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: Witch Upon A Star (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries, #4) by Angela M. Sanders

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book review witch upon a star angela m sanders

Witch Upon A Star (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries, #4) by Angela M. Sanders was published May 23, 2023 by Kensington Books.  Josie is excited to have her sister Jean come visit her in Wilfred, Oregon.  However, Josie isn't quite as happy for the reason . . . Jean is attending a workshop to become a certified life coach.  When two people associated with the workshop are found murdered, and Jean is threatened, Josie sticks her nose into the investigation.

A big thank you goes out to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Witch Upon A Star (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries, #4) by Angela M. Sanders.  I was happy to be approved to receive this book for free in exchange for my honest review.  After reading this book, I'm now a fan of the author and can't wait to read the first three books in the series or for the next installment to come out.

I was pleasantly surprised that the story was so well written and engaging.  At times, it played like a movie in my mind, and I loved all the red herrings throughout the story that kept me guessing, and incorrectly guessing at that!  I couldn't figure out who the killer was or his/her motive . . . this is always a big plus for me because I don't like figuring out who it is right off the bat.

Most of the characters were very likable, even a few that shouldn't have been.  I loved the fact that one of the characters was a black cat named Rodney . . . he might have been one of my favorites.  Of course, I really liked the main character, Josie, and the sheriff, Sam.  I do wish the author had recapped the backstory of Sam a little earlier in the book, but other than that, I don't really have any complaints.

Four out of five stars is what I give Witch Upon A Star (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries, #4) by Angela M. Sanders.  This is a must read for anyone who enjoys novels about libraries, books, cats, and magic.

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