Watch the tangled mess a Kansas hairdresser gets herself into when she reports to the funeral home that the body she is to work on is not the same as in her reference photo. Is she being punished when the director accuses her of stealing a diamond ring? Will Hilde Higgins’s former boyfriend help her unravel the issue or only bring more trouble to her life?
Nancy Mehl is the bestselling author of over 50 books. She’s won the Daphne Du Maurier Award, as well as an ACFW Mystery Book of the Year Award and a Carol award. She was also a finalist for the prestigious Christy award. Her short story, Chasing Shadows, was in the USA Today bestselling Summer of Suspense anthology. Learn more about her at www.nancymehl.com and on her blog, the Suspense Sisters: www.suspensesisters.blogspot.com.
This is definitely a cozy mystery with some quirky characters. Hilde is a hairstylist for funeral homes and is positive one of the dead people she's working on isn't who they say she is. She is told she is wrong but is determine to figure out what is going on. While trying to find answers some strange events occur, making her more curious. Over the course of the story, she gets a boyfriend, makes friends with the old man across the street and is able to have a long needed heartful conversation with her mom in the midst of solving the case. I enjoyed meeting all the various characters and their quirks but I did not like how one moment we are right there with Hilde trying to solve the case and then the next moment is the wrap up explaining how Hilde figured it all out. Some of the explanations given in the summarization came out of nowhere and didn't understand how Hilde came to that conclusion. I am interested in reading the rest of the series though, because I like the romance storyline.
Hilde is a hairdresser who is about to get a huge case dumped in her lap. Now she’s not just any hairdresser, she’s hairdresser extraordinaire to the dead. That’s right, she is the one who fixes the hair before the funerals. But when she mistakenly gets a sneak peek at Mabel, when it’s time to really get Mabel purdied up, something isn’t right. This isn’t the same Mabel as before and then things really start to get weird.
I got this book throughNetGalley. I am loving how many options of reading genres I am able to get through by using this website.
There were things about this book that I loved, like Hilde. She is great. She doesn’t be who people want her to be. She loves her job, who wouldn’t love not being talked back to? Dead people don’t care what their hair looks like. And she’s a reader. I can’t believe how many characters I’ve met recently that are readers. That makes me immediately love them.
I loved Hilde’s personality and her friendships. She is nice to everyone, except her mom. But Hilde has some problems that she can’t quite pinpoint and once she is able to, her mom will be all but forgiven.
Now I know that there has to be other little plots throughout the story, but the ones in this book almost made me forget that Mabel was missing. Although Hilde didn’t spend a lot of time across the street with her neighbor, or out with her new boyfriend, I felt extremely connected to those scenes and those are the ones that I remember the most.
I do give Mehl props because I had no idea who the killer was. But I wasn’t a big fan of the reveal. Hilde has photographic memory, it comes to her and next thing we know, they’re talking about it at dinner and everyone is explaining how it all went down. This was a creative way to get the story told, so I kudos Mehl for that, but it kind of took the blow out of the killer being caught. It was quiet like Mabel, so it fits the book, it just wasn’t what I expected and I had to go back and read it a couple of times because I kept feeling like I was missing something.
I give Missing Mabel 3 bookmarks. Now, there is a second book in this series coming out in February. Since I liked Hilde so much, I will most likely give this series another chance!
This book was released August 1. Order a copy here!
Missing Mabel by Nancy Mehl spooked me. In a good way, that is, considering that this book’s genre is a mystery/thriller. The book is exhilarating to read, and the characters are really absorbing and really likeable.
I like how the plot develop from one point to another, and I got easily affected by the characters inside Missing Mabel. I sympathized with the main character who was accused of stealing a ring from a dead body and was amused with the unexpected turns inside this book.
This is a good, quaint, mystery book. I rate this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. I recommend this book to those who love a little ‘hometown’ mystery that gives you the homey feeling.
