Publication Date: November 11, 2013
In Murder of an Oil Heiress by Candy Ann Little, Mallory Dillingham has been raised to be an oil baroness. She has been spoiled her entire life, and there are no lines she won’t cross to get what she wants and to get it now. She lies, cheats, blackmails and works at destroying marriages. Collateral damage is nothing to Mallory. Human weakness is a gift. Will she get want she wants or will she only succeed in setting her family on fire?
The author, Candy Ann Little, gave me a copy of this book in exchange for my review.
The title gives one of the plot points away and when she dies the reader is cheering and fist pumping in the air. In a lot of ways, Murder of an Oil Heiress is a classic mystery. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone had good reason to want the heinous Miss Dillingham dead. Murder of an Oil Heiress is like the television show Dallas at its most delicious. If nothing else, Mallory leaves destruction, confusion and dysfunction in her wake, and as we get to know the character, we know that she would be delighted. Little relies heavily on stereotypes but they are stereotypes that are exceptionally well done. I do cringe a bit at the angel or whore roles for women, but Little manages to round the characters out so that they don’t grate on the reader. In Joseph Barnes, Little gives us a man at the mercy of women. Mallory’s brother-in-law makes poor choices that contribute to Mallory’s character in a way that makes the story more interesting. None of these characters are people with whom I’d want a cup of coffee, but I’d read them all day.
Often when reading mystery, I am able to figure out the eventual end. A side benefit of the number of books that I read. In Murder of an Oil Heiress, the murderer was unexpected and yet quite logical which isn’t such an easy thing to pull off. Little gives the reader a well-put-together story that maintains a believable intensity and the anticipation that there’s always something even more interesting around the corner.
In a lot of ways, Murder of an Oil Heiress is a classic mystery but more certainly it’s a big spectacle thrill ride. There’s no one to truly cheer for as everyone has their failings, and everyone has a reason to want Mallory gone. I’m left with a bit of book lovers giddiness still at the great finish.
If you like mystery, read an excerpt and pick Murder of an Oil Heiress by Candy Ann Little up today.
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