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: A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle, Retold by Alex Woolf

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A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle and retold by Alex Woolf was adapted for young readers and is the first book in the Sherlock Holmes book series.  The main two characters, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, meet for the first time and solve their very first mystery.

I'd like to thank Arcturus Publishing and NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Alex Woolf. 

Not having read the original story written by Arthur Conan Doyle, I have nothing to compare the retelling to, but Alex Woolf does a phenomenal job in rewriting this story for children in a way that they'll understand.  The illustrations are amazing and a great contribution to the story.  I think this retelling will encourage children to read more.  I know I would have loved reading this in elementary school.

It has definitely piqued my interest in reading the series as originally told and compare it to Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot series as I definitely see similarities between Holmes and Poirot as well as Watson and Hastings.  I'd also like to compare this retelling to the original work.

Five out of five stars is what I give A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle and retold by Alex Woolf.  If you or your child enjoyed this book, I'd recommend The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew, #1) by Carolyn Keene.

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