Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner
Shell Game
Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Carol O'Connell
Class/Genre: Mystery Police Procedural Thriller
Series: Kathy Mallory # 5
Putnam, Jul 1999, $24.95, 384 pp.
In Central Park, veteran magician Oliver Tree comes out of retirement to perform the Lost Illusion, created by deceased superstar Max Candle. However, many people at the park and millions of viewers watch in horror as the trick goes awry and Oliver dies. Only the elderly magician Malakhai watching from his upstate New York hospital room realizes the real sleight of hand performed tonight. He knows that someone killed Oliver while convincing all those observers that a tragic accident occurred.
New York Police Officer Kathleen Mallory also wonders if a murder happened. If her hunch proves right, she thinks the culprit will seek a bigger stage for the next victim. However, first she has to persuade her superiors to allow her to officially investigate Oliver's death. She also figures an expert magician must have done the act. Now all she has to do is wade through individuals talented enough to make one believe in the impossible. These individuals include Malakhai, whose deceased spouse accompanies him where ever he goes. It looks like she is even drinking wine in front of Kathleen, a trick that is shocking to say the least
SHELL GAME is a captivating tale that highlights a heroine who follows her own moral beat even when it leaves her in conflict with superiors and loved ones. The streets once educated Kathleen and, though much tamer, her ferocious nature surfaces during investigations. The prime protagonist and the myriad of magicians she encounters sometimes overshadow the story line. Still, Carol O'Connell's latest tale is more than a simple sleight of the hand. Readers of the series and those who enjoy a Manhattan murder mystery will find this tale and its predecessors fun to read.
Harriet Klausner
Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner
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