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: The Classified Catnapping (Mystery at the Biltmore, #2) by Colleen Nelson

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NetGalley ARC Book Review of The Classified Catnapping (Mystery at the Biltmore, #2) by Colleen Nelson
The Classified Catnapping (Mystery at the Biltmore, #2) by Colleen Nelson is the second book in a a children's book series about a girl named Elodie who has her own detective agency called the LaRue Detective Agency. In this latest edition, a movie is being filmed at the Biltmore in New York City, and the lead actor, a cat named Bijou, is missing. Can Elodie find the missing cat before it's too late?

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Pajama Press for approving my request to read The Classified Catnapping (Mystery at the Biltmore, #2) and providing me an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC). I received a copy of this children's book for free in exchange for my honest review.

Oh my goodness! I absolutely fell in love with this book. It's super cute and perfect for children between the ages of five years old and eight years old who enjoy whodunits. Surprisingly, the characters are very well developed for a book targeted to younger children, which isn't something you typically find in a kids book. I could see bits of myself in the main character of Elodie.

Another surprising thing about The Classified Catnapping is the number of red herrings within the story. Even as an adult, I found myself thinking, "Oh, the catnapper could be this person or that person!" Although, I did figure out who it was, it was nice that there were numerous suspects to keep adults entertained along with their kids, especially if a parent is reading this to their kid as a bedtime story.

Five out of five stars is what I rated The Classified Catnapping (Mystery at the Biltmore, #2) by Colleen Nelson. This is a book that I definitely will be recommending to friends who have kids and teachers alike. The expected publication date of this book is April 29, 2025.
 


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