Winter House

Kathleen Mallory #8

by Carol O'Connell

In this riveting thriller from New York Times bestselling author Carol O'Connell, New York City officer Kathleen Mallory purges a woman of her mysterious past—and the flesh-and-blood ghosts of a violent family legacy.

At first, NYPD detective Kathleen Mallory thinks the case is a burglar caught in the act and stabbed with an ice pick by a vulnerable homeowner. Except that the dead man was not a burglar, but a hired killer. And the homeowner is the most famous missing child in NYPD history, believed kidnapped more than sixty years ago after the massacre of her entire family...by an ice pick. As Mallory investigates, an astonishing story emerges, one of murderous greed and family horror, abandonment and loss, revenge and twisted love—and a terrifying secret that has yet to claim its final victim.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Detective

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 1, 2004

About the author

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

Series:
* Kathleen Mallory

Reviews

[Roman Clodia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wedged in tight between two condominium behemoths, this dwelling was in the wrong place at the wrong time and regally unrepentant, though the police were at the door

If Joyce Carol Oates ever decided to write police procedurals would she channel O'Connell? What both women share is a grotesque and macabre imagination, a literary sensibility and a unique ability to twist a genre from the inside.

Here O'Connell, in her 8th entry in the utterly compelling Mallory series, gives her take on the haunted house of Gothic fiction complete with murder, massacres, money - and a family who give Poe's Ushers a run for their money. That she can locate all this within the modern framework of a NY police investigation complete with overworked cops and an angsty lieutenant constantly watching his budget is quite an achievement.

If you haven't read O'Connell before then both she and her psychopathic (or is she?) lead, Kathy Mallory, are probably an acquired taste. In this episode we see more of Charles Butler and learn about Riker's upbringing with his father and grandfather centred, of course, on a series of ice-pick murders that stretch over a century. There are no kick-in-the-gut moments with Mallory this time round - that's saved for the next book in the series.

I originally read these randomly and have now been slowly making my way back through them in the right order: definitely the way to go.

For very clever, very dark stories, often weird and violent but always full of emotional and literary intelligence O'Connell is a standout voice who stretches the crime genre gloriously out of shape.

[Victoria Forbes · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm giving this book two stars, and even that felt slightly generous. I was beyond excited after reading the plot expecting to be pulled in, but sadly it didn't happen until maybe the last 20 pages. Unfortunately I find it hard to leave a book unread, or else this would have been added to that list.

First of all I wasn't a fan of the writing style. Second, this book included so many characters and murders that it was difficult to follow what was happening. Third, Kathy Mallory was too unlikeable of a character.

I love when detectives, lawyers etc. in books and TV shows find ways to get the result they want while skirting along the line of what's legal. The Lincoln lawyer would be a perfect example. Without breaking laws he finds ways to get exactly what he wants, in a way you least expected, leaving room for some suspense and surprise. Mallory on the other hand, does whatever she wants legal or not (mostly extremely illegal) which I found very displeasing. It wasn't a question of how will she get this person to talk or get this piece of evidence, nope she'll just pistol whip people and verbally traumatize others.

Unfortunately I don't think I'll be reading any more books from this author.

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

WINTER HOUSE (Psychological suspense-NYC-Cont) - VG
Carol O’Connell – 8th in series
G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2004- Hardcover
Mallory is called to investigate the murder by scissors of an intruder by an elderly woman. But it turns out the intruder was a serial killer, the murder weapon was actually an ice pick, the elderly woman someone who had been missing for fifty-eight years since nine members of her family had been killed with an ice pick.
*** There are layers upon layers in this story of a house, a family, relationships and greed. I have loved the Mallory series from the start and this is one of the best. You learn more about Mallory’s partner Riker and vulnerability of Charles, Mallory’s friend and business partner, is a wonderful contrast to the character of Mallory. I would not recommend starting the series with this book, but it is a definitely an excellent addition to the series.

[d4 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I used to love crime and mystery novels when I was a pre-teen. Carol O'Connell was one of my favorite authors. That time has passed and so maybe it's a bit unfair of me to even read and rate a novel that's part of a genre I already know I don't particularly enjoy anymore. But I did... so suck it.

Plot-wise there's a little too much going on in this one--too many "twists" making it seem more like a soap opera than a crime novel. Character-wise, I can see how the calculating, nearly emotionless Mallory would have appealed to me as a kid, but now she seems a bit over the top in the fear and awe she inspires in everyone she encounters.

