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: Haunting and Homicide (A Ghost Tour Mystery, #1) by Ava Burke

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NetGalley ARC Book Review of Haunting and Homicide (A Ghost Tour Mystery, #1) by Ava Burke
Haunting and Homicide (A Ghost Tour Mystery, #1) by Ava Burke opens with a little girl named Lou Thatcher talking with a ghost about how she doesn't want to move. Fast forward to several years later, Lou has moved back to the Garden District of New Orleans, Louisiana. She still can see and talk with ghosts and has opened her own business . . . a haunted history walking tour. When one of Lou's competitors dies just feet from her, she becomes the number one suspect in his death. Can Lou prove her innocence, or will she end up in jail?

A huge thank you goes out to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for approving me and providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Haunting and Homicide. When I read the synopsis of the book, I just knew I had to read it. I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

The beginning of this story didn't immediately pull me in, but after reading a few pages, I found myself engaged with the tale the author was weaving. Give me a paranormal setting in a city that I love to visit, and I'm all there for it. Having been on a haunted walking tour of the French Quarter a couple of times, having a book built around one of these just called my name. I'm not quite as familiar with the Garden District of New Orleans, but I have had lunch at restaurant there, and the area was quite nice from what I remember. There are a few locations mentioned in the story that I know I have to check out the next time I visit, and I will definitely want to do a tour of those locations if they are offered. 

I really enjoyed most of the characters in Haunting and Homicide, but of course, there were a few that I didn't care for, namely Lou's mom and stepfather. They were a piece of work, and unfortunately, there really are crappy people like them in the world. I didn't care for Adam, but he ended up growing on me. Then, there was Lou's crush . . . he seemed very uncaring and almost harsh. The reader does find out why he acts the way he does later on in the book, but I still didn't quite like him.

Ava Burke does a fantastic job of providing the reader with several suspects and their motives. I wasn't quite sure who the killer was going to end up being, and when they were revealed, I wasn't surprised about who it ended up being. Did I figure out who it was? That would be a big no! Should I have paid more attention to the clues the author gave me? That would be a resounding yes!

When it comes to cozy mysteries, I am particular on the ones I read and end up continuing with the series. Haunting and Homicide (A Ghost Tour Mystery, #1) by Ava Burke is definitely being added to my favorites list, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. Five out of five stars.

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