Minerva Day

by Christie Keele

When Minerva Day’s grandson turns up missing at a Christmas carnival, her daughter accuses Minerva of his murder. Could she have done such a thing? Had she forgotten to take her medicine? The unnerving thought haunts Minerva, just like it did four years earlier when her husband died of a mysterious illness. Then Walter, a new love, brings balance into Minerva’s life. But it is short-lived—her daughter won’t let go of the nagging suspicions that her mother is guilty of the most horrendous of crimes.

Genres: Mystery, Family, Drama

335 pages, Paperback

First published October 3, 2013

About the author

Christie Keele has received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in education, and is a high school English teacher. She has taught Debate, was a Cub Scout den leader, and is a CASA volunteer. She is also learning how to play the piano. She lives in southeastern New Mexico. This is her first novel.

Reviews

[Sue Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

DISCLAIMER... I received this a part of the Goodreads First Read Program

The blurbs and subject matter were a little off-putting to me, but once I actually started reading I found it to thought-provoking and compelling. Minerva Day is an older woman whose mental disturbances cause her family to suspect that she may have murdered her husband and her grandchild, Fellow. The implications of the suspicions work on the rest of the family and their internal dynamics and how it plays out will keep you interested and reading -- to the ending twist.

[Darrin Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to find out for myself where all these great reviews came from so I read Minerva Day. Now I know where they came from. The author has written something very special here in which the mind of a troubled woman is examined with a deft and professional touch. This is a page turner that is highly recommended to lovers of mystery and lovers of great stories that are told well. Go you good thing. 5 STARS :D

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book free through the Goodreads First Reads program.

Christie Keele's first novel is a very well written tale of a dysfunctional family. Minerva Day is the mentally ill matriarch of the family. She is suspected of maybe helping along the death of her husband four years ago. While have a mental "spell", she loses her grandson at a carnival. This novel chronicles the further breakdown of the family mostly from the viewpoint of Minerva.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great first novel! Christie Keele weaves a disturbingly real family story during a time of unspeakable sadness. Those of us facing our senior years can identify a bit with Minerva as she ages a bit less than gracefully! Left me very thankful for the relationship I have with my own daughters.
Looking forward to more reads by this author.

[Vicki Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the book and Christie Keele went to school with her.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Full review here: http://bookandbroadway.blogspot.com/2...

Minerva Day is the perfect example of a book that deserves more hype than it's given. It's a real page turner with many twists and turns that you never know quite what to think, what's really happened and what direction you'll be pulled in next. It's chilling, it's haunting and it really, really keeps you intrigued as you try to navigate the minds of its character.

With its touchy subject matter to the excellent writing featured inside, there simply isn't enough said about the novel. While it has its flaws and won't be for everyone, it's truly an excellent read for those who enjoy darkness and mystery and all the baggage that comes with such stories. It captures a creepy tone perfectly and keeps you interested with its twists and turns and how the story plays out keeps you reading until it ends.

Minerva is fuzzy on two major tragic events in her life, due to her struggle with mental illness: her husbands death, four years ago, and her grandson's disappearance while they were at a carnival. It's an unforgettable ride and there's not much I can add to my review without revealing too much. But what will you learn by stories end...

I can't tell you. I won't lie to yourself and say you aren't left feeling you wanted more from it. I am not going to lie and say that this novel will connect with you or make you feel good. It's purpose is not to make you happy, it's purpose is to intrigue you and bring you into the thick of it all, through the haze that is mental illness and memory and tragedy.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

WOW!!!!! This book is AWESOME!!! And heart breaking, and full of twists and turns!! I couldn't figure out who was good and who was bad!!!! Who's side I really wanted to be on. I could not turn the pages fast enough with this book!!!

"When Minerva Day's grandson turns up missing at a Christmas carnival, her daughter accuses Minerva of his murder. Could she have done such a thing? Had she forgotten to take her medicine? The unnerving thought haunts Minerva, just like it did four years earlier when her husband died of a mysterious illness. Then Walter, a new love, brings balance into Minerva's life. But it is short lived, her daughter won't let go of the nagging suspicions that her mother is guilty of the most horrendous of crimes."

