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Crime School
Carol O'Connell Book Review

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Plot Summary of Crime School
"

Putnam, September 2002, 24.95, 352 pp.
ISBN 0399148287

She was a wild child living on the New York streets with only a few uncaring prostitutes to watch over her at times. She was saved from that sordid existence when a kindly police officer and his sweet wife brought her into their home. Their love ultimately saved Kathy Mallory, turning her into one of the finest detectives in the special crimes unit of the Big Apple.

Twenty years ago, a woman was killed in her apartment but thanks to sloppy police work the killer was never found. Two decades later, a prostitute is killed in a similar manner. The police theorize that it's a copycat killing even if they don't understand how the perpetrator has the details that were kept from the public. Mallory is one of the investigators on the case as a series of murders connect Kathy the child to Mallory the policewoman.

It has been four long years since a Kathy Mallory novel was published but the long wait was worth it. Fans of Mallory actually get to see her as a child surviving by her wits on the street. Carol O'Connell still has the magic touch when it comes to creating fascinating police procedurals that enthrall the audience. Let's hope we won't have to wait another four years for a novel starring this complex yet likable heroine.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Crime School
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 60%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain? - Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
Time/era of story: - present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 70%
Murder of certain profession? - prostitutes/stripper/porn
Misc. Murder Plotlets - Killer purposely leaves clues
Kind of investigator - police procedural, American
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - searching for missing person
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - police/lawman
Age: - 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use? - a little
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Genius (really!)
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 60's-90's
Profession/status: - unemployed
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - jealousy
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - healthy but a geeky weakling

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Northeast

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 3-4
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
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