"Shark Music" aka "Find Me" by Carol O'Connell driving me nuts - help! Sincerely hoping for spoilers here

[PacificDogwod]

I've just reread it for the umpteenth time (I know: I should get a life )

I still don't understand it. Or rather, I still don't know who the killer of little girls is?? Adrian Egers (sp?), the somehow deformed 10 yo, tormented by his little sister, who kills her, taken away be the priest (now Dr Magritte) - btw: why?? Why would a priest do that?? - to get surgery on his facial deformity (?a cleft lip) to then find his parents having done a midnight flit when he comes home? Was he the Pattern Man? Or somebody else? Why did Dr Magritte protect him if he knew who he was?

The salary/pension fraud scheme by the FBI guy Dale Berman I do understand

What on earth did the FBI do with Dodie when they had her in custody? And why were they oh so interested in her?

I've read the other 8 novels leading up to this one in the dim and distant past, so may well have forgotten a lot of Mallory's background, but have a vague idea so I understand Mallory's motivation, but I suspect I am just a bit too dim to get all the complexities of the plot.

I know she is a bit of a cartoon character, but oh my! what a woman although I am not sure about the 'tailored' jeans

Any help with a plot synopsis? Answers?? Explanations about characters?

Well, I've just bought book 10 and 11 for my kindle - wish me luck with understanding them!

Help? Please?

I'm a big fan of Carol O'Connell but can't remember this one. I will dig it out and reread.

Bless you, Dunlurking.
I love her too although she makes me feel stoopid.
I've now read Chalk Girl which is stunning too. Maybe not as complex as Shark Music.

It's somewhere in the house PacificDogwood. I know it is. I can picture the cover but we have so many books.....still hunting!

On the plus side, I hadn't realised there was a number eleven as she publishes so erratically and doesn't feature in bookshops. Thanks for that as I'll be getting that for my kindle next

Halfway through now PacificDogwood. Really enjoying it

OK just finished. SPOLIERS ALERT to anyone else planning to read this book!!!

PacificDogwood Yes I agree the killer is Adrian Egham. He has a residual catholic faith from his mother and Dr Magritte is the priest/ex priest who he keeps in touch with to tell his confession about the murders. Dr M can't tell anyone because he is bound by the sanctity of the confessional, or whatever it's called. Adrian is the Pattern man, who has taken on the identity of Horace Kayhill. But I am still confused who the body was who was found all eaten up, that was supposed/faked to be the pattern man. WAs this the original Horace? Do they tell us about another parent that went missing? And I don't get all that business near the end of Riker ignoring the pattern man's evidence and not handing it in. Is it because he thought it was Mallory's dad??? Also there's something about April Waylon being offered help with her tyre by a policeman which I thought was when she is finally killed - so I thought the killer would turn out to be someone on the team, IYSWIM. Is that a time when she doesn't die? Or is it someone disguised?

I had forgotten Mallory meets her father at the end. I can't believe in a happy ending for her so I'm curious about the next which I've just ordered as a paperback - some authors I like to see on my shelves rather than on the kindle!

I'm glad you enjoyed reading it again

I am sorry to say that Chalk Girl does not tell you anything more about Mallory's past, but it is very good indeed otherwise.

Ok, so I am not totally off the mark with Shark Music. I don't know who the run over body was, the one that everybody assumed was the Pattern Man. Do you think there was a 'real' Horace Kayhill and Adrian offed him and slipped in to his persona?? What was his facial defect? And why was nobody MORE suspicious of him - was he considered too obvious an odd-bod?

April had a death wish IMO. She put herself in the position of meeting the killer repeatedly. I think the killer just wore a police uniform but was Adrian.

Ok, Dr M is still bound by the sanctity of the confessional - although I always thought that that could be broken when lives were at risk? Maybe not, I am not catholic.

I love my kindle, but I also love physical books and some I need to have in hard-back

Thank you for your thoughts on this one

Yes I thought there was a real Horace and Adrian killed him. I wanted to know about the facial defect as well! Did he have a beard the fake Horace/Adrian? Forgetting it all now!

I've just read It Happens in the Dark which has also confused me no end. Would be interested to discuss it when you've read it.....

Just finished IHITD - I enjoyed it, but feel I have to reread immediately and look out for the bits when I (literally) lost the plot

Just how did Mallory realise that the play was a copy of the real massacre in Nebrasca?
When did the sheriff get wind of it?
Why was he so reluctant to be honest with the NY cops?
How 'mad' was Bugsby? I am sad he had to die.
Was the strange CSI woman a Goodie or a Baddie? I like my characters to be clear on that - even Mallory who I have diagnosed with autism
What did all the drug dealing have to do with anything??

Aargh!

I also have be a critical, but friendly reader to my friend who has just shared her first offering with me - better do that tonight!

Ooh glad you've finished it as well PacificDogwod.

OK my big question is : Does Charles eventually get it together with Mallory??? - I can't see him settling for anyone else and the ending talks about his greatgrandchild........

Back to the plot, or rather the thousands of subplots! I didn't get how Axel Clayborne, Peter Beck and Dickie Wyatt all hated/worked with each other, manipulating the play and the performers. V confusing who was guilty of what in the end. I got Bugsby, I think (such a horribly sad death) - he was the ultimate performer who lived his role - but encouraged and manipulated by Leonard Crippen - maybe some rationality there as he functioned successfully. So a grief reaction that made him retreat into that role and deny his past life.

I have no idea how Mallory found out about the Nebrasca massacre - didn't she have CSI men searching for real life massacres that would fit the play? I think she rang the sheriff and that's how he found out about the play but he wanted the arrest of the twins and their prosecution to be his - he needed them to prosecute the invalid boy. I can't believe he harboured that boy knowing what he had done!

The drug dealing was (Axel's?) manipulating of Alma via the stagehands to make her leave the show???

Think the CSI woman was a burnt out experienced pro who Mallory rehabiltated and manipulated to help her. So a goody??

I didn't think this was as good as Shark Music. It started off a bit formulaic but still I love the complexity and the way you have to work to understand what is happening. Hope she's working on another but with that ending about Charles I do wonder