Book Review: Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

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Mad Mabel  by Sally Hepworth  is a domestic thriller about the youngest person convicted of murder in Australia, Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick. Now 81 years old, Elsie is living on Kenny Lane and has been for the past sixty years. When a mother named Roxanne moves into Mabel's neighborhood with her seven year old daughter, an unlikely friendship forms between Elsie and the seven year old child named Persephone. As Elsie's secrets come to light, her world comes crashing down.  Having read quite a few novels by Sally Hepworth, I requested an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Mad Mabel  without reading the synopsis of the story. I was thrilled when NetGalley and St. Martin's Press approved my request. The expected publication date of the book is April 21, 2026. Not knowing anything about the storyline before I started reading Mad Mabel  made the story much more interesting to me as I had no preconceived ideas. The tale was told from Mabel's perspective in alternating timeli...
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Book Review: The Advice Column Murders (Oakwood Mystery, #3) by Leslie Nagel

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The Advice Column Murders (Oakwood Mystery, #3) by Leslie Nagel was a phenomenal read and had me guessing throughout the book. It wasn't until I was two thirds of the way through the book before I began to suspect who the real killer was and ended up being correct with that guess. Prior to that I was thinking it was one of two people. When it came to figuring out who was writing the advice column, I had absolutely no clue to who the real identity of Jackie was and was absolutely surprised beyond belief.

This installment of the Oakwood Mystery series was by far my favorite yet! I loved the fact that the romance between Charley Carpenter and Marcus Trenault began getting more serious and that Charley's father called her out on it. Bobby basically told her that she would lose Marcus if she didn't get it together. Fingers crossed that they get married in the fourth installment.

What is great about this series is that you don't have to read the previous books in the series to be able to read The Advice Column Murders as a stand alone book. It does mention a few things in previous books but doesn't take away from anything. And, as far as the murders / mysteries, those are solved in each book, so the reader isn't left hanging, which makes me happy. Additionally, even though this book series is in the cozy mystery genre, it is heads above most of the other books in this genre because of how well written it is.

I've had discussions with other people about where books take place in a real life place. What surprised me is how many people hate when a book takes place in a real city. However, I love it when it takes place in a real place and especially when the author makes mention of real life places in the area because I either know where those places are, or a lot of times, I will make a point of visiting some of the places in my travels.

My rating of The Advice Column Murders (Oakwood Mystery, #3) by Leslie Nagel is a five out of five stars. I definitely recommend this book to people who want a good mystery that isn't too gory.

Synopsis of The Advice Column Murders (Oakwood Mystery, #3):  In Oakwood, Ohio, everyone knows everyone and their business. That is with the exception of Charley's next door neighbors, the Sharps. Paxton and Judith Sharp keep to themselves for the most part, except when Paxton decides to scream and berate his wife from the street. When Sarah, Judith's adult daughter, is found dead in the Paxton's basement and Marcus Trenault in Chicago, Illinois, Charley decides to take things into her own hands and start investigating the murder.


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