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: Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave (Finlay Donovan, #5) by Elle Cosimano

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NetGalley ARC Book Review of Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave (Finlay Donovan, #5) by Elle Cosimano
Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave (Finlay Donovan, #5) by Elle Cosimano opens where the last installment ended. Mrs. Haggerty has been arrested after the body of a man was found buried in her back yard but is cleared by the police. Finlay is roped into letting Mrs. Haggerty stay at her house until the utilities are turned back on at Mrs. Haggerty's house. Finlay and Vero are on their best behavior and in no hurry to be involved in another murder but ends up helping to solve who buried the man in Mrs. Haggerty's yard so she can be rid of the old woman.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for approving my request to read Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave (Finlay Donovan, #5) by Elle Cosimano. I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) for free in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved the fifth installment in this series. The thing I enjoyed the character development of Mrs. Haggerty along with some of her backstory. It gave me a new found respect for this character, and I found myself actually liking her. Yes, I am baffled by this too after disliking the character for so long. Additionally, the relationship between Nick and Finlay is finally growing, and I enjoyed this development. I also enjoyed the fact that Finlay and Steven are getting to a better place in their co-parenting relationship. Delia and Zach are more present in this edition, and some of their hijinks are funny.

The mystery portion is a bit subdued this time around, which is actually nice for a change of pace. The motive behind it was a bit far fetched though. And, yet again, we are left with a bit of a cliffhanger.

All in all, this was a fun read that let me escape from reality for a few hours. I gave Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave (Finlay Donovan, #5) by Elle Cosimano five out of five stars.

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