Add this copy of Mary Mary the First Book Michael McLoughlin to cart. $3.34, good condition, Sold by Booksalvation rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Manchester, LANCASHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1998 by Town House Dublin.
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Good in good dust jacket. Outline: -An anxious mother enquires about her daughter and a week later the young woman`s battered body is found. Anonymous phone calls follow with a suspect trailed across Dublin. -> the publisher of this PAPERBACK book is Town House Dublin The date of this copy is 1998 booksalvation have grade it as Good and it will be shipped from our UK warehouse This book is from the Series. Shipping is Free for UK buyers and at a reasonable charge for buyer outside the UK.
Add this copy of Mary, Mary to cart. $16.68, good condition, Sold by Alpha 2 Omega Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Southampton, HANTS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1998 by Simon & Schuster.
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Near fine in Near fine jacket. Near fine condition. Macmillan, 1998. First edition-first printing(1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2). Black hardback(silver lettering to the spine, small nick on the edge of the cover) with Dj(two small creases and nicks on the edges of the Dj cover), both in near fine condition. Nice and clean pages with some ink marks and light shelf wear on the outer edges, two small nicks on the edges of the pages. Nice and clean book.378pp. Price clipped. This is another paragraph Review: When twenty year old Mary fails to come home one night, her mother Margaret knows something is wrong. Her persistent pleas to the police fall on deaf ears, until a mutilated body is discovered a week later. But the reader is already aware that Mary is dead, has heard her murderer tell her as he shaves her head that he is going to give her mother a little puzzle to solve, to do with the word 'why'. Why I do what I do and why do I do it to you? Understanding why becomes the issue at stake as Margaret is forced to confront the man who has so viciously overturned her life. This debut novel depends on standard character and plot devices--a detective with a dying marriage, an alcohol problem and a growing affection for Margaret; and a conventional use of flashbacks to the past as a way of highlighting the emptiness of the present. Despite this, it is an unusually well-written thriller. Bringing the killer to justice is gradually eclipsed by the story of how Margaret deals with the brutal death of her only child, and the issues from her past she is forced to confront. If the prose seems a little forced at times (Parson's obsession with subtle detail sometimes fails to ring true), there is still plenty here for those who like their thrillers to be more than the just the good guys versus the bad.
Add this copy of Mary, Mary to cart. $4.98, like new condition, Sold by Zardoz Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Westbury, WILTS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1998 by MacMillan.
Add this copy of Mary, Mary to cart. $5.08, good condition, Sold by Goldstone Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Ammanford, CARMS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1999 by Pan Books.
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Good. All orders are dispatched within 1 working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we are dedicated to recycling unwanted books on behalf of a number of UK charities who benefit from added revenue through the sale of their books plus huge savings in waste disposal. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied.
Add this copy of Mary, Mary to cart. $6.99, very good condition, Sold by Brit Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Milton Keynes, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2008 by Pan.
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Very good. Simply Brit – welcome to our online used book store, where affordability meets great quality. Dive into a world of captivating reads without breaking the bank. We take pride in offering a wide selection of used books, from classics to hidden gems, ensuring there's something for every literary palate. All orders are shipped within 24 hours and our lightning fast-delivery within 48 hours coupled with our prompt customer service ensures a smooth journey from ordering to delivery. Discover the joy of reading with us, your trusted source for affordable books that do not compromise on quality.
Add this copy of Mary, Mary to cart. $8.87, very good condition, Sold by Greener Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from London, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1999 by Pan Books.
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Very good. **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! Greener Books.
Add this copy of Mary, Mary to cart. $11.24, like new condition, Sold by Harry Righton rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Worcs, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1998 by Macmillan.
Add this copy of Mary, Mary to cart. $12.95, very good condition, Sold by Reuseabook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester, GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1998 by Macmillan.
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Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine.
Add this copy of Mary, Mary to cart. $15.08, very good condition, Sold by Reuseabook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester, GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2008 by Pan.
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Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine.
After reading "Eager to Please" by Ms. Parsons, which I loved, I decided to read another of her books. "Mary, Mary" sounded interesting and on the basis of my appreciation of "Eager to Please," I was really looking forward to reading Ms. Parsons' debut novel.
The story begins with the torture, rape and murder of Mary, a 20-year old woman temporarily living in Dublin. We even know who the murderer is early in the book. This brutal crime is merely a catalyst for the story of Margaret, Mary's single mother, and her reaction to the murder of her only child. During the course of the book, we learn everything there is to know about Margaret from the time of her birth up to the present day. Ms. Parsons explores every relationship Margaret has had during her 40-plus years. One would think that with all this probing into Margaret's life, we would get to know this woman in a very personal way. However, with all this information, Margaret comes off as a one-dimensional character whose only reason for being is to revenge her daughter's death.
Inspector Michael McLaughlin, the police officer assigned to this case, is the one character I felt Ms. Parsons brought to life. I found his personal story touching and overshadowed his involvement in the investigation of the crime. He is the one person in the book that I was drawn to and actually cared about. What I found interesting is that in all his interactions with Margaret we always know what Michael is feeling while Margaret and only contributes dialogue. If it were not for Michael, I would probably give this book a two star rating.
The problem I had with this book, other than the fact that is relentlessly dark, is the shift in time periods and characters. The book covers a 40-year time frame and Ms. Parsons shifts back and forth to any time and place within these 40 years. This, in itself, would not be a problem. In fact, I usually like this literary device. However, Ms. Parsons will start out a scene with two people in a certain time and place and quite abruptly, you will find there is a new cast of characters in another time and place only to find you are back again with the original two characters a few paragraphs later. Have I confused you? Well, imagine how I felt reading this. I was constantly having to go back a paragraph or two to get my bearings.
I will say that the last 30 pages were real page turners. What a shame to have to plow through a very long not so great book to get to there.
Although I didn't like this book very much, I would recommend that you pick up a copy of "Eager to Please" if you want to read Mr. Parsons at her best.
Boy, this was a hard review to write. Forgive me if I have rambled on but I think I am only reacting to the rambling and rather disjointed style of the book.
