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Kathleen Mallory #4
Stone Angel
New York Police sergeant Kathleen Mallory returns to her Louisiana hometown to find out who was behind her mother's death by stoning seventeen years earlier--a quest that takes her into a dark and murky past that has unexpected and deadly implications. By the author of Killing Critics. 40,000 first printing."
341 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1997
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935 people want to read
About the author
Carol O'Connell
56 books669 followersBorn in 1947, Carol O'Connell studied at the California Institute or Arts/Chouinard and the Arizona State University. She lives in New York City.
Series:
* Kathleen Mallory
Series:
* Kathleen Mallory
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
August 27, 2020
4 Stars - Revenge is best served cold
Stone Angel is the fourth in a 12-title series, and the second book I’ve read in the Kathleen Mallory series. It’s one of the most unconventional police mysteries I’ve ever read. Do not expect a straightforward police procedural with the methodical collection of evidence followed by the systematic elimination of suspects. Instead, O'Connell delivered a far superior novel. Although reading the previous books would enhance the experience, I wouldn’t say that it’s a vital requirement at this juncture.
Stone Angel begins with two deaths in Dayborn, Louisiana, a rural community by the Mississippi River. The New Church prophet Babe Laurie is found murdered in the present day. Mallory’s mother had been stoned to death 17 years ago, and the 7-year old Mallory fled on that same day. Nobody has ever been charged with her mother’s death.
Written with third person narration, Stone Angel’s emotional heart of the action focuses upon Charles as he arrives in Dayborn, after tracking Mallory who had been missing from New York City for several months. Indeed, Mallory had surrendered both her police badge and her police-issued weapon to the NYPD before disappearing. The reader follows Charles as he tries to make sense of the company of liars he encounters in Dayborn while helping Mallory stay alive and out of trouble. Mallory has no shortage of substitute parentals willing to help her in finally finding justice for her mother’s death. One such character, the 70-year old Augusta Trebec is depicted as a wily Southern beauty with bats in her belfry. I can’t shake the sense that Augusta is O’Connell’s avatar, especially since the usually stubborn Mallory actually backs off during a confrontation with Augusta.
Stone Angel has the highest ratings in the 12-title series and the rating is well earned. It is also enough for me to continue cherry-picking titles. I’m far more comfortable with reading about baby sociopaths when they’re not occupying positions of authority, because it’s utterly disquieting to have a sociopath in the police force.
Update - cherry picked the books with the highest ratings -
#1 Mallory's Oracle 3 ☆
#6 Crime School 4 ☆
#9 Find Me 3.5 ☆
Stone Angel is the fourth in a 12-title series, and the second book I’ve read in the Kathleen Mallory series. It’s one of the most unconventional police mysteries I’ve ever read. Do not expect a straightforward police procedural with the methodical collection of evidence followed by the systematic elimination of suspects. Instead, O'Connell delivered a far superior novel. Although reading the previous books would enhance the experience, I wouldn’t say that it’s a vital requirement at this juncture.
Stone Angel begins with two deaths in Dayborn, Louisiana, a rural community by the Mississippi River. The New Church prophet Babe Laurie is found murdered in the present day. Mallory’s mother had been stoned to death 17 years ago, and the 7-year old Mallory fled on that same day. Nobody has ever been charged with her mother’s death.
The devil made you do it, right? And just where is our Little Princess of Darkness?O’Connell likes to play with stereotypes. Humans are naturally drawn to beauty and so her main character is an attractive blonde with green eyes. But Mallory, as she prefers to be called, is still the half-baked sociopath I met in Mallory's Oracle (book #1). Louis Markovitz, her adoptive father who had been murdered the previous year, described her as an “amoral savage.” Markovitz’s long-time friend and police partner, Sergeant Riker flat-out calls her a “sociopath” when he isn’t using “brat” as an affectionate epithet. Riker also disparages Charles Butler’s love-blind perception of her as a “lost soul.” The wise course of action is to be drawn to the safer human being, such as Charles, but O’Connell delights in turning stereotypes inside out. Empathetic and kind Charles isn't as physically attractive as Mallory.
Well, lunatics liked [Charles]. That was his curse in life. There was something about his foolish smile that made them believe he was one of their number.
Written with third person narration, Stone Angel’s emotional heart of the action focuses upon Charles as he arrives in Dayborn, after tracking Mallory who had been missing from New York City for several months. Indeed, Mallory had surrendered both her police badge and her police-issued weapon to the NYPD before disappearing. The reader follows Charles as he tries to make sense of the company of liars he encounters in Dayborn while helping Mallory stay alive and out of trouble. Mallory has no shortage of substitute parentals willing to help her in finally finding justice for her mother’s death. One such character, the 70-year old Augusta Trebec is depicted as a wily Southern beauty with bats in her belfry. I can’t shake the sense that Augusta is O’Connell’s avatar, especially since the usually stubborn Mallory actually backs off during a confrontation with Augusta.
He looked into the old woman’s cunning eyes, only now realizing what a cruel joke she had spun out for him. He glared at her in silent accusation, and her foxy smile offered no denial whatsoever.
Stone Angel has the highest ratings in the 12-title series and the rating is well earned. It is also enough for me to continue cherry-picking titles. I’m far more comfortable with reading about baby sociopaths when they’re not occupying positions of authority, because it’s utterly disquieting to have a sociopath in the police force.
Update - cherry picked the books with the highest ratings -
#1 Mallory's Oracle 3 ☆
#6 Crime School 4 ☆
#9 Find Me 3.5 ☆
July 30, 2022
This is the fourth in Carol O’Connell’s brilliant Mallory series. It’s one of the best so far, I think, but not one to start with; you definitely need to have read the previous three to understand the characters and how we got here.
