Recent Reads

 The Storm by Rachel Hawkins (2026)

In 1984, a wealthy man was found dead after a hurricane in a small Alabama town, and everyone assumed his mistress killed him.  Now, a writer and that same mistress have descended upon St. Medard's Bay, staying at the local Rosalie Inn, to research the crime.  Geneva, the owner of the inn, is drawn into the scheme.  But with another powerful hurricane baring down on the town, will they all make it out alive?  I liked the multiple POVs; although Geneva is the main character, we do get to hear Lo's (the mistress) story in her own words, and she is such a firecracker.  I did think the story moved kind of slowly, and the final reveal of the "murderer" was pretty predictable.  There was another reveal about the characters that was kind of eye-rolling, though.  3 stars

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth (2026)

Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick thought she had successfully buried her difficult past, but now, decades later, someone has discovered her secret - she used to be known as Mad Mabel and was once convicted of murder.  With a dead neighbor and a precocious little girl now obsessed with her, 81-year-old Elsie is finally ready to tell her story.  I really enjoyed this book!  I don't know that I would necessarily consider this a mystery/thriller - it's really more a character study into who Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick was and is today.  While today Elsie is a self-sufficient, private, and stoic woman, Mabel was a lonely girl who had a difficult family life.  I guess the mystery would be, is Mabel really "mad" and did she really kill someone?  Through flashbacks, we discover the truth, along with several other shocking reveals, and I think by the end, most readers will have a soft spot in their heart for Elsie.  4 stars

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