[A.M. Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know how Carol O'Connell gets away with it. Her principal character is an emotionally distant sociopath whom is almost impossible to love. And yet one does.

O'Connell breaks many of the rules my writing teachers pounded relentlessly into my head and I adore her for making it work. On occasion, it is a little tedious, figuring out where one is at as one carwheels through several pov's in one chapter. (I know, I know, imagine ME complaining about pov shifts!) The plots of these mysteries are crafted so beautifully and so intricately that one has that satisfying feeling upon closing the book that the solution was inevitable and that a sort of justice had been obtained.

[KJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, dear God. Why does Carol O'Connell not just ensure that the words "Katherine Mallory - she's damaged and dangerous" are engraved as a header or footer on every page of this novel JUST IN CASE we've been too dumb to get the message.

[Celia Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The BEST Mallory novel

Complicated. Fascinating characters. Possible multiple murders. A long time-span mystery. Oh, and did I say complicated-? Indeed. In the end, a very satisfying ending tinged with pathos. Highly recommended.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good - but pretentious writing style would prevent me from picking up another one of her novels.

[Alli Bax · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the characters and the laugh-out-loud funnies, but there were a few unbelievable and confusing twists. I'm definitely an O'Connell fan, though, and will pick up other Mallory mysteries!

[Dark-Draco · Rating 2 out of 5]

By my own unwritten rules, I have to give this a two star rating as I reserve 1 stars for books I didn't finish - but it became a bit of a chore to plough through this. I hadn't realised this was the 8th book in a series, and maybe the author had forgotten that not everyone will have read the first 7, so I was completely lost to begin with. She doesn't do a great job at introducing the main characters, so pile on a few victims, suspects and innocents, and you get a very muddled start. Sadly, it didn't get a whole lot better.

I ended up reading to the end because I did know what had actually happened all those years ago ... and while the ending did answer that question, I can't say it was particularly satisfying. I started to feel as if the author was standing there with open arms, expecting the reader to get it by shoving another paragraph of evidence in front of them - this is definitely a 'tell', not 'show' kind of book. But to be honest, I'm still not sure I understood what had happened and why.

I didn't like Mallory or Riker - and the Winter / Shelby family aren't much better.

And was the house haunted or not?

This book does have a lot of top ratings so I'll pass this on hoping it finds a more appreciative reader out there.

[Alice Pettinaroli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juicy thriller that keeps you locked into the story till the last line.

[Diletta Pagniello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Il tutto è così intricato che alla fine non riesci a credere a ciò che è successo. Lettura mozzafiato

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

How can one ever characterize Mallory? One doesn't try. One just visits and marvels. At least this "one" does.

Some 60 years ago Winter House, a Manhattan mansion, was the site of a massacre of epic proportions - nine members of the large household wiped out - with an ice pick. Left are an odd assortment of characters: Bitty Smyth, a lawyer turned religious fanastic who has an injured bird who walks around in circles saying "What?;" her parents Cleo and Lionel; and her aunt, Nedda Winter, known as Red Winter for a nude painting done of her as a child, who left after the massacre and has now returned.

The massacre by Stick Man, as the ice pick killer came to be called, was never solved, though not for lack of trying, particularly by Riker's grandfather and father who collected evidence long after they retired.

Now another murder has taken place - and yes, the victim was stabbed with an ice pick. He also wasn't just any old burglar - he was a killer Mallory stalked and failed to find. Mallory's prime suspect is Nedda, but Charles Butler thinks Mallory's wrong and not only befriends Nedda, but gets in a rare fight with Mallory over her heavy-handed treatment. It's true, Malloy does seem more malicious than usual in this one, but she also seems to have rare - for her - moments of - can it really be true of our friend Mallory? - compassion.

[margaret chalmers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A house of sorrow.

We are back with Mallory at her most weird and brilliant. Cops are called to Winter House and a supposed burglar dead in the floor of the foyer. Killed with an ice pick. We are then reminded of the house's history as the scene years before of a family massacre with one child nicknamed Red Winter (she had red hair) missing. Run away? Kidnapped? Thing is the sworn killer of the present day burglar is that missing child, Red Winter. Cue for the surviving family to gather together. Other deaths follow. A labyrinthine, fascinating tale. Read every line. Questions will be asked. Brilliant as ever, but oh so cold, cold as Mallory herself. Yet by the end I felt she had a heart. She cared for the greatest victim of the ancient crimes. And she gives her own brand of punishment. An amazing story for an amazing character. But Mallory's series is not for binge reading. You might get mental frostbite. Recommended.

