The Mystery of Mercy Close (Walsh Family, #5)

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The Mystery of Mercy Close (Walsh Family #5)

3.64 of 5 stars 3.64 · rating details · 2,313 ratings · 455 reviews

Helen Walsh doesn’t believe in fear – it’s just a thing invented by men to get all the money and good job – and yet she’s sinking. Her work as a Private Investigator has dried up, her flat has been repossessed and now some old demons have resurfaced.

Not least in the form of her charming but dodgy ex-boyfriend Jay Parker, who shows up with a missing persons case. Money is t...more

Paperback, Advanced Readers Copy, 508 pages

Published September 13th 2012 by Michael Joseph (first published 2012)

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Nov 05, 2012 Lisa marked it as to-read

Yay!! The Walsh family are my favourite!! Please let it be amazing!!!

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Sep 13, 2012 Bree T rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit, favorites, arc, crime, mystery, series, women-s-fiction

Private investigator Helen Walsh is going through a rough patch. The economic downturn means that no one has the money to hire PI’s anymore. The sort of business that once kept her income steady has dried up and now Helen has had almost all of her possessions repossessed and had to move out of her beloved flat and back in with her parents.

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 putti...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Su rated it 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely adore Marian Keyes' wriying style. Most of her books have centered on the Irish Walsh family and their five daughters. This book was all about Helen Walsh who has resorted to being a private detective to make ends meet. At the same time as being hilariously funny, it also manages to descibe the terror of living with depression. She has nailed the stultifying blackness and aloneness that depression casts on its' victims. But she also has such a wonderful way of describing characters....more

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Nov 29, 2012 Megan Readinginthesunshine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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.

Marian Keyes has to be praised for doing a fantastic job in highlighting mental health and depression. It seems to be something that isn’t addressed as much as it should be, and Marian Keyes has...more 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.

Marian Keyes has to be praised for doing a fantastic job in highlighting mental health and depression. It seems to be something that isn’t addressed as much as it should be, and Marian Keyes has not only just highlighted it, but she has given her many readers a big insight into what life is like with mental health, not only adding a lot of depth to the story but a lot of knowledge too. As someone who has relations who suffer with mental health, I really loved that Marian Keyes has had the courage to write about this, and I think this book could help change opinions on mental health, and help towards acceptance and a wider knowledge of these serious issues.

I loved the writing style of the book, it was almost as if Helen was sat chatting and narrating her life so far in front of me. as I’ve mentioned before, in the book it is discovered that Helen has previously suffered with depression and is living in fear of being hit by it again. Helen is brilliantly written as a character, she has a lot of depth and through her narrative we slowly learn about her background, her personality and we are given an insight into the world of Helen and what life is like for her.

I enjoyed learning about Wayne.Throughout the story we slowly discover little bits about Wayne and all of these pieces put together help us to build up a picture of him. I loved the mystery of Wayne, it was gripping, it was interesting and it had me keen to find out what had happened to him.

Even though there is focus on mental health and depression, this is not a sad book. There are some funny moments, and Helen’s personality and the way she describes the world makes you warm to her instantly. There are many humourous moments throughout, with a cast of likeable characters around Helen.

Marian Keyes has written a book that truly gets the message across to its readers. It is an engaging story that has many layers throughout. It is great to see Marian Keyes back!(less)

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May 21, 2013 Bibliojunkies rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have loved Marian Keyes since I first read Sushi For Beginners. After that I read Watermelon the first book that introduced me to the Walshes, a funny, dysfunctional Irish family. Since then, I’ve read the subsequent books each featuring a different Walsh sister. Then I had to suffer through a long wait before The Mystery Of Mercy Close finally came out.

This one features the youngest Walsh sister, Helen, who is perhaps the most hilarious of them. She’s in her early 30’s, has her own detective...more I have loved Marian Keyes since I first read Sushi For Beginners. After that I read Watermelon the first book that introduced me to the Walshes, a funny, dysfunctional Irish family. Since then, I’ve read the subsequent books each featuring a different Walsh sister. Then I had to suffer through a long wait before The Mystery Of Mercy Close finally came out.

