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Kathleen Mallory #5
Shell Game
O'Connell (Judas Child) deftly demonstrates her own sleight of hand as she recounts NYPD detective Kathleen Mallory's investigation of the "accidental" death of magician Oliver Tree, who died while trying to recreate on live TV the late Max Candle's most famous trick, in which a man survives the fire of four crossbows. As Mallory capitalizes on her friendship with Candle's beloved cousin, Charles Butler, to delve into a WW II mystery involving a group of elderly magicians, all colleagues of Candle and Tree, hints of Mallory's inner life begin to emerge. Once a street kid, the coldly efficient detective comprehends better than most the soul-deadening choices these men made to survive during the war and the cycle of repentance and retribution that have set a deadly game in motion. Mallory is drawn in by the seductive Malakhai, a master of misdirection who is always accompanied by the illusion of his long-dead wife, Louisa. While the detective, in search of answers, uses her high-tech skills to manipulate data banks and to amass information, Charles Butler is in his basement, trying to put together Max's great trick. Meanwhile, the stalwart Sergeant Riker, Mallory's unofficial guardian and staunch defender, is on call. O'Connell adroitly entwines the excitement of Manhattan's Thanksgiving Day parade with the world of illusion and the anguish of war. Her tough realism and hypnotic prose will leave readers eager for more.
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 5, 1999
60 people are currently reading
654 people want to read
About the author
Carol O'Connell
55 books665 followersBorn 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
Series:
* Kathleen Mallory
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
April 5, 2018
Più che un thriller, una storia romantica con un enigma tra passato e presente da risolvere. Buona parte godibile, un’altra parte completamente inutile.
October 28, 2022
This isn’t among my favourite Mallory books. I’ve read most of them by now and they are nearly all excellent, but I did struggle with some of with Shell Game. Many of Carol O’Connell’s trademarks are still here: shrewd and penetrating character studies, fine tension, great atmosphere and sense of place (back in New York this time) and so on. However, I think her great storytelling gift is a little in abeyance here.
This time, Mallory becomes involved in a case involving four elderly magicians/illusionists. When a trick goes wrong and someone dies, Mallory suspects that it is not the accident that everyone assumes it to be. What follows is an extremely convoluted tale of friendship, love and rivalry which extends back to wartime Paris...and frankly, I thought it was too involved for its own good, especially when overlaid with a lot of illusion/reality stuff as the magicians ply their trades in all sorts of contexts. I got very bogged down in the different characters, timescales and events. At one point Mallory taunts a suspect with “That’s your style, too complex, too messy…” and I thought it rather apposite for the book as a whole.
Although Mallory was still a sufficiently magnetic character to pull me through, it wasn’t the unalloyed pleasure of most of this series. It’s still good enough to round 3.5 stars up to four, but it’s not one of O’Connell’s best.
This time, Mallory becomes involved in a case involving four elderly magicians/illusionists. When a trick goes wrong and someone dies, Mallory suspects that it is not the accident that everyone assumes it to be. What follows is an extremely convoluted tale of friendship, love and rivalry which extends back to wartime Paris...and frankly, I thought it was too involved for its own good, especially when overlaid with a lot of illusion/reality stuff as the magicians ply their trades in all sorts of contexts. I got very bogged down in the different characters, timescales and events. At one point Mallory taunts a suspect with “That’s your style, too complex, too messy…” and I thought it rather apposite for the book as a whole.
Although Mallory was still a sufficiently magnetic character to pull me through, it wasn’t the unalloyed pleasure of most of this series. It’s still good enough to round 3.5 stars up to four, but it’s not one of O’Connell’s best.
April 20, 2018
Jumped in this book mid series, normally with crime novels, this is not to much of a problem. But that wasn't the case with 'Shell Game'.
You do get small insights to Mallory's background but not enough. No idea why she seemed to be having dinner with the possible murder suspect who happened to be friends with someone she lived with? It took me a long time at the start to try and figure out everyone's history and I still don't know!
A crime mystery mixed with the art of illusion, which created a very confusing and overly complex story that I had lost interest in by the end. There was a point about halfway though the book where I thought it would have been a good time to end it but it dragged on for another 150 or so pages.
The most intriguing thing about this story was how Louisa was brought 'back from the dead' and we never find out how that was managed! It's not the worse thing to be reading but wouldn't bother with any other books from the series.
You do get small insights to Mallory's background but not enough. No idea why she seemed to be having dinner with the possible murder suspect who happened to be friends with someone she lived with? It took me a long time at the start to try and figure out everyone's history and I still don't know!
A crime mystery mixed with the art of illusion, which created a very confusing and overly complex story that I had lost interest in by the end. There was a point about halfway though the book where I thought it would have been a good time to end it but it dragged on for another 150 or so pages.
The most intriguing thing about this story was how Louisa was brought 'back from the dead' and we never find out how that was managed! It's not the worse thing to be reading but wouldn't bother with any other books from the series.
August 31, 2019
Sono vergognosa, perchè l'ho in casa da mesi, se non anni e non l'avevo ancora letto *shame on me*! Ad ogni modo mi è piaciuto molto!! Carol come sempre non delude ùù
L'anziano illusionista Oliver Tree la sera in cui ha preparato il suo spettacolo per il grande festival di magia di New York qualcosa non va.
