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: How to Catch Santa Claus by Alice Walstead

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book review how to catch santa claus alice walstead

How to Catch Santa Claus by Alice Walstead is a children's picture book about Santa Claus delivering presents on Christmas Eve and trying to evade traps that kids have hidden in their houses to catch good old St. Nick.  Published by Sourcebooks Kids, this holiday book is due out on September 1, 2023.  A huge thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Kids for approving my request to read this book.

Having always loved the Christmas holidays, I enjoyed reading How to Catch Santa Claus as it brought back all the excitement I had as a little kid waiting for Santa Claus to visit my house and leave gifts.  As a child, I even asked my parents to stay up late and take a photo of the elusive St. Nick . . . a photo my parents gave me the day after Christmas.  Anywho, this book catches all the excitement a child might feel on Christmas Eve.  The writing was well done and the illustrations intriguing.

This is the perfect book to read with young children that they should find to be super fun and exciting.  They might even want to set their own trap to catch Santa Claus.  Five out of five stars is what I give How to Catch Santa Claus by Alice Walstead.

 

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