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Kendall O'Dell #2
The Devil's Cradle
In exchange for an exclusive story, feisty, flame-haired reporter Kendall O'Dell agrees to accompany 20-year old Angela Martin to claim her inheritance-a remote gold mining town in southern Arizona. But the bargain soon proves perilous as Kendall delves into the girl's past and unearths a family history of insanity, jealousy and violence that appears to have an eerie connection with the present. Is Angela the genuine heir, or a clever imposter? Was her father's recent death really an accident? And why was she never told of her deranged half-sister who perished in a mysterious fire eighteen years earlier?
Kendall's quest to find the answers leads her into a frightening labyrinth of events and she must risk her life to expose the shattering secrets that threaten to destroy the lives of everyone involved.
About the Author:
Ms. Nobel is elated with the early success of Deadly Sanctuary the first book in her Arizona mystery series based on the town of Wickenburg and featuring feisty red-haired reporter Kendall O'Dell. In June of this year, the Arizona Book Publishing Association voted Deadly Sanctuary Best Mystery of 1999. The second book in the series, The Devil's Cradle is set near Bisbee in southern Arizona and she is now working on the third.
Ms. Nobel enjoys giving her presentation, "The Timeless Fascination of the Whodunit," at bookstores, libraries, schools, reading discussion groups and clubs. In this discussion, she examines the unique construction of this popular genre, and delves into the major components that are crucial to the development of a successful mystery story.
Ms. Nobel is a member of the Arizona Center for the Book, Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America.
She currently resides in Phoenix, AZ with her husband and eight cats.
341 pages, ebook
First published September 1, 1999
133 people are currently reading
599 people want to read
About the author
Sylvia Nobel
9 books89 followersSylvia Nobel, a resident of Arizona since 1961, is the author of the best-selling Kendall O'Dell mystery series. She is also one of the producers of the new feature film Deadly Sanctuary, based on the first book in the series. The 5th book, Forbidden Entry has now been released. Her breathtaking descriptions of the Arizona desert illustrate her love affair with the state's unique beauty. Her main protagonist, feisty, flame-haired reporter Kendall O'Dell has been described by readers as a modern day grown up "Nancy Drew" or a younger Jessica Fletcher from "Murder She Wrote". Her books are available from Nite Owl Books as well as major booksellers worldwide. Readers can participate in an adventure that provides the true ambiance of the modern west with each based on actual cases gleaned from news articles. The attention to detail and the eloquence of the masterfully written stories, will give the reader a vivid picture as well as present great insight into these well researched contemporary tales. Best yet, her judicious use of language makes readers comfortable sharing these books with teens and seniors alike. She follows the same pattern with the film, Deadly Sanctuary, which has received a PG-13 rating making it suitable for just about everyone!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
April 7, 2024
This book was as good as the first! Kendall is asked to accompany this girl to a remote gold mining town in Southern Arizona to claim her inheritance.
May 2, 2012
This book was decent, a worthy read but not spectacular. Again, it was part of a series that wish I had read the first part of. Just because I'm a stickler for background information. I don't believe that this took away too much from the story however. The basic premise of the story was intriguing, and not the cookie-cutter type of mystery that seems to be floating around these days. Kendall is fairly easy to like and respect, but her new partner is infuriating at times IMO. The damsel in distress is just not what appeals to me. Like so many other books unfortunately, I felt that the author tried so hard to keep the mystery aspect going that it was "Who did it, who did it, who did it, THISISWHODIDITANDWHY OMG OMG OMG." Maybe I'm just super picky because very few books have been truly pleasing to me lately.
October 21, 2014
Warning! Sylvia Nobel's character Kendall O'Dell is likely to be addictive! Once you start this 2nd book in the Kendall O'Dell series you will discover you can't put it down! I went to work with tired eyes from sitting up later than I had planned reading. I loved the first book in the series, Deadly Sanctuary, which has been filmed in Arizona and is due to come out as a movie in Spring 2015.
Sylvia knows what it is like traveling through the Arizona desert and describes it so well capturing the beauty and danger, you will feel as if you are there with the character. The way she writes leaves you so satisfied, not too much, just right. It moves along quickly keeping you turning the pages.