Infatti viene trafitto dalle frecce che avrebbero dovuto far parte solo del trucco di prestigio e la nostra Kathy Mallory capirà immediatamente che c'è qualcosa che non quadra...e farà di tutto per risolvere il caso.
Adesso vedrò di fare un check dei libri, per vedere cosa mi manca!!
L'anziano illusionista Oliver Tree la sera in cui ha preparato il suo spettacolo per il grande festival di magia di New York qualcosa non va.
Infatti viene trafitto dalle frecce che avrebbero dovuto far parte solo del trucco di prestigio e la nostra Kathy Mallory capirà immediatamente che c'è qualcosa che non quadra...e farà di tutto per risolvere il caso.
Adesso vedrò di fare un check dei libri, per vedere cosa mi manca!!
September 19, 2007
Shell Game - G+
Carol O'Connell
NYPD detective Kathleen Mallory's investigation of the "accidental" death of magician Oliver Tree who died while trying to recreate on live TV the late Max Candle's most famous trick, in which a man survives the fire of four crossbows. As Mallory capitalizes on her friendship with Candle's beloved cousin, Charles Butler, to delve into a WW II mystery involving a group of elderly magicians, all colleagues of Candle and Tree, hints of Mallory's inner life begin to emerge. Once a street kid, the coldly efficient detective comprehends better than most the soul-deadening choices these men made to survive during the war and the cycle of repentance and retribution that have set a deadly game in motion. Mallory is drawn in by the seductive Malakhai, a master of misdirection who is always accompanied by the illusion of his long-dead wife, Louisa. While the detective, in search of answers, uses her high-tech skills to manipulate data banks and to amass information, Charles Butler is in his basement, trying to put together Max's great trick. Meanwhile, the stalwart Sergeant Riker, Mallory's unofficial guardian and staunch defender, is on call. O'Connell adroitly entwines the excitement of Manhattan's Thanksgiving Day parade with the world of illusion and the anguish of war.
Mystery goes back to WWII, intriguing character
Carol O'Connell
NYPD detective Kathleen Mallory's investigation of the "accidental" death of magician Oliver Tree who died while trying to recreate on live TV the late Max Candle's most famous trick, in which a man survives the fire of four crossbows. As Mallory capitalizes on her friendship with Candle's beloved cousin, Charles Butler, to delve into a WW II mystery involving a group of elderly magicians, all colleagues of Candle and Tree, hints of Mallory's inner life begin to emerge. Once a street kid, the coldly efficient detective comprehends better than most the soul-deadening choices these men made to survive during the war and the cycle of repentance and retribution that have set a deadly game in motion. Mallory is drawn in by the seductive Malakhai, a master of misdirection who is always accompanied by the illusion of his long-dead wife, Louisa. While the detective, in search of answers, uses her high-tech skills to manipulate data banks and to amass information, Charles Butler is in his basement, trying to put together Max's great trick. Meanwhile, the stalwart Sergeant Riker, Mallory's unofficial guardian and staunch defender, is on call. O'Connell adroitly entwines the excitement of Manhattan's Thanksgiving Day parade with the world of illusion and the anguish of war.
Mystery goes back to WWII, intriguing character
October 23, 2016
Mallory rules!
Once again, O'Connell proves herself to be the most twisted, imaginative and most sheerly brilliant writer on the contemporary crime scene.
After the previous outing which took Mallory back to her childhood, here we're back in New York with a grisly series of deaths involving magicians, illusions and failed magical tricks. As ever in this series, nothing is what it seems but the heart of the book lies not with the conventional unravelling of the complicated deaths, but with Mallory herself and her relationships: with Charles, whose credit from the last book seems to have dissipated; with Riker; and with the old magician Malikhai, whose story goes back to the dark days of Occupied Paris and the German camps. A lesser writer would have overwritten such emotive subject matter but O'Connell never falls into that trap. And at last we're seeing snatches of the narrative from Mallory's own point of view.
Consistently stylish, with a deviant and devilish sense of humour, but also an ability to knock us off our emotional feet, no-one is writing anything even near this outstanding series by O'Connell.
Once again, O'Connell proves herself to be the most twisted, imaginative and most sheerly brilliant writer on the contemporary crime scene.
After the previous outing which took Mallory back to her childhood, here we're back in New York with a grisly series of deaths involving magicians, illusions and failed magical tricks. As ever in this series, nothing is what it seems but the heart of the book lies not with the conventional unravelling of the complicated deaths, but with Mallory herself and her relationships: with Charles, whose credit from the last book seems to have dissipated; with Riker; and with the old magician Malikhai, whose story goes back to the dark days of Occupied Paris and the German camps. A lesser writer would have overwritten such emotive subject matter but O'Connell never falls into that trap. And at last we're seeing snatches of the narrative from Mallory's own point of view.
Consistently stylish, with a deviant and devilish sense of humour, but also an ability to knock us off our emotional feet, no-one is writing anything even near this outstanding series by O'Connell.
