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Feb 10, 2012

Tonya rated it:

There is so much to this book, it's hard to decide where to start. I haven't read any books about this character (Kathy Mallory), but I will definitely pick up more in the future. I'm not sure who the book revolved around the most. It starts with a little red-haired girl being found in the park after a deadly rat infestation suddenly occurs. She is all alone and has blood on her shoulders. Through this little girl (who has Williams Syndrome, something I knew nothing about), they discover so More...

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Feb 05, 2012

Shell rated it:

If you are a fan of complex thrillers, this is the book for you. This is the first Kathleen Mallory book I've ever read, but it won't be my last. O'Connell weaves a tale that will keep the reader on their toes throughout the book. A little girl is found in the woods of Central Park. She talks to a tree who she says is her uncle. She may know who a murderer is. But Coco has Williams syndrome and has attached herself to Mallory.

Mallory is bent on protecting Coco and getting her h More...

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Jan 30, 2012

Kitty rated it:

This book takes childhood bullying and cruelty to a new level. It touches on parents who want to fix everything to those who don't even know where to start. The book has its charming sweet moments, stirred with terror, helplessness and some pretty mixed up characters. (Lots of characters) Sometimes I was asking myself, "Now, who was that?" I was kept guessing on some aspects, but felt the plot was a little far fetched. The killings were unique in their torture, and I still can't visua More...

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Jan 22, 2012

Jenny rated it:

I used to have a pretty hard and fast rule that I would not pick up anywhere in the middle of a series. But on a couple occasions I've picked up in the middle out of some type of necessity and found it isn't always so bad. And I was really interested when The Chalk Girl came to my attention, even though it's the 12th in the series! I am so happy I took a chance with this one because I loved this book and excited about reading future books in the series (as well as the first 11).

Kathy M More...

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Jan 22, 2012

Chelle rated it:

I love Kathy Mallory. The depth of her character is amazing, and each book leaves me wanting more. This one is especially good, perhaps because of the long wait between books. A bit about the characters.

Mallory is an incomplete story - nobody knows her well. Many fear her, others love her, and everyone keeps their distance. Well, except for her partner Riker. And Charles (who is hopelessly in love with her). And her late father's poker playing buddies, who want so much for her More...

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Jan 19, 2012

Gaby rated it:

Review:

This latest book, Chalk Girl, was my first exposure to Detective Kathy Mallory. Mallory is a gifted detective whose flaws make her stand out.

How to describe her? Physically, she's a stunner. Even in New York City, she's unforgettable with her silky blond hair, high cheekbones, bright green and almond shaped eyes, a gorgeous figure, clothes that are noticeably expensive and yet comfortable. ("silk T-shirts and custom-made blazers. Even her blue jeans were t More...

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Jan 17, 2012

Luanne rated it:

Well, I was going to take lots of notes and quotes while I was reading Carol O'Connell's newest book, The Chalk Girl, so I could write a fabulous post telling you how much I love this character and author.

The notes and quotes didn't happen.....because I couldn't put the book down long enough!! But I can tell you that I do love O'Connell's 'Mallory' books.

As a child, Kathleen (Kathy) Mallory was found living alone on the streets of New York City by NYPD Lieutenant Lou Markowit More...

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Dec 31, 2011

Jaylia3 rated it:

Author Carol O'Connell has been doing this series long enough that this latest volume reads like a well-oiled machine with a fast pace and a macabre sense of humor, that's somewhat balanced by main character Kathy Mallory having a heart of gold beneath her well groomed but stone cold exterior. Mallory was out in the world on her own from a very young age and it shows in the ruthless survival skills she brings to her police work. This is the first Kathy Mallory novel I've read and it was a little More...

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Dec 17, 2011

Linda rated it:

The Chalk Girl is an odd mystery/crime novel. I had trouble maintaining any interest in the story, and I could only read one chapter at a time before I lost interest. I made it through eventually, but I wouldn't recommend this book unless you have read some of the others in the series first. Perhaps if I had, I would have been more sympathetic toward Mallory instead of just thinking her as a rude, violent, crooked cop.

Mallory has returned to her job as detective after a mysterious ab More...

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Dec 10, 2011

S.D. rated it:

A homeless girl is found wandering the park. School children on a park tour remember the girl because she looked just like a pixie with red hair, bright eyes, and a wide smile. They also remember the blood on her shoulder. Mrs. Ortega, Charles Butler’s cleaning lady, witnesses a man trying to lure the young girl who runs away. She enlists Mallory’s help in finding the young girl before some pervert does. Coco, the young girl, leads Mallory to a section of the park where she claims her uncle More...

