WINNER 2018 National Indie Excellence Awards for Mystery The Mad Hatter’s Son is a gripping tale of love, friendship, betrayal, and unexpected twists and turns that leave you unable to pull away. Annie Collins is an OR nurse who is used to caring for others–both inside the operating room, and in her own personal life. So it isn’t a surprise when she is drawn–albeit unwillingly–into the chaos … chaos that is her long-time friend Libby Crowder’s life.
The friendship between Annie and Libby began deteriorating after Libby met the cold and wealthy Edward Matheisen, and quickly ended after she married him. It’s been four years since Annie and Libby parted ways. But now she’s back and seeking Annie’s help. With puzzling symptoms and a plea for help, Annie can’t help but wonder: Is Libby really ill or is there more to the story than what Libby is saying? Annie’s suspicions heighten when Libby’s close friend is severely beaten and dies. Faced with Libby’s own apparent suicide, Annie is beside herself with guilt and unable to stop asking questions to uncover the truth. But the answers to these questions don’t come without a price. Annie finds herself drawn into a life that has derailed, and pursuing the mystery of Libby’s illness threatens to derail her own life as well.
Friends change, love betrays, and the end results are never what you anticipate.
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A novel about a tenuous friendship, extra marital affairs, three murders and a a friend who is driven by a quest to resolve the mysterious deaths and begins to act as an amateur sleuth.
I enjoyed reading this somewhat predictable mystery. While I guessed quite early who the perpetrator might be, I had to keep reading to the end to see it I was right!
I think that an author’s task is not to create perfect characters but to create characters that are both relatable and who evoke emotions in the reader. Annie with her naiveite and neediness is often irritating and I wanted to reach within the pages and shake her up at times. But she’s also brave and relentless in her pursuit of the truth.
I’m waiting to see where the author takes us in the next book and how Annie’s character evolves and if anything comes of her relationship with Angel, who clearly loves her!
Overall, the book kept me engaged and entertained.
This is my second book review for this author which is always interesting. While the plot is very different, there is still that same feel in the way she creates characters. The main character is very real and you follow along step by step, feeling what she feels and seeing what she sees.
Here we have Annie, a nurse who is asked by a friend she has lost touch with to come and provide in home care. She hasn’t been well since her miscarriage and the doctors all think it’s psychological and send her home with medicines. Although Annie really does not want to do it – her preference is the ER Ward – she just can’t seem to say no, something she instantly regrets it. Her friend has changed and is difficult to deal with. And Annie can’t seem to find anything wrong. But there is that niggling doubt.
Woven into this story, and ever circling around Annie, are four men – Libby’s seemingly cold and distant husband Edward; Annie’s sexy male neighbor Angel who she adores but keeps at arms length; a new love interest who wants her to stay out of the investigation and gets angry when she continues to pry; and a police detective who ends up warming to her help. This heat up when a former lover of Libby’s is brutally beaten and dies. Then Libby dies – apparently from a suicide. Annie’s guilt is enormous. Did she miss something? Could she have prevented this tragedy?
From this point on the danger and confusion builds, with little clues being dropped here and there as we move step by step to finding the killer. I have to admit I figured the plot out before the end, but still enjoyed reading to the very last page.
I enjoyed this first book in a new series for me. I loved Annie. I love that she is a nurse and wants to solve murders. She seems to be a very strong woman. I loved how she questions what is going on. I like Angel and hope he is in the next book even more. I received a copy of this book from ireadbooktours for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I have had the pleasure of previously reading books by Helen Starbuck. I jumped at the chance to read the first book from her Annie Collins Mystery series. I was not disappointed. It was so very good. I enjoyed Annie Collins. She was a great character getting to know. She was fun and delightful. I was entertained with her story from start to finish. There is mystery and suspense that had some twists and turns that I did not see coming. I believe it is not one that could be easily predictable as I never knew what was going to happen in the following scenes.
I was able to listen to the audio version of The Mad Hatter’s Son. The narrator, Suzanne T Fortin, did a great job performing this tale. It was wonderful hearing their adaptation and how they were able to bring this story to life. I was captivated with this version throughout and was able to hear the whole book in one day.
The Mad Hatter’s Son is getting a four and a half stars from me. I recommend it for readers who enjoy reading books well written mysteries. I look forward to the next book in the Annie Collins Mystery series, No Pity In Death. I am curious as to see where Helen Starbuck’s imagination will take her readers following this one.
I received the audio version of The Mad Hatter’s Son from the publisher. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
Great read!