December 16, 2018
2🌟,γιατί θεωρώ ασέβεια προς τον εαυτό μου και τον κόπο που έκανα να το διαβάσω να το βαθμολογησω με 1🌟
Βαρετό,φλύαρο,μπερδεμένο και τρομακτικά προβλέψιμο,η ανατροπή που θα το έκανε να αξίζει δεν ήρθε ποτέ.Απορώ πώς η ίδια συγγραφέας έγραψε κάτι τόσο εξαιρετικό όπως το Παιδί Ιούδας.
Βαρετό,φλύαρο,μπερδεμένο και τρομακτικά προβλέψιμο,η ανατροπή που θα το έκανε να αξίζει δεν ήρθε ποτέ.Απορώ πώς η ίδια συγγραφέας έγραψε κάτι τόσο εξαιρετικό όπως το Παιδί Ιούδας.
June 12, 2019
I just couldn't get into this book. I think it may have been a combination of the magic theme but also the fact that I just hated Mallory.
Mallory was one of the most annoying characters I have read. Always thinking she is right and doing whatever she wants without any regard for anyone else's safety or feelings. She was also a terrible detective as she let a man get murdered in front of her.
The plot just couldn't draw me in, I couldn't of cared less as to whether the guy botched his trick or was murdered. It was all hanging on an event that happened years ago.
It wasn't a terrible read, it just wasn't for me.
Mallory was one of the most annoying characters I have read. Always thinking she is right and doing whatever she wants without any regard for anyone else's safety or feelings. She was also a terrible detective as she let a man get murdered in front of her.
The plot just couldn't draw me in, I couldn't of cared less as to whether the guy botched his trick or was murdered. It was all hanging on an event that happened years ago.
It wasn't a terrible read, it just wasn't for me.
August 2, 2021
I loved this book. I haven't read any others in this series, but I found this on the free shelf at the library and took it because it sounded interesting. And then left it unread on my shelves for two years.
I would just like to say I'm so happy I finally read it. And I got the baddie wrong. Which is probably why I loved it so much. I love when I don't predict the mystery correctly.
I would just like to say I'm so happy I finally read it. And I got the baddie wrong. Which is probably why I loved it so much. I love when I don't predict the mystery correctly.
March 12, 2022
SHELL GAME [1999] By Carol O’Connell
My Review Five Stars*****
This novel is the fifth book in O’Connell’s highly praised Mallory series. The story finds Mallory back in New York and partnering with Detective Sergeant Riker in the NYPD. This is not a book you should read as a “standalone” and I might add that it is not one of those “quick reads” or book selections that you “take along to the beach”.
The opening salvo of the story line takes place against the back drop of New York City’s famous and widely televised Macy’s Parade. The excitement and thrill of the colorful floats and giant balloons are augmented by the addition of a unique magic show which features renowned magicians from the past combined with the newest generation of talent.
Mallory and Riker are mingling with the thick cheering crowds that are populating both sides of the parade route and waiting for the scheduled events. Oliver Tree, a magician from another era had reportedly spent his retirement years solving the elusive solution to the famous “Lost Illusion” act designed and performed by the late great Max Candle. Mallory and the eyes of the live audience watch as police officers check and arm lethal metal arrows and place them into the cartridges of automated firing devices all aimed at their human target. The cops also check the metal handcuffs for authenticity and to confirm that they are locked and bind Oliver’s hands. The automated firing devices are activated and the ticking countdown begins. Oliver almost immediately starts screaming and begging for help from the crowd but even the two police officers just smile because they’ve been coaxed that it’s all part of the act. Most of the audience is still smiling even after deadly arrows pierce Oliver’s extremities and the fifth arrow (“the kill shot”) flies fast and true through the old man’s heart.
Mallory is convinced that the legendary magic act that culminated in a fatally flawed performance as it was televised on national TV was no accident. She believed that the gruesome death of Oliver Tree was orchestrated by a murderer who had additional acts to perform before he was through. An arrow pins another of the troupe of older magicians but pierces only clothing. The ostensible “close call” for Franny Futura on the float is eclipsed by Mallory spotting a suspicious figure in the crowd and taking him down. The man is a relative of Oliver Tree and had been hired to fire the bow. The premature arrest (and an incident at the police station) have Mallory in somewhat of a predicament with her superior Jack Coffey. Can you say “What else is new?” But then when did being on compassionate leave (or in this case suspension) even slow down Mallory when she has the scent of a killer (rhetorical question).
I truly love the way O’Connell writes and from what I was able to glean it was her NYT Bestseller BONE BY BONE that prompted a new generation of readers to explore her other works (to include the marvelous Mallory series). She is truly a gifted author, and exhibits true talent for imagining and executing complex plots. Her sense of atmosphere and creating colorful three-dimensional characters is eclipsed only by her proven ability to write devilish dialogue underscored by sardonic humor with the same ease as penning poetic prose that is absolute anguish and heartbreaking with the capacity to bring tears to your eyes. This novel, like the four Mallory books before it, captivated me from the outset. It is a story that readers will enjoy taking his or her time to read, absorb and enjoy line by line, paragraph by paragraph.
