Applaud the Hollow Ghost [Hardcover]

David J. Walker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1998

In the third mystery of the series, Chicago P.I. Mal Foley investigates a nasty case of revenge and cover-up, when he tries to clear the name of a childhood classmate accused of assaulting a teenage girl. Mal knows the case is going to get messy, but just "how" messy he would never have guessed .

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In his third case (after Half the Truth, 1996), Evanston, Ill., piano-playing PI Mal Foley is urged by his patron, whom he has nicknamed "the Lady," to look into a case of child molestation. Foley remembers the accused, Lambert Fleming, from 20 years earlier on a basketball court when Lammy had been humiliated by his peers and his eyes had appealed to Foley for help. To make up for turning his back then, Foley agrees to help him now. But finding out who molested the little girl turns out to be a harder and more dangerous task than he anticipated. First, the girl's father won't allow her to be interviewed; then Lammy's dog is castrated and he himself is beaten. The investigation goes from bad to worse as Foley discovers the little girl is linked to a powerful crime family. Not until the girl's grandmother agrees to step in to help her grandchild does Foley's job take a turn for the better. An extended and twisting climax stretches credibility, but otherwise Walker sets questions of morality in a believable context.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Chicago private investigator Malachy Foley approaches life as though he were treading water. Though he won't help himself out of his malaise, he will help a friend--or even a high-school classmate, Lambert "Lammy" Fleming, who's accused of molesting a neighborhood teenage girl. The mildly retarded Lammy is unable to defend himself--not good when the girl's dad is a low-rung mobster and her uncle is the local godfather. Foley figures Uncle Dominic is the guy with the taste for young girls, but to prove it, he must buck both the cops and the Mob. Also impeding Foley is an ongoing investigation that may involve an insider placed within the family as a snitch. This third Mal Foley case is a solid effort distinguished by the realistically portrayed relationship that develops between Foley and Lammy. The frustrations and rewards of coping with a handicapped individual force Foley to look outside himself for a change, and the fresh view invigorates him emotionally. A very satisfying read. Wes Lukowsky

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (February 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312180411
• ISBN-13: 978-0312180416
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,092,275 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A talented author creates an entertaining tale, February 1, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Applaud the Hollow Ghost (Hardcover)

In the Chicago area, Lambert Fleming is arrested for allegedly molesting a little girl. Private Investigator Mal Foley remembers Lambert as the classmate who was thoroughly humiliated by his so-called friends, including Mal. Feeling guilty over that two decade old incident, Mal decides to prove Lambert is innocent.

Mal figures this will be a simple investigation that should not take up much of his time. Instead, to his shock, Mal finds the case to be extremely difficult and even somewhat dangerous as the alleged victim turns out to be related to extremely powerful mob families. Even when the girl's father tries to abort Mal's investigation, he continues to investigate what really happened to the little girl.

In his third appearance, hard boiled Mal Foley continues to be a very interesting sleuth whose acerbic and witty tongue constantly gets him in trouble. The Chicago area also comes to life (albeit through Mal's myopic eyes). This, in turn, leaves readers believing they are visiting the Windy City. Though the story line of APPLAUD THE HOLLOW GHOST includes some stretches, the novel remains a very entertaining mystery.

Harriet Klausner