This one features the youngest Walsh sister, Helen, who is perhaps the most hilarious of them. She’s in her early 30’s, has her own detective agency and “happily” seeing someone. Life goes pretty well for a while until she ends up losing her precious flat because she has defaulted on her mortgage payments. She then has to move back in with her parents. To make matters more confusing, her current beau Artie gets on so amicably with his ex that she’s always over at his place. A little overwhelmed, strapped for cash and feeling the need to have something to focus on so she doesn’t feel like such the loser, she takes on the case of pop star, Wayne Diffney, who has gone missing just days before a massive reunion tour. This should be no problem. Helen has a peculiar way of looking at things and she’s proud of it so it shouldn't take her long to solve this case. The real problem is that she has been hired by her ex-boyfriend Jay, who has a huge stake in the band. Working together is not exactly her idea of fun but she puts up with him. Hey, if you're broke and been reduced to living with your parents, you can't exactly complain...too much.

So how does she cope with her current situation? She fixates on the case. She develops a kinship with the mysterious Wayne whom she’s never met finding some distorted sense of comfort by crashing in his flat at Mystery Close every night.

The thing I love about Marian Keyes is that she gives each of her characters a distinct personality. Helen is one sarcastic, witty, dry-humored gal who has serious people issues. She basically has no filter and only a few people get her. She has the kind of abrasive bluntness about her that I sometimes wish I could have. Her random irrational quirks such as her disdain for hot drink, love of somber-looking wall paint colors and her use of a "shovel list" to keep track of things that annoy her, only make her more of a curiosity. After only getting glimpses of her in the previous books, I was so happy to get a full dosage of Helen’s craziness. But as with all Marian Keyes books, there is a darker side to all her stories. Helen is very slow to accept that she suffers from depression though it’s glaringly apparent to the reader. The motions she goes through including the things she latches on to are comical at first until you realize how much she’s struggling. Don’t worry though because Keyes with her typical panache cleverly balances Helen’s idiosyncrasies with light-hearted moments.

Any fan of Marian Keyes, particularly the Walsh Sisters series will recognize the formula she employs here. Does that make it bad or predictable? Not in the least. There's plenty aside from Helen's personal troubles such as the mystery of Wayne's disappearance and the introduction to the rest of the bandmates and their bizarre behaviors to keep things interesting and send you into fits and giggles. So was The Mystery Of Mercy Close worth the wait? Yes, it most definitely was!

~ Bel
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May 20, 2013 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

Marian Keyes is one of my favourite authors. However i'm not so sure if it is a good idea to get to know an author and then try and read their books.

The Mystery of Mercy Close follows the story of the youngest Walsh sister, Helen. Having read all of Marian's other books, all of the other Walsh sisters already have their own book. Helen pops up in them, so you know her, just not intimately. I had been hanging out for Marian to write Helen's story as I LOVED all of her other books involving the Wa...more Marian Keyes is one of my favourite authors. However i'm not so sure if it is a good idea to get to know an author and then try and read their books.

The Mystery of Mercy Close follows the story of the youngest Walsh sister, Helen. Having read all of Marian's other books, all of the other Walsh sisters already have their own book. Helen pops up in them, so you know her, just not intimately. I had been hanging out for Marian to write Helen's story as I LOVED all of her other books involving the Walsh family.

To be honest, i was disappointed. And i really didn't want to be. I don't want to be. It makes me sad that i am because i have absolutely adored all of her other books. One book even helped me to deal with some issues in my own life.

As a stand alone book, it is a great story. It's really enjoyable, good for a laugh and deals with some hard things in life that a lot of people are afraid to talk about. However as the last Walsh sister's book, i felt it fell short. It was good, however i think it could have been AMAZING.

Also i understand that a lot of authors write from their own experiences (not all) however i felt like i was reading Marian's story rather than Helen's. Everything that she had been through in the past couple of years came out in this book (and i know this because i have read her newsletters and i follow her on Twitter). I also felt like the Helen in this book wasn't the same Helen in the other books. I know that the other books were from the other sister's perspectives and Helen wasn't a main character but nothing of what came across in those books, came across in this book. And i know that when you suffer from depression, it alters you, so Helen wouldn't be exactly the same, however it felt too much like Marian and not Helen.

I also felt that even though the book talked a lot about depression, there wasn't as much depth as there is in her other books, which also bring up serious issues such as alcoholism. I cared about what happened to Helen, however i didn't experience any other emotions. In her other books i've loved, hated, screamed at, cried with etc. whereas this one i barely felt a single emotion. My husband pointed out that maybe she wrote it that way on purpose because depression doesn't necessarily mean you are sad. Like in the book, to some it feels like you are in a constant out of body experience, detached from yourself and everyone around you. I don't know.

I feel that if the main character in this book was not a Walsh sister, especially the last Walsh sister, i wouldn't have minded so much. I've just been anticipating Helen's story for so long that to have it fall short, well it is a great disappointment.