This installment doesn’t aspire to amass a high body count. It is a skillfully crafted mystery that is more of a tale of two lovers who find themselves cast amidst the hell of Hitler’s reign of terror, and a saga about betrayal, revenge, and redemption. Particularly important to followers of Mallory’s adventures she finds herself pitted against an equally ruthless, intelligent and deadly opponent. She is front and center in this story following her exploits in THE STONE ANGEL.
The deceased Oliver Tree was but one of a group of men who had worked together as magicians’ apprentices as teenagers in Paris before its occupation and later during World War II. The group is comprised of Nick Prado, Franny Futura, Emile St. John, the late legendary Max Candle, and the reclusive master magician Malakhai. Mallory understands that in order to solve Oliver’s murder (and an attempted assassination of one of the others with an infamous gunshot at the parade), she must interrogate this group of elderly magicians.
Mallory predictably capitalizes on her relationship with the good-hearted Charles Butler, the great Max Candle’s beloved cousin. Mallory also gains privy to an audience with an elderly Holocaust survivor. The magicians use misdirection and sleight of hand in an attempt to disorient or at least to divert Mallory’s questions and probes. Mallory finds herself handicapped if not chained by her own logical mind. Fans of this series by O’Connell will recall the tragic tale of Malakhai and the loss of his beloved wife Louisa at the young age of 19. Similarly, fans will recall Malakhai’s illusion on the stage accompanied by Louisa his long dead wife.
Mallory spends a significant amount of time trying to get the best of Malakhai but she is but a novice in a mental chess game against a true master in the Great Malakhai. Mallory firmly believes that he is planning to murder the man who murdered his young wife Louisa so long ago. The relationship between Mallory and Malakhai is both breathtaking and captivating.
The death of Malakhai’s Louisa is shrouded in mystery, and even Mallory is impotent to unravel the threads of the past using her genius computer hacking skills and human ties to Interpol and other snitches. It is only by solving the murder of Louisa at the height of Hitler’s iron grip in occupied France during WW2 that Mallory can hope to solve the recent murder of Oliver Tree. She is convinced that the death was premeditated murder, but finds out quickly that proving it was not an accident is contingent upon solving the Rubik’s Cube that is the answer to “The Lost Illusion”. Max Candle took the answer to his grave, but the Great Malakhai alone has the truths that Mallory seeks.
In essence, this complex and fascinating novel concerns a cold case from the past, namely the murder of Louisa in occupied Paris, written off as an “accident” by the French police authorities at the time. It is the tie that binds the present-day murder of Oliver Tree, and the future murder of the true killer of Malakhai’s Louisa. Mallory finds herself in the middle of a murder for revenge, and surrounded by magicians. The haunting love story of Louisa and Malakhai has been hinted at in previous installments but it is the focal point in SHELL GAME.
It is the first novel that has Mallory “front and center”, and we learn more about her psyche and the way she thinks than in all of the prior four books combined. Her interactions with Malakhai show her reacting to his charismatic charm and power. She drinks wine with him, and shares secrets from her past that are illuminating, shining a light into the darkness that cloaks her personae from the world. It is the veteran alcoholic Riker who educates Mallory about the diagnosis and cure for a “hangover”. The author creates a stage of illusion in SHELL GAME and there is some enjoyment or at least satisfaction in seeing Mallory bested for the first time, outsmarted and coming up short in the gamesmanship that was required to outmaneuver an illusionist of the highest order.
This book is an intriguing excursion into the art of magic and illusion, the heartbreak of betrayal, the depth of romantic love, the dedication of true loyalty, and the many faces of vengeance and justice. If you are in the mood for a lightweight mystery or thriller to entertain you for a little while, pass this one up. It is a wonderful reading experience from a top shelf talent. Every paragraph is like an exquisite appetizer, and you are so entranced you are sorry to see the story conclude. The ending is sheer genius Mallory by the way.
The title of this installment is “Shell Game” which the author derived from the legendary Malakhai’s answer to Mallory’s question about his “day job” during the Paris occupation by the Germans:
“In Paris? I ran a shell game on the street.”
Fans of the series are familiar with the entertaining weekly poker games. In “Shell Game” Malakhai and Louisa (his deceased wife) who “plays a mean game of poker” attends the group of regulars which incidentally includes Mallory by invitation on that occasion. This one scene alone is worth the price of admission. Malakhai and his conjuring of Louisa was at the heart of his sold out shows of magic and illusion. Attendees would later swear that the spirit of Louisa was on the stage, and walking among the audience. The poker game is a “close up” of this illusion, and it is truly riveting particularly when one adds a logic driven con artist like Mallory to the mix.
My Review Five Stars*****
This novel is the fifth book in O’Connell’s highly praised Mallory series. The story finds Mallory back in New York and partnering with Detective Sergeant Riker in the NYPD. This is not a book you should read as a “standalone” and I might add that it is not one of those “quick reads” or book selections that you “take along to the beach”.
The opening salvo of the story line takes place against the back drop of New York City’s famous and widely televised Macy’s Parade. The excitement and thrill of the colorful floats and giant balloons are augmented by the addition of a unique magic show which features renowned magicians from the past combined with the newest generation of talent.