What a treat! I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery. It's the best one I've read so far. The characters were delightful, the mystery complex yet not dark and the subplots all worked together to make a great reading meal. The story flowed, I was never bored and I identified lots with the heroine. I'm definitely going to buy some of Nancy Mehl's other mysteries.
I read this book several years ago and have been looking to try to find it again every since. So, so hilarious!!! Something that Christian fiction does not have enough of, laugh out loud funny books! I loved it. I gave it to my mother, which is why I haven't been able to find it to reread. Later, I wondered if it was a bad choice as my step-dad was dying of terminal cancer at the time and it is set in a funeral home ... but she loved it too! Not too grim, just super funny. I highly recommend.
This really is a delightful cozy mystery book! Hilde is working to style hair for funeral home clients. However, her observations are evident to her that one body is not who she is supposed to be! An interesting tidbit that I liked was when a character prayed before taking medication that God would use it to aid her wellness.
Missing Mabel is an enjoyable cozy mystery with several unusual twists. No one suspects a murder, yet another person dies and arson is committed in an effort to cover it up. Everyone is involved somehow, either in the commission, solving or unintended consequences. No odd fact goes to waste. Even though Mabel first appears in the funeral home, she is a sympathetic character.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Everything Hilde does is supported by her faith in God. What's a little thing like two different Mabels to stop a gal from making new friends, finding a boyfriend and repairing the distance between her mother and herself.
Good book! I’ve read some of Nancy Mehl’s more recent books, and I’ve got to say that they are better than this one. That being said, I enjoyed this. It had some twists and turns. One criticism is that the dialogue was a little weak. Everyone seemed to have a similar voice.
"Missing Mabel" is the first in the "Hometown Mysteries" and "Curl Up and Dye Mysteries" by Barbour Books. I was immediately drawn to the story because of my appreciation for the author as well as the publisher. Both have proven themselves when it comes to a good cozy mystery.
Hilde is the perfect heroine for a cozy. She is flawed but has just enough going for her to not appear to be a gigantic loser. Hilde is following a personal passion and ministry which involves being a hair stylist to the deceased. Having an aunt who actually did this for a time being early on in her own career as a hair stylist caused me to be further drawn in, yet also freaked out. As dear as Hilde explains it, I could still not do it.
The community involved in the story is remarkable. I immediately enjoyed the individuals in Hilde's circle from her landlady, Mrs. Hudson and other tenants in the boarding house to her neighbor across the way named Gabe. They each have their own quirks and oddities which adds a sweet interest into the background and foreground of Hilde's story.
Hilde herself is a bit of an eccentric and of course what more could you expect from a woman who makes a living doing the hair of the dead. She finds herself in several minor scrapes and of course the major scrape of realizing that her deceased client is not whom the funeral home believes she is. Are they trying to pull one over on the family? Is someone trying to pull one over on the funeral home? Hilde is not aware of who is doing what, but her own conscience and professionalism require her to say something. Her own love of mystery and the belief of doing what is right keeps her searching out the answers while also finding new questions along the way in her own life.
There is a faith-based component also to this mystery that I enjoyed. Hilde is a Christian and because she is, her faith becomes an important aspect of the book. Being a Christian, I can completely relate. My faith is an important part of my life as well. Hilde's faith is played out best in her love for others, and her love for her friends. She doesn't hide it from her friends but they do know where she stands.
Missing Mabel is the exact escape read I enjoy. The characters are engaging, the heroine is someone I relate to and would hang out with, and it takes place in a town that surprisingly I'd want to visit. Mehl makes Kansas sound like an absolute delight (what can I say, I love small towns). I am delighted to know that I can enjoy another book in this mystery series "Blown Away." I can't wait to get my hands on it.
