Killing Critics

This was the first Carol O'Connell book I read and still one of my favorites. It's the only book that ever scared the hell out of me while making me cry for so many characters who were irreversibly devastated by their loss. Carol O'Connell has a wonderful way of creating characters who are rarely likable or sympathetic but who are almost always interesting.

This is my favorite in the Mallory series so far. Mallory is getting a bit more vulnerable as we come to know her - like anything, you have to work at it and it makes it the more satisfying. The premise was a bit confusing - or maybe i lack the necessary insight to get it in one take, but I found that as I re-read the book I picked up on things that I missed in my haste to absorb the novel. The extra cast were delightfully well-designed - I particularly enjoyed the character of Quinn, who seems to be sort of Mallory-like himself. The book is thoroughly entertaining and ultimately very satisfying. I've read some less-than-generous reviews and I urge those readers to try again. There are a few things that feel awkward the first time... so, once more, from the top. The writing is good enough to stand alone without the complex plot and intiguing characters. Maybe it's just too much of a good thing, literary overload for the faint of heart. Don't give up, you will be rewarded.

In Killing Critics, Carol O'Connell's lead character Kathy Mallory continues to evolve into one of the most fascinating heroines in the genre. In each of her three appearances, (Mallory's Oracle, The Man Who Cast Two Shadows, and Killing Critics), Mallory reveals slivers of her past, intriguing insights into her missing childhood, even as she regains the memories that torment her. The mystery of Mallory is as compelling as any of the murders found in these tales, and will be the reason I will keep reading O'Connell's new works. Kathy Mallory isn't finished yet, and I look forward to seeing her deal with her demons.

This book did not disappoint. After reading her previous books I couldn't wait to read Mallory's latest adventure. O'Connell gives us more background into why Mallory has turned into the detective she is. Some of the characters I Idid not care for(Bliss for instance, and Emma Sue Halloran) but I like Charles,Riker, and Coffey. These people are true to life. Sometimes O'Connell is hard to follow as she brings in caharacters and events in The Big Apple that don't seem to tie in with the story. Here's hoping her next novel The Stone Angel is a continuation of Sgt. Mallory.I would like to know more about the elusive Carol O'Connell

You know a mystery is good when you can overlook some problems in the plot and still come away relishing the whole thing. Carol O'Connell's latest Katherine Mallory book Killing Critics falls in this category. The book opens with a murder that ties to a 12-year old murder, both of artists/art critics. The final solution is one so unlikely, you have to gulp and shake your head. One critic seals himself off on the roof of Bloomingdale's, as unlikely a scenario as you will find, and the plot is strangely reminiscent to one by Agatha Christie, but O'Connell miraculously pulls the whole thing off. The characters, however eccentric, come across as real, which is one key to greatness. The reader who loves detective Kathy Mallory will want to stand up and shout "Wait a minute!" when Mallory heads off out of New York at the book's end. The real mystery: is Mallory finished as a series character or will she be back in a new location? After this flawed gem, readers will clamor for more. If Ms O'Connell thinks she's going to get rid of Mallory so easily, she may find herself bumping into the legend of Sherlock Holmes... Jorge Ribeiro ([email protected]