The Chalk Girl

I very much enjoyed this thriller The Chalk Girl by Carol O'Connell.  Detective Kathy Mallory investigates unusual murders in New York's Central Park.  She discovers they are linked to murders in the park 15 years earlier.  There is a little girl, Coco, who is a witness to the latest murder.  She is a very unusual girl who has Williams Syndrome and becomes very attached to Mallory.  Each chapter is prefaced by an excerpt from a diary written by a boy who is being bullied at his school.  As the story progresses the reader learns more about the boy and his connection with the current murders.  The school he attended is run by a wealthy woman who goes to great lengths to ensure her income stream, through corruption and greed.  The chilling story finally unravels as Mallory and her partner Riker discover the awful truth.  A real "page-turner". 4/5