"Judas Child," a stand-alone novel by Carol O'Connell (author of the Mallory mysteries) is an amaziing piece of fiction. The characters are well-drawn and interesting. The plot is filled with puzzles and surprises. Once I got into reading this book, the main problem I had with it was that I needed to stop reading once in a while to tend to real life (job, family) -- and it was extremely hard to put down!

Even when it seems like the story is just about over, O'Connell still manages to pack in a few more surprises -- including one chilling and remarkable twist. I almost gave it a full 5-star rating -- my failure to do so was the result of only one scene in the book which left me scratching my head. (A case of , "how could a character who supposedly knew so much be faked out and tricked in that way?")

More than just a good mystery novel, this book left me thinking long after I finished reading, closed the cover, and put it down. ( )

Two 10 year old girls are missing in a small village in New York days before Christmas, and the fear is that a serial pedophile/killer has kidnapped the two girls. It is a brutal reminder for Detective Rouge Kendall, whose twin sister was kidnapped and then murdered 15 years before to the day. Supposedly, her killer was apprehended. Btu the convicted man, a priest, is in prison, and no one has any idea what has happened to the two girls.

That is the bare premise of an absolutely terrific plot, a gripping, tension-packed page-turner. But, as always with a Carol O’Connell novel in this genre, I run up against the way O’Connell creates her main characters and the resulting plot stratagems connected with them.

I dislike O’Connell’s very popular Mallory series, because in them I feel she has created set of freak protagonists who simply are not believable. In addition, Mallory is claimed to be what O’Connell never demonstrates but simply tells us--a sociopath; I was extremely annoyed with this particular weakness in the books. Also, in the plots, O’Connell has her characters show leaps of deduction that simply do not make sense to me. I always feel as if somehow I’ve missed something, some vital link; It makes me feel as if I need to reread sections of the book to see what I missed.

Unfortunately, she does some of the same in Judas Child. Kendall is not well-drawn; for one thing, he is too freakish--too calm, too possessed of insight that seems unreal because it comes out of nowhere. Same is true of some of the other characters--they simply know too much or guess too much from events and observations that seem to skimpy to lead to these conclusions.

However, the two girls are very well done, the best characters in the book, as is the dog that plays such a crucial role. These and the plot kept me reading the book, even over the annoyance of O’Connell’s nearly supernaturally-intelligent protagonist.

With the exceptions noted, the book is extremely well written; the twist is excellent and well done.

A stand-alone book, I think that this will delight fans of O’Connell’s Mallory series and probably more. But for me, my annoyance with some of O’Connell’s plot stratagems means that this will be the last one of her novels I will read. ( )

The story was ok, if a little unlikely. (How could this stuff go on in a relatively small town for so long--less the killing, but the massive indoor tree growing operation?) I did not find the ending that surprising. I was hoping that the intersex, monozygotic twin, theme would have gotten more play. There may have been too many themes. Roman Catholic priesthood, prison survival, press ethics, professional ethics. (I think the 3 star rating is a little generous, but 2.5 would be too few.) ( )

This book kept me reading! There were a few characters/plot lines that seemed to disappear or were lacking some details but those can wait until I've done a re-read.

The characters who were supposed to be likable, were. The characters who were supposed to give you the creeps, did a great job of it! Rouge's mother, Ellen, was fun, and the girls Gwen and Sadie were absolutely delightful.

The relationship between Ali Cray and her former boyfriend, former stalker, FBI Special Agent Arnie Pyle, never did ring quite true and I don't think it really added anything to the story.

Gwen and Sadie were so real. Their adventures in the cellar, training the dog, hiding in the graves, talking over every horror movie they've watched, were very nicely crafted. The twist there at the end was something I didn't see coming, and I love for a book to spring a surprise or two on me like that!

This is a book that I will read again as well as recommend to others. ( )

This book stayed with me for a long time after I read it. I almost never do this, but the minute I finished reading it, I flipped to the first page and started it over again. Much of 'The Lovely Bones' reminded me of this book, but I find O'Connell to be the far superior writer. ( )