Unperfect Souls (Connor Grey, Book 4)

by Mark Del Franco

Book Overview

A thrilling new Connor Grey urban fantasy In the Boston neighborhood known as the Weird, a decapitated body floats out of the sewer, and former Guild investigator Connor Grey uncovers a conspiracy... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0441018386
• Release Date: January 2010
• Publisher: Ace
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 0.9" x 4.2"

Customer Reviews

Simply awesome!

I'm seriously in love with this series. Briggs' "Mercy Thompson", Huff's "Tony Foster" and Del Franco's "Connor Grey", my top three UF series! I loved everybody in this book: Connor, Murdock, Joe and Shay, Eorla, Meryl, Briallen and Keeva. Even the hell hound was lovable! And we finally got some answers about the dark mass in Connor's head - and it was awesome! I was delighted to see Shay back - he's one of the cutest characters that I've ever encountered in a book and I think he would deserve a series of his own. I mean, quoting stuff like "Look at this face, doll. The only girls in high school who wanted to sleep with me were confused lesbians" - because yeah, he really is that pretty - who wouldn't love him! And Murdock and Connor, I love their friendship - and yes, I'm curious who Murdock's sleeping with, too! Also, what an epic finale again. Del Franco really knows how to deliver huge, Boston-melting battles - the cover of this book, Connor walking down a bridge while behind him the city burns, does not lie, I kid you not! I'm ecstatic about this series and I hope there'll be book 5 soon!

Quickly becoming one of my favorite urban fantasies

It's all been said before, but in a nutshell....this is a series by an author with mad skills at world building; a great (and well-thought) urban/magic dynamic; a strong cast of secondary characters who don't come across as paper cutouts; excellent pacing and plot, an excellent sense of momentum, and a very, very, very excellent and patient plot development that takes four novels to build into some truly stunning moments. I love what the author did with Boston, with his friendship between Connor and his cop friend Murdock, with Briallen and Joe... In a genre that's showing rapidly diminishing returns, I look forward to this series, and this latest installment did not disappoint. I highly recommend it to all the fans of Hamilton, Butcher, Andrews, Briggs, Vaughn, Carey, Thurman, Levitt, Gaiman and Harris. And as for where the author is going next.... well... Book 5 better come out damn soon, Mr. Del Franco. I'm not nearly as patient as you!

New Book, good product.

I like this author, and this series. We are finding out more about Connor Grey and his abilities as time goes by.

Best book in the series so far!

"Wow!" That's pretty much what my reaction was after reading this book. A lot happens this time around and neither Connor nor his friends are left unscathed. The story starts out in it's typical fashion with Connor's police detective friend, Leonard Murdock, calling him in to assist on a murder case. It seems that a dead Dead guy (that is NOT a typo) has been found headless in the sewers. Now as odd as this may seem, this is the neighborhood of The Weird we're talking about, so naturally things end up getting progressively worse. During the course of the investigation, Connor finally (FINALLY!) stumbles across someone who knows something about the mysterious mass in his head. The only problem is that this person also happens to be one of the most repulsive beings known to the Fey, and what Connor is told isn't really something he wants to hear. Still, this is the only way he can learn more about what's happening to him and his desperation has him taking chances that he knows he probably shouldn't. Then there's Murdock ... more than once as the story plays out, Murdock finds himself in situations that are both dangerous and, ultimately, tragic. Murdock's world becomes seriously shattered and he ends up more shaken and vulnerable than we've ever seen him before. With all the crazy stuff that's going on, Connor is the one Murdock ends up turning to, and the concern and support that Connor shows him is quite gratifying to witness. (Connor's certainly come a long way from that guy who left his friend alone and unconscious in a graveyard (see "Unquiet Dreams").) I have to say that the relationship between Connor and Murdock is something that I've found fascinating from the very first book. The differences in their backgrounds, beliefs and ways of life are so diverse that calling them an "odd couple" is almost an understatement. While the previous books have focused mainly on the professional aspects of their relationship, this book delves deeper into their friendship and we're finally allowed to see just how much trust and affection exists between them. Meryl too, as Connor's not-quite girlfriend, gets her fair share of drama. And Joe the Flit just keeps getting better and better. He's got some of the funniest lines and I just love how his friendship with Murdock seems to be deepening as well. Overall, this story packs much more of an emotional wallop than the others. Connor and his small circle of friends suffer through some major stuff and not everything is tied up nicely in the end. Being forced to wait another year for the next book to come out just seems cruel. Great job Del Franco. Great job!

Another Page-turner of a Paranormal Mystery

Over a century before the world of Faerie intersected with the modern human world in the Convergence, which trapped various magical races in the human world. The Weird, in Boston, is a kind of Faerie ghetto where Connor Grey, a Druid who has lost most of his magical powers, is a consultant for the human police, helping out with any magical aspects of the crimes there. Now the Dead from TirNaNog, due to a recent catastrophe, have also been trapped in the human world and one of them has been found decapitated. Even the murder of the Dead needs to be investigated, although, admittedly, it isn't high on the priority list of the human police nor the magical enforcers of the Guild. Then another body is found, that of a Solitary Fey, another group low on the priority list. On top of that, the on-going fey rivalry between the courts of the Celtic fairies and the Teutonic Elves continues to cause problems, and human antagonism in the form of restrictions and aspects of martial law in the Weird is adding to the build-up of resentment and violence. The Connor Grey novels are among my favorite paranormal mystery, urban fantasy series. Grey is a survivor who has had to overcome the loss of his magic and his former livelihood and in the process has had to re-examine his life. He also has to deal with the mysteries, which make him feel of use. And in this book, things seem to be developing with the mystery black mass in his head that is blocking use of his magic. The events will change his life and that of others, shifting again the balance of power among fey and human. I sped through this book with fascination and joy and am now a bit sad because I have to wait for the next one. I recommend that you read the series starting from the beginning with UNSHAPELY THINGS.