Mallory and Riker are mingling with the thick cheering crowds that are populating both sides of the parade route and waiting for the scheduled events. Oliver Tree, a magician from another era had reportedly spent his retirement years solving the elusive solution to the famous “Lost Illusion” act designed and performed by the late great Max Candle. Mallory and the eyes of the live audience watch as police officers check and arm lethal metal arrows and place them into the cartridges of automated firing devices all aimed at their human target. The cops also check the metal handcuffs for authenticity and to confirm that they are locked and bind Oliver’s hands. The automated firing devices are activated and the ticking countdown begins. Oliver almost immediately starts screaming and begging for help from the crowd but even the two police officers just smile because they’ve been coaxed that it’s all part of the act. Most of the audience is still smiling even after deadly arrows pierce Oliver’s extremities and the fifth arrow (“the kill shot”) flies fast and true through the old man’s heart.
Mallory is convinced that the legendary magic act that culminated in a fatally flawed performance as it was televised on national TV was no accident. She believed that the gruesome death of Oliver Tree was orchestrated by a murderer who had additional acts to perform before he was through. An arrow pins another of the troupe of older magicians but pierces only clothing. The ostensible “close call” for Franny Futura on the float is eclipsed by Mallory spotting a suspicious figure in the crowd and taking him down. The man is a relative of Oliver Tree and had been hired to fire the bow. The premature arrest (and an incident at the police station) have Mallory in somewhat of a predicament with her superior Jack Coffey. Can you say “What else is new?” But then when did being on compassionate leave (or in this case suspension) even slow down Mallory when she has the scent of a killer (rhetorical question).
I truly love the way O’Connell writes and from what I was able to glean it was her NYT Bestseller BONE BY BONE that prompted a new generation of readers to explore her other works (to include the marvelous Mallory series). She is truly a gifted author, and exhibits true talent for imagining and executing complex plots. Her sense of atmosphere and creating colorful three-dimensional characters is eclipsed only by her proven ability to write devilish dialogue underscored by sardonic humor with the same ease as penning poetic prose that is absolute anguish and heartbreaking with the capacity to bring tears to your eyes. This novel, like the four Mallory books before it, captivated me from the outset. It is a story that readers will enjoy taking his or her time to read, absorb and enjoy line by line, paragraph by paragraph.
This installment doesn’t aspire to amass a high body count. It is a skillfully crafted mystery that is more of a tale of two lovers who find themselves cast amidst the hell of Hitler’s reign of terror, and a saga about betrayal, revenge, and redemption. Particularly important to followers of Mallory’s adventures she finds herself pitted against an equally ruthless, intelligent and deadly opponent. She is front and center in this story following her exploits in THE STONE ANGEL.
The deceased Oliver Tree was but one of a group of men who had worked together as magicians’ apprentices as teenagers in Paris before its occupation and later during World War II. The group is comprised of Nick Prado, Franny Futura, Emile St. John, the late legendary Max Candle, and the reclusive master magician Malakhai. Mallory understands that in order to solve Oliver’s murder (and an attempted assassination of one of the others with an infamous gunshot at the parade), she must interrogate this group of elderly magicians.
Mallory predictably capitalizes on her relationship with the good-hearted Charles Butler, the great Max Candle’s beloved cousin. Mallory also gains privy to an audience with an elderly Holocaust survivor. The magicians use misdirection and sleight of hand in an attempt to disorient or at least to divert Mallory’s questions and probes. Mallory finds herself handicapped if not chained by her own logical mind. Fans of this series by O’Connell will recall the tragic tale of Malakhai and the loss of his beloved wife Louisa at the young age of 19. Similarly, fans will recall Malakhai’s illusion on the stage accompanied by Louisa his long dead wife.
Mallory spends a significant amount of time trying to get the best of Malakhai but she is but a novice in a mental chess game against a true master in the Great Malakhai. Mallory firmly believes that he is planning to murder the man who murdered his young wife Louisa so long ago. The relationship between Mallory and Malakhai is both breathtaking and captivating.
The death of Malakhai’s Louisa is shrouded in mystery, and even Mallory is impotent to unravel the threads of the past using her genius computer hacking skills and human ties to Interpol and other snitches. It is only by solving the murder of Louisa at the height of Hitler’s iron grip in occupied France during WW2 that Mallory can hope to solve the recent murder of Oliver Tree. She is convinced that the death was premeditated murder, but finds out quickly that proving it was not an accident is contingent upon solving the Rubik’s Cube that is the answer to “The Lost Illusion”. Max Candle took the answer to his grave, but the Great Malakhai alone has the truths that Mallory seeks.
In essence, this complex and fascinating novel concerns a cold case from the past, namely the murder of Louisa in occupied Paris, written off as an “accident” by the French police authorities at the time. It is the tie that binds the present-day murder of Oliver Tree, and the future murder of the true killer of Malakhai’s Louisa. Mallory finds herself in the middle of a murder for revenge, and surrounded by magicians. The haunting love story of Louisa and Malakhai has been hinted at in previous installments but it is the focal point in SHELL GAME.
