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: Two for Sorrow (Josephine Tey, #3) by Nicola Upson

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two for sorrow josephine tey #3 nicola upson
Back in 2010, I discovered a website called Goodreads.com where I could keep track of what books I had read, what I was currently reading, and books that I wanted to read. Then, I found out that you could enter giveaways for a chance to win an advanced readers copy, also known as an ARC, of a book or a book that had already been published. I have been fortunate enough to win several books through Goodreads.com's First Reads Giveaways. One of those books was Two for Sorrow (Josephine Tey, #3) written by Nicola Upson. I received this novel for free in exchange for my honest review.

Not knowing anything at all about the author going into reading Two for Sorrow (Josephine Tey, #3), I had absolutely no preconceived ideas about Nicola Upson. Overall, the book was relatively well written, and the style of writing reminded me a bit of P.D. James. It was interesting enough to keep my attention until I got about halfway through the book. At that point, the story line really started to drag for me, and I had to push through it. When I got to the last eighty or so pages of Two for Sorrow (Josephine Tey, #3), the narrative really started to pick up. Even though this is the third book in a series, it definitely can be read as a stand alone book. I gave this novel three out of five stars because the book redeemed itself in my opinion. If you liked this book, then I definitely recommend you try reading Devices and Desires (Adam Dalgliesh, #8) by P.D. James.

Synopsis of Two for Sorrow (Josephine Tey, #3):  A mystery writer named Josephine Tey is writing a novel based on two British women who were hanged for the crimes of murdering newborns. While researching her novel, Josephine finds herself entangled in a hunt for a modern day killer.


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