The Mad Hatter's Son (An Annie Collins Mystery #1) by Helen Starbuck

No Pity in Death #2 Review HERE!
The Burden of Hate #3 Review HERE!
Legacy of Secrets Review HERE!

Synopsis - 

Curiosity killed the cat, so the saying goes, and it may end up killing operating room nurse Annie Collins. Annie’s estranged friend Libby Matheisen needs Annie’s help to discover what is causing her vague, puzzling symptoms. Unwillingly drawn into her friend’s life, Annie must discover whether Libby is really ill or if there is a hidden agenda. 

Faced with Libby’s apparent suicide, Annie is unable to stop asking questions to uncover the truth about her illness and death. The answers to these questions don’t come without a price, and pursuing the mystery of Libby’s death threatens to end her life as well. Friends change, love betrays, and the end results are never what you anticipate. Find out why the BookLife Prize called The Mad Hatter’s Son “An outstanding debut,” and it was the winner of The National Indie Excellence Book Awards mystery category.

Review - 

This is my second book review for this author which is always interesting.  While the plot is very different, there is still that same feel in the way she creates characters.  The main character is very real and you follow along step by step, feeling what she feels and seeing what she sees. 

Here we have Annie, a nurse who is asked by a friend she has lost touch with to come and provide in home care.  She hasn't been well since her miscarriage and the doctors all think it's psychological and send her home with medicines.  Although Annie really does not want to do it - her preference is the ER Ward - she just can't seem to say no, something she instantly regrets it. Her friend has changed and is difficult to deal with.  And Annie can't seem to find anything wrong.  But there is that niggling doubt. 


Woven into this story, and ever circling around Annie, are four men - Libby's seemingly cold and distant husband Edward; Annie's sexy male neighbor Angel who she adores but keeps at arms length; a new love interest who wants her to stay out of the investigation and gets angry when she continues to pry; and a police detective who ends up warming to her help. This heat up when a former lover of Libby's is brutally beaten and dies. Then Libby dies - apparently from a suicide. Annie's guilt is enormous. Did she miss something? Could she have prevented this tragedy?

From this point on the danger and confusion builds, with little clues being dropped here and there as we move step by step to finding the killer. I have to admit I figured the plot out before the end, but still enjoyed reading to the very last page.  

Buy the Book: Amazon ~ Audible ~ B&N ~ BAM 

Meet the Author -

Previous Author Interview HERE!

Helen Starbuck is a Colorado native, former OR nurse, and award-winning author of the standalone romantic suspense novel Legacy of Secrets, and the Annie Collins Mystery Series. She loves mysteries, suspense, romance, and any book that is well written. She’s a huge fan of books with independent, strong, women characters and, as Neil Gaiman says, “…stories where women save themselves.”

Connect with the author: Website Facebook ~ Twitter ~Instagram ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads

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