It is the first novel that has Mallory “front and center”, and we learn more about her psyche and the way she thinks than in all of the prior four books combined. Her interactions with Malakhai show her reacting to his charismatic charm and power. She drinks wine with him, and shares secrets from her past that are illuminating, shining a light into the darkness that cloaks her personae from the world. It is the veteran alcoholic Riker who educates Mallory about the diagnosis and cure for a “hangover”. The author creates a stage of illusion in SHELL GAME and there is some enjoyment or at least satisfaction in seeing Mallory bested for the first time, outsmarted and coming up short in the gamesmanship that was required to outmaneuver an illusionist of the highest order.
This book is an intriguing excursion into the art of magic and illusion, the heartbreak of betrayal, the depth of romantic love, the dedication of true loyalty, and the many faces of vengeance and justice. If you are in the mood for a lightweight mystery or thriller to entertain you for a little while, pass this one up. It is a wonderful reading experience from a top shelf talent. Every paragraph is like an exquisite appetizer, and you are so entranced you are sorry to see the story conclude. The ending is sheer genius Mallory by the way.
The title of this installment is “Shell Game” which the author derived from the legendary Malakhai’s answer to Mallory’s question about his “day job” during the Paris occupation by the Germans:
“In Paris? I ran a shell game on the street.”
Fans of the series are familiar with the entertaining weekly poker games. In “Shell Game” Malakhai and Louisa (his deceased wife) who “plays a mean game of poker” attends the group of regulars which incidentally includes Mallory by invitation on that occasion. This one scene alone is worth the price of admission. Malakhai and his conjuring of Louisa was at the heart of his sold out shows of magic and illusion. Attendees would later swear that the spirit of Louisa was on the stage, and walking among the audience. The poker game is a “close up” of this illusion, and it is truly riveting particularly when one adds a logic driven con artist like Mallory to the mix.
January 10, 2022
Very complex and still very rewarding at the end! Liked it a lot.
March 6, 2016
I can't even begin to imagine where Carol O'Connell comes up with these ideas! There are five elderly magicians in town to stage a big magic festival. Mallory, an excellent character of O'Connell's, gets involved when one of the acts goes wrong. Her friend Charles is nephew of a great magician of the past that each of these men had known back in their apprenticeship in France during WWII.
The book goes back and forth between now and the the past of the 1940s through stories of the men as Mallory tries to solve what she claims is a murder rather than an accident. This leads her to discover that there was an earlier murder involving these men, the murder of the one female in their troupe. This female appears as a "ghost" in her magician husband's act and more.
The magic is fascinating, the story develops with developments that are revealed throughout the book. Mallory also continues to develop as a character.
I hate it when I can't give a book the time it needs each time I pick it up. Sometimes I only get to read a few pages at a time and that slows the action. It makes it difficult to judge whether the book is moving slowly or just me as a reader. I can say that for this book, the last paragraph, the epilogue, had my heart beating fast and I was practically holding my breath! I don't think I've ever been disappointed with an O'Connell book.
The book goes back and forth between now and the the past of the 1940s through stories of the men as Mallory tries to solve what she claims is a murder rather than an accident. This leads her to discover that there was an earlier murder involving these men, the murder of the one female in their troupe. This female appears as a "ghost" in her magician husband's act and more.
The magic is fascinating, the story develops with developments that are revealed throughout the book. Mallory also continues to develop as a character.
I hate it when I can't give a book the time it needs each time I pick it up. Sometimes I only get to read a few pages at a time and that slows the action. It makes it difficult to judge whether the book is moving slowly or just me as a reader. I can say that for this book, the last paragraph, the epilogue, had my heart beating fast and I was practically holding my breath! I don't think I've ever been disappointed with an O'Connell book.
December 3, 2017
In brief, at a festival of magicians, a trick goes horribly wrong...was it simply an accident, or was it as DS Mallory suspects, actually murder? On investigating this possible crime, Mallory finds herself looking into the death of a woman which occurred over 50 years ago - & who still "appears" in her husband's magician act long after her death...
Overall I enjoyed this book, although I did find some of the descriptions of the magic tricks a little hard to visualise/understand & I did keep getting the elderly magicians mixed up! However, Kathy Mallory is an intriguing character & I think I will have to dig out the first in this series in order to discover more about her difficult & troubled childhood.....& to find out how she's come to have so much money.
Overall I enjoyed this book, although I did find some of the descriptions of the magic tricks a little hard to visualise/understand & I did keep getting the elderly magicians mixed up! However, Kathy Mallory is an intriguing character & I think I will have to dig out the first in this series in order to discover more about her difficult & troubled childhood.....& to find out how she's come to have so much money.
June 21, 2013
I love Carol O'Connell and the Mallory books. They seem like they should be terrible, but are incredible... trashy and messy and emotional and sexy and disturbing. This one is about a group of old magicians who seem to be murdering each other. Mallory (sexy super-Sherlock Holmes with a freaky origin story) must sort it out. Death obsessed... one of the magicians has devoted his life to recreating through magic tricks the presence of his murdered wife. Someone else ejaculates as he watches a child walks into a minefield, killing a bunch of German soldiers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2021
2.5 stars
Maybe this was just me and where my head was at when I was reading this but I had the darndest time following the plot in this installment of the Kathleen Mallory series.
