Thursday, 23 July 2015

Carol O'Connell - Crime School


Rating: 5/5

Review:
Another great read from carol O'Connell




I always love Carol O'Connell's Mallory novels. This, the sixth in the series, is no exception.  It's written with her usual flair, wit, insight and excellent storytelling.  As always, it is extremely well structured so that the story and tension build slowly but grippingly and the climaxes are both thrilling and surprising.

The crime story itself is about a serial killer who, it emerges, has links to characters from Mallory's childhood on the streets, so the story is interwoven with revelations about Mallory's past and how she came to be the woman she is.  It's all well done; you always have to suspend disbelief to an extent while reading a Mallory novel and the same is true here, but it's a satisfying and engrossing story with her characters (including old friends like Riker and Charles Butler) as well drawn as ever.

This is perhaps rather darker in tone and more revealing of Mallory's past than some others and so more traumatic and thoughtful.  I slightly missed the comic aspects of Mallory's if-you-do-that-your-life-will-be-an-utter-misery-from-now-on approach which aren't strong here, but it's still a great read and warmly recommended.

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