KILLING CRITICS ***SIGNED COPY***

N.Y.: Putnam, 1996. 1st ed., with complete number line beginning with 1. Fine in dust jacket, not price clipped, with protective mylar cover. SIGNED by the author at title page. . A Kathleen Mallory title. "Readers, beware! That sly (and oh so gifted) Carol O'Connell is just as cunning as her beautiful, near-sociopathic heroine, Kathy Mallory, creeping up on unsuspecting readers with softly caressing words and languidly flowing sentences, then sucker-punching them with shockingly explicit violence that's as vivid as it is grisly. In her third and most stunning book, O'Connell follows NYPD investigator Mallory, who, with the aid of old pals Riker, Coffey, and, of course, faithful admirer Charles Butler, is determined to solve the brutal "art as death" murder of an untalented but highly touted artist-critic. Mallory believes the case is the work of the same killer who, 12 years earlier, hacked a young artist and a talented ballerina to pieces. The case is as baffling and intricate as any Mallory has faced, with art critics, bag ladies, madmen, and mafioso playing key roles. Despite warnings from her superiors to butt out and back off, she persists and single-handedly solves the case. But as mesmerizing as the murder case is, it's heartless, soulless Mallory herself--computer genius, street fighter, provocative waif, peerless investigator, manipulative beauty---who's absolutely the star of this brilliant thriller. O'Connell's well-nigh flawless plotting and incandescent writing play important supporting roles, and the heart-stopping, devastating ending is worth a thousand curtain calls." -- Booklist. Signed by Author. First Edition. Hard Cover. Fine/Fine. Book.