[Ava Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great, convoluted mystery. I had no idea who was to blame until the end. The story has an interesting cast of characters - Mallory is feline, feral, and single-minded, and I didn't always like her, but I don't think we're meant to always like her. The plot is rich with detail and family history and it's hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys because most characters seem to have a little of both in them. Pay attention! Every detail is important.

[Jayde Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up from a book exchange at a camp ground in Bremer Bay, WA. I didn’t realise it was a series and immediately feel in love with the sociopath detective. I really enjoyed the content of this story and while the “bad guy” wasn’t really a twist It was still a great end. I will go back and read the rest of the books now.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

1/8/18 Kindle version on sale for $1.99.

[Jeff J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Mallory novel from Carol O'Connell. Mallory is one of the most intriguing heroines in fiction today.

[Michele bookloverforever · Rating 4 out of 5]

more about Kathy Mallory, a troubled and troubling main character.

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Pisces51 · Rating 5 out of 5]

WINTER HOUSE [2004] By Carol O’Connell
My Review Five Stars*****

This is Book 8 of the New York Times bestselling author Carol O'Connell’s widely acclaimed Mallory series. It features the disturbed and dangerous NYPD Special Crimes Detective Kathleen Mallory. This installment of the 12-book collection was initially released nearly two decades ago but has lost none of its luster or power and remains as fascinating as it was when a legion of avid fans first devoured it.

I first discovered the Mallory books the first of this year. I’ve been so addicted to O’Connell’s style of writing, to the unique and fascinating character of Mallory, and to the recurring characters in her universe that I have already read through book eight and it is only the third of June.

This eighth installment is another impressive work by a superlative author who deftly unpacks another multi-layered and complex murder mystery that contains several intriguing subplots as well. The story line pulls the reader in smoothly and seamlessly, and the hours just melt away as you are solidly ensconced in the tale the writer is weaving for you. This particular intricate plot involves a legendary family massacre that took place nearly six decades ago and a “ghost story” that dates back 100 years.

I love O’Connell’s writing. Her imaginative story lines are genius and she is a master story teller. Her Mallory novels unfold against the atmospheric backdrop of New York City both past and present, are infused with more than a generous splash of the supernatural sometimes, and offer the reader richly developed protagonists and villains, poetic prose, perfect pacing, and a sardonic wit that is displayed frequently in the scintillating dialogue among the cast of characters.

Detective Riker, Mallory’s partner at the NYPD, friend, and beloved series regular takes a turn as it is revealed that he is an ice pick murder buff. In fact, this was the reason that he and Mallory dropped by what at first seemed like a garden variety burglary during which the robber was killed by the home owner. However, first impressions were discovered to be deceiving when Mallory concludes that the intruder was killed by a single ice pick thrust to the heart and didn’t die because of the pair of scissors glaringly sticking out of his chest. Things go father afield when it is revealed that the victim was a hired killer and the crime scene in the mansion in Central Park is the infamous Winter House, the scene of the most famous cold case in the annals of the NYPD. The homeowner who killed the intruder was identified as “Red Winter”, the famous missing 12-year-old girl, believed by the authorities to have been abducted more than 60 years ago after the massacre of her entire family by an ice pick wielding murderer.

The narrative weaves the tale of a dynasty of murder-for-hire two party teams that date back a century. In each generation there was the fortuneteller’s storefront as a drop site for the money, and it was also the reader of the Tarot Cards that brokered all of the hitman’s murders. The killer for hire was dubbed “Stick Man” and he deployed a unique MO with a needle-sharp ice pick. The precise mechanism of the kill was determined upon autopsy and it was as distinctive as a fingerprint. The novel methodically unravels how the 100-year-old unsolved Stick Man Case and the Winter House Massacre of nearly six decades past were intertwined.

This entry in the series showcases the myriad depths and dichotomies of the damaged psyche of the enigmatic Mallory. The novel features the recurring people in it that fans of the series have grown to love. It is my understanding that the novels are written in a style similar to that of books by Elizabeth George. The unique plots of their books are continued with the same characters. Those readers who like continuing characterization and following the character arcs of a fantastic assortment of a supporting cast will love the entire Mallory series.

I was absolutely blown away by this utterly fantastic, imaginative tale from the creative mind of O’Connell. I would say that it was one of my favorite installments in the series to date, but then I have loved every one of them. This installment is, however, unique in that it imparts some new qualities to the character of Mallory that tend to strengthen the implied notion that she is a creature without a category, unique and standing alone, defying all diagnostic labels in the textbook of abnormal psychology.