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Nov 20, 2011

Patty rated it:

I could not stop reading this book and because I couldn't I finished about 400 pages in two days.

The book was intense and captivating and riveting.

Characters were fascinating...especially Kathy Mallory. Actually I loved her weirdness, strength and over the top behavior.

Totally charmed by Charles and Coco...psychologist and little lost girl.

The story involves murders, cover ups, private school bullies, wealthy divas, blind lawyers, drug addicts, agoraphob More...

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Apr 26, 2011

Sarah rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Feb 05, 2012

Eric rated it:

Kathy Mallory, the protagonist in Carol O'Connell's novel The Chalk Girl, can be as compelling as any character in mystery fiction. In the last few years, she has often been referred to as the original Lisabeth Salander, and indeed the two have much in common. Both are emotionally damaged, possessed of a wide range of survival skills and fundamentally unknowable. And both inhabit very dark worlds. If anything, Mallory's almost superhuman abilities are even more impressive than Salander's. Howev More...

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Jan 25, 2012

Kelli rated it:

Story: B+
Narration: A-

A young girl found wandering in Central park is a problem but when she leads the police to the dead body of her “Uncle Red” the problems begin to multiply. The dead body isn’t Coco’s “uncle,” he’s her abductor. He also isn’t the only body to be found in the park and Coco isn’t your typical child. She has Williams syndrome, a disorder that can cause (among other traits) being overly friendly towards and trusting of strangers and an unusual star-like pattern in More...

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Jan 29, 2012

Toba rated it:

I have read all the Mallory books (in order) as well as the two stand-alone novels. If you are new to the series, do yourself a favor and read "Mallory's Oracle" and "Stone Angel", in that order. Each reveals some of what is known of Mallory's backstory, including the origin of her surname (and what a tale that is!). "Find Me", the book right before "Chalk Girl", supplies a little more history, but also leaves many unanswered questions. Don't expect t More...

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Jan 24, 2012

Harvie rated it:

Kathy Mallory was on the scene long before Lisabeth Salander. Enigmatic, independent, a computer whiz, guided by a moral compass entirely her own, she's a fascinating character and I have been a huge fan since the series began. Unlike Salander, Kathy Mallory's backstory is delivered in tantalising bits and this installment begins with the revelation that Mallory has been MIA for three months. The brass at the NYPD tries to humble her, but as usual, she's several steps ahead.
The novel has se More...

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Jan 28, 2012

Maddy rated it:

PROTAGONIST: Kathleen Mallory, NYPD detective
SETTING: New York City
SERIES: #10 of 10
RATING: 3.25
WHY: An 8-year-old girl is in Central Park and hugging strangers. It turns out that she has Williams Syndrome which causes her to have a strong need for physical contact. That may have explained how she got involved with "Uncle Red", a pedophile who is now in a bag in a tree. Several other bags are later found; there is a connection to the murder of a bullied boy 15 ye More...

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Feb 07, 2012

Leah (The Pretty Good Gatsby) rated it:

http://theprettygoodgatsby.wordpress.com...

New York City was a quick-change artist and the good old days were always six minutes ago.

I had received an ARC of The Chalk Girl from the publishers (thank you!!) and couldn't wait to dive right in. The summary instantly had me hooked, but until I sat down and started reading, I hadn't realized just how much I'd like this one. One thing that originally worried me was that this is the tenth book in the series. ...and I had never r More...

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Jan 28, 2012

Cindy rated it:

After five years, another Mallory novel by Carol O'Connell. I liked this one, just like I've liked all of them. In this book we see a little more of Mallory's humanity--she's still described as inhuman, unfeeling, but this story about the murder of children, of their innocence being destroyed, of the need to save them or get vengeance for them--in doing so, we see Mallory more as a human than before.

The only down side is that most of this happens toward the end of the book. For a good More...

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Nov 24, 2011

Sharon rated it:

Carol O'Connell's "The Chalk Girl" has more twists and turns than a Coney Island roller coaster. I hated to put it down!

In this story, Special Crimes Unit Detective Kathy Mallory and her partner have two issues to investigate: a little girl who appears in Central Park with blood on her shoulder ("It fell from the sky") and the bodies (some of them dead) they keep finding in trees along the notorious Ramble.