The story, based on an actual case in Arizona, as are all of her books in this series, is written in such a way I defy you to figure it out until the end. I love that! If you like a good mystery with a little romance, you'll truly enjoy Devil's Cradle. Her next book, the 3rd in the series, is Dark Moon Crossing. I'm ready to read it. Kendall O'Dell is my favorite heroine! She's a modern day grown up Nancy Drew. Thank goodness there is a 4th in the series, Seeds of Vengeance, and the 5th Forbidden Entry due out next Spring!
Sylvia knows what it is like traveling through the Arizona desert and describes it so well capturing the beauty and danger, you will feel as if you are there with the character. The way she writes leaves you so satisfied, not too much, just right. It moves along quickly keeping you turning the pages.
The story, based on an actual case in Arizona, as are all of her books in this series, is written in such a way I defy you to figure it out until the end. I love that! If you like a good mystery with a little romance, you'll truly enjoy Devil's Cradle. Her next book, the 3rd in the series, is Dark Moon Crossing. I'm ready to read it. Kendall O'Dell is my favorite heroine! She's a modern day grown up Nancy Drew. Thank goodness there is a 4th in the series, Seeds of Vengeance, and the 5th Forbidden Entry due out next Spring!
June 7, 2024
Great Read!
I read it straight through; I couldn't put it down. It has lots of suspense and twists and turns you'll never expect.
I read it straight through; I couldn't put it down. It has lots of suspense and twists and turns you'll never expect.
April 22, 2014
This is the second book in the Kendall O'Dell female newspaper reporter/mystery solver series. In this book Kendall gets involved in a convoluted plot involving a young woman who has recently come into an inheritance from a father she never knew. No one, including Kendall, knows for sure if she is the genuine heiress or an imposter. Lots of twists and turns, but a very readable mystery story.
Kendall is still involved with the gorgeous guy she met in the first book, but the action takes place away the small Arizona town where she has recently become editor of the twice weekly newspaper so her boyfriend is mentioned, but not seen much. One thing I like about this series is that Kendall gets herself into a lot of dangerous and life-threatening situations, but she is also able to get herself out of them. She has a steady love interest, but the hero does not have to rescue her.
Kendall is still involved with the gorgeous guy she met in the first book, but the action takes place away the small Arizona town where she has recently become editor of the twice weekly newspaper so her boyfriend is mentioned, but not seen much. One thing I like about this series is that Kendall gets herself into a lot of dangerous and life-threatening situations, but she is also able to get herself out of them. She has a steady love interest, but the hero does not have to rescue her.
January 23, 2011
This one actually scared me. I was reading at 4am, and the house is all quiet and dark and its old so it makes weird noises at night and I was actually scared and kept looking behind me. Excellent read.
November 19, 2020
Living in AZ for over 30 years, I am drawn to these books because of the settings. I'm on the 3rd book in the series and am enjoying them. Thank you. Keep writing Ms. Nobel.
February 27, 2025
Angela Martin, 20, knew her place in the world until she found out that almost everything she took for certain was a lie.
Following the death of a father she never knew about she becomes the sole owner of a gold mine and town in a desolate part of Arizona – assuming she stays alive long enough.
Bored newspaper editor Kendall O'Dell accompanies her to the town in the hope of getting the story (possibly even a book) and quickly finds out that not everyone is happy to see them.
There's a fairly large cast of characters and keeping each one in mind isn't easy.
I figured out the 'who' fairly early on but the 'why' turned out to be very twisty indeed.
“The Devil's Cradle” is an easy read but not one to spark any strong emotions
3 Stars.
Following the death of a father she never knew about she becomes the sole owner of a gold mine and town in a desolate part of Arizona – assuming she stays alive long enough.
Bored newspaper editor Kendall O'Dell accompanies her to the town in the hope of getting the story (possibly even a book) and quickly finds out that not everyone is happy to see them.
There's a fairly large cast of characters and keeping each one in mind isn't easy.
I figured out the 'who' fairly early on but the 'why' turned out to be very twisty indeed.
“The Devil's Cradle” is an easy read but not one to spark any strong emotions
3 Stars.
July 1, 2024
A journalist woman's dogged pursuit of a story.
It was an interesting story with !ots of different characters and some serious sleuthing to find the answers. I just can't buy how so much mystery and drama all happened in one week and somehow were mostly resolved. Just not believable and a little difficult to keep up with some of the characters who's identities kept evolving so quickly.
It was an interesting story with !ots of different characters and some serious sleuthing to find the answers. I just can't buy how so much mystery and drama all happened in one week and somehow were mostly resolved. Just not believable and a little difficult to keep up with some of the characters who's identities kept evolving so quickly.
