There is always the element of the supernatural in a Charlie Parker novel. And The Whisperers is no exception. However, reality plays an important part in the theme, giving the author the opportunity to reflect on the horrors of war and its effects – especially combat stress – on the lives of those who fought them.
There are veiled references to the condition in the Iliad; during the Civil War it was known as “irritable heart;” “shellshock” was the term used during World War I and its aftermath; for World War II it became known as “battle fatigue” and “war neurosis;” then “post-Vietnam syndrome”; and today “post-traumatic stress disorder.”
The plot involves a group of Iraqi veterans (all from Maine, Parker’s bailiwick), who return home to set up a smuggling operation. One by one they commit suicide, and Parker is retained by the father of one of them to learn the reason for his son’s death. This leads Parker to travel an unexpected path
As a result, we meet some old friends, Angel and Louis, who always manage to cover Parker’s back. But more important, Parker has to work with an old nemesis, The Collector. And the eerie Herod, a man with strange tastes, and his shadow, the Captain. The characters and the plot interweave on various levels, with prose that mesmerizes the reader. The book is highly recommended.
