This is the fourth in Carol O’Connell’s brilliant Mallory series. It’s one of the best so far, I think, but not one to start with; you definitely need to have read the previous three to understand the characters and how we got here.
“Here” is Dayborn, Louisiana, a small town in the wetlands of Louisiana where, within a few hours of Mallory’s arrival, there is a murder and an autistic young man has his hands smashed by two locals. They are members of a local “church”, which is a dodgy cult with a charismatic leader. We also meet a selection of other wonderfully drawn characters including the local Sheriff, his rookie Deputy and Augusta, and older, tough and shrewd woman, all of whom take an interest in Mallory – especially when her reason for being in Dayborn begins to emerge.
The plot is fascinating as terrible past events begin to emerge and we learn more about Mallory’s hitherto mysterious origins. There is O’Connell’s usual excellent dialogue and sense of place (even if it is a long way from New York), slowly building tension and menace and some stunning set pieces – including an extraordinary and gripping climax.
My only slight reservation is the rather long and not wholly convincing coda in which some loose ends are tied up – but it’s certainly not enough to subtract a star. This is an immensely enjoyable book with a gripping story and some genuine weight of insight into characters and into the workings of a cult. Warmly recommended.
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