There was also a little bit of sex in the book. It wasn't too explicit, except for one scene, which made me really uncomfortable. It was so out of the blue. And then it ended and there was nothing like it again. It was almost as if the book was written and then the publishers said, "There's no proper sex scene in it. People want sex. Write in a sex scene." It didn't flow at all. Now, i don't enjoy reading books with sex in them, however i feel that someone who didn't care would agree with me that it seemed a bit disjointed.

Even though i don't feel as a stand alone book, this is her best, it is still enjoyable. And if this is the first book your read by Marian Keyes, and you find it's not a great book, give her another chance and read one of her older books.

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May 19, 2013 Kristen Wells rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was my least favorite of the series so far, but its still a Marian Keyes book and therefore worth the buy/read.... I like Helen as a background character, but think she's totally unrelateable as a main character. Keyes writes her as an emotionally shallow, awkward person....and it is reflected in the book. The story (which revolves largely around Helen's depression) comes off as emotionally superficial, remote and like reading a clinical journal article rather than a first person (so to spe...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Faith rated it 2 of 5 stars

Marian Keyes is back on so are the Walsh sisters. Some year ago (many years ago by now) I complained about one of Marian's books and wished she would write more about the Walshes, that is, the mysterious Anna and Helen. I wanted to know who those weirdos REALLY were. Now both those books have been written and both have been disappointments. Anna's Anybody Out There? was clearly only just very average, because I barely remember what it was about, who Anna really was. And now Helen, the private in...more Marian Keyes is back on so are the Walsh sisters. Some year ago (many years ago by now) I complained about one of Marian's books and wished she would write more about the Walshes, that is, the mysterious Anna and Helen. I wanted to know who those weirdos REALLY were. Now both those books have been written and both have been disappointments. Anna's Anybody Out There? was clearly only just very average, because I barely remember what it was about, who Anna really was. And now Helen, the private investigator. I suppose when Marian made up the characters of Anna and Helen, she didn't intend to write about them as more than Claire's crazy sisters. So she didn't make it easy for her to write about them at this later state. Whenever did she make Helen a private investigator?

I have a feeling Marian didn't mind one bit that Helen was a private investigator. I think writing a mystery novel was one of her secret dreams. So she went for it. I believe her research was thorough one again, as it always is. I don't want to fault her for that. But somehow it's not believable, that a girl like one of the Walsh becomes a PI. I'm not a fan of mystery stories, detective stories, crime fiction, all that unrealistic "crap" that I don't understand the appeal of because it's so far from the real world, and when it is the real world it is a horrible such.

So my expectations weren't high when I read the title of Marian's latest book. But I had to read it just because it was Marian and a Walsh novel. The main story is that Helen is a PI hired to solve the mystery of Mercy Close, that is, the perseverance of Wayne Diffney, member of the boyband The Ladz about to do some reunion gigs. So it's not enough to introduce the world of private investigators, we also get the celebrity world. The dark sides of it, but still.

The other story is about Helen suffering from depression. So there is some serious stuff buried under all that mystery crap. When focusing on Helen, the book becomes quite engaging at times. Someone below mentioned that it never became quite clear why Helen was depressed. Now that I think about it, that was indeed not spelled out. I would guess it being her life lacking a purpose and he having few friends. And this time around it is triggered by the economic depression that has hit Ireland. Helen has lost all her clients, has no money and therefore looses her dear flat. So that way it is definitely a current story about today's Ireland.

But all this just isn't enough. Marian hasn't reached her former greatness in a while. Apparently she used up her own life in he three first books, and research just never is the same. But all the same, I will probably always read every novel Marian publishes, because if nothing else, they are light reading and they always have their funny moments and a little serious buried beneath the rest. (less)

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Apr 20, 2013 Lily rated it 2 of 5 stars

So disappointing. I love Marian Keyes and I love the Walsh sisters. Granted, I haven't loved each and every one of Marian Keyes's books, but when she gets it right her books are amazing: the perfect blend of silly chick-lit shallowness (lots of talk about shopping, fashion, being irresponsible with money, etc) and the harsh reality of addiction, depression, abuse, and so on. I had to force myself to finish this book, which makes it better than Angels which I couldn't bring myself to finish. But...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Cheryl rated it 1 of 5 stars

Helen Walsh is a private investigator. Luckily Helen is a little better at solving crimes as she sucks when it comes to taking care of her personal life. Helen finds herself moving back in with her parents. Helen does have a boyfriend but his children don’t like her much.

