The Mystery of Mercy Close is a hilarious yet touching novel that seamlessly weaves together elements of detective fiction and mental health struggles. Marian Keyes is a master of crafting relatable characters, and protagonist Helen Walsh is no exception. Her "Shovel List" is just one example of the clever writing that will keep readers engaged throughout the book. However, what makes this novel truly exceptional is the way it addresses serious issues like depression and anxiety with care and nuance. Anyone who enjoys a good mystery or has struggled with their mental health will find something to love in The Mystery of Mercy Close.

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Helen Walsh doesn’t believe in fear – it’s just a thing invented by men to get all the money and good job – and yet she’s sinking. Her work as a Private Investigator has dried up, her flat has been repossessed and now some old demons have resurfaced.Not least in the form of her charming but dodgy ex-boyfriend Jay Parker, who shows up with a missing persons case. Money is tight – so tight Helen’s had to move back in with her elderly parents – and Jay is awash with cash. The missing person is Wayne Diffney, the ‘Wacky One’ from boyband Laddz. He’s vanished from his house in Mercy Close and it’s vital that he’s found – Laddz have a sell-out comeback gig in five days’ time.Things ended messily with Jay. And she’s never going back there. Besides she has a new boyfriend now, the very sexy detective Artie Devlin and it’s all going well, even though his ex-wife isn’t quite ‘ex’ enough and his teenage son hates her. But the reappearance of Jay is stirring up all kinds of stuff she thought she’d left behind.Playing by her own rules, Helen is drawn into a dark and glamorous world, where her worst enemy is her own head and where increasingly the only person she feels connected to is Wayne, a man she’s never even met.

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