Acid Pops: Mirella Castle Investigates

by Mandy Partridge, Mikayla Fowler (illustrator)

Mirella cracks the case of the Acid Casualties.

Mirella Castle remembers the Acid Casualties of the 1990s, but she was only a kid then. Now there’s a fresh wave of deaths in Brisbane, and Mirella think the cases are linked. The Acid King has been a party promoter in Brisbane, Byron Bay and Sydney, where the 90s Acid deaths had occurred. Now the Acid Queen is back, in rural Nimbin, with a supply chain leading to Canberra.



Evan from Harrison Hair has put a hit out on Elise, and Mirella teams up with some heavy security to protect her. Elise’s Beast Parade troupe fly to London for a string of festival gigs, with Mirella as both a performer and her body-guard. Wanda the Blonder, Murri friend Shayna and the hot guys from the Fizz join the troupe, adding live music.



Skye invites Mirella to the Pro Surf comp at Boomerang Beach, and they take their first road trip together. Skye inadvertently draws the hitmen away from his sister, and straight to Mirella and himself.



The final action-packed instalment of the Mirella Castle series reveals some dreams realised, some dreams dashed, and the world opens up for Mirella and her friends.

Genres: Fiction

280 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 27, 2024

About the author

Mandy Curties Partridge is a writer living in Brisbane, who has done time in London and Perth. Mandarella Publishing and Productions is Mandy's company, making Books, Author Talks, Town Crier performances .
Nonfiction book, 'Acrobalances' launched in 2015 at the Mullumbimby National Circus Festival. 'Long Pork: A Political Adventure' is set in West Papua.
'Blocked Out', 'Kandy Krush', 'Wizz Fizz' and 'Acid Pops' are racy crime novels set in Brisbane, in the 2020s, the 'Mirella Castle Investigates' series.
Mandy wrote for Theatre and Circus, shows like 'Mistress Mandarella's New Boots' and 'Death wears a Red Nose'.
Mandy has spoken as an Author and Town Crier in Libraries, Bookshops, Schools, Government House, Parliament House, City Hall, and Town Crier competitions around Australia and in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Her new online course, 'Fat Hats: A Masterclass in Street Performance' is at mandy partridge dot com.
Mandy has a BA from the University of Queensland, where she edited 'Semper Floreat', and an MA from Griffith University. Partridge has been shortlisted for the Scarlet Stiletto Award, the Davitt Awards, the Australian Young Writers Award, and has written for ArtsHub, Every Writers Resource, Green Left, 4ZZZ FM, ABC RN Radio National, Q News and Cane Toad Times.
www.mandypartridge.com

Reviews

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Acid Pops" by Mandy Partridge offers readers a gripping and multifaceted narrative that delves into the complexities of past and present mysteries. Centered around protagonist Mirella Castle's quest to unravel the enigmatic connections between a series of deaths, Partridge masterfully weaves together elements of suspense, intrigue, and personal growth.

Set against the backdrop of Brisbane and rural Nimbin, the novel intricately explores themes of nostalgia, friendship, and the pursuit of justice. Partridge skillfully crafts a cast of characters that are both relatable and compelling, each with their own motivations and secrets that add depth to the story.

As Mirella navigates through the intricacies of the case, readers are taken on a thrilling journey filled with unexpected twists and turns. From high-stakes confrontations to heartfelt moments of camaraderie, "The Acid Pops" keeps readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.

Beyond its captivating plot, the novel also shines in its vivid and immersive descriptions of the Australian landscape and cultural references. Partridge's evocative prose brings the setting to life, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in Mirella's world.

Overall, "The Acid Pops" is a compelling read that combines elements of mystery, suspense, and personal drama to create a thoroughly engaging story. With its well-developed characters, intricate plot, and richly detailed setting, this final installment of the Mirella Castle series is sure to leave a lasting impression on readers.

[M. Putney · Rating 2 out of 5]

#GoodreadsGiveaway

I HATE to rate books this low because I know how hard authors work to write and publish a book. With that being said, this was littered with punctuation errors, and the dialogue was extremely unrealistic. I think this should have gone through a couple more rounds of edits before being published.

[David Knijnenburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Mandy Partridge has delivered a story that blends elements of the real world with thinly-disguised elements of the real world and allows her cast of likeable characters from previous books to wander through. The fact that I once again read the book in a day is not just a commentary on the comfortable prose and easy writing style, but also on my desire to find out what happened next.

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

As always I thank Goodreads for the free book, but this was a no go for me. The grammatical errors alone were driving me mad, but it also felt like it was written by a teenager who had a wild desire to do drugs and this was written all about that. There were so many odd conversations and phrases that made me cringe. The glamorization of the drug scene was gross even though she did highlight the negatives.