Helen gets a new case. She is asked to locate the missing Wayne Diffney from the band, Laddz. There is just one slight catch. The client hiring Helen is her ex, Jay.

This is my first introduction to Marian Keyes and the Walsh Si...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Jennifer Joyce rated it 5 of 5 stars

Private Investigator Helen Walsh's life is coming apart at the seams; her cases are non-existent, her mortgage payments are in arrears and she can feel herself slipping into depression. She's moved out of the flat she loves and back into the family home and then, as though her situation isn't bad enough, Helen's ex shows up.

Helen hasn't seen Jay Parker since they broke up a year ago but he's back with an urgent case for Helen to solve. As manager of 90s boyband Laddz, Jay Parker is responsible f...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Allie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have been waiting for Helen Walsh's story for a long time. I started to think it wouldn't be written, simply because it couldn't be written. How was Helen ever going to come off as a real, let alone sympathetic, character when she was so snarky and over-the-top in all her guest appearances? That was half the fun of the other Walsh books--waiting for Helen to show up and say something wildly inappropriate and insensitive. But could she sustain a whole book?

I should never have underestimated Mar...more I have been waiting for Helen Walsh's story for a long time. I started to think it wouldn't be written, simply because it couldn't be written. How was Helen ever going to come off as a real, let alone sympathetic, character when she was so snarky and over-the-top in all her guest appearances? That was half the fun of the other Walsh books--waiting for Helen to show up and say something wildly inappropriate and insensitive. But could she sustain a whole book?

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).

As usual from Marian Keyes, this book has laugh out loud funny moments (particularly Mammy Walsh's description of a pop star's dance moves...I won't give it away, just trust) and the slow reveal of the main character's personal trauma that lies in the background. Helen still has her edge, but she has been softened by what she has experienced and that is what makes her work as a character. And Keyes is still the best at describing and depicting emotion so that you almost feel it right along with the character. This is especially true in her last Walsh book, Anybody Out There, but true for this one as well.

The mystery is not as mysterious as fans may want if they are also hard-core mystery readers. But anyone who has dealt with depression or grief on any level will recognize that what is obvious in your clear moments is NOT obvious when you are dealing with the crap attention span, brain fog and memory issues that go hand in hand with mental illness. I thought it was very realistic that it took awhile for the dime to drop for Helen even though she had the clues fairly early. So that didn't bother me at all.

One thing that did keep me guessing throughout was how the love story was going to pan out. At one point there was enough of a complication pile-on that I just could not see how Keyes was ever going to resolve everything. But she did, and Mercy Close has one of the most satisfying endings of all her books. I am still a huge fan and dying to read her next. 4.5 stars.(less)

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Jan 09, 2013 Kaye Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Private investigator, Helen Walsh, has no work; her precious flat’s been taken over by the bank, and she’s back living with her parents. Sunk in the deepest of dark depressions, she’s offered a job by her dodgy ex-boyfriend, Jay parker. Although she’d sooner slither around the dance floor with a highly venomous snake than have anything to do with him, her circumstances leave her with no choice but to accept.
Boy band Laddz has a sell-out comeback gig looming. Wayne Diffney, one of their key membe...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Heidi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Marian Keyes fans will be familiar with the Walsh family's youngest daughter, Helen (the mean, nasty one). After all these years Helen finally gets her own book, and it's a good one. (Thank you, Marian Keyes, for writing a good one! After the last few disappointing books I had almost given up hope.)

Helen is a private detective who has fallen on hard times, along with the rest of Ireland and the rest of the recession-hit world. Times are so bad that Helen can't pay her mortgage and has had to mo...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Luanne Ollivier rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Irish writer Marian Keyes is a best selling author on both sides of the pond. I quite enjoyed her last book - The Brightest Star in the Sky.

So I picked up her latest novel - The Mystery of Mercy Close, expecting another fun read.

Helen Walsh couldn't find a job she could stick with until she got her private investigator's license. But jobs are hard to come by lately and her finances are suffering. So much so, that she's lost her job and has had to move back home with her parents. The one bright...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Joanna rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am a huge fan of marian Keyes writing. She writes strong women, brilliant dialogue which is funny, witty, serious and sexy when it needs to be. And she always addresses real issues which aren't usually found in the chick lit genre.

In the mystery of mercy Close she writes about depression in the context of a detective mystery. There is also exploration of romance and family relationships.

