Mallory's Oracle

Rating:
Summary: Mallory is an acquired taste
Review: i first bought this book in hardcover about five years ago when it was a Mystery Guild selection, and it took me more than three years to finish it. Maybe i was too young to appreciate the strong characters, the steel-edged imagery, the bite of humanity... i re-read it about a year ago, after a few tragic personal losses of my own, and i found the book to be a lot more true-to-life and more enjoyable with the benefit of a bit of maturity under my belt. it was a lot easier to empathize with a character who could separate herself from her peers, internalize her grief and obsessively bury herself in a search for truth and the meaning of life and death... o'connell has created a most original heroine, and in spite of that, has managed to throw in not one but five more compelling characters that i can't get enough of - Jack Coffey, Charles Butler, Riker, Rabbi Kaplin and Edwin Slope... Somebody has finally realized that an ensemble cast can work in a novel format. i recommend this book unreservedly, but i warn you - once you finish Mallory's Oracle, you will NEED to read the next three books in the series.

Rating:
Summary: I am in awe of a great writer with a promising future
Review: 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 instalment. '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.

Rating:
Summary: Reviews were wrong...
Review: I was extremely disappointed in this book. The idea of a street urchin taken in by a cop and his wife was an interesting premise...The story is confusing and implausible and the final resolution makes no sense whatsoever. The main character is so harsh and unfeeling that she is very hard to like or root for. There are too many red herrings, a muddled Wall Street scenario and ridiculous events (the drugging by the fortune teller had me laughing out loud!). The revelation chapter was so confusing and poorly written that the "action" scenes it was trying to portray left me totally disinterested. And I still don't know what role Edith Candle played! Highly disappointing and disjointed. If this was worth an $800,000 advance, give me a pad and paper!

Rating:
Summary: Someone break her knuckles before she writes again!
Review: This was possibly one of the worst books I have ever read. A pedantic, self-absorbed writing style and a totally unsympathetic cast of characters. I'm sorry, but I don't want to read about characters I don't care about or wish would just get a life. And the writing can be described in one word: UGH. "She went over to the pumpkin with the knife and cut holes in the orange fruit." GASP! A pumpkin is ORANGE? I never would have figured that out! "He followed his legs to the window." Are you suggesting there is some other way to do this? Stop thumping the thesaurus and just write in plain, unadorned English. Please. If you really like the beauty of the English language, avoid this book. If you like great characters, avoid this book. Heck, just avoid this book. I wanted to give this book less than one star, but that rating isn't available.

Rating:
Summary: A must read for mystery fans
Review: Carol O'Connell has created a fascinating character in Mallory. She is a strong woman who appears emotionless but occassionally surprises you with her actions.

Rating:
Summary: It changes your view of life forever...
Review: Mallory's Oracle doesn't only deal with murders, but also with perception of life and one's ideas of reality. It is a very morbid book, but not boring. It is different and fresh, but don't take it to bed, you won't be able to sleep...

Rating:
Summary: Hmmmmmmm, not quite sure.....
Review: I really wanted to like this book, and I think I did, right up until the end.... But it was so confusing (I hate "money motives") and all the Wall Street intrigue was just - yuck - maybe because I haven't got a clue (I am slightly familiar with the phrase "insider trading" but not enough to understand this story) I am intrigued by Mallory, however, though she is a bit of a "stone angel" so will read the rest of the series just to get to that story.... I just HOPE they aren't all full of money motives!

Rating:
Summary: couldn't put it down
Review: Kathleen (don't call me Kathy) Mallory is one of the few truly original characters I've run across in a long time. It is a credit to O'Connell that as a reader I came to care for her in spite of her brittle, prickly nature. At the end, it was difficult not to rush out and pick up the sequel! On the downside, though, I found this book to be overpopulated with suspects; (stop reading now if minor spoilers bother you!) even given that it's set in New York, I found it difficult to swallow FOUR murderers in one novel. Don't let those nits keep you from reading the book, though; it is absorbing and fun, and O'Connell's writing style is interesting and unusual.

Rating:
Summary: Falling in love with Mallory
Review: I've owned this book since it came out in England (preceding the American release) but for whatever reason, hadn't gotten around to reading it. From the shocking prelude in which a doberman leaps out of a window to its death I was hooked. O'Connell's descriptive writing is wonderful, as is her dialogue. Mallory is a great character, and the supporting cast, especially Charles, are wonderful. I adored every minute up until the last thirty pages or so. The book's big revelations are all dealt with in a scene in which Mallory doesn't even appear. I felt a bit cheated by this, after Mallory had gone through what she'd gone through. That aside, it's a damn wonderful book. On to the next in the series!

Rating:
Summary: Don't Mess with Mallory
Review: Kathy Mallory is bright, beautiful and fascinating. She's also one of the scariest people you'll ever meet. Found running loose on the street, she's adopted by a cop and his loving wife. She grows up with a great respect for rules, but they're her rules.

Mallory's Oracle is the first of, currently, two books featuring Kathy Mallory. Her hunt for the killer of her adoptive father introduces us to a strong cast of supporting characters and begins to open the door, somewhat, on who and what Kathy is.

This is simply one of the best first novels I've ever written. Kathy is more alien than most of the space creatures you read about in today's science fiction or see in the movies. At the same time, the damage that's been done to her draws you to her, almost against you will. Buy this book today!!