On a hot August afternoon, in an East Side apartment, a woman is found hanged. Carefully placed red candles and an enormous quantity of dead flies suggest some kind of bizarre ritual. By some cruel miracle, the victim lives, but remains in a coma- Mallory does not recognise her immediately. The blue eyes are undisguised by mascara and purple shadow. The former bleached straw hair has turned a more natural shade of blond. Even the nose is different. And there are no track marks on her arms. Fifteen years have passed since Kathy Mallory lived on the streets of New York, succoured by hookers and thieving to survive. Now she has traded in her plastic pellet gun for a .357 revolver and a police badge. No one is allowed to call her Kathy anymore. Just Mallory. Once upon a time, a junkie whore and police informer, known simply as Sparrow, had cared for a young street urchin when she was lost and alone. Now Mallory finds that she is staring her bitter past in the face, as she pursues a case which also has its origin in an unsolved murder committed years ago-

'Mallory is a marvellous creation' Jonathan Kellerman

About the Author
Born in 1947, Carol O'Connell studied at the California Institute of Arts/Chouinard and the Arizona State University. She lives now in New York City.

Reviews
"Mallory is one of the most original and intriguing detectives you'll ever meet" -- Carl Hiaasen "Kathy Mallory, NYPD detective, makes other contemporary women detectives look anaemic- O'Connell's crime-scene investigation techniques ring true, her plotting is breathtaking, and her psychology acute. Searing suspense." Booklist "Like the best work of James Lee Burke and Barbara Vine, O'Connell's character driven procedural transcends genre pigeonholing. The juxtaposition of grisly detail and elegantly elliptical writing creates suspense that builds and resonates." Kirkus Review



Book Information
ISBN 9780099441403
Author Carol O'Connell
Format Paperback
Page Count 528
Imprint Arrow Books Ltd
Publisher Cornerstone
Weight(grams) 275g
Dimensions(mm) 177mm * 111mm * 32mm