November 3, 2018
#2 in the series. Kendall is going to meet a yound woman who just inherited her dead fathers estate. What she finds out about him and her disappearnce from his life is the scandle that kendal wants to write about, but will she be able too. Will they give their permission for the story to be told.
May 23, 2021
What an incredible read! I loved the details of the specific locations being an Arizona resident and having visited some of the places listed in this book! I am so intrigued with the story that I couldn’t put it down and I really am amazed that this is based on an actual historical occurrence! I cannot wait to pick up the next one and I’m so glad I bought the entire series at once!
July 2, 2025
edge of your seat excitement
This book was without a doubt, one of the most exciting and edge of your seat box that I’ve ever read I couldn’t stop reading it. I read till 3 o’clock one night and then turned off the TV today and read the rest. I finished the book in approximately seven hours wow it was really awesome
This book was without a doubt, one of the most exciting and edge of your seat box that I’ve ever read I couldn’t stop reading it. I read till 3 o’clock one night and then turned off the TV today and read the rest. I finished the book in approximately seven hours wow it was really awesome
November 3, 2017
Great mystery and another good installment of the Kendall O'Dell series. I love this character and I love this author!
Highly recommended.
(You do NOT need to read the first book to enjoy this one)
Highly recommended.
(You do NOT need to read the first book to enjoy this one)
August 3, 2019
I absolutely love this author! I don’t know if it because her books take place in AZ which is my favorite place in the world, or the fact that I love the characters. I never know how it is going to end and that keeps me turning the pages. Can’t wait to read her next one
June 8, 2021
Trans
Unless you are in to the so called " trans sexuals" don't bother with this one. It is actually a decent book until it goes off the rails near the end. At that point I just quit reading it.
Unless you are in to the so called " trans sexuals" don't bother with this one. It is actually a decent book until it goes off the rails near the end. At that point I just quit reading it.
July 1, 2021
3.729 stars... like a good(or better) than a whodunit at the dinner table in a dark stormy castle, only replace the table and surroundings with a very hick western Arizona mountain town. A LOT of good characters whocouldadunit in the stark desert mining society....
January 24, 2023
Read the last chapter first. A long convoluted read and too many characters. The main character does the most incredibly stupid things and wonders how she gets in the situations she finds herself. 🙄 Just simply unbelievable.
November 6, 2017
2nd in the series
April 8, 2019
Although I did figure out who dun it and most of the why, the unexpected plot twist about the who of who-dun-it kept it interesting.
May 25, 2020
Loved it! Her mysteries sure keep you guessing
March 22, 2022
This one kept me guessing all the way to the end!
September 21, 2022
Another winner from Sylvia
This 2nd book in the series was much harder to predict the outcome. Devil's Cradle is a fun read that keeps you wanting more.
This 2nd book in the series was much harder to predict the outcome. Devil's Cradle is a fun read that keeps you wanting more.
March 9, 2023
3.5 of 5 stars
June 4, 2024
Twisty yarn. Maybe a couple too many characters. A little long. Overall it was still enjoyable.
October 3, 2025
Surprises abound
This was one of there most interesting and convoluted stories I've ever read. Everyone had their secrets and there was so much suspense!
This was one of there most interesting and convoluted stories I've ever read. Everyone had their secrets and there was so much suspense!
June 17, 2024
Suspense,Mystery,Friendship!
Very well written story. I really enjoyed this book. Parts were a little slow but getting to the surprising ending was well worth it. Talk about surprises! This book had a lot of them. I stayed up till 1:30 in the morning to finish this book. Very good book and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes twists,turns and surprises.
Very well written story. I really enjoyed this book. Parts were a little slow but getting to the surprising ending was well worth it. Talk about surprises! This book had a lot of them. I stayed up till 1:30 in the morning to finish this book. Very good book and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes twists,turns and surprises.
September 8, 2025
The first book in this series was good, so I was expecting this to be of the same standard, but it really wasn’t. The story was convoluted, unbelievable, and far, far too long. I pushed through to the end, but could have happily stopped half way and not cared. The storyline was honestly so ridiculous and obviously not true-to-life that I think the author was throwing darts at a dartboard to get ideas and somehow stringing them together. Save your time and skip this one
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2018
now i am hooked. This was such a great, easy and creative book. i was hooked after the first page.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
April 29, 2012
I was intrigued by the premise of this book -- a young woman inheriting a mining ghost town from family she never knew she had. I like a good mystery and was interested to see how this one developed. Unfortunately, I found myself disappointed almost from page 1 with a set-up that felt contrived and characters that felt more like caricatures.