PS The main character, Hilde loves SPAM the food product. Guess what? So do I. Well fried SPAM anyway. There is a recipe in the book, I just might try it. :)
Missing Mabel by Nancy Mehl is the first book in a great new series featuring Hilde Higgins. Hilde lives in a boarding house in small town Eden,Kansas where she is a hairdresser for the dearly departed (hey at least these clients wont complain). When Hilde is assigned to work on the corpse of Mabel Winnemaker she realizes that the corpse isn't Mabel, thru a blunder Hilde had already ummm met Mabel's corpse, so when she is assigned later to do Mabel's hair she realizes right away that the lady isn't Mabel. When she takes her suspicions to the funeral director, he totally refuses to listen and then later even accuses Hilde of trying to steal Mabel's diamond ring. Hilde is determined to get to the bottom of things and figure out just where Mabel really is. The author gives us a great cast of characters from the neighbor that runs the second hand store with the mysterious past, to the new love interest in Hilde's life that is a former classmate, as well as the lady who runs the boarding house who loves to mix up strangely concocted teas. I loved this book, Hilde is such a quirky character, she has an irrational fear of clowns, the color orange, loves to cook with spam and believes that her goldfish can wave at her. She also has a photographic memory that actually helps her solve the case of Mabel. Throughout this book the author lets us see Hilde's faith and its actually Hilde's christian belief of doing the right thing that spurs her into getting justice for the Mabel. I loved this book and recommend it to anyone looking for a great mystery that will also give you a few chuckles. I can't wait to read the next in this series!! Even though Netgalley provided me a copy of this book to review it in no way alters my opinion of this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Missing Mabel is a cozy mystery with a side of romance. The story would work without the love interest, which makes this novel outside of the genre I normally review.
But when I saw the product description on NetGalley, I thought the premise was too interesting not to pick up. I'm glad I gave it a chance because there are several things I absolutely loved about this book.
I loved the characterization. Hilde is an eccentric girl who wears purple streaks in her hair, has a deep rooted fear of clowns, and makes award winning fried SPAM. She is the proud owner of a waving gold fish and she sees dead people- daily.
I loved that for a cozy mystery, this book had surprising depth. Hilde has to confront some troubling events from her past and heal her relationship with her mother. The message of faith and forgiveness was perfectly applied, it grew naturally from the storyline and didn't appear heavy handed.
I loved the author's voice. This book was a quick, fun read.
The reason I'm book crushin' instead of book lovin' this novel is I found the climax of the story a little anti climatic. The ending just seemed like it was missing something to me. Hilde finally realizes she knows who the killer is and the following chapter cuts to a recap of how things turned out. I guess I hoped she'd get to confront the big baddie somewhere in between.
Overall, Missing Mabel was a couple of hours of easy entertainment and when I get the next urge to read a mystery, I won't hesitate to pick up another one of Nancy Mehl's books.
"Missing Mabel" is a premier story in the "Hometown Mysteries Series" by Nancy Mehl. Set in small-town Kansas, this humorous mystery revolves around the lead character, Hilde Higgins, a hair-dresser for funeral homes. Hilde knows that the person identified as Mabel Winnemaker is not the same body she previously viewed. But, when Hilde goes to the director of the funeral home, she is accused of stealing Mabel's diamond ring and using the alleged body switching as a distraction to cover her tracks. What follows is a fascinating story filled with humor, sadness, interesting characters and a search for faith. Hilde makes friends with the cantankerous older gentleman living across from her boarding house, re-connects with an old childhood friend, and rebuilds her relationship with her mother as she works to solve the mystery surrounding Mabel. Along the way, her faith in God is strengthened as she learns there is nothing you can't overcome with His help.
"Missing Mabel" is a treasure of a book and I highly recommend it to everyone.
The funeral home Hilde Higgins works for as a hairdresser is not in the habit of switching or loosing bodies. But when that's exactly what happens, Hilde promptly confronts the funeral home director and is accused of stealing the personal property of the deceased. Desperate to save her reputation and solve the mystery of the missing Mabel, she embarks on a journey to find the truth. Will an old beau be able to help her save her career? Or will the doer slip through the cracks?