“Here” is Dayborn, Louisiana, a small town in the wetlands of Louisiana where, within a few hours of Mallory’s arrival, there is a murder and an autistic young man has his hands smashed by two locals. They are members of a local “church”, which is a dodgy cult with a charismatic leader. We also meet a selection of other wonderfully drawn characters including the local Sheriff, his rookie Deputy and Augusta, an older, tough and shrewd woman, all of whom take an interest in Mallory – especially when her reason for being in Dayborn begins to emerge.
The plot is fascinating as terrible past events begin to emerge and we learn more about Mallory’s hitherto mysterious origins. There is O’Connell’s usual excellent dialogue and sense of place (even if it is a long way from New York), slowly building tension and menace and some stunning set pieces – including an extraordinary and gripping climax.
My only slight reservation is the rather long and not wholly convincing coda in which some loose ends are tied up – but it’s certainly not enough to subtract a star. This is an immensely enjoyable book with a gripping story and some genuine weight of insight into characters and into the workings of a cult. Warmly recommended.
“Here” is Dayborn, Louisiana, a small town in the wetlands of Louisiana where, within a few hours of Mallory’s arrival, there is a murder and an autistic young man has his hands smashed by two locals. They are members of a local “church”, which is a dodgy cult with a charismatic leader. We also meet a selection of other wonderfully drawn characters including the local Sheriff, his rookie Deputy and Augusta, an older, tough and shrewd woman, all of whom take an interest in Mallory – especially when her reason for being in Dayborn begins to emerge.
The plot is fascinating as terrible past events begin to emerge and we learn more about Mallory’s hitherto mysterious origins. There is O’Connell’s usual excellent dialogue and sense of place (even if it is a long way from New York), slowly building tension and menace and some stunning set pieces – including an extraordinary and gripping climax.
My only slight reservation is the rather long and not wholly convincing coda in which some loose ends are tied up – but it’s certainly not enough to subtract a star. This is an immensely enjoyable book with a gripping story and some genuine weight of insight into characters and into the workings of a cult. Warmly recommended.
November 3, 2008
THE STONE ANGEL - Ex
O'Connell, Carol - 4th Mallory
Seventeen years after her mother, Dr. Cass Shelley, was stoned to death by an angry mob in Dayborn (La.), Kathy Mallory, who fled the scene to become a New York street kid and, eventually, an NYPD sergeant, is back to find out who provoked the mob and what became of her mother's corpse.
Mallory's loyal friend Charles Butler, following her down from the city with the idea of helping her out, naturally remains a consistent two leaps behind her, though he does get to spend time with some flavorsome locals--manly spinster Augusta Trebec, mute sculptor Henry Roth, enterprising innkeeper Betty Hale (who's turned the stoning into something of a local holiday), and the rest of the equally nasty Laurie clan- -en route to a dizzyingly complicated windup involving spiritualism, child abuse, and good old-fashioned greed.
1997 Top Read - For me, this was a great book in an incredible series. Mallory is such a fascinating, unique character, I can't help wanting to know more about her. The secondary characters are just as interesting; the sense of place strong and evocative and the writing is first rate. I think this is the best book since the first. I loved it.
O'Connell, Carol - 4th Mallory
Seventeen years after her mother, Dr. Cass Shelley, was stoned to death by an angry mob in Dayborn (La.), Kathy Mallory, who fled the scene to become a New York street kid and, eventually, an NYPD sergeant, is back to find out who provoked the mob and what became of her mother's corpse.
Mallory's loyal friend Charles Butler, following her down from the city with the idea of helping her out, naturally remains a consistent two leaps behind her, though he does get to spend time with some flavorsome locals--manly spinster Augusta Trebec, mute sculptor Henry Roth, enterprising innkeeper Betty Hale (who's turned the stoning into something of a local holiday), and the rest of the equally nasty Laurie clan- -en route to a dizzyingly complicated windup involving spiritualism, child abuse, and good old-fashioned greed.
1997 Top Read - For me, this was a great book in an incredible series. Mallory is such a fascinating, unique character, I can't help wanting to know more about her. The secondary characters are just as interesting; the sense of place strong and evocative and the writing is first rate. I think this is the best book since the first. I loved it.
September 1, 2020
Another great book in the Mallory series, intriguing mystery with great characters. I don't get tired of reading these.
September 15, 2012
Alive with eccentric and oddball characters, “The Stone Angel” explores the sinister undertones of small town dynamics and the dark secrets festering in the hearts of communities which can drive people to murder.
I have not read any of the previous Mallory novels, which did not mar my enjoyment of this book – quite the opposite, I found the character of Mallory equally fascinating and disturbing, and was soon drawn into her quest to search for her mother’s killer. There is nothing ordinary or predictable in this book and its characters, giving it an almost dreamlike feel – or nightmarish at times. Each character is so flawed, and so disturbed, that finding out about their history is like unpeeling an onion and finding it rotten in the middle. I admit it took me a little while to get into the author’s writing style, but soon her wickedly dark humour and keen observations had me enthralled and wanting more. Feeling equally moved, repelled, shocked and fascinated as the story moved towards its climax, I was unable to put the book down until I had turned the last page.
A solid, unusual and spellbinding thriller - I am looking forward to reading the other books in the Mallory series.
I have not read any of the previous Mallory novels, which did not mar my enjoyment of this book – quite the opposite, I found the character of Mallory equally fascinating and disturbing, and was soon drawn into her quest to search for her mother’s killer. There is nothing ordinary or predictable in this book and its characters, giving it an almost dreamlike feel – or nightmarish at times. Each character is so flawed, and so disturbed, that finding out about their history is like unpeeling an onion and finding it rotten in the middle. I admit it took me a little while to get into the author’s writing style, but soon her wickedly dark humour and keen observations had me enthralled and wanting more. Feeling equally moved, repelled, shocked and fascinated as the story moved towards its climax, I was unable to put the book down until I had turned the last page.