I enjoyed reading this but sometimes it felt a little too flippant on depression although I know that Keyes...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Bec rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit, whodunnit, favourites

I truly enjoy a good Marian Keyes book, and this rates right up there with my favourites. Another fabulous Walsh sister book - this time Helen, who I must admit I've had a soft spot for all through the other books. Her caustic sense of humour has enlivened the books of each of the other sisters.

The Walsh sister books, in particular, have felt like they were very close to Marian's heart with tales full of deeply personal loves, fears and events. This book was no exception. It's no secret that the...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Marleen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Helen is the youngest of the Walsh sisters and going through a bit of a rough spot. Working as a private investigator was great while the economy was up, but now that the Celtic Tiger has gone and died there just isn’t any work available. And no work means no income which means no money to pay the bills. Months behind on her mortgage, with her electricity cut off and most of her furniture repossessed, Helen leaves her apartment and moves back in with her parents. Her six month long relationship...more Helen is the youngest of the Walsh sisters and going through a bit of a rough spot. Working as a private investigator was great while the economy was up, but now that the Celtic Tiger has gone and died there just isn’t any work available. And no work means no income which means no money to pay the bills. Months behind on her mortgage, with her electricity cut off and most of her furniture repossessed, Helen leaves her apartment and moves back in with her parents. Her six month long relationship with Artie is good, and Artie is everything she could wish for in a man except that he comes with three children and an ex-wife he is still very (too) cosy with. When she receives a phone call from an ex-boyfriend, Jay Parker, Helen’s first instinct is to ignore it. But Jay has a job for her. He wants her to find Wayne Diffney, the Wacky One from boyband Laddz. Laddz is about to make a big comeback but with Wayne missing the whole project is at risk and Helen is Jay’s last hope of finding the missing man without involving the authorities and triggering unwanted publicity.
An active investigation to keep her busy is just what Helen needs. She is sliding into a deep depression and is finding it hard to keep herself going. Investigating Wayne’s disappearance is keeping Helen’s mind of her own despair, most of the time, but the man has managed to vanish without a trace and his house on Mercy Close doesn’t produce any useful clues. Strangely enough the house does attract Helen. In fact she feels completely at home there and finds herself spending a lot of time in Wayne’s world. It is strange that in her life filled with people all wanting a piece of her, Helen feels closest to the one person she has never met, who is missing and who she can’t seem to find.

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.

I really liked the way this book was written. It is as if Helen Walsh is sitting across from the reader and narrating her life. She just talks away, at times hopping from subject to subject as people do in conversations, without ever losing her thread. She is brutally honest about herself and her shortcomings, which are plenty. While she never tries to make herself look nice or sympathetic I couldn’t help but like Helen.

I admire the way Marian Keyes dealt with the issue of depression in this book. Such a subject matter could easily turn a story into a dark and hard to read narrative, but Keyes managed to avoid that. Helen’s descriptions of her struggles with depression are both heartbreaking and funny at the same time. It is very easy for the reader to feel and/or imagine her despair. On the other hand, because Helen is looking back on events she can tell her story in such a way that actions, thoughts and feelings make you smile, despite their darkness.
The fact that Marian Keyes has had to battle depression herself means that she can tell this story from first hand experience. Her description of how others deal with somebody who suffers from depression is as accurate and heartbreaking as it is amusing. She completely gets how illogical a depressed person’s thoughts can get. This becomes very clear when Helen, despite her urge to kill herself, finds she is very afraid of one character in the story who might actually threaten her life.

The thing that put the biggest smile on my face while reading this book was Helen’s “Shovel List”:

“ 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.”

I haven’t read all of Marian Keyes previous books, but of the ones I have read this one is by far my favourite. It is a well written book with funny and life-like characters and a perfect balance between light relief and dark moments. All I can say is: read this book and enjoy!
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May 17, 2013 Natasha Gj rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reseñados-en-nanny-books, 2013

