Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

 A wonderful character driven drama that avoids typical thriller cliches and defies categorization.

Elsie Fitzpatrick is an 81-year-old woman living a quiet life in a Melbourne suburb. Her peace is shattered when she goes to the aid of a neighbor only to find him dead on the kitchen floor. The police investigate and uncover Elsie’s true identity; she is actually Mabel Waller. In 1954, at the age of 15, she became the youngest person convicted of murder in Australian history. She was known to the public as Mad Mabel. As notoriety once again revisits, Elsie decides to tell her side of the story to a pair of YouTubers. 

The narrator I’ve alternatives between Elsie’s childhood in the 1950s and her present-day reality. The very large personality that is Elsie is blunt, grumpy, unbothered by social niceties, and extremely cynical and funny. I actually laughed out loud so many times at her comments and responses to people and situations. When a book makes me laugh, I’m so much more invested and I could not put this down. I kept guessing, and hoping, with the slow build to the reveal of Elsie’s actual crime and her victim. The characters came to life on the page and the story was well balanced between the dark themes and the humor. I was not expecting to like this as much as I did and definitely recommend it.

I was lucky enough to be able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrators, Hannah Fredericksen (young Mabel in the 1050s) and Jenny Seedsman (81-year-old Elsie in present day) were absolutely fabulous. It was also tricky for them, I’m sure, to do the child parts as those never quite sound right. Both did a marvelous job of giving life to Mabel’s story and I enjoyed the immersive experience that enhanced my appreciation of the book. 

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre and tags: contemporary, mystery, thriller, drama, murder, abuse, sexual assault, childhood trauma, suicide

Murder Will Out by Jennifer K. Breedlove

 Small town whodunit and a classic ghost story.

Graduate student and talented organist Willow Stone returns to Little North island off the coast of Maine for the memorial service of her estranged godmother, Sue. Willow soon discovers that Sue’s recent death before her imminent wedding might not have been accidental. Sue had inherited Cameron House, a large local mansion rumored to be haunted by the ghosts of its previous owners. When Willow overhears a threat directed at the next heir to the estate, she realizes that someone on the island is desperate enough to kill for the property that legally has to go to a Cameron heir. To uncover the truth, Willow navigates a tight knit community filled with greed and secrets. 

Although I’m definitely not a fan of paranormal anything, this worked in a crazy way with the Gothic atmosphere, the big old mansion with its secret passageways, and with the ghosts hanging about in the rooms. The mystery got a bit convoluted about who was related to whom, and definitely predictable with final revelations. Several murders threw up some red herrings, but the close group of women determined to figure out the truth was successful after a lot of misdirection. It was entertaining enough that I read it in a single sitting.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Gail Shalan, had a huge job voicing all those characters and trying to give each a sense of individuality. I must confess, however, that she got overly dramatic and used a very shrill voice much too often with several of those female characters. She used several different accents and was fairly consistent throughout the production. This is definitely a book that would greatly have benefitted with a full cast recording. I always enjoy a book a little more when I listen while I read. 

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre and tags: ghosts, murder, mystery, cozy, paranormal, lesbian relationships, legacy and birthright, inheritance, Gothic mansion

Where the Truth Lies by Katherine Greene

 Simmering small town noir and domestic suspense.

On the surface, high school sweethearts Rhett Clark and Lucinda Herbaugh enjoy an idyllic life in their quiet Kentucky town, complete with a beautiful little girl and a lovely home. Their stable foundation, however, is built on deception. Right before their wedding fifteen years prior, an outsider, Jennifer Moore, arrived in town sparking a brief, explosive affair with Rhett that culminated in a brutal murder, local corruption, and a buried secret. 

The past collides with the present when an eyewitness gives evidence that places Rhett directly at the scene of the unsolved crime. Told in alternating perspectives across a past and present timeline, the carefully constructed facade of their marriage disintegrates as all is brought to light. 

This was an excellent character driven novel that shows the insular nature of small town life, local politics, and protection of their own. The tension is created by the dynamics between the characters and the dual timeline structure showing the bitter reality of Rhett and Lucinda's marriage. Issues of toxic control and social privilege, along with manipulative behavior, trap the characters in an exhausting cycle. Although some might feel it is slow burning, the narrative builds into revelations of emotional and physical abuse and the dark tone is consistent and unrelenting. 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The full cast recording features the narrative talents of Amanda Stribling, Tristan Wright, and Hallie Ricardo. They all did a fantastic job of voicing the characters and bringing them to life on the page with their accents and dramatic flair. This created a truly immersive experience that enhanced my enjoyment of the book. Highly recommended.

This was a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre and tags: toxic masculinity, domestic violence, secrets and lies, suspense, small town 

The Family Secret (Detective Lottie Parker #16) by Patricia Gibney

 Series continues with another excellent procedural.

In this 16th book of the Detective Lottie Parker series, the entire team is consumed with an investigation involving the apparent murders of an entire family after they hosted a birthday party for the daughter, Freya. The inquiry is complicated by the subsequent disappearance of a mother and daughter in the neighborhood -- former good friends of the victims. The probe leads down one rabbit hole after another as the current crime is also tenuously linked to a decades old unsolved case where a mother and her daughter were also killed. 