A solid, unusual and spellbinding thriller - I am looking forward to reading the other books in the Mallory series.
April 12, 2015
SO much better than book #3! That's a 4.5. This one takes place outside of New York City. Mallory has returned to her roots, to solve her real mother's murder. Charles has followed her down south to a small town seething with horrifying secrets in its past, not the least of which is the fate of Cass Shelley (Mallory's mother). The whole thing was perfectly paced. O'Connell did her usual number of throwing characters and scenarios at you from every side, letting them build from initial confusion towards the resolution of the grand finale, but in this one it worked. I had a few moments of "C'mon!" (the gunslinger outfit) but in general I was riveted. I'm glad I decided to move past the frustration with Killing Critics to try another. I will keep going.
September 13, 2013
I love this entire series about a 10 yr old homeless girl adopted by a cop and becoming a cop herself. But without losing her sociopathic tendencies. She has a coterie of protectors, friends of her father's and some she collects herself. Her character is very interesting, as are the interactions with her friends and others. The mysteries are well crafted, and this one answered some of the questions about Kathy Mallory's past, while introducing some loathsome, some pathetic and some admirable new characters. I am looking forward to the next in the series.
February 6, 2017
Fourth book in the Mallory series, but the first one I read. It's fine as a stand-alone though I think reading in order gives a deeper grounding in all the characters.
O'Connell knows her characters bone deep, and doesn't hesitate to give them the flaws, imperfections and moments of nobility that make them so real. After my first book, I thought Mallory and Batman if they met, would not like each other; each would understand the other in ways no other could.
O'Connell knows her characters bone deep, and doesn't hesitate to give them the flaws, imperfections and moments of nobility that make them so real. After my first book, I thought Mallory and Batman if they met, would not like each other; each would understand the other in ways no other could.
September 1, 2021
It was ok. I just didn't get all the filler and it was just too slow for me. The ending was pretty unrealistic.
Read
May 12, 2022DNF
August 7, 2022
Brilliantly written book - the characters and storyline kept you enthralled until the very end. A dark tale of mystery, suspense, and revenge!
February 23, 2022
STONE ANGEL [1998] By Carol O’Connell
My Review Five Stars *****
The last installment of the Mallory book series [KILLING CRITICS] ended with a cliffhanger. Mallory had left her NYPD Badge and her police department issued service weapon behind, and had kissed [yes, I said kissed] the long-suffering good-hearted Charles Dutton “Goodbye”. Goodbye? She is traveling south on a train.
"She carried no stitch of formal identification that would tie her to a name or a place. This was the way she had come to New York as a child, with only her wits and a bit of a mother's blood on her hands …"
This fourth novel in the Mallory series shows the reader the beginning and the end of the young woman’s journey, answering the questions and laying bare the mysteries the author skillfully perplexed us with as we attempted to solve the puzzles that created the enigmatic and addictive character of “Just Mallory”.
The author deploys a familiar writing device with the Prologue. The reader learns that Mallory is sitting in a jail cell in a hick town in Louisiana and there has already been an assault, a police officer stroking out at the wheel of his patrol car, and a murder victim, all within an hour of her hitting town.
“THE YOUNG STRANGER came to town just past twelve noon. Within an hour, the idiot had been assaulted, hands bloodied and broken; Deputy Travis suffered a massive stroke at the wheel of his patrol car; and Babe Laurie was found murdered.”
Our interest has been primed and we are revved up for the author to begin this long-awaited adventure to the heart of Mallory’s past and for the twists and turns that will unravel the threads of a dark and complex yarn that reveals the truth. Our destination is Dayborn, just a blip on the map of the southern state of Louisiana (the sprawling lower bayou referred to in a derogatory manner as Owltown). Charles has traveled a thousand miles to find Mallory, and later Riker shows up to get swallowed up in the saga of promised salvation by the NEW CHURCH, sordid secrets long buried, and the tempest that would ultimately purify the earth by fire and smite the evildoers with the sword of a winged Angel of vengeance.
The identity of the murder victim is quickly revealed to be Babe Laurie, a local celebrity and a well-known personality in the prairie states who had started out as a child evangelist. Babe became the figurehead of the New Church when he was but a child of five or six. His colorful older brother Malcolm of the extensive Laurie clan has stepped up to the plate to assume leadership of the large congregation. He is handsome, charismatic, persuasive and manipulative enough to take the reins with his polished style and consummate charm.
Similarly, the reader learns that “Just Mallory” started her life as Kathy Shelley, the beloved daughter of the town doctor Cass Shelley who also performed the duties of parish health officer. O’Connell’s talent for creating complex and colorful characters is on full display in this outing. The people in the town include the intriguing Augusta Trebek, wealthy property owner, executrix of Cass Shelly’s estate, and let’s suffice to say a woman of many talents. Charles approaches the charming Augusta at her expansive mansion to find answers. What was the fate of Cass Shelley and her young daughter Kathy all those years ago? Charles learns the tragic truth only to realize that the horrors were worse than any his mind could have ever imagined.
Mallory has finally ridden into Dodge City to settle the score and to seek retribution for her mother’s grisly murder. The description of the novel discloses the fact that she had been stoned to death so this is not a spoiler. I imagined a loud, angry mob surrounding this poor woman, an opening salvo of stones thrown by the more eager attendees, and then the crowd continuing to pummel her to death with a manic flurry of rocks. This was a brutal and savage death that was suffered by women in biblical times. I imagined the hellish name calling by the murderers and the heart rendering screams of the victim. What could be worse than what I imagined happened to Mallory’s mother. That’s obviously a rhetorical question, but in fact, it was worse for the doomed Dr. Cass Shelley. Mallory knows all about it, and she remembers the last moments with her bloodied and broken dying mother.
The “Stone Angel” which is the title of the novel in the US, represents the life like sculpture of Cass Shelley (and the spitting image of Mallory, her daughter). The sculptor is a local man named Henry Roth, reportedly a deaf mute. Augusta informs Charles that Cass and her little girl Kathy communicated with Roth all the time using sign language.
Memorable characters just keep popping up in the population of this small Southern town in Louisiana. The Sheriff, Tom Jessup, is a real piece of work, smart as a whip behind the façade of a misogynistic mean as a snake “good old boy” dumb country hick wearing a badge. Augusta’s young black cousin Lilith, fresh from the police academy and the streets of New Orleans, mysteriously shows up at the jail assigned the position of Tom’s new Deputy. Tom wastes no time in calling her “Girl” and assigning her demeaning chores. The attractive, smart, and diligent young Lilith doesn’t know how to gain the Sheriff’s respect. Jessup has had Mallory in custody since the body of a very dead Babe Laurie was found, but he has yet to manage to get his prisoner to utter a single word. The Sheriff is fueled by guilt and rage over the events of 17 years ago when he wasn’t there to save Cass Shelley or little Kathy. He knows that “Mallory” is in fact Kathy Shelley but he is unable to “see” beyond the image of her as a child. There are many more memorable characters in this exciting action-packed epic of Mallory’s ride into town to bring justice down on the heads of the guilty.
The author manages to deftly weave the strands of multiple subplots in the fabric of an exceedingly dark and complex psychological thriller. It’s certainly a novel of crime fiction as well since there are enough criminal acts described in the past and depicted in real time for words of the narrative to fill the Grand Canyon. The story is compelling and the narrative riveting from page one. It is a thrilling ride with numerous cleverly crafted scenes that when taken as a whole elevate Mallory to mythic status.
Augusta says to Mallory:
“I know why you came back. You want to kill them all, don’t you? Everyone in that mob.”
Riker puts it to Charles in a compelling manner to get Charles to open his eyes:
“You’ve seen the gunslinger outfit. You think Mallory’s playing dress - up? She’s the real thing, Charles — the genuine article.”
It is a thrilling adrenaline laced reading experience when Mallory “with her gunslinger eyes” does walk into Owl Town, a single streetlight illuminating the haunting figure of the tall woman wearing a cowboy hat, a long black duster, and a gun holstered low on her hips. She advances on the crowd slowly, one streetlight at a time leaving inky blackness in her wake. Then abruptly she vanishes as the eyes of the crowd are still fixated on the closest street light awash with brightness. The angry mob then realizes with apprehension that she is among them. The conclusion is a masterpiece worthy of such classics as Gunfight at The OK Corral. The showdown should be accompanied by explosions with fire in the sky and scorched earth. Wait a minute, it does have all that and so much more.
Finally, there is the inevitable question of whether a reader should read this series from the beginning or is this installment so strong and unique that it runs on all eight cylinders as a thrilling standalone novel. In my opinion, a reader needs to begin with the debut novel to reap all of the emotionally rewarding elements of this knock your socks off thriller. A case in point is the recurring character of the sympathetic Charles Dutton who worships Mallory. The rumpled Detective Riker loves Mallory as well, but has never looked at her with rose colored glasses. These two men have polar opposite belief systems when it comes to Mallory, and this installment highlights a point in time where the convictions of these two men clash and collide.
There is the brutal murder of Babe Laurie in the very beginning of the book. Virtually all of the main characters who populate the novel (but for Charles) couldn’t care less who killed him. Characters we loved in the book are stumbling over each other to lie and cover up the killing, to sweep it under the rug. Why? Because the liars all believe a person whom he or she loves is the killer. Sheriff Tom Jessup names a perpetrator and Detective Riker backs him up by signing a witness statement. Charles is perplexed by the question of who killed Babe Laurie, and he knows for sure that Riker compromised his integrity as an honest cop by lying. We come to the crux of the matter. Riker fervently believes Mallory knocked the man’s brains out with a rock and for that matter was convinced she came to town to blow away all of her mother’s murderers. Charles believes that Mallory did not murder Babe Laurie and that Riker is blind to this fact. Riker at one point elucidates his attitude perfectly when he states if Mallory killed a nun, he would adopt the perspective that the nun must have deserved it. Conversely Charles doesn’t believe she’d kill a nun in the first place. The ending is an eye opener for the dogged Riker, and a confirmation of his faith for the virtuous Dutton. It is a fascinating and poignant part of the story that stayed with me long after I closed the book.
Readers will also learn the story behind the main protagonist’s chosen name “Mallory”. Her mother Cass Shelley had been pregnant with Kathy and using her maiden name when she moved to the small town in Louisiana to be the town doctor. Charles had wondered if it was the name of her father… The answer is light years more shocking. This one is O’Connell’s best installment to date, and I can’t wait to see what she does for an encore.
My Review Five Stars *****
The last installment of the Mallory book series [KILLING CRITICS] ended with a cliffhanger. Mallory had left her NYPD Badge and her police department issued service weapon behind, and had kissed [yes, I said kissed] the long-suffering good-hearted Charles Dutton “Goodbye”. Goodbye? She is traveling south on a train.
