The Mystery of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes.

The Mystery of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes. 

Paperback edition. Penguin, April 2013. 

Helen Walsh doesn’t believe in fear. She thinks it’s just something invented by men to get more money and better jobs, yet she’s sinking. Her job as a PI has dried up, she’s lost her flat and has had to move back in with her parents and now some old demons have resurfaced – her ex-boyfriend, Jay for starters. 

Jay turns up with a load of cash and a missing persons case. Having no money herself, Helen is forced to help Jay find Wayne Diffney, ‘the wacky one’ from boy band, Laddz. 

Helen’s not happy about having to work with Jay. Things didn’t end well with him plus Helen has a new boyfriend now – the very sexy Artie Devlin. Jay’s reappearance is stirring up way too many feelings Helen thought she’d left behind. 

Helen is drawn into a dark and glamorous world where her worse enemy is her own head and where she only really feels connected to Wayne, a man she’s never met. 

This book was my first introduction to Marian Keyes. Yes, it does deal with depression, (mental health is something that’s still not discussed or accepted enough in my opinion,) and this book handles it in an unique, open and sensitive way. I liked Helen. She seemed real to me. She’s having to deal with her own head (i’ve been known to be in mine a little too much.) There was a mystery to solve which is also one of my favourite types of stories and I felt as though I went on a bit of a journey with Helen. Clues are threaded nicely throughout the plot and had me turning the page until the very end. 

Jay isn’t a bad character, just flawed. Artie seems sweet and a good balance for Helen’s level of crazy. 

I liked this book overall and am looking forward to Marian’s next book. 

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.