Después de estar media hora buscando una forma correcta de empezar a escribir la reseña, ya saben una introducción al tema, decidí que más valía seguir siendo yo que así me había ido genial siempre, ¿no es cierto? Pues bien, me he preparado como Helen, pero en vez de tirarme en la alfombra, me he recostado en mi sofá. Y aquí estoy. Así que empecemos.
Helen Walsh posee un pasado problemático y eso la hace única, aunque al parecer ya estaba así de loca desde chica. Con un trabajo genial, aunque ell...more Después de estar media hora buscando una forma correcta de empezar a escribir la reseña, ya saben una introducción al tema, decidí que más valía seguir siendo yo que así me había ido genial siempre, ¿no es cierto? Pues bien, me he preparado como Helen, pero en vez de tirarme en la alfombra, me he recostado en mi sofá. Y aquí estoy. Así que empecemos.
Helen Walsh posee un pasado problemático y eso la hace única, aunque al parecer ya estaba así de loca desde chica. Con un trabajo genial, aunque ella opine lo contrario, es investigadora privada. Pero no a lo Sherlock Holmes, más bien a lo policial negro, sin tenerle miedo a cavar un pozo en el medio del campo para espiar a un tipo que hace fraude... ¡Aunque se tenga que quedar ahí tres días, sin comida y sin poder ir al baño! Hay algo en este personaje que automáticamente me cayó bien. Tal vez sea que siempre dice lo que piensa, aunque sea absolutamente absurdo o peligroso. Con un carisma increíble y con un gusto un tanto raro, lleva una vida tranquila y estable hasta que la recesión inunda Irlanda. Amo ese país desde Artemis Fowl, así que me ha encantado el escenario. Sin amigas, aunque dice que eso no es culpa suya. Helen se queda sin oficina, sin departamento, sin luz, sin cable, sin poder pagar la hipoteca y sin trabajo. Con deudas hasta el techo, recoge lo poco que tiene y regresa a la casa de sus padres. Una familia muy especial pero a la vez tan normal que parece real. Y es que los Walsh no se llevan muy bien que digamos, pero son familia, así que ya saben, se aguantan.
A pesar de su forma de ser, a Helen le va genial en el amor. Tiene un novio super guapísimo, todo un diez, llamado Artie Devlin. Pero éste viene con equipaje... No estoy hablando de eso, hablo de sus tres hijos. Y de su ex esposa que siempre anda metida en la casa dando ordenes. ¿Cómo lo soporta? No lo sé, yo ya me hubiera encargado de esa bruja... Le hubiera mandado al matón de Harry Gilliam.
Hundida en la desesperación, aparece Jay Parker, el ex novio de Helen, un sex symbol encantador con el cual tuvo un abrupto y terrible final. ¿Qué pasó entre estos dos? Será un enigma durante toda la novela, hasta el final. Pero el caso es que Jay, a quien adoro igual que lo hace Mami Walsh, le trae un misterio para que resuelva. ¡Con paga doble! Así que luego de interesarse, ella acepta.
Los Laddz, un grupo de pop irlandés famosísimo en los años noventa que luego tocó fondo, va a reunirse para un concierto especial, el cual deberá ser sensacional. A pesar de que ya se han comenzado a vender entradas, y que el productor, que viene a ser Jay, ha encargado merchandising para una década, a ocurrido una desaparición que podría provocar una terrible desgracia en el grupo. ¡Wayne Diffner ha desaparecido! O lo han raptado o se ha muerto... O lo que sea que le haya pasado. El papel de Wayne en la banda de pop era hacer de excéntrico, con un peinado raro y una actitud de escándalo. Nada glamouroso, por lo cual su desaparición se hace más problemática. ¿Podrá Helen encontrarlo? ¿Antes del megaconcierto que es en pocos días? ¡Eso tendrás que descubrirlo leyendo!

"El recibidor estaba pintado de Gangrena, la escalera de Agonía y el salón -si no andaba equivocada- de Ballena Muerta. Colores que contaban con mi plena aprobación."

A medida que nos vamos internando en este mundo que ha creado Keyes, nos reconfortamos con algunos datos del pasado de la protagonista, recuerdos o frases simples, que poco a poco le dan más carácter y relieve a la estructura. El final de la novela ha sido perfecto. Uno se va imaginando muchas soluciones posibles a medida que la historia avanza, pero nada, absolutamente nada, te prepara para lo que ocurre. ¡Era tan simple pero tan difícil! Obviamente solo Helen, que lo conoce todo por experiencia propia, podría haberlo resuelto.
El tema central que más resalta es la depresión. Helen no sabía qué era y jamás pensó que llegaría a tenerla. Pero una vez que le tocó a la puerta, se instaló en su vida. Con dos intentos de suicidio, terminó con una estadía en un hospital psiquiátrico. Y si bien se recuperó y jamás pensó en que podría volver a lo mismo, parece que ahora está intentando entrar a su mente por una ventana. O al menos eso piensa luego de haber visto a los cuervos... Los cuales de seguro eran en realidad gaviotas, porque no hay cuervos en Irlanda, ¿verdad?.
Tanto el personaje de Helen como el final de la novela han sido sumamente ricos en detalles y argumentos. Muy creativa se ha portado Marian Keyes con la elaboración de la familia Walsh. ¿En qué o en quiénes se habrá inspirado? Como un gran abanico, esta historia se abre con muchos pliegues El humor, un tanto ácido, estalla en las páginas. La extravagancia de la protagonista te induce a seguir leyendo. El misterio necesita una solución. Y la depresión tiene que tener una cura.
Con más de quinientas páginas de puro entretenimiento, un par de suspiros, muchas carcajadas y una o dos escenas picantes, Helen no puede dormir te dejará con más ganas de aventuras.
--Reseñado primero en mi blog Nanny Books--
http://nannybooks.blogspot.com.ar/201...(less)

