The Mystery of Mercy Close

Product Information

Such a disappointing book. The pace of the story is too slow and there is so little action. Romance is light on the ground and there is little exploration of Helen Walsh's relationships, which is a pity as both Jay Parker (the ex) and Artie Devlin (the current one) are interesting characters. There wasn't enough involvement by Mammy Walsh, who would have added some humour to a humourless story. When her ex Jay Parker comes offering her a job, Helen doesn’t want to take it. But Jay’s money is too good and Helen desperately needs the work. Jay is putting together a reunion of one of Ireland’s most popular boybands and one of the members, Wayne Diffney has disappeared without a trace. Wayne was reluctant to take part in the reunion concert but he swore he’d be there and now with just a week to go there’s no sign of him. Jay wants Helen to find Wayne and find him fast – there’s a lot of money riding on this and a lot of people stand to lose big time if the tour gets canned. It is a list of all the people and things I hate so much that I want to hit them in the face with a shovel.” Oh, I am shamefully intolerant, especially anything to do with noise. I swear I can hear the grass grow. Youths seem to follow me around and sit beside me on the bus, with their horrible head-phones blasting out the most irritating tinny sounds or worse still, something with a heavy bassline that makes everything vibrate. Also, I am wildly annoyed by the smell of cheap scented candles, vanilla is the very worse. And people who say “Pacifically” when they mean “Specifically.” I should really stop now – I’m starting to sound like a horrible person, when I’m not really – I’ll just say one more thing: celery. I cannot abide it! Or people who say, “Sweet potato wedges are just as delicious as ordinary potato wedges, but with a third fewer calories.” Because sweet potato wedges are not as delicious as ordinary potato wedges – I don’t mind making a deliberate decision to try and consume less calories by eating the sweet potato wedges, but I do resent being taken for a fool. Really, I’d better leave it at that…

I should never have underestimated Marian Keyes, though, because we've finally gotten Helen's story and she is real, believable, and completely sympathetic while still being the slightly dangerous, unpredictable Helen we've come to know, love and fear (just a little). I wouldn’t mind – I mean, this is the sheer irony of the thing – but I’m the only person I know who doesn’t think it would be delicious to go into ‘someplace’ for ‘a rest’. You’d want to hear my sister Claire going on about it, as if waking up one morning and finding herself in a mental hospital would be the most delightful experience imaginable. Fans everywhere were eagerly awaiting the return of Marian Keyes and her latest book, The Mystery Of Mercy Close, and we weren’t disappointed This book not only sees the return of one of the greatest authors around, but also the return of The Walsh sisters, and in this particular book, focusing on Helen.Keyes divides her life into before and after recovery. “Once I did go through rehab and admit the game was up, things were possible for me: healthy relationships, a career, honest, authentic friendships.” In what reads like the outline of a Keyes novel, four months before she gave up drinking she wrote a short story and sent it to a publisher on a whim; the year after she left rehab her first novel, Watermelon, was published, and she got married at 32. (Her husband Tony Baines – “He’s lovely!” – looks after everything that comes with being an internationally bestselling author.) I write about women being sexual past the 40 watershed, when we’re supposed to shut up shop Helen has a nice boyfriend, but their relationship is complicated by an ex-wife that still comes and goes like she still lives with him and his three children. Keyes always writes a happy ending, “because you can’t depend on real life to do it for you”. After her father died of Alzheimer’s in 2018 she “mainlined” Mills & Boon novels. And she doesn’t think upbeat conclusions are “entirely unrealistic”; it’s just a question of timing. “In every life we have ups and downs, times of awfulness and hopelessness and then things sort of come together for a while. I always like to finish at the good bits.”