I could not figure this book out!!! Which is the best kind of book. Definitely a page turner with lots of "WOW" moments!!! This book is about tragedy, love, compassion, forgiveness and family. I would totally reread this book! It was that good. The ending still haunts me! READ THIS BOOK, it is a fantastic read! This book made me a Christie Keele fan for life! :)

[Patricia Ibarra · Rating 3 out of 5]

The son and daughter of Minerva stand at the bedside of their dying father. Upon his death, Minerva shows no emotion. She is more worried about her cat.. One day she took grandson to a Christmas carnival, whom her daughter and husband wanted to adopt and she thought of all devious ways to hinder his formal adoption, and when she came out of the bathroom, he was missing. Her daughter, who had never got along with her, accused her of killing him. She mentions her suspicions to all those around her. Minerva, on the other hand, starts questioning if she could have done such a horrible thing. Could she have done it? Have you ever heard of dysfunctional families ? Well, here you have one. I found them so nuts that I sometimes was reading a science fictions novel.

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book as a Goodreads First Read. When I first read this book I thought, "Boy, I just do not like anyone in this book." But for me, that was part of the charm. This is not a "feel-good" book by any means, and honestly that is why I liked it. This is a story about a true dysfunctional family. One that is odd, unlikeable, and full of tragic circumstances. At first, when I read it, I was a little put off by the situation, but once I got into the book... I loved the little turns all along the way. I will recommend this book to those who are a fan of books that love a good book with a crazy twisted ending.

[Debra Jeakins · Rating 5 out of 5]

MINERVA DAY's husband is dead. Did Minerva kill him? MINERVA DAY'S grandson is dead, did Minerva kill him?

I enjoyed MINERVA DAY. It is a quick read and a real page turner. The characters are developed and could be any family anywhere & the plot could be happening to any family anywhere. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I received this book from goodreads in exchange for a review

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book on goodreads.com. The story starts out interesting, but slowly loses steam. The characters are believable, but for me the main story line seemed to drag on forever and then left me wondering what happened. The end left me with more questions than answers. I am glad I didn't pay for this one!

[Kirti Rajput · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free from Goodreads First Reads.

This book was compelling. It really was really interesting. I was excited to turned pages to find out what Minerva would do next. I really got in to the lives of the other characters. You can also feel that sense of atmosphere in the book where the characters would interact with each other.I would recommend others to read this book.

[Burma Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this from Goodreads, thank you!
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Minerva Day is a 55 year old woman with mental health problems. She doesn't always take her medicine, which turns out very bad. This is a real page turner, you get caught up the story and have to keep reading. Very well-written, highly recommend!

[Candace Blattner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hooked from the beginning! I had so many different feelings about Minerva throughout the story, and even now that I have finished, I am not sure how I feel about her. There were times where I felt so sorry for her, angry with her, and happy for her. It really was a wonderful story, especially for an author's first novel! I definitely recommend reading it.

[Lacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway. I enjoyed the plot, which moved steadily through the course of the book. It definitely makes one think about how our perceptions of current events can be colored by our background and past events.

[Faye Ridpath · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book for free from Goodreads First Reads.

This book was riveting.

I was fascinated by Minerva and eagerly turned pages to find out what she would next.

I was equally engrossed in the lives of the other characters.

I would definitely read more by this author.

[Kathy Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not too sure if I liked this book at first. But I did like it once I got through reading it. This was sort of disturbing to read because of my being close to the age of Minerva and trying to relate to her. She was quite the character. The family dynamics can relate to almost anybody.

[Chris Keele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book about a troubled woman, and a troubled family. The central questions about Minerva--did she kill her husband? did she kill her adopted grandson? will she ever have a good relationship with her daughter?--keep the story moving briskly.

Great job!

[Gwynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. Secrets not revealed.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a little interesting with the start of the story I was a little lost but I read a little bit more and found it a very interesting book.