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Apr 28, 2013 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: funny

What a book. I really enjoy Marian Keyes' writing, and despite the sad subject matter at times, and the terrible depression MK herself was suffering from during the writing, the book remained fairly light and hilarious at times. (I learned about MK's depression from her blog...just to be clear.)

Anyway, the mystery of Wayne and Helen's detective process were both fascinating, and I was mostly kept guessing until the end. And more than that, this was a very insightful, even raw treatment of depres...more

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Jan 11, 2013 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

I found this incredibly hard to get into - for about the first half of the book I was so bored with Helen's investigations, which seemed to involve a lot of pointless scenes/conversations in which absolutely nothing was established. If it wasn't for my loyalty to Marian Keyes, who I love even though her books are a bit hit-and-miss for me, I would've put it down and moved on to something else. But I persevered, and by the end of it I got into it and ended up enjoying it.

I think part of the probl...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Annie rated it 4 of 5 stars

It’s a while since I read a book by Marian Keyes, and for the first 100 pages this one just didn’t pull me in: I felt I was missing something in the way of background on the Walsh family, and wished I’d followed the tip of downloading to Kindle Mammy Walsh’s A-Z Guide. But once the story gets going, the background really doesn’t matter. Helen Walsh, the youngest daughter of the family, is a private investigator who has fallen on hard times – and at the same time, is struggling with depression an...more It’s a while since I read a book by Marian Keyes, and for the first 100 pages this one just didn’t pull me in: I felt I was missing something in the way of background on the Walsh family, and wished I’d followed the tip of downloading to Kindle Mammy Walsh’s A-Z Guide. But once the story gets going, the background really doesn’t matter. Helen Walsh, the youngest daughter of the family, is a private investigator who has fallen on hard times – and at the same time, is struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide. Then her ex-boyfriend Jay offers her a well-paying job to track down Wayne Diffney, the “Wacky One” from ex-boyband Laddz, and she takes it on. The book follows Helen’s attempts to find Wayne, and her difficult relationships with a large cast of showbiz and ordinary (but occasionally extraordinary...) people.

Liking Helen was the thing I found most difficult about this book – as the story’s told in the first person you do find yourself inside her skin but it’s rarely a comfortable place to be. There are parts of the book that are laugh-out-loud funny – despite all the sleuthing, a major plot twist hinges on something Mammy read in Grazia – but inside Helen is a rather dark place to be. That said, I did feel Helen’s struggles with depression were exceptionally well written – a real attempt to portray its many facets by someone who obviously has an extensive experience herself. And I liked (a lot) the telling of her relationship with boyfriend Artie and his family.

So what do we have here? Firstly, it’s a well-told mystery and pursuit told at good pace, with plenty of twists and turns, and highly entertaining. Secondly, it’s an in-depth exploration of a troubled young lady’s mind. Then there’s the humour, and the popular culture references that come thick and fast... this book isn’t going to suit everyone. And it’s a long book – over 500 pages in my copy, and I do think it could really have been trimmed by a quarter without any real damage. But overall I did enjoy it, and it’s good to see that Marian really hasn’t lost her sureness of touch.(less)

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Apr 28, 2013 Paulita Kincer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If Marian Keyes wasn't one of my favorite authors, I wouldn't have picked up this book. The title is too clunky -- The Mystery of Mercy Close. First, I don't usually read mysteries, and, second, Mercy Close sounds like some of those poetry squares put together on the refrigerator without any meaning. But I do love Marian Keyes so I got the book and finished it a day later.
A lot of times, Marian Keyes' books are considered Chick Lit. That got me thinking about the genre. Keyes' characters are fu...more If Marian Keyes wasn't one of my favorite authors, I wouldn't have picked up this book. The title is too clunky -- The Mystery of Mercy Close. First, I don't usually read mysteries, and, second, Mercy Close sounds like some of those poetry squares put together on the refrigerator without any meaning. But I do love Marian Keyes so I got the book and finished it a day later.
A lot of times, Marian Keyes' books are considered Chick Lit. That got me thinking about the genre. Keyes' characters are funny and quirky, but they are dealing with serious situations and trying to figure out who they are. If a man wrote a similar book, he would be wise and insightful. So, I'm not going to call Keyes' book Chick Lit.
This book was about one of the Walsh sisters -- there are 5, and Keyes has written various books about the Irish sisters with each of them starring in one. You don't need to read the others though, this one stands alone.
The book begins with Helen Walsh, a private investigator, moving back home after she loses her apartment during the recession. Helen is in her early 30s, and she has a hunky boyfriend who is a father to three children. They have only been dating six months so she can't move in with him and his kids.

