Connolly’s hugely successful Charlie Parker series. The books place the hard-boiled private detective genre in a world where forces of the supernatural secretly exist.

The Instruments of Darkness begins with echoes of both Madeleine McCann and the Casey Anthony case in the US. Two-year-old Henry Clark is abducted from his parents’ house while his father is away on a business trip. The story of the missing child dominates the media, with a public outpouring of sympathy for Henry’s parents Colleen and Stephen.

When, a few days later, a blanket drenched in the child’s blood is found hidden in Colleen’s car, the mood changes. She’s arrested for murder and quickly convicted by TV pundits, newspapers, and social media. Stephen also seems determined to find her guilty and immediately cuts ties.

Colleen’s lawyer, Moxy Castin, hires Parker to find evidence that either exonerates Colleen or at least undermines the case against her. As Parker investigates he runs afoul of many, from the district attorney to a mob of modern Nazis – an eclectic group ranging from stereotypical thugs to extremely smart and sophisticated public figures.

As with every Charlie Parker book, Connolly explores a range of contemporary themes and demonstrates that no matter how evil other-worldly creatures may be, humans are often worse. In this instance he casts his eye on the way society treats women.

As Parker cautions Colleen: “You’re in the public eye, and the jury will be drawn from people who read newspapers, watch TV, and gossip with their friends... It’s harder for a woman accused of a crime than a man... Women are held to a different standard in life.”

Even Colleen’s struggles with pregnancy and motherhood – pretty common ones, which she had sought help for – are leveraged against her by the court.

Connolly, rather unusually, drops big hints early on about who may be behind the toddler’s disappearance. When all is eventually revealed it’s not the neat denouement the reader might hope for.

However, there is a delicious twist at the very end that I would challenge any mother not to cheer loudly at. I did.