Keeping all the characters straight was definitely a feat as the complex plot continues to yield new clues. Secrets from the past are revealed that connect some really nasty actors. There is so much going on in this installment that I had to read it all in a single sitting to find out who did what to whom. In addition, Lottie is juggling so many professional and personal issues it's definitely a herculean feat that she holds it all sort of together. I like her but sometimes I want to shake her to pay attention to what's really important. She's the kind of flawed that makes her more human instead of a messed up torpedo bound for self destruction going off half cocked. I hope she can get her life a bit more together. Between her kids (this time Chloe gets into it) and Boyd, as well as her mom, Lottie still tries to solve the mystery and keeps her main focus there. I didn't particularly like how the end came so abruptly with some unanswered questions that made it a sort of cliffhanger. 

Looking forward to the next episode. 

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.
Book Blog Stop/Tour

This is the 16th book in a series that should be read in order.

Tags and genre: police procedural, crime thriller, murder, grooming, secrets and lies, abuse, sexual assault 

The Anniversary by Alex Finlay

 A unique perspective traces the trajectory of two young adults across a decade.

May 1, 1992, is the date that alters the lives of two teenagers in a quiet Midwestern town. Jules Delaney narrowly survives a brutal attack by the elusive May Day Killer, while Quinn Riley gets into an altercation that results in him going to juvenile detention. 

Using an innovative timeline, the narrative revisits Jules and Quinn exclusively on May 1st across a decade. The story focuses on those moments that define the characters’ personal growth as they reach adulthood. Events propel the pair toward a singular shocking truth and a series of revelations that help them overcome the scars left by their experiences on that fateful night and the repercussions that followed. 

I absolutely relished this thriller that was very character driven versus shock value and body count. The format eliminated mid-book sag and kept the pacing brisk. There’s a lot of slow burn tension in this psychological mind bender leading to some huge surprises and a twist of an ending. A big one I didn’t see coming. I liked the main characters and was rooting for them all the way. I did feel the conclusion came in hot and it seemed like I still had a lot to process in the aftermath. Some unanswered questions. 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrators, Ari Fliakos and Brittany Pressley, did a good job voicing the main male and female characters. The female voice sometimes got a little too screechy and breathless with a bit of excess dramatic flair, but I did appreciate the dual casting that enhanced my enjoyment of the book as it created a truly immersive experience.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre and tags: psychological thriller, teenagers to adults, coming of age, murder, rape, assault, war, modeling, kidnapping

The Wrong Victim (Maggie Gallagher #3) by Peter Kirkland

 Smart, well-constructed legal thriller.

This third in a series has defense attorney Maggie Gallagher pulled into a legal nightmare when a luxury yacht explodes following her client's unsatisfactory verdict in an insurance case. The client, Sara Stephenson, was seen in a viral video threatening the CEO, John Archway, of Vista insurance after they were found not liable for her husband's death. When Archway and his lawyer die in the conflagration, Sara is arrested. The evidence against Sara is overwhelming but Maggie realizes that the blast was a calculated plot where the intended target was not the CEO. 

I love a good legal thriller and this was a gripping courtroom drama that relies on steady tension, legal details, and descriptions of sharp legal strategy. My main issue is that this was the third in a series and the only one I have read. I wish I had read the previous two books to get the backstory and to have developed a relationship with the main character. Coming in at this point left me a bit lost especially when referring to cases from the past as well as with Maggie's family and her office help. 

Maggie seems to be a grounded protagonist who seems dedicated to both the law and her family. The case she defended required a lot of maneuvering and side investigation to deliver a mystery where the puzzle pieces fit together logically. 

I definitely enjoyed it and would love to also read and review the first two books in the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This is the third in the series. I did not read the first two installments and wish I had.

Genre - legal thriller, insurance CEO, murder, domestic violence 

A Murder in Hollywood by Michael Crichton

 Written in 1973 under his John Lange pseudonym but previously unpublished, this book steps away from Crichton’s usual techno thrillers to deliver a classic whodunit. 

The story unfolds on a movie location in Tucson, Arizona, where the production of a Western film called BLOODROCK is thrown into chaos when the film’s unlikable screenwriter is discovered dead in his bathtub. Studio heads arrange for a meticulous insurance investigator, Harlow Perkins, to come to the set and solve the case before everyone panics. Harvey Jason, the studio publicist for this picture, follows Perkins around as they dig into all the cast and crew members who might be the killer. 

Lots of the usual technical detail with all the accuracy detailing the gritty, unglamorous logistics of a 1970 movie set. There’s no romanticism here but a sort of cynical realism. It captures the mood of a remote location shoot with all the budget anxieties and the tension on the set. This isn’t an action packed plot but more a steady procedural deduction process. 

Definitely not character driven, this is more focused on the puzzle of what happened and who did what. Because it’s set in the 1970s it reads like a time capsule of earlier, less sophisticated movie making days. 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Ray Porter, did a fantastic job with the voice work. His tone and delivery were perfect for the content and for the time period. His performances really enhanced my enjoyment of the book by creating a really immersive feeling. I recommend it. 

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre tags: Movie making, 1970, on location, Tucson, Arizona, whodunit