Early in the book, we begin to see hints that more than finances have turned south for Helen.
We soon learn that Helen had suffered from depression three years earlier and her financial troubles send her back into depression. But this isn't simply an introspective book about depression. Helen is hired by an ex-boyfriend to help find a former boy band star who has disappeared just before the boy band reunion. Millions of dollars are at stake. The work is the only thing that helps Helen hold on.
I think Keyes, who has also suffered with depression, did a great job of relating the hopeless feelings that accompany depression, and conveying that depression isn't necessarily cause and effect -- it sometimes happens for no reason. It's a brain issue.
I did figure out where the boy band member was awhile before Helen did, but that didn't ruin my fun.
Other than the title, I thought the reason Helen hated her ex-boyfriend was a little weak. The rest of the book ran away with me.
Keyes is a wonderful writer and her characters are people I would love to run into in a bar to just while away the evening as they spin their Irish yarns.(less)

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Dec 14, 2012 Lizzieyork rated it 3 of 5 stars

The mystery of Mercy Close- Marian Keyes
Es muy complejo tratar de buscar una sola impresión de la historia de Helen. Asi que trataré de remitirme a las sensaciones a medida que iba leyendo. Primeramente,mucha curiosidad y euforia en los primeros capítulos. Tenía muchísimas ganas de saber qué había sido del resto de las Walsh y sus descendientes. Los hechos que se desencadenan durante los primeros capítulos me parecieron poco intrigantes o quizá hasta secundarios. Y seguí leyendo. Lamentablement...more The mystery of Mercy Close- Marian Keyes
Es muy complejo tratar de buscar una sola impresión de la historia de Helen. Asi que trataré de remitirme a las sensaciones a medida que iba leyendo. Primeramente,mucha curiosidad y euforia en los primeros capítulos. Tenía muchísimas ganas de saber qué había sido del resto de las Walsh y sus descendientes. Los hechos que se desencadenan durante los primeros capítulos me parecieron poco intrigantes o quizá hasta secundarios. Y seguí leyendo. Lamentablemente, lo que yo estaba esperando no sucedía. Era testigo de un bodrio al estilo Sherlock Holmes, incluso de a ratos me resultó tedioso que no se cambiara de tema. Que todo girara en torno a un caso y "nada más". Sumado al tedio, me mata la vista leer en digital. Suele estar desordenado cuando lo paso al Kindle,asi que eso siempre es un punto en contra cuando tengo un pdf. Y para colmo,me empecé a deprimir con el libro. Si, a deprimir. * SPOILERS* ¿Este era el gran final de la saga de las Walsh? ¿Dónde estaba lo picante de Keyes, o al menos las risas que pensé que me iba a provocar el libro de Helen? Pasada la mitad, perdí esperanzas de que el libro remontara. Empecé a imaginar qué leería después. La tapa. el formato. Obviamente, nunca es una buena señal. Es que el caso este no se iba a terminar nunca? Y después algo más... No era yo sola la deprimida. No eramos en todo caso las únicas dos con Pau. Helen también lo estaba. Y empezó a estar más inquietante. ¿Qué pasaría? Ya que las Walsh apenas eran nombradas..al menos quería un buen desenlace. Podría decir que el último 25 por ciento del libro estuvo intrigante. Incluso,doloroso. Y entonces comprendí. No era mi falta de atención el problema. Era que estuve esperando cualquier cosa menos esta especie de historia policial. Y leer todos los síntomas y estadíos de la depresión de la protagonista no es exactamente lo más cómico. Incluso es triste saber que ES ASI. Que así se siente. Mágicamente,los últimos capítulos me fascinaron. Me quedé enamorada de algunos personajes (Artie y Bella <3) y la historia cerró "bien". Podría decir que el final me dejó feliz. Es muy ambivalente el sentimiento de tