Killing Critics (Paperback)

~ (Author) "ALL AROUND THE FRENETIC CIRCUS OF TIMES SQUARE, car lights blinked and traffic lights glared..." (more)
Key Phrases: gallery boy, wire cart, cork wall, Oren Watt, Emma Sue, Dean Starr (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

O'Connell's driven and sharp-edged NYPD detective Kathleen Mallory revisits a 12-year-old double murder case first investigated by her beloved adoptive father, whose death was central to her notable debut in Mallory's Oracle (1994). The murder of a second-rate performance artist in mid-performance has many associations to the earlier, grisly and still unsolved homicides, which also touched the art world. Many of the same characters are involved in both killings: J.L. Quinn, the elegantly icy critic whose niece was one of the first victims; Avril Koozeman, whose galleries were murder scenes then and now; and Emma Sue Halloran, once a critic, now a culturecrat who forces hideous art into new buildings. Mallory and her partner, Sergeant Riker, must find keys to the new killing by prying memories from these witnesses. Hampering their efforts is the desire of the police brass to keep the old case closed. O'Connell's narrative force and character development are irresistible. Although the intense and private Mallory offers little to love until late in the story, her fierce determination draws the reader into her quest. Wacky artsy types and a flawed but sympathetic Riker leaven the heavy dose of misanthropy. O'Connell also delivers a cynical, funny lesson in art marketing, which sounds here less like culture than a pretentious pyramid scheme. 50,000 first printing; major ad/promo; author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

It's a bit awkward to face reviewing something entitled Killing Critics, but the critics in question here review art, not audiobooks. O'Connell's wicked send-up of the trendy art world begins with a murder in a gallery, which is mistaken for performance art. Is this case related to the grisly murder of another artist and a dancer 12 years earlier? Kathleen Mallory, last seen in O'Connell's acclaimed Mallory's Oracle (Putnam, 1994), thinks so. Noteworthy characters include a self-proclaimed "fashion terrorist" who barricades himself on Bloomingdale's roof, hurling insults at poorly dressed passersby through a bullhorn. Narrator Laural Merlington does a good job of managing the accents of the various characters, although her dialects sometimes fade. That is understandable, however, in light of the rapid-fire dialog. This recording will be welcomed in any public library.?Reilly Reagan, Putnam Cty. Lib., Cookeville, Tenn.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Arrow Books Ltd (July 17, 1997)
• ISBN-10: 0099163926
• ISBN-13: 978-0099163923
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #513,806 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 3 in The Kathleen Mallory Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mystery with meat..., June 15, 2005

By	Cynthia K. Robertson (beverly, new jersey USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Killing Critics (Kathleen Mallory Novels) (Paperback)

Carol O'Connell's Killing Critics is her third Kathleen Mallory mystery, and they just continue to get better. This book has it all: complex plot, memorable characters and some brilliant detective work.

An artist, Dean Starr, is discovered murdered in the middle of an art gallery exhibition. His death is made to look like performance art. NYPD Special Crimes Unit detectives Mallory and Ricker are called in to investigate. Twelve years previous, there was a brutal double homicide in an art gallery owned by the same man, and the circumstances are very similar. Mallory's late father, Markowitz, was on that case and although he got a confession and a conviction, he never for a minute believed that he had the right man. As Mallory and Riker find out more about this new murder, the more parallels there are to the old one. Yet, the NYPD considers the old case closed, and will not allow them to "officially" investigate. The list of suspects is very long, and there are also a good number of people who would like to see the murders remain unsolved. Those in high ranking office are vulnerable including the police commission and a state senator.

In Killing Critics, O'Connell gives us a crash course on the New York City art world, including artists, works of art, galleries, gallery owners, art shows, art critics, art patrons and art investors. It truly is fascinating. She also opens the door wider into Mallory's troubled childhood, and we better understand why she remains so scarred. All the major characters (Mallory, Riker and Butler) are fleshed out in greater detail.

Two things kept me from giving this book five stars. First, I thought it was a bit slow at the beginning, although it quickly picked up speed and the ending will blow you away. Second, I thought it stretched O'Connell's credibility to have Mallory challenge a former Olympic gold medalist to a fencing duel (she only had one semester of fencing in college). Still, these criticisms aside, this is an awesome story and O'Connell is one of the few writers who gives us mysteries with meat.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mallory Grabs You and Won't Let Go, May 14, 1998

By	Debra Thomson ([e-mail]) "debthomson" (Fall River, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Killing Critics (Kathleen Mallory Novels) (Paperback)

In Killing Critics, Carol O'Connell's lead character Kathy Mallory continues to evolve into one of the most fascinating heroines in the genre. In each of her three appearances, (Mallory's Oracle, The Man Who Cast Two Shadows, and Killing Critics), Mallory reveals slivers of her past, intriguing insights into her missing childhood, even as she regains the memories that torment her. The mystery of Mallory is as compelling as any of the murders found in these tales, and will be the reason I will keep reading O'Connell's new works. Kathy Mallory isn't finished yet, and I look forward to seeing her deal with her demons.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Move over Scarpetta, here comes Mallory!, May 3, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Killing Critics (Kathleen Mallory Novels) (Hardcover)

This book did not disappoint. After reading her previous books I couldn't wait to read Mallory's latest adventure. O'Connell gives us more background into why Mallory has turned into the detective she is. Some of the characters I Idid not care for(Bliss for instance, and Emma Sue Halloran) but I like Charles,Riker, and Coffey. These people are true to life. Sometimes O'Connell is hard to follow as she brings in caharacters and events in The Big Apple that don't seem to tie in with the story. Here's hoping her next novel The Stone Angel is a continuation of Sgt. Mallory.I would like to know more about the elusive Carol O'Connell