Winter House

A Mallory Novel

By: Carol O'Connell

Narrated by: Alyssa Bresnahan

Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

Carol O'Connell's last novel, Dead Famous, made multiple best-of-year lists and won critical acclaim nationwide. "O'Connell brings a hard edge of greatness to the crime thriller," wrote the San Jose Mercury News. "A tough and brilliant action-, wit-, and surprise-packed novel."

But never has Mallory faced as many surprises as in the case before her now. It seems cut-and-dried at first: a burglar has been caught in the act and killed by an ice pick-wielding homeowner. Except that the homeowner turns out to be the most famous lost child in NYPD history, missing for almost 60 years, thought to have been kidnapped following the massacre of her family: five siblings, father, stepmother, nanny, and housekeeper, nearly the entire household wiped out...with an ice pick.

Filled with the intricate plotting and extraordinary characterization that are O'Connell's hallmarks, Winter House is her most powerful, and most astonishing, novel yet.

©2004 Carol O'Connell (P)2004 Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Vivid prose keeps the pages turning in this intricate tale of betrayal, buried secrets, and lives chopped short in the name of greed." (Publishers Weekly)

I miss Mallory...

I have read all the books I could find with this particular central character. I have always really enjoyed the hard edge to Mallory and the many facets to her character. I was disappointed in this book mainly because the Mallory I got to know didn't have the depth I'm used to seeing. Contrary to other reviews, I still found the book enjoyable, but I missed "that Mallory".

One of the Best Mallory Novels

This book was O'Connel at her best. Well written, quick paced and gritty. A great read.

Winter

One of my favorite authors who deserves more credit

VERY GOOD!

Great story! Mallory sounds like a crazy but very intersting cop. Liked the flow and the character development.

My opinion

The story line is very intriguing. I have one comment regarding the reading however. There was not enough pausing between scenes of times past and present, nor between scenes. It was rather difficult to follow. A bit longer pause between time changes and scenes would have made it better, in my opinion. Very good otherwise.

A disappointing read

I forced my way through the first half of the book, always hoping that the characters would evolve into "real" people. Mallory must be the most irritating heroine ever - rude, nasty and too imperious for my taste. I can't remember who said a good story should have a beginning, a middle and an end. This book does not. It meanders
through 60 years as though time has no meaning. I didn't care what happened to any of the characters, so I never read the last half. Do you get the feeling I didn't like it?

Winter House

I give up. I realize that it can take some books a while to evolve and keeping that in mind, I gave it my best shot through chapter 5. I was vaguely aware of the plot of the book, but it was hard to keep my eye on the main thread of this snoozer. A real waste of a book credit.

I thought it was me...

Until I read all the other reviews. Too bad I was new to this and didn't do it ahead of time. What a lousy book. Such a dissapointment given a really intriguing premise. I thought it was never going to end but hung on thinking that maybe the finish would make it all worthwhile. NOT. I didn't even get it.

Unfortunately I agree with the other reviews

Like everyone else, I expected more and did not get it. I too should have read the reviews. The Mallory character is good but the plot rambled and the ending left me unimpressed. I would not recommend this particular book.

mallory very unlikeable

talk about abuse under color of authority ... i liked mallory well enough in "find me." although unconventional, she was not the worst kind of police officer, as she was in "winter house." everything from hacking to violating the terms of a search warrant to viciously interrogating an old lady with a pretend lie detector test, to cheating her friends at poker ... and all for what? except for the cheating at cards, it's all to obtain information she wouldnt otherwise have to help her solve the mystery. the author is talented, the narrator is talented, but this story was nasty and mean-spirited. it wasnt a total waste of time and money, but it was contrived and unpleasant throughout large portions.