There were a couple components to my confusion. One was I couldn't, based on O'Connell's descriptions, easily picture the various apparatuses used in the magic tricks (and murders) and much of the understanding of how the murders were carried out is based on understanding these. I feel like I needed video accompaniment.
Also, I had a really hard time grasping all the old magicians as distinct characters until close to the end of the novel. So all of the suspects and their motivations blurred together for me and I finished the book still a bit confused as to why Louisa was killed.
I still enjoyed Mallory's character, and especially her vengeance at the end. But feeling kind of torn whether I want to persist with this series.
Maybe this was just me and where my head was at when I was reading this but I had the darndest time following the plot in this installment of the Kathleen Mallory series.
There were a couple components to my confusion. One was I couldn't, based on O'Connell's descriptions, easily picture the various apparatuses used in the magic tricks (and murders) and much of the understanding of how the murders were carried out is based on understanding these. I feel like I needed video accompaniment.
Also, I had a really hard time grasping all the old magicians as distinct characters until close to the end of the novel. So all of the suspects and their motivations blurred together for me and I finished the book still a bit confused as to why Louisa was killed.
I still enjoyed Mallory's character, and especially her vengeance at the end. But feeling kind of torn whether I want to persist with this series.
June 22, 2021
2/5 stars
"Then Malakhai's hands crashed together, slapping loudly, again and again, madly clapping as tears rolled down his face and ran between his parted lips in warm salty streams.
What a worthy performance--murdering a man while a million pairs of eyes were watching."
I picked up this book from a Little Free Library at the beach one day and figured I'd give it a try. The beginning was very intriguing and pulled me in right away, but towards the middle things started to get muddled. I kept confusing a lot of the characters with one another, especially the magicians. And the plot was confusing. Half the time, I wasn't sure what the mystery actually was. Maybe it's because I was reading kind of fast to get through the ending, but I still don't feel like I understood what happened and why. I liked the author's cleverness in her writing and I appreciated the attention paid to all the magic tricks, but overall this one was too confusing to be really enjoyable.
"Then Malakhai's hands crashed together, slapping loudly, again and again, madly clapping as tears rolled down his face and ran between his parted lips in warm salty streams.
What a worthy performance--murdering a man while a million pairs of eyes were watching."
I picked up this book from a Little Free Library at the beach one day and figured I'd give it a try. The beginning was very intriguing and pulled me in right away, but towards the middle things started to get muddled. I kept confusing a lot of the characters with one another, especially the magicians. And the plot was confusing. Half the time, I wasn't sure what the mystery actually was. Maybe it's because I was reading kind of fast to get through the ending, but I still don't feel like I understood what happened and why. I liked the author's cleverness in her writing and I appreciated the attention paid to all the magic tricks, but overall this one was too confusing to be really enjoyable.
June 19, 2025
mallory at her most vulnerable.
In this story, Mallory is not the smartest person in the room. She is surrounded by professional magicians, each with skill and knowledge that surpasses whatever talent she possesses. To complicate matters, she believes Riker has betrayed her trust, and Charles seems to side with his magician friends rather than defend her. Regardless, Mallory has to navigate through some rough waters, getting more things wrong than right, and making mistakes at nearly every turn. A 50 year old death of Louisa, which Mallory believes was murder rather than an accident, a recent accidental death of a magician ala Houdini, which is also believed to be a murder, and the death of a rat mascot at the police station all figure in to Mallory’s quest to solve each mystery. The resolution is a long time in coming but rest assured, the life long sociopath ultimately gets satisfaction, albeit not on the usual way.
In this story, Mallory is not the smartest person in the room. She is surrounded by professional magicians, each with skill and knowledge that surpasses whatever talent she possesses. To complicate matters, she believes Riker has betrayed her trust, and Charles seems to side with his magician friends rather than defend her. Regardless, Mallory has to navigate through some rough waters, getting more things wrong than right, and making mistakes at nearly every turn. A 50 year old death of Louisa, which Mallory believes was murder rather than an accident, a recent accidental death of a magician ala Houdini, which is also believed to be a murder, and the death of a rat mascot at the police station all figure in to Mallory’s quest to solve each mystery. The resolution is a long time in coming but rest assured, the life long sociopath ultimately gets satisfaction, albeit not on the usual way.
May 18, 2023
Siamo a Central Park. Un noto mago, Oliver Tree, si esibisce in diretta in un numero di magia spettacolare ma qualcosa non va come dovrebbe e Oliver rimane ucciso dal suo stesso gioco.
Per tutti si è trattato di un tragico incidente ma non per il detective Khaty Mallory che, osteggiata dalla polizia di New York, comincia ad indagare sul caso.
Scoprirà un inquietante passato che coinvolge il mondo della magia, giungendo fino agli anni dell'occupazione di Parigi da parte dell'esercito tedesco.
E ad un altro misterioso, tragico incidente avvenuto in quel periodo.
Avvincente e decisamente immersivo.
L'autrice riesce a descrivere le scene più cruente con una perfezione certosina ma senza cadere nel trash.
I momenti adrenalinici sono equilibrati, ben dosati all'interno delle scene.