I have so much respect and admiration for the empathy, warmth and sensitivity in her books. This is most obvious when dealing with more difficult topics, in this case depression. But it also shines through in her characters and it's a real joy to read something so non-judgemental. The reader is never looking down or looking up at the characters. You're right on the ground with them and it makes all the difference.I wish more authors I read had this skill

Videos

It was not all doom and gloom. I found the writing to be alive with emotion, evoking tears and laughter alike. Marian puts you right in the moment. The romance was subtle but effective. The intimate scenes were so sexy, and exactly to my tastes. It makes me so happy that Helen has a beautiful man. Mammy Walsh has to be this series biggest highlight, she is so hysterical. There was also the most beautiful moment of her taking care of Helen, I was a mess. Not to mention another memorable messy moment when Helens therapist saves the day (her). You can stay for a few days,’ Mum conceded. ‘But be warned. We might want to sell this house and go on a Caribbean cruise.’ During one of the rehearsals for the Laddz reunion show, Helen thinks she sees Zeezah touch Roger St. Leger in an inappropriate way. What was your impression of Zeezah’s reaction when Helen confronts her? She loved writing the group therapy sessions in both novels. “Having gone through rehab myself, it was one of the happiest times of my life in a bizarre way. The bonds that you form with the people in your group, the other walking wounded … we were all trying to help each other. It was actually very beautiful. I wanted to bring that same camaraderie and humanity to the new book.”

She says I’m abnormally, almost psychotically, contrary. And right enough, it does seem to be my way. I don’t say this for any reason other than to explain why I bonded so much with this story. I'm a glass half empty person, I am big enough and ugly enough now to accept that, and try to be positive to the best of my ability. I have always had mental health challenges, it runs in my family (thanks Dad). I have never considered suicide, but I can certainly relate to times when I haven’t wanted to be alive. If these are feelings you would rather not read about than this is not the book for you.I have read a couple of books about the Walsh family series (my favourite so far is ) and find them funny but poignant - Mammy Walsh is hilarious! Weeeeell. Kind people . . . soft, welcoming hands . . . whispering voices . . . white bed-linen, white sofas, white orchids, everything white . . .’ This is the fifth, and final (?) of Keyes' Walsh family series, dealing with youngest sister, Helen. Like its predecessors it is written in first person narrative, and like the others it has a darker underlying message.

The Mystery of Mercy Close is told in 71 brief chapters, detailing events that took place over the course of six days. Why did you choose to structure the novel this way? That’s a tough question to answer because I write intuitively rather than logically – I tell a story first and then overlay a structure at the end. (And it’s something I agonise about. I can’t tell you the number of conversations I’ve had with my husband when I’ve put my face in my hands and wailed, “But how am I going to structure it?” And he always says, “Just write it and you can worry about the arrangement at the end.” And he’s always been right.) And some lovely wafty nurse will cancel all our appointments,’ Claire said. ‘She’ll tell everyone to leave us alone. She’ll tell all the ungrateful bastards that we’re having a nervous breakdown and it was their fault and they’ll have to be a lot nicer to us if we ever come out again.’ I loved this book. The story is interesting on several levels. The investigation into Wayne’s disappearance brings mystery and action. The host of characters in Helen’s life provide entertainment, smiles and laugh-out-loud moments. And her struggle with depression gives both Helen’s character and the book depth and the reader food for thought. Eventually Claire said, ‘I’m not talking about a psychiatric hospital. Just a place you’d go for . . . a rest.’Joyful. Keyes' clever way with words and extraordinary wit. People stared at me as I laughed to myself' C.L. Taylor I love Marian Keyes. I’d read that woman’s grocery list. I’ve read (and adored) all her novels but the Walsh sister’s books are my favourites, in particular Rachel’s Holiday and Anybody Out There?. This is the fifth and final Walsh sister book, the story of the youngest sister Helen, a periphery but forceful character in the previous books. Helen was well known for her sharp tongue and even Keyes herself mentioned in interviews she was frightened of writing Helen’s story because she is such a formidable character, even in books that weren’t about her. However Helen’s story is finally here and I regarded it with equal parts excitement and anticipation. Would I be able to like Helen as a protagonist? Besides the Walshes, the other secondary characters are wonderfully drawn, especially Bella, one of her boyfriend's children. Speaking of boyfriends, I wasn't sure until the very near the end who exactly Helen was going to end up with. Marian really had me worried a number of times.