Mallory's Oracle

Rating:
Summary: I couldn't get a good take on the main character..too cold
Review: I was trying to stay focused while I was only in the 2nd chapter. I stuck with it and finished the book; and I admit I was disappointed. Mallory just didn't seem too real to me. I tried to like her; I tried to understand how and why Jack or Riker, or even Charles liked her. I wouldn't recommend it. I have the 'Man Who Cast Two Shadows', so I am giving the author another chance. My hopes aren't too high, though.

Rating:
Summary: It was horrible!
Review: The plot was confused (and I couldn't find the point, even after many long hours spent trying), the characters were incredibly unsympathetic (I frankly would have cheered if they had all been run over by a wayward bus in the second chapter) and the writing was trying too hard-- the plot seemed unbelievable from about page 5 onward, and the author seems to want us to believe that Mallory is a Deeply Troubled but Perfect woman-- drop-dead-gorgeous, brilliant, good job, well-respected, etc., but Deeply Turmoiled Inside. We should care? This is one of those characters you just want to slap and then throw down a well.

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: 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!