Throw in a socialite family, the diary of a d More...

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Dec 01, 2011

Michele rated it:

I won this on Goodreads. Apparently there are earlier books with the same main characters. I have not read any of the previous books and wonder if that would have enhanced this book. The story revolves around detectives investigating a homicide that draws them into a case involving school kids many years earlier. I can't decide if I like the main character or not. The story was well written and I enjoyed reading it. If you are a police novel fan, I think you will like this book. It also is a cha More...

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Feb 17, 2012

Michael rated it:

I've read each of the Carol O'Connell Mallory detective novels featuring her engaging and feral Kathy Mallory and one out of series novel. I'm in the midst of reading The Chalk Girl, and not only is it a thrill to have her character back but O'Connell has also nailed her depiction of a a little girl with Williams Syndrome, a child lost due to terrible circummstances, desiring of affection and attention but lacking Mallory's coping skills. Once again the author has put out a spectacular novel wi More...

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Dec 01, 2011

Denise rated it:

2.0 out of 5 stars - Unbelievable behavior by police detectives ruins this for me!

I did not care for this book mainly because I did not like any of the characters, especially Kathy Mallory. She seemed like a Lisbeth Salander wanna be but fell completely short in my opinion. The others who were her partners or work cohort seemed ridiculous as they followed along behind her and bowed to her crazy behavior and ideas. I ended up having no respect for any of them! Talk about police corrupti More...

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Dec 20, 2011

Phyllis rated it:

I loved The Chalk Girl! From the beginning with the introduction of Coco, an elfin-like red-haired girl with blood on her shoulder who said her uncle turned into a tree and the killing of a school field trip guide by rats, the action never stopped. There are great characters - Coco, of course, Detectives Mallory and Riker, Charles, a psychiatrist, along with many interesting secondary ones. The plot involves bullying, murder and coverup with socialites high in society and law enforcement but More...

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Oct 31, 2011

Bob rated it:

I hadn't read one of O'Connell's Mallory novels for quite some time. Really glad I did not miss this one. One of the best endings in recent memory, a close second to "City of Suspects" by King (my favorite last line). I was prepared for a bit of a let-down, after Mallory's history had been explained in the last O'Connell novel I read. Not so. An intricate character driven story, which is the best kind. Thank you for a book which was very hard to put down. By the way, I give few More...

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Feb 06, 2012

Linda rated it:

Mallory never lets me down (except when I have to wait years in between her visits).
Katherine Mallory is a female detective unlike any one else. She's a loner, but has a coterie of men (her late foster father's poker buddies) looking out for her. She dresses too expensively for her salary, but is not on the take. She is a law enforcement officer, but stops at nothing to get her crimes solved - and very few complain.
This time out three bags are discovered in tree tops of Central Park ab More...

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Jan 12, 2012

Tracey rated it:

It took a while, but I finally decided that it wasn't really necessary for me to read all the other Mallory novels before reading the ARC of The Chalk Girl I received as a LibraryThing Early Reviewer (thank you!). While it is good to read the books in sequence, thereby having a better idea of who Kathy Mallory is and why, I don't think it's mandatory; with these books there is a trend of "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" – while it is very much a series (and they are all very goo More...

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Feb 14, 2012

Kara rated it:

My first introduction to Carol O'Connell. By Chapter 21, I was so confused and bored I abandoned the book. It was worse than one of those movies where everyone is shooting each other from trains and they all have dark hair and don't shave very often. The comparison of Mallory to Lisbeth Salander is laughable. Mallory was mean and one-dimensional. Couldn't stand her. I'm a CSI and Larsson fan, but this reads like the Danielle Steel of crime mysteries.

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Jan 21, 2012

Doris rated it:

A small girl is found wandering alone through Central Park. She says the blood on her shirt fell from the sky while she was looking for her uncle who turned into a tree. Other than that, she can't tell them who she is or where she came from. Sounds a bit like the pre-Markowitz Mallory.
Maybe that's why we discover a new and different side of her.

If you liked Salander, you'll love Mallory. And O'Connell writes better.

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Feb 05, 2012

Cindy rated it:

What can I say - I love Mallory. In this one, you catch a glimpse of her caring for others. I liked the structure of the book with the diary passages at the beginning of each chapter. Chilling look into bullying - those characters were a bit over the top. Wanted to hear more about what happened to her between the two books.

Now I'm not sure whether this one will replace The Judas Child as my favorite O'Connell book.

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