Beyond that, I truly feel the book could have ended at the 85% point. The rest felt like unnecessary fluff or just old plot points from her other books? Unclear, but it didn’t make sense for me. The last chapter did fit, however, but should have been thrown back in near that 85% area.

Again, thank you, but it wasn’t for me.

[Enza · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was excited for the plot of this book but unfortunately too many things fell short. First off, I feel like this book was not passed through editing at all, and many mistakes were distracting. Missing punctuation, autocorrected words, misspellings (Columbia vs Colombia).

The book was released in 2024 but went into details of Covid restrictions in Australia in real time, so it was almost frustrating having to have details re-told to me. It seems it was written a few years ago, but seeing as it was just released, I feel like it should have been at least edited to match the time period. Some parts were way too detailed as well, with details that I don’t really think added to the plot at all and made the reading hard to get through because I did not think this was supposed to be written like an informational book.

The language also bothered me at times. The dialogue between the characters at times seemed way too archaic, to the point where I thought Mirella was in her 50s and was shocked when I learned she was in her 20s.

And then lastly, some of the names were a bit ridiculous in my opinion. I felt like I was reading the most stereotypical Italian names and someone named Giovanni Gabagool was going to show up. And Skidmarks, really???

Overall kind of sad because I was actually looking forward to the plot but I felt like it was littered with everything else.

[Marissa Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Acid Pops pulled me straight back into Mirella Castle’s world, gritty, musical, and a little unhinged in the best way. The Acid Casualties storyline is unsettling without being overdone, and the way past and present connect feels thoughtful and earned.

I really enjoyed the mix of investigation, performance, road trips, and relationships. The festival scenes and the surf trip with Skye stood out for me, they added heart and tension without slowing the story down. Mirella continues to feel real: tough, curious, and human.

A satisfying, energetic close to the series that left me smiling and a bit nostalgic.Acid Pops pulled me straight back into Mirella Castle’s world, gritty, musical, and a little unhinged in the best way. The Acid Casualties storyline is unsettling without being overdone, and the way past and present connect feels thoughtful and earned.

I really enjoyed the mix of investigation, performance, road trips, and relationships. The festival scenes and the surf trip with Skye stood out for me, they added heart and tension without slowing the story down. Mirella continues to feel real: tough, curious, and human.

A satisfying, energetic close to the series that left me smiling and a bit nostalgic.

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't read the first in the series, maybe if I had I would have better appreciated this book. I gave 2 stars because I managed to push through the whole thing, but it was a struggle. The book was riddled with typos. The dialogue throughout felt overly formal and unrealistic, with the characters speaking only in complete and lengthy sentences. I couldn't believe a book about drug dealing, overdose deaths, raves, hitmen, and private investigations could be so dry and boring. Also, it's fantastic to have intersex representation in media, but I was extremely confused about how or why this characteristic was brought up only at the bitter end of the book and when it had seemingly nothing to do with the rest of the story.

[Karen Thurecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished Acid Pops, the third book in the Mirella Castle Investigates Series. Mandy Partridge delighted me again with her easy to read contemporary style. This story moves around the shadowy underworld of Fortitude Valley on to London and a European Festival Tour as Mirella seeks out the Acid King making dodgy drugs that are killing kids in Queensland. Mandy's characters have real heart. She delves into difference and reminds us that good people come in all sorts of costumes and walks of life.

[Rob Lennox · Rating 4 out of 5]

A colourful and explosive narration of touring dance acts navigates its way through tangles with paparazzi and underworld drug figures. Mirella explores Europe on an adventure that sprials through dance parties and band gigs that ultimately leads her to the demise of the biggest drug kingpin. This is a descriptive and detailed story that brings justice but is also great fun.

[Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda reminds me of a poor man's American Psycho

To some people, that description is a good thing. I hated American Psycho. Both are about consumerism - clothing labels, fancy champaign, etc. Also, the use of drugs. The only thing this book is missing is the bloodthirsty psychopath.

[Jason Kirschberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

The intersex investigator strikes again, finding the deadly acid chemist, and juggling other jobs on the way. Is Elise going over to the dark side? Mirella walks the tight-rope between good and evil in her world of crime and entertainment.

[Wayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story but...

The story in this book was done very well. I I did not particularly care for all the drug references. The book was full of them. From the title I expected there to be some but it was totally immersed in the whole story. Not really my style.

[Michelle m · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not enjoy this book. Found it hard to read and get in to.

[Karen M]

DNF