fiatgirl.com Book Reviews - Fiction

I approached Carol O'Connell's 'Mallory' series in the wrong way. By accident, I read the fourth book in her series first. Normally this would have the effect of ruining the series for me; instead it sent me running to the bookstore to get the first installment.

Mallory's Oracle' is a superb book. Finally we have a view of a cop that is not a chisel-jawed jock. Instead, we are presented with Mallory, a female detective with an obviously scarred past that will not let anyone close to her. She secures herself amongst computers and modems; it is here, and only here, where she feels totally safe. The novel progresses along a very good plot bulked out with interesting characters and excellent dialogue: For those who have read it, take Charles' first experience of the poker game as an example. See how easily O'Connell manages to mingle two conversations seemlessly creating a scene which sticks in the mind of the reader.

I cannot press onto propsective readers how much I enjoyed this book and I urge everyone to read it and O'Connell's other novels in this series. I look forward to more offerings and hope that O'Connell goes from strength to strength.

Other books in the Mallory series:

Shell Game
Carol O'Connell
1999
U.S. Edition: Putnam Hardcover
U.K. Edition: Hutchinson Hardcover

Mallory does not believe that the tragic death of a magician performing a complex trick in front of television cameras is an accident. She attempts to get into the spirit of things in order to solve the case, a difficult task for one whose life is so lacking in magic.

Fans of O'Connell's earlier books featuring New York Police Detective Mallory, whose nickname "Machine" seems particularly apt, will enjoy this book. Those who have not been introduced to Mallory and the other characters may find this book more mysterious than the storyline warrants because the text assumes previous knowledge. Even as a Mallory fan who has not picked up an O'Connell book for awhile, I found myself straining my memory as I read this one. The detail given in previous books about the process Mallory went through to get information was not as good and some of her information and conclusions seemed to come out of thin air as the book progressed.

Still, the story is a good, and the magicians proved an interesting cast of characters. If you are new to the Mallory books, read the others first! (Reviewed 2-1-00)

Stone Angel
Mallory's history is somewhat revealed in the book in which she investigates the story of her mother's death approximately 17 years prior to the time frame of the book.
Killing Critics
The Man Who Cast Two Shadows

Also, without Mallory:

Judas Child introduces a small-town cop who investigates the kidnapping of a pair of children which seems to parallel the disappearance of his twin sister many years prior.

Note: "Mallory's Oracle," the first Mallory book, was nominated for an Edgar Award for Best First Novel by an American Author in 1995.

For an interview with the author, see http://www.paintedrock.com/memvis/interview/oconnell.htm

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O'Donnell, Lillian

The Children's Zoo (1981)
Sergeant Norah Mulcahaney learns what children can get away with in this murder mystery.
Lockout (1994)
Nora Mulcahaney unravels the secrets behind the death of a famous singer while attempting to keep her job and reputation after the fatal shooting of an attempted rape suspect.
Cop Without a Shield,
Nora Mulcahaney takes a remote sabbatical following her husband's murder and gets tangled up in a small town's crime problems.

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Orwell, George. See Classics

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