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    The Mystery of Mercy Close
    The Mystery of Mercy Close
    The Mystery of Mercy Close
    Audiobook15 hours

    The Mystery of Mercy Close

    Written by Marian Keyes

    Narrated by Caroline Lennon

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    As the youngest of the five Walsh girls, Helen has had a tough time finding her way in the world-- at thirty-three, she has her job as a private investigator that has proven less than fruitful and after losing her flat, she' s moved back in with Mammy Walsh. Her hunky new boyfriend, Artie, and his three adorable children are a great distraction, but his beautiful ex-wife lives a little too close for comfort. Meanwhile, Helen runs into her ex-boyfriend Jay Parker and reluctantly signs on to help him locate Wayne Diffney, the recently disappeared fourth member of Ireland' s biggest mid-nineties boy band, Laddz. Of the five Laddz, the Talented One has long gone on to better things, but the Cute One, the Gay One, and the Other One are all busily shunning carbs and rehearsing their reunion tour, and it' s Helen' s job to track down Wayne, the Wacky One. Wayne hasn' t left a trace, and Helen throws herself into the search wholeheartedly, leaving no stone unturned while watching her own life slowly fall apart, one unpaid bill at a time.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateApr 9, 2013
    ISBN9781470347154
    The Mystery of Mercy Close
    Author

    Marian Keyes

    Marian Keyes is the author of ten bestselling novels and two essay collections. She lives in Ireland with her husband and their two imaginary dogs.

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    Reviews for The Mystery of Mercy Close

    3.5/5

    10 ratings7 reviews

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    • 2/5
      I'm being a little unfair on this one - consider the score 2.5 stars.

      I like Marian Keyes. When she's good, there's nobody to touch her, but - for my taste - her books can be dragged down by the stock set pieces of the genre. This book has a lot to recommend it, but the storyline doesn't really work for me. It's fun, but a bit jarring with the *other* parts of the story, which are, frankly, excellent.
    • 4/5
      very funny but with an underlying touch of a darker theme about depression
    • 5/5
      Fantastic! This book had me almost on the floor with tears of laughter at one point. The sarcastic and often dark humour added depth to what was essentially a light mystery plot. I found the basic story fairly predictable with only a couple of unexpected twists, however the lead character was so well developed and her dialogue - both with other characters and with herself - was so well constructed that it has become an instant favorite. I have not previously read any of Marian Keyes works but will now be avidly seeking her out. This book did not require a previous knowledge of her other stories to be thoroughly enjoyable, however reading some of the other reviews you may get even more out of this book if you do already know some of the other characters who peripherally appear in these pages.I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who has a dry sense of humour.
    • 3/5
      My sister lent this to me, and I read it knowing exactly what I was in for and I got it - light and fluffy with dark undertones. Guess not surprising that this is about depression, given I understand that Marian Keyes suffers from it.Not great literature but easily reading and a nice break from some of the heavier books I have been reading. It was a good read after some long and heavy days.
    • 3/5
      Irish writer Marian Keyes is a best selling author on both sides of the pond. I quite enjoyed her last book - The Brightest Star in the Sky. So I picked up her latest novel - The Mystery of Mercy Close, expecting another fun read. Helen Walsh couldn't find a job she could stick with until she got her private investigator's license. But jobs are hard to come by lately and her finances are suffering. So much so, that she's lost her job and has had to move back home with her parents. The one bright spot is her new boyfriend Artie, who also works in law enforcement. When her old boyfriend Jay approaches her with a missing persons gig, she takes the job - she desperate for cash.Okay, does this whole set up/character sound familiar to anyone else? Yeah, me too. Keyes's lead character Helen is a little darker though - she suffers from depression and anxiety and her mental state is very much a part of the plotting. Upon further investigation, I discovered that Keyes herself suffers from major depression. So the inclusion of this made a little more sense. Keyes is known for her chick lit stories that do incorporate some darker themes (abuse was part of the plot of a previous book) I did like Helen's dark sense of humour - her shovel (not bucket) list was fun. "It's more of a conceptual thing. It's a list of all the people and things I hate so much that I want to hit them in the face with a shovel." There's some steamy romance of course with Artie, some generational humour with her parents, some sibling interaction that's amusing. The Walsh sisters are excellent characters. The mystery part of things wasn't too hard to figure out. So, all the elements seem to be there for a good read - but sadly, it was just okay for me. I found myself picking it up and down over the course of a couple of weeks as it didn't really hold my attention. And, at five hundred pages, it felt like it was dragged out too long. And I feel bad...'cause I really wanted to like it more
    • 4/5
      One of my favorite authors when I am in need of some serious amusement. There has not been one of her books that have failed to deliver just that. In this one Helen Walsh, attempts to return home, to parents who would really rather she didn't. The conversations between them had me laughing out loud. Than her new love interest has three children and her relationship with them and his ex-wife were another source of amusement. There is really nothing Keyes holds sacred, so if you are easily offended this is not the novel for you. Then, however, it gets a little serious and covers topics of depression and the effect of that on ones life. Even here though, she handles her characters problem, which also has been the authors very real problem, with self deprecating humor. Enjoyable.
    • 5/5
      Watermelon introduced the Walsh family in 1995 featuring Claire, while subsequent titles focused on her sisters, Rachel ( Rachel's Holiday), Maggie ( Angels) and Anna (Anybody Out There?). I was excited to discover that with The Mystery of Mercy Close, Marian Keyes, after a six year gap, features the last of the sisters, Helen.The youngest of the siblings Helen Walsh has proved to be acerbic, strong-willed and a little eccentric during her cameo appearances in her sister's books. After trialing a number of careers, Helen had finally found success as a private investigator only for the GFC to erode her client base. Now unable to pay her mortgage and with the fog of depression rolling in, Helen is forced to move back home with her parents, and keen that her lover of six months doesn't learn the truth. When Jay Parker, an ex boyfriend, wants to hire Helen to find a missing member of the boy band on the comeback trail he promotes, she is is too tempted by the offer to double her fee to refuse. Wayne Difney proves to be maddeningly elusive though and with only days to find him, and an uncanny ability to alienate any possibly helpful leads, Helen is wary that she will break before the case does.Helen is both a hilarious and sympathetic protagonist, brusque and cynical she is also vulnerable and fragile. The Mystery of Mercy Close has a serious issue at it's core, as does all of the Walsh sister's novels. While it is amusing that Helen adores a range of (house) paint with shades named Gangrene, Wound and Decay and loads her pockets with tins of strawberries in an attempt to drown herself, the author explores Helen's struggle with herself, and others, as she tries to push back the dread and anxiety that is creeping over her. Helen is devastated that her battle with depression is not over after defeating an earlier episode that saw her hospitalised. Given Keye's own admitted history with depression, such keen insight into her character's illness should not be surprising.While Helen's journey, including the development of her relationships with Artie, Jay and her family, sustains the book, the plot surrounding the mysterious disappearance of Wayne Diffney provides a solid framework for the story. The Laddz, desperate for a successful reunion concert to reverse their fortunes, have their own secrets and Helen has to navigate their past to save their future.I really enjoyed The Mystery of Mercy Close and fans of the Walsh sisters will be thrilled to see the return of the siblings. It's not necessary to have read the previous installments as this is truly Helen's book and works well as a stand alone, though fair warning, you will want more of the Walsh girls and Marian Keyes when you have finished.My Shovel ListPeople who leave shopping trolleys in car park spaces even though the trolley return is just a few meters awayAny heel height above 1 inch (I don't believe in them)Brussel sprouts - ughTelemarketer phone calls at dinner timeAnyone who says they don't have the time to read