ABSOLUTELY ONE OF THE BEST BOOK SERIES I’VE EVER READ, HIGHLY RECOMMEND

[Martip · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently read a review about It Happens in the Dark (2013) that disparaged Mallory in this book as a character because of no growth, even less humanity (as usual), and berated Carol O'Connell as an author who relied on tired, same old-same old phrases to bring character description to the page. I can't say I disagreed entirely. I also happened to have purchased Winter House at the same time I purchased It Happens in the Dark. While I won't give Winter House a 5 stars 'it was amazing' review, I can say this book, (2004) reveals amazingly satisfying characterization of Mallory (and Charles Butler) and unrolls a heckuva mystery. What's a faithful, appreciative reader to do? Well, buy more of O'Connell's books, keep reading, and maybe reread Happens in the Dark to give it a second look, but for now, I aim to fully enjoy the warm feelings I have for Winter House Carol O'Connell, and the artistry, time, effort and plain old brain power it takes to be a successful author.

[Christiaan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Winter House is an excellent and suspenseful psychological thriller revolving around the murder of a single burglar that lays the foundation for all the secrets that wait to be revealed of the Winter family. The thriller excellently incorporates family drama and well-constructed plot twists. Furthermore, it is an enjoyable journey to get to know the strong female protagonist Kathy Mallory and Nedda Winter throughout the thriller. Moreover, the book contains excellent descriptions of the places, characters and the development of the characters is also superb. However, the book does contain a bit of blasphemy and cuss words but it is not overused. An excellent read for anyone who enjoys a suspenseful, mysterious psychological thriller that keeps you second-guessing until the end mixed with a bit of family drama.

[Dora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winter House

Kathleen Mallory is back in this 9th twisted case that is tied to a much older case the Winter Massacre. In the opening scene of the book, Ryker and Mallory are on the scene of a murder at the Winter House. A burglar has been stabbed in the chest with a pair of shears however we later learn that was not the cause of death. There are two women at home—Nedda Winters and her niece, Bitty.

There are lots of twists and turns to this story. The characters are well defined. I think to really appreciate the character of Mallory one should read the books in order so that you get her backstory and understand more why she is so broken and yet so brilliant. If you are not so concerned with character development, this book works well as a stand alone.

[Ton · Rating 3 out of 5]

O'Connell proza is definitely high quality, literature with a hint of poetic. That is rare for a crime story. So far so good. But we are talking thrillers and that is different from novels. It makes it a complicated reading. I did not feel pleased with it. Add to that the fact that I did not like the character of inspector Mallory and there we are: the first and at the same time the last Mallory I read.

[Sherrill Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

See Kae's review. It WAS difficult to keep track of so many characters and twists of plot; you almost have to read it twice, or at least go slowly; Mallory plays a minor part; but it IS worth reading.

You won't be disappointed in the ending -- the murderer[s?] are not who you think he / she / they are! P.S. "Winter House" is named for the Winters, so if you're hoping for a gothic novel -- nah -- this takes place in NYC. But like Kae says, Pay Attention!

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh! I didn't realize Mallory is a sociopath when I found this at the library. Sorry, but I don't find that entertaining or, in her case, acceptable. I doubt she could get away with that behavior in the real world, regardless of her family history. Badgering witnesses, ignoring their rights, insubordination. She would have been fired in Mallory #1. I can suspend my disbelief up to a point. This went way beyond that.

[Anna Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Winters and the Smiths have a long history together, a wealthy and moneyed relationship across the generations. A burglary at Winter House leads to a dead burglar, Mallory believes there's more to the story. It turns out the dead man is a hired killer, so who was his intended victim. Lots of red herrings and conflicts between the characters in this book, who's telling the truth, who's after the money.

[David Nally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twists and turns in book 8

I've had my share of ups and downs with this series. One or two books made me feel I'd wasted time reading them. Several made me think, why would any of the other characters put up with this obnoxious protagonist?
Then others, like this one, gave me that reading high where you don't want to lay it down until you're done.
The ups outweigh the downs. I'm planning to start Book 9 now.

[Kenneth G · Rating 5 out of 5]

another brilliant story from O’Connell.

Crazy people make sane people crazy. A charming tale about a forty year old massacre at the Winter House, and a new ice pick murder that piques the interest of Mallory and company. Throw in some disreputable lawyers, a serial killer out on bail, and assorted other crazies, and this story soars like no other. Just more evidence of O’Connell’s gift and skill as a writer.