Il finale mi ha sorpresa solo in parte ma la chiusura è ottima.
Per tutti si è trattato di un tragico incidente ma non per il detective Khaty Mallory che, osteggiata dalla polizia di New York, comincia ad indagare sul caso.
Scoprirà un inquietante passato che coinvolge il mondo della magia, giungendo fino agli anni dell'occupazione di Parigi da parte dell'esercito tedesco.
E ad un altro misterioso, tragico incidente avvenuto in quel periodo.
Avvincente e decisamente immersivo.
L'autrice riesce a descrivere le scene più cruente con una perfezione certosina ma senza cadere nel trash.
I momenti adrenalinici sono equilibrati, ben dosati all'interno delle scene.
Il finale mi ha sorpresa solo in parte ma la chiusura è ottima.
May 13, 2020
This was not one of my most enjoyable books to read. The magical and historical elements to the story were fascinating. However, it was way too drawn out and explanatory. The cat and mouse game between Mallory and Malakhai became somewhat boring. And the constant reference to the men watching Mallory's every change in mood (Mallory stiffened, Mallory's face turned dark) was annoying. The novel would've been improved by editing and condensing some of the material. Also, the men were secondary, except for the magicians, and Mallory was the main focus. Quite frankly, she is not an appealing character. Actually, her believing she is always right, unable to take any criticism, and rapidity in punishing anyone she thinks has wronged or betrayed her got on my nerves.
January 27, 2024
O'Connell's 5th Mallory thriller is different from those that preceded it. The Shell Game is all about magic and illusion, diversion and presumption. Mallory is conned by magicians even more skilled than she in deception and indirection. I liked the work immensely but felt as unsettled as Mallory seems to be as she investigates a WWII death and tries to connect it to some gruesome contemporary murders. Mallory's memory is long, as long as that faint shadow and scent of gardenia and in the end, well....
March 28, 2024
Not my favorite Mallory
I've read the Mallory books in order to this one, number 5. The first three were pretty good; enough that I continued hoping for better things to come. Then number 4 really grabbed me and I felt the author and the character were really stepping up. I started number 5 with enhanced expectations. Too bad. The character Mallory basically just annoyed the hell our of me and I found myself thinking how would anybody put up with her. Mostly I felt sorry for Charles and Riker.
I've read the Mallory books in order to this one, number 5. The first three were pretty good; enough that I continued hoping for better things to come. Then number 4 really grabbed me and I felt the author and the character were really stepping up. I started number 5 with enhanced expectations. Too bad. The character Mallory basically just annoyed the hell our of me and I found myself thinking how would anybody put up with her. Mostly I felt sorry for Charles and Riker.
January 6, 2023
Nypd detective Mallory tries to solve the mystery of whether Oliver Tree's death is accidental or a homicide. The late magician, Max Candle has put this trick of flaming arrows circling around the live strapped down victim, while shooting at it with the crossbow....you get the picture. Anyway, Mallory enlists the help of several elderly magicians. Malahki always brings his dead wife illusion with him.
Much more to the story, but I just couldn't get into it.
Much more to the story, but I just couldn't get into it.
July 13, 2017
Possibly my favorite Mallory novel so far. Intriguing exploration into the magician's life, with amazing multiple story lines that interweave to tell the whole tale. Love the new characters and the new development of old characters! O'Connell is a brilliant writer. I'll terribly withdraw when I'm done with her books. On to the next one!
January 11, 2020
The plot of this book, with Mallory trying to solve the murder of two present day (1999) magicians in NYC, as well as a murder of the wife of one of the magician's in 1944(?) France under Nazi rule, is so complex and primarily psychological, that it started to get frustrating. There were at least six magicians involved, two of them murdered out of revenge and to cover up the WWII murder.
June 29, 2020
I have read several books in this series and enjoy the characters and their interactions. This one didn't hold up for me. I found the plot too convoluted and the long explanations of the magic tricks boring. I read it all the way through, but found it disappointing compared with other Mallory stories.
May 2, 2022
Shell Game is quite intricate in terms of magic tricks which I had quite a hard time in visualizing. It’s too much info-dump. Mallory’s every conversation with the old magicians dragged out a lot. The only part that was quite interesting was the tension between her and Malakhai. It’s almost like they share a love and hate relationship.
March 15, 2020
This is one of a handful of books I didn’t finish in my life! I tried, but it was laborious with so many magicians and trick descriptions that it sucked the life out of me. So many great books and so little time so I’m moving on!
April 4, 2021
I'm sure this book was made into either a TV film or series and the lead female was played as the archetypal ballsey female cop . It was badly acted and the TV was awful. The book was a bit better but it still irritated me with a certain falseness or lack of integrity . Couldn't quite put my finger on it but I stopped reading it after the third chapter. Perhaps just not my style of book .
November 6, 2023
Slow start, it took me a while to get into it, but I became really captivated when Malakhai and his wife were introduced. How can you not love the illusion? I liked the book more and more as it went on.
June 1, 2017
Ehh.. after the last book I was really hoping for more fireworks. I felt like this dragged on. I wanted more from Charles, Riker, and Coffey. Maybe I'll like the next one more.
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