This book was enjoyable from the very first page. Hilde has an unfortunate name, and the worst of luck when it comes to life - and love. Between her struggle with her interest in Adam, the "crazy" old man she tries to befriend, the strange happenings at the boardinghouse where she lives, and the chain of events that plague the funeral home, Hilde has her work cut out for her. It was a captivating mystery that kept me turning pages despite the predictable outcome.
I wanted to be a hairdresser for a fleeting moment until I realized I had no real talent for styling hair. Styling my own hair? Sure. But would someone pay me to do their hair? Probably not. What if I styled the hair of the deceased? Oh that’s a thought right? Wrong!!! Double wrong!!!
However, it did work for Hilde Higgins in Missing Mabel. I guess every one has to find a career specialty and Hilde found hers. She really didn't have to worry about disappointing her clients huh? I still couldn’t do it. **Shudder.**
The quirky heroine, the small-town setting with the equally quirky townspeople, along with a hint of romance made this a cozy mystery to savor. I’m soooo happy Barbour decided to publish these Hometown mystery series. I’m going to read every single one! I’m finishing Chris Well’s Nursing a Grudge . The curmudgeonly main character is a hoot!
I will have to keep this review short. I wasn't a fan of this one.
I enjoyed the first part of the book. It was a little on the preachy side, but the story itself was alright. I liked following her search for the missing cadaver. BUT I was beyond dissapointed in the ending, I felt like the author unfolded all the details of the mystery too quickly and some I couldn't recall really happening in the story. My final negative thought - at the conclusion I felt like the ending was dumbed down for the reader.
It was an easy read that was ok. I don't think I would pass this book off to anyone, I am sorry to say.
This book is so funny. I loved the humor througout along with a bit of romance. It is full of quirky characters, clumsy incidents that I can just imagin occuring, and a little bit of faith that is not overwhelmig to the story.
Hildeguard Bernadtte Higgins Hilde for short) is a hair dresser for the "dearly departed." When she realizes the woman she is to work on is not the real Mabel, she reports it to the funeral director and gets accused of stealing Mabel's diamond ring. Where is the real Mabel? Thus the mystery ensues.
The mystery does get wrapped up a bit quickly. I will be reading more from this author due the humor and entertainment provided from this quick read.
Just finished reading my first book by Nancy Mehl, Missing Mabel.
I enjoyed it. Light, quick Christian reading. A little mystery, a little romance, some humor. Can't ask for much more.
This is a story about a hair dresser who works with funeral homes to make the loved ones look the best they can before the viewing. She accidently gets involved in a mystery while fixing Mabel's hair and the book concludes with her solving the mystery.
This book was a true mystery using unique sleuths with unique settings, occupations, and characters. Second, but not least, it is a fine example of Christian literature. There is even a surprise recipe involved. I did not figure the complete story out until the author chose to reveal it.
Try Ms. Mehl's works, as she is a professional that should be recognized.
An easy read. Christian author w/ spiritual overtones. Story is about a hairdresser who works for funeral homes preparing people for their viewing and funeral. She suspects one of the bodies has been switched when the person she's working on doesn't quite match the picture. Cute book, not morbid.
I did like this book BUT it seemed slow to me at times. I also liked that I didn't know who the killer was in the first few chapters like many mysteries. In fact, I didn't know who did it and was surprised when I found out! I enjoyed the characters and the writing style of the author and would read again from her.
This was a surprisingly good little mystery. Nothing really revolutionary, and it's explicitly Christian (though not heavily -- you can decide for yourself whether that's a good or bad thing). I liked it.
This wasn't wasn't a horrible story but it wasn't great either, it just...was. out started off a better, then slowed down and then the ending seemed quite rushed. I had figured out some of the whodunit before it was revealed. I won't be in a hurry to read anymore of these.
This was such a funny book. Slightly reminiscent of #TheTroubleWithHarry in that a body was missing. I recently read two books by @thegooddeath that set the tone for a little mortuary humor. Perfect timing.
This was an enjoyable, undemanding read. I liked the characters but I did question the likelyhood of some elements of the plot. Probably give this 3.5 stars overall.