Stone Angel

Carol O'Connell

At the end of Killing Critics, Mallory had regained memories of her childhood before Markowitz found her in New York. Now she is headed to Louisiana to avenge her mother's murder. When she arrives in St. Jude Parish, a series of events has also occurred. The town idiot's fingers were smashed with a piano. The deputy sheriff suffers a massive heart attack. The local faith healer is murdered when someone smashes a rock into the back of his head. Mallory is arrested for the murder and is in jail.

Charles Butler arrives from New York to find Mallory and discover what is happening. She refuses to see him. He meets the town eccentric who is able to tell him what she knows of the story. Augusta Trebec cared for Cass Shelley and the small Kathy Shelley. After Cass was murdered and Kathy disappeared, she kept the property in trust for Kathy's return. Now Mallory has returned. She looks like her mother. Except for Augusta and the sheriff, the people in St. Jude's Parish are not pleased to have her return and bring up the past.

The sheriff has had suspicions of the murderers of Cass Shelley, but no proof. Mallory escapes from the rural jail and hides out at Augusta's. She weaves her own kind of techno magic to pull the killers out of their long hiding. Charles tries to save her from herself as well as helping her in the quest.

Mallory is such an interesting character (I may have said that before). Sgt. Riker (in New York City PD) believes she is a psychopath on the right side of the law. Charles Butler wants to believe there is a soul in the woman. Of course, Charles is in love with her and is a straight forward man. He can't lie without his face revealing the fact. Here in Louisiana, Charles believes he sees glimpses of emotions. The reader, too, is given a hint here or there about the depths of Mallory.

Then there is the mystery in this book. How did 20 or so people stone a woman to death all those years ago and never get caught? Who were they? Why did they turn on the small town's doctor? Although not as strong as some of the prior books in this series, O'Connell has the reader following the story line through to answer those questions.

Mallory's Oracle
The Man Who Cast Two Shadows
Killing Critics
Stone Angel
Shell Game
Crime School
Dead Famous
Winter House
Find Me

New Orleans Mourning by Julie Smith