As a former journalist who has worked as a reporter and an editor for 2 small town papers, I was put off by what I felt to be a completely unrealistic depiction. A small paper with a secretary, two reporters, an editor and a sports guy is almost identical to the newspapers I worked for and in no way could we even remotely afford to send reporters all over the state to cover stories, especially for a week or so at a time.
I found the main character to be unlikable. She is a journalist who claims to be objective and yet all she did was make judgments -- in most cases unfavorable -- about every single person and situation she encountered. Because a character was elderly, the protagonist assumed she was senile without even meeting her; another character had epilepsy so the protagonist assumed she was mentally ill. In my current job, I serve several people who have epilepsy and I found such a depiction to be very insulting. The protagonist talked about this same character who had epilepsy as being a friend but then kept saying that she felt the girl was annoying, insane and childish! She didn't really show any friendly thoughts towards the girl, in my opinion, just moments when she felt sorry for her.
I realize a protagonist does not always have to be likable, and I am happy to read about such a character -- if the story is a good one. However, for me, while the premise of this book was promising, the story failed to deliver; the execution just felt contrived and forced for the most part due to what I feel was poor character development.
The ending was only mildly surprising as most of it was obvious for a good part of the book. I would not recommend this book -- unless you have time you want to waste.
As a former journalist who has worked as a reporter and an editor for 2 small town papers, I was put off by what I felt to be a completely unrealistic depiction. A small paper with a secretary, two reporters, an editor and a sports guy is almost identical to the newspapers I worked for and in no way could we even remotely afford to send reporters all over the state to cover stories, especially for a week or so at a time.
I found the main character to be unlikable. She is a journalist who claims to be objective and yet all she did was make judgments -- in most cases unfavorable -- about every single person and situation she encountered. Because a character was elderly, the protagonist assumed she was senile without even meeting her; another character had epilepsy so the protagonist assumed she was mentally ill. In my current job, I serve several people who have epilepsy and I found such a depiction to be very insulting. The protagonist talked about this same character who had epilepsy as being a friend but then kept saying that she felt the girl was annoying, insane and childish! She didn't really show any friendly thoughts towards the girl, in my opinion, just moments when she felt sorry for her.
I realize a protagonist does not always have to be likable, and I am happy to read about such a character -- if the story is a good one. However, for me, while the premise of this book was promising, the story failed to deliver; the execution just felt contrived and forced for the most part due to what I feel was poor character development.
The ending was only mildly surprising as most of it was obvious for a good part of the book. I would not recommend this book -- unless you have time you want to waste.
May 13, 2015
Kendall O'Dell receives a phone call from her brother, one filled with just enough intrigue to spark her investigative instincts. What she didn't expect was to be a 20 year old's sitter and sidekick as this young woman's whole life unravels. With each new insight into Angela Martin's past, the women's lives are consistently put in danger's way. Will Kendall stay alive long enough to get her story, or will she end up buried alongside the town's secrets?
Even though this is part of a series, this book works well as a stand-alone novel. The treacherous desert setting of Arizona plays a vital role in the characters' misfortune. There is a lot of family drama, and a rivalry that is reminiscent of the Hatfields & McCoys. Told through mostly dialogue, this is a jam-packed, fast read. Filled with numerous characters that could make readers' heads spin, the amateur investigators shall take notes as they try to solve all the twists and turns in this whodunit storyline.
Notes:
I reviewed this book as part of the #forgottenbookchallenge.
This review was originally posted on the Ariesgrl Book Reviews website.
Even though this is part of a series, this book works well as a stand-alone novel. The treacherous desert setting of Arizona plays a vital role in the characters' misfortune. There is a lot of family drama, and a rivalry that is reminiscent of the Hatfields & McCoys. Told through mostly dialogue, this is a jam-packed, fast read. Filled with numerous characters that could make readers' heads spin, the amateur investigators shall take notes as they try to solve all the twists and turns in this whodunit storyline.
Notes:
I reviewed this book as part of the #forgottenbookchallenge.
This review was originally posted on the Ariesgrl Book Reviews website.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews