Rating: 
Summary: Stone Angel
Review: After racing through the three previous books in the series (Mallory's Oracle, The Man Who Lied to Women, & Killing Critics,) I could hardly wait to start Stone Angel. Kathy Mallory is a fascinating character and the hints about her past in the rest of the series really whetted my appetite for the truth promised in the fourth book. Unfortunately, Mallory is only a supporting player in this one. Charles Butler (in jeans on a big white horse!), Riker, and some interesting locals have center stage, here. The Louisiana setting is intriguing,with all kinds of colorful characters from an elderly ecoterrorist to an Elmer Gantry-style evangelist, but the final solution to the mystery is more sordid than satisfying. Anyone who enjoyed the other Mallory books will want to read this, but be warned - it is slow going! All the right ingredients are here, but without a more active role for the main character, this literary gumbo ends up having all the flavor of dishwater. Author O'Connell seems unable to get past the charm of the young Kathy (who was actually more interesting as a wild child in New York City than as the happy doctor's daughter she used to be before her life went bad)in order to show any kind of catharsis in the adult. I would read more of her books on the strength of the rest of the Mallory series, but I would not recommend Stone Angel to anyone who was not already in love with Mallory.
Rating: 
Summary: Well-Written accomplishment as usual for O'Connell
Review: I think that Carol O'Connell has perfected her Character, Kathleen Mallory by this time to seem like the cold, unfeeling perfectionist on the outside but really does hold some aspects of human emotion.Mallory is on a quest for information...information on the death of her mother and her illegal "partner" chases after her in an attempt to try and win her affections. Ah, I know what you're thinking...but alas, this is not one of those sappy romances with a mystery weaved into it. No, the mystery is definitely dominant and the romance is just a subtle tap on the shoulder...enough to keep you wondering about the outcome of this one-sided relationship, but your brain working furiously to solve the mystery. I'll admit that the identity of the killer was not difficult to figure out, but for some reason, I still couldn't close the book...I just kept on reading. I highly reccomend this book and all other books written by Carol O'Connell. However, it is in your best intrest to read the Mallory series starting from the beginning so you know the whole story, beginning with "Mallory's Oracle".
Rating:
Summary: A turning point
Review: I'm definitely in the minority here in that I found Mallory in the first three books to be a thoroughly despicable character who grew more hateful in each succeeding book. Unlike most of those who agree with me, I've gritted my teeth and continued through the series cringing as the woman mows over other characters with complete lack of human compassion or sense of her impact on those around her. I do agree that Carol O'Connell is a powerful story teller who brings her quirky and often surrealistic characters to life. With this fourth book in the series, I do feel more of a hook which keeps me reading Mallory. This book takes her to her roots and I find myself beginning to understand her a bit better, but I still have trouble liking her. And I have difficulty respecting Charles Butler, rather pitying his obsessive love for this person. But although I felt as if I was plodding through the book, I feel a growing fascination. So in this review, I speak especially to those others who hate Mallory in tentatively recommending the book. You do learn more about her and the revelation as to why she insists on being called Mallory rather than by her given name. You may well find yourself caught up a bit more in this series. I read somewhere that Mallory is definitely, for many of us an acquired taste and my reaction was who in his right mind would want to acquire a taste for her. But as I labelled this review, it is a turning point and if you've gotten this far in the series, it may be worth your while to continue with this book.
Rating:
Summary: Stone Angel
Review: After racing through the three previous books in the series (Mallory's Oracle, The Man Who Lied to Women, & Killing Critics,) I could hardly wait to start Stone Angel. Kathy Mallory is a fascinating character and the hints about her past in the rest of the series really whetted my appetite for the truth promised in the fourth book. Unfortunately, Mallory is only a supporting player in this one. Charles Butler (in jeans on a big white horse!), Riker, and some interesting locals have center stage, here. The Louisiana setting is intriguing,with all kinds of colorful characters from an elderly ecoterrorist to an Elmer Gantry-style evangelist, but the final solution to the mystery is more sordid than satisfying. Anyone who enjoyed the other Mallory books will want to read this, but be warned - it is slow going! All the right ingredients are here, but without a more active role for the main character, this literary gumbo ends up having all the flavor of dishwater. Author O'Connell seems unable to get past the charm of the young Kathy (who was actually more interesting as a wild child in New York City than as the happy doctor's daughter she used to be before her life went bad)in order to show any kind of catharsis in the adult. I would read more of her books on the strength of the rest of the Mallory series, but I would not recommend Stone Angel to anyone who was not already in love with Mallory.