"She carried no stitch of formal identification that would tie her to a name or a place. This was the way she had come to New York as a child, with only her wits and a bit of a mother's blood on her hands …"
This fourth novel in the Mallory series shows the reader the beginning and the end of the young woman’s journey, answering the questions and laying bare the mysteries the author skillfully perplexed us with as we attempted to solve the puzzles that created the enigmatic and addictive character of “Just Mallory”.
The author deploys a familiar writing device with the Prologue. The reader learns that Mallory is sitting in a jail cell in a hick town in Louisiana and there has already been an assault, a police officer stroking out at the wheel of his patrol car, and a murder victim, all within an hour of her hitting town.
“THE YOUNG STRANGER came to town just past twelve noon. Within an hour, the idiot had been assaulted, hands bloodied and broken; Deputy Travis suffered a massive stroke at the wheel of his patrol car; and Babe Laurie was found murdered.”
Our interest has been primed and we are revved up for the author to begin this long-awaited adventure to the heart of Mallory’s past and for the twists and turns that will unravel the threads of a dark and complex yarn that reveals the truth. Our destination is Dayborn, just a blip on the map of the southern state of Louisiana (the sprawling lower bayou referred to in a derogatory manner as Owltown). Charles has traveled a thousand miles to find Mallory, and later Riker shows up to get swallowed up in the saga of promised salvation by the NEW CHURCH, sordid secrets long buried, and the tempest that would ultimately purify the earth by fire and smite the evildoers with the sword of a winged Angel of vengeance.
The identity of the murder victim is quickly revealed to be Babe Laurie, a local celebrity and a well-known personality in the prairie states who had started out as a child evangelist. Babe became the figurehead of the New Church when he was but a child of five or six. His colorful older brother Malcolm of the extensive Laurie clan has stepped up to the plate to assume leadership of the large congregation. He is handsome, charismatic, persuasive and manipulative enough to take the reins with his polished style and consummate charm.
Similarly, the reader learns that “Just Mallory” started her life as Kathy Shelley, the beloved daughter of the town doctor Cass Shelley who also performed the duties of parish health officer. O’Connell’s talent for creating complex and colorful characters is on full display in this outing. The people in the town include the intriguing Augusta Trebek, wealthy property owner, executrix of Cass Shelly’s estate, and let’s suffice to say a woman of many talents. Charles approaches the charming Augusta at her expansive mansion to find answers. What was the fate of Cass Shelley and her young daughter Kathy all those years ago? Charles learns the tragic truth only to realize that the horrors were worse than any his mind could have ever imagined.
Mallory has finally ridden into Dodge City to settle the score and to seek retribution for her mother’s grisly murder. The description of the novel discloses the fact that she had been stoned to death so this is not a spoiler. I imagined a loud, angry mob surrounding this poor woman, an opening salvo of stones thrown by the more eager attendees, and then the crowd continuing to pummel her to death with a manic flurry of rocks. This was a brutal and savage death that was suffered by women in biblical times. I imagined the hellish name calling by the murderers and the heart rendering screams of the victim. What could be worse than what I imagined happened to Mallory’s mother. That’s obviously a rhetorical question, but in fact, it was worse for the doomed Dr. Cass Shelley. Mallory knows all about it, and she remembers the last moments with her bloodied and broken dying mother.
The “Stone Angel” which is the title of the novel in the US, represents the life like sculpture of Cass Shelley (and the spitting image of Mallory, her daughter). The sculptor is a local man named Henry Roth, reportedly a deaf mute. Augusta informs Charles that Cass and her little girl Kathy communicated with Roth all the time using sign language.
Memorable characters just keep popping up in the population of this small Southern town in Louisiana. The Sheriff, Tom Jessup, is a real piece of work, smart as a whip behind the façade of a misogynistic mean as a snake “good old boy” dumb country hick wearing a badge. Augusta’s young black cousin Lilith, fresh from the police academy and the streets of New Orleans, mysteriously shows up at the jail assigned the position of Tom’s new Deputy. Tom wastes no time in calling her “Girl” and assigning her demeaning chores. The attractive, smart, and diligent young Lilith doesn’t know how to gain the Sheriff’s respect. Jessup has had Mallory in custody since the body of a very dead Babe Laurie was found, but he has yet to manage to get his prisoner to utter a single word. The Sheriff is fueled by guilt and rage over the events of 17 years ago when he wasn’t there to save Cass Shelley or little Kathy. He knows that “Mallory” is in fact Kathy Shelley but he is unable to “see” beyond the image of her as a child. There are many more memorable characters in this exciting action-packed epic of Mallory’s ride into town to bring justice down on the heads of the guilty.
The author manages to deftly weave the strands of multiple subplots in the fabric of an exceedingly dark and complex psychological thriller. It’s certainly a novel of crime fiction as well since there are enough criminal acts described in the past and depicted in real time for words of the narrative to fill the Grand Canyon. The story is compelling and the narrative riveting from page one. It is a thrilling ride with numerous cleverly crafted scenes that when taken as a whole elevate Mallory to mythic status.
Augusta says to Mallory:
“I know why you came back. You want to kill them all, don’t you? Everyone in that mob.”
Riker puts it to Charles in a compelling manner to get Charles to open his eyes:
“You’ve seen the gunslinger outfit. You think Mallory’s playing dress - up? She’s the real thing, Charles — the genuine article.”
It is a thrilling adrenaline laced reading experience when Mallory “with her gunslinger eyes” does walk into Owl Town, a single streetlight illuminating the haunting figure of the tall woman wearing a cowboy hat, a long black duster, and a gun holstered low on her hips. She advances on the crowd slowly, one streetlight at a time leaving inky blackness in her wake. Then abruptly she vanishes as the eyes of the crowd are still fixated on the closest street light awash with brightness. The angry mob then realizes with apprehension that she is among them. The conclusion is a masterpiece worthy of such classics as Gunfight at The OK Corral. The showdown should be accompanied by explosions with fire in the sky and scorched earth. Wait a minute, it does have all that and so much more.
Finally, there is the inevitable question of whether a reader should read this series from the beginning or is this installment so strong and unique that it runs on all eight cylinders as a thrilling standalone novel. In my opinion, a reader needs to begin with the debut novel to reap all of the emotionally rewarding elements of this knock your socks off thriller. A case in point is the recurring character of the sympathetic Charles Dutton who worships Mallory. The rumpled Detective Riker loves Mallory as well, but has never looked at her with rose colored glasses. These two men have polar opposite belief systems when it comes to Mallory, and this installment highlights a point in time where the convictions of these two men clash and collide.
There is the brutal murder of Babe Laurie in the very beginning of the book. Virtually all of the main characters who populate the novel (but for Charles) couldn’t care less who killed him. Characters we loved in the book are stumbling over each other to lie and cover up the killing, to sweep it under the rug. Why? Because the liars all believe a person whom he or she loves is the killer. Sheriff Tom Jessup names a perpetrator and Detective Riker backs him up by signing a witness statement. Charles is perplexed by the question of who killed Babe Laurie, and he knows for sure that Riker compromised his integrity as an honest cop by lying. We come to the crux of the matter. Riker fervently believes Mallory knocked the man’s brains out with a rock and for that matter was convinced she came to town to blow away all of her mother’s murderers. Charles believes that Mallory did not murder Babe Laurie and that Riker is blind to this fact. Riker at one point elucidates his attitude perfectly when he states if Mallory killed a nun, he would adopt the perspective that the nun must have deserved it. Conversely Charles doesn’t believe she’d kill a nun in the first place. The ending is an eye opener for the dogged Riker, and a confirmation of his faith for the virtuous Dutton. It is a fascinating and poignant part of the story that stayed with me long after I closed the book.
Readers will also learn the story behind the main protagonist’s chosen name “Mallory”. Her mother Cass Shelley had been pregnant with Kathy and using her maiden name when she moved to the small town in Louisiana to be the town doctor. Charles had wondered if it was the name of her father… The answer is light years more shocking. This one is O’Connell’s best installment to date, and I can’t wait to see what she does for an encore.
August 2, 2016
"She is perversity incarnate. Sometimes she purrs just before she strikes"
After the first trio of Mallory books, this one disconcerts what we know of the series from the start: it's set in Louisiana instead of urban New York - and then we realise that Mallory's journey back has been long-planned and deadly as she wants revenge for the death of her mother.
O'Connell's characteristic macabre imagination is on full display here, even augmented by the setting as she proves she can do a twisted kind of Southern Gothic just as immaculately as her hip and smart New York stories. She even has some mischievous fun in displacing not just Mallory herself but also Charles Butler and Riker into this alien environment: the scenes where Charles has to abandon his tailored suits and hand-made shoes for jeans and a denim jacket, and Mallory finds herself in cowboy boots and duster coat with a gunslinger's belt round her hips (yep, more than a touch of Western here too) are quietly placed for the amusement of long-time fans.
For all that, though, this is still a gloriously twisted tale of crimes and all kinds of retribution as we learn more about who Mallory once was and the events that have gone into her formation: and there are scenes here of perfectly pitched pathos, hard-hitting and never sentimentalised.
As always, O'Connell peoples her story with a gallery of grotesques but ones in whom who completely believe while in the book: and she uses her characteristic interest in theatricality, showmanship and ideas of the artist in oblique ways, not least a bizarre cult of healing and 'new' religion.
For anyone new to Mallory, this is absolutely not the place to start: it's a book dependent on what we already know of these characters in order to stretch their personalities and their relationships to each other. But if you're following Mallory's story arc then this is another brilliant entry in what is a unique and inimitable series: O'Connell really is in a class of her own.
After the first trio of Mallory books, this one disconcerts what we know of the series from the start: it's set in Louisiana instead of urban New York - and then we realise that Mallory's journey back has been long-planned and deadly as she wants revenge for the death of her mother.
O'Connell's characteristic macabre imagination is on full display here, even augmented by the setting as she proves she can do a twisted kind of Southern Gothic just as immaculately as her hip and smart New York stories. She even has some mischievous fun in displacing not just Mallory herself but also Charles Butler and Riker into this alien environment: the scenes where Charles has to abandon his tailored suits and hand-made shoes for jeans and a denim jacket, and Mallory finds herself in cowboy boots and duster coat with a gunslinger's belt round her hips (yep, more than a touch of Western here too) are quietly placed for the amusement of long-time fans.
For all that, though, this is still a gloriously twisted tale of crimes and all kinds of retribution as we learn more about who Mallory once was and the events that have gone into her formation: and there are scenes here of perfectly pitched pathos, hard-hitting and never sentimentalised.
As always, O'Connell peoples her story with a gallery of grotesques but ones in whom who completely believe while in the book: and she uses her characteristic interest in theatricality, showmanship and ideas of the artist in oblique ways, not least a bizarre cult of healing and 'new' religion.
For anyone new to Mallory, this is absolutely not the place to start: it's a book dependent on what we already know of these characters in order to stretch their personalities and their relationships to each other. But if you're following Mallory's story arc then this is another brilliant entry in what is a unique and inimitable series: O'Connell really is in a class of her own.
May 9, 2018
I see this reader is super popular, but I thought it was hogwash! The flying stone angel bit - just a few minutes thought on how that would have worked in real life was enough to send the book flying across the room.
This is a book for people who want to mainline lots of emotion and don't care about reality at all.
This is a book for people who want to mainline lots of emotion and don't care about reality at all.
April 27, 2008
When this book was first recommended to me, I couldn't stand it. O'Connell's writing style is so different than anything I had experienced, it seemed very stilted. But once I got used to it, the book was amazing. Every book in the Mallory series is good, but this one is definitely the best.
July 17, 2008
It would probably work to read this without having read the previous books in the series but it will make more sense if you have read them first. Violent. Spellbinding. Explains a lot about the main character in the Mallory series.
May 20, 2017
I never thought this would end. On and on with the most boring characters imaginable. I'm not sure if it's part of a series but the characters are so shallow it reads as if you already know them, one in particular, Charles, who he's meant to be is a big a mystery as the actual murder in the book.
July 3, 2017
Probably my favorite in the series so far. We go back home with Mallory and learn about the crime that made her run away from her town. O'Connell brilliantly crafts characters in shades of gray and reminds us that assumptions about people can be terrible wrong. A page turner to the end.
May 20, 2018
Sorry. Not a good book for me. There was so much lying I just could not follow along. By the middle of the book I was completed bored and uninterested. My OCD forced me to finish what I had started. Took me forever to get through it, but I suffered and made it.
March 1, 2020
I found it very difficult to finish this book.
Book took too long to become interesting. The only reason I finished it is because I started it. Took me three days longer to finish than a normal book this size.
Book took too long to become interesting. The only reason I finished it is because I started it. Took me three days longer to finish than a normal book this size.
July 16, 2012
4th in series.
July 26, 2008
The is an older, but excellent read. It'll keep you guessing until the very end. Worth a look if you can find a copy.
February 21, 2009
The best by far in the Mallory detective series. She goes back to her roots in Louisiana and confronts those who murdered her mother.
November 18, 2016
Kathleen Mallory is one of a kind.Much better than Lisbeth salander
January 7, 2018
meh, ok. Was an experiment author. Not going to bother with more of her books.
November 24, 2018
**content note for this book: references to child sexual assault**
I definitely liked this best out of the four Mallory books I've read so far - it was miles better than books 1-3. Mallory, as a character, is seeming gradually more human. At the same time, she manages to be probably the most bad ass of the four novels, with a lot more impressive gun slinging. I kind of appreciate her super-hero-esque elements.
The twists and turns of the plot kept me guessing and overall I felt the pacing was very good. The Louisiana setting was also a nice change.
I was also more drawn into some of the secondary characters in Stone Angel then in the previous books in the series. In terms of new characters, Augusta was awesome and I really liked Ira and Lilith as well. All were pretty well developed. I am no expert in neurodiversity, but Ira's autism seemed to be fairly sensitively and realistically portrayed. Although Lilith's blackness was sometimes described in sort of a stereotypical way (much is made of the darkness of her skin) the portrayal definitely wasn't as problematic as the "giantess" character in Mallory's Oracle. I hope Lilith returns as a character in the series, maybe as an FBI agent. I also warmed to Riker as a character considerably and liked that he got to take a more central role in the novel as well.
I loved that Charles was centralized as a character, unlike book #3 where he barely appeared. Far fetched though they may be, I enjoy that illusions (magic tricks), and Charles' acquired skill in them, continue to play a role in this series. So fun.
All in all, a very enjoyable read and I look forward to continuing with the series.
I definitely liked this best out of the four Mallory books I've read so far - it was miles better than books 1-3. Mallory, as a character, is seeming gradually more human. At the same time, she manages to be probably the most bad ass of the four novels, with a lot more impressive gun slinging. I kind of appreciate her super-hero-esque elements.
The twists and turns of the plot kept me guessing and overall I felt the pacing was very good. The Louisiana setting was also a nice change.
I was also more drawn into some of the secondary characters in Stone Angel then in the previous books in the series. In terms of new characters, Augusta was awesome and I really liked Ira and Lilith as well. All were pretty well developed. I am no expert in neurodiversity, but Ira's autism seemed to be fairly sensitively and realistically portrayed. Although Lilith's blackness was sometimes described in sort of a stereotypical way (much is made of the darkness of her skin) the portrayal definitely wasn't as problematic as the "giantess" character in Mallory's Oracle. I hope Lilith returns as a character in the series, maybe as an FBI agent. I also warmed to Riker as a character considerably and liked that he got to take a more central role in the novel as well.
I loved that Charles was centralized as a character, unlike book #3 where he barely appeared. Far fetched though they may be, I enjoy that illusions (magic tricks), and Charles' acquired skill in them, continue to play a role in this series. So fun.
All in all, a very enjoyable read and I look forward to continuing with the series.
September 14, 2021
Una storia intrisa di colpì di scena. Mi è capitato di leggere più volte le stesse parti perché non credevo a quello che stavo leggendo 😱😍
Nonostante all'inizio la storia può sembrare incentrata su un omicidio, ben presto scopriremo che è per una serie di motivi collegato ad un altro omicidio avvenuto in un modo che mi ha fatto venire i brividi. Ogni personaggio è ben delineato. Sono riuscita a comprendere le loro storie che si collegano all'omicidio avvenuto vent'anni prima.
Mallory, è tornata in cittá dopo tanto tempo. Lei è la figlia della donna che è stata uccisa. Ho trovato affascinante il significato che sta dietro il suo soprannome. Eh già, perché non si chiama Mallory. Un nome che ha deciso di portare per ricordare a sé stessa il fatto che per andare avanti deve scoprire di più sull'omicidio della madre. Un modo per ricominciare a vivere. Anche se, è un vuoto che difficilmente riuscirá a colmare.
Inoltre mi ha colpito un altro personaggio. Lo sceriffo della città che per anni ha indagato sull'omicidio mentre per la maggior parte della città sembra che non sia mai accaduto 🥺.
Ho amato il coraggio della madre di Mallory. Il suo voler proteggere a tutti i costi la sua bambina.
Come mai è stata uccisa? Per scoprirlo non vi resta che immergervi in questa meravigliosa lettura 🤍
Nonostante all'inizio la storia può sembrare incentrata su un omicidio, ben presto scopriremo che è per una serie di motivi collegato ad un altro omicidio avvenuto in un modo che mi ha fatto venire i brividi. Ogni personaggio è ben delineato. Sono riuscita a comprendere le loro storie che si collegano all'omicidio avvenuto vent'anni prima.
Mallory, è tornata in cittá dopo tanto tempo. Lei è la figlia della donna che è stata uccisa. Ho trovato affascinante il significato che sta dietro il suo soprannome. Eh già, perché non si chiama Mallory. Un nome che ha deciso di portare per ricordare a sé stessa il fatto che per andare avanti deve scoprire di più sull'omicidio della madre. Un modo per ricominciare a vivere. Anche se, è un vuoto che difficilmente riuscirá a colmare.
Inoltre mi ha colpito un altro personaggio. Lo sceriffo della città che per anni ha indagato sull'omicidio mentre per la maggior parte della città sembra che non sia mai accaduto 🥺.
Ho amato il coraggio della madre di Mallory. Il suo voler proteggere a tutti i costi la sua bambina.
Come mai è stata uccisa? Per scoprirlo non vi resta che immergervi in questa meravigliosa lettura 🤍
October 17, 2024
SPOILER ALERT
Kathleen Mallory has fled to Louisiana following her last case. She is looking for those who killed her mother. She had witnessed some of the stoning, hiding in a closet with a window, so she could hear what was happening. She will face a community controlled by a man, Malcolm Laurie who leads a religious cult along with his family. He is suffering from syphilis and has a penchant for young boys. He has infected the boys with hepatitis, which is how Cass Shelley, her mother, a physician caught the problem. The mob was incited to stone her when she was preparing to report the issue to the authorities.
It will take Kate, Charles Butler, who has followed her to LA, and Sgt Riker to bring the group down, burning down the part of town that houses most of the cult and family, Fred and Ray. She is also helped by a mute man, Henry Roth, who is a sculpture artist and has created angels throughout the cemetery, including one of Cass.
A disturbing story of truly evil people, and mob mentality.
Kathleen Mallory has fled to Louisiana following her last case. She is looking for those who killed her mother. She had witnessed some of the stoning, hiding in a closet with a window, so she could hear what was happening. She will face a community controlled by a man, Malcolm Laurie who leads a religious cult along with his family. He is suffering from syphilis and has a penchant for young boys. He has infected the boys with hepatitis, which is how Cass Shelley, her mother, a physician caught the problem. The mob was incited to stone her when she was preparing to report the issue to the authorities.
It will take Kate, Charles Butler, who has followed her to LA, and Sgt Riker to bring the group down, burning down the part of town that houses most of the cult and family, Fred and Ray. She is also helped by a mute man, Henry Roth, who is a sculpture artist and has created angels throughout the cemetery, including one of Cass.
A disturbing story of truly evil people, and mob mentality.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2017
Had a luxurious time reading this - all night long. I am captivated by Mallory, psychopath though she may be. This picks up after she leaves Charles and New York at the end of Killing Critics. "Oh no!", I grieved. I'd come to love brilliant and love-struck Charles and scruffily protective Riker - were they being left behind? Fortunately, no. Charles tracks down an angel sculpture clearly modeled after Mallory, in a tiny town in a bayou of Louisiana. It turns out Mallory lived here as a child until her mother was killed - how? By whom? Mallory has come to find out the answers in her own unique way. With help, even if unwanted. Mallory's mother, like Mallory, attracted unconventional allies with big hearts, long memories, and a flare for rough justice and revenge.
Not only is the story gripping but this was a pleasure to read - the sense of place, the characters - even minor ones - came to life and wormed their way into my heart.
Not only is the story gripping but this was a pleasure to read - the sense of place, the characters - even minor ones - came to life and wormed their way into my heart.
June 2, 2025
brilliant piece of writing, one of O’Connell’s best
Mallory goes to her childhood home in Louisiana, ostensibly to solve the riddle of her mother’s death. She is immediately placed into police custody for the murder of Babe Laurie, a local problem adult-child. Charles has followed Mallory, unbidden and unwelcome, she orders him to return to New York, an order which Charles ignores. Eventually Riker shows up more to save Mallory from herself than to help her solve her mystery. Meanwhile, the assortment of townspeople encountered by the trio oscillate between helpless and helpful, then from benign to murderous. And you never know who’s lying and who’s lying in wait.
O’Connell brilliantly paints an atmospheric landscape full of dread with equal parts of fear and anticipation. She is at the peak of her craft in telling this multi-layered revenge story. I loved every minute of it and did not want it to end.
Mallory goes to her childhood home in Louisiana, ostensibly to solve the riddle of her mother’s death. She is immediately placed into police custody for the murder of Babe Laurie, a local problem adult-child. Charles has followed Mallory, unbidden and unwelcome, she orders him to return to New York, an order which Charles ignores. Eventually Riker shows up more to save Mallory from herself than to help her solve her mystery. Meanwhile, the assortment of townspeople encountered by the trio oscillate between helpless and helpful, then from benign to murderous. And you never know who’s lying and who’s lying in wait.
O’Connell brilliantly paints an atmospheric landscape full of dread with equal parts of fear and anticipation. She is at the peak of her craft in telling this multi-layered revenge story. I loved every minute of it and did not want it to end.
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