Rating: 5/5
Review:
Terrifically enjoyable
This is a terrifically enjoyable book. It features Kathy Mallory, a ruthless, enigmatic New York cop who apparently has no human emotions other than rage, and has the almost superhuman skills to get her way - and she is the "queen of Get Even." This makes the Mallory books exciting and darkly comic, and this is no exception.
The plot, looked at in the cold light of day, is a load of old hokum. It's almost Agatha Christie-esque in construction with a dash of Edmund Crispin's wit. A (very unlikely) death takes place during a theatre performance and the list of suspects is limited to the cast and crew. Events and more deaths follow, including murky and horrific past occurrences. There's even a climactic Poirot-like explanation to the murderer of how and why they did it. However, Carol O'Connell writes so well and gives it all such wit and flair that I happily suspended disbelief and just enjoyed the ride. Mallory is a wonderful creation and the whole thing is hugely enjoyable.
Don't expect a gritty police procedural (although there is a fair amount of police procedure, often being subverted) nor a grim serial-killer tale. It's a macabre but amusing book and warmly recommended as a gripping and diverting read.
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