Rating:
Summary: Somewhat Disappointing
Review: I read Judas Child by this author and thought it was one of the best books that I ever read. I loved the writing style and the story and expected the same from this book. There were some surprises to Stone Angel but there was many drawn out areas. The characters and story line were extremely unrealistic and it didn't have the page turning excitement to make that acceptable.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful & Scary
Review: Kathy Mallory goes back to the southern town where her mother was murdered to seek revenge. This was one hell of a book and I read it word for word in order not to loose the thread. Deeply affecting. Charles and Riker show up in the book to try and influence Mallory. (Yeah, right!) I now have to read something fluffy in order to get my nerves back in order but I dont regret reading this book for a moment. I got shivers when it was revealed why Mallory insists in being called "Mallory". I hope subsequent books by O'Connell are as good as this one. The first ones were.
Rating:
Summary: Haunting, Powerful, Satisfying- Mallory is irrestible!
Review: ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Definitely a 5 star ***** read!
~ * ~ This book is thrilling, chilling, totally absorbing!!! Definitely the best of the " Mallory books,
~ * ~ I believe this book is really the best read if you have read the other books in the series ("Killing Critics" etc.). However, I did share the book with some people who were new to Mallory and they said they enjoyed it immensely.
~ * ~ Mallory was taken in at age 12 ?? by an NYPD cop, who found her as a tough street kid, apparently a "throwaway", in earlier novels she is eerily without the type of "consicence" we recognize though we can sympathize with her ruthless pursuit of justice, especially in avenging her foster father's death.
~ * ~
Now Mallory has returned to what apparently once was "home" the scene of an inexplicable crime- the murder of her mother, a well liked, caring physician.
~ * ~ Mallory tries to refuse any assitance in her quest for justice and vengeance, but eccentric and loveable allies fall in beside her in an elaborate plot to uncover the truth and strike terror into the hearts of the guilty.
~ * ~
This novel is almost frightening in the way in which the reader becomes a willing participant in the quest for revenge. The author does a wonderful job of first enticing us into the plot and then shifting back to consider whether the quest for vengeance itself is really such a good idea even in the face of the enormity of the crime, as no-one involved can emerge unscathed. Very beautifully done- this one is a keeper.
Rating:
Summary: Stone Angel is an incredible read!
Review: After becoming fully gripped in the Kathleen Mallory series, I was blown away by Stone Angel. In this book we learn about Mallory as a child, and the horrific event that (almost) destroyed her soul. But as you will see in the interactions with Ira and Charles, Mallory is much stronger and emotionally developed than previously indicated. This one will deserve a second, and a third, read to fully appreciate the writing efforts.
Rating:
Summary: Not to be missed
Review: I'm lucky enough both to have read all the Mallory books in the order written, and to be a native of South Louisiana. Some have complained that the writing is complicated and difficult to navigate, but that's the mark of a great writer--someone who can think on many different levels while telling a story. O'Connell captures the local idiosyncracies well, and accomplishes perfect timing by revealing in this novel the explanation for Mallory's complexity. It and its preceding novels are a litmus test for who the truly dedicated (and compulsive) mystery readers really are. O'Connell is mystery writing's best kept secret.
Rating: 
Summary: Heart Pounding!
Review: Before reading the Stone Angel you must read the first two books in the Mallory series! This book was slow in places but more than made up for it in the end. We see a small crack in Kathy's hard shell, and a toughening up of Charles. The ending of the book was so well written it had my heart pounding, my pulse racing, and a feeling of looking over my shoulder as I tried to help by pushing them along. A great way to come full circle. I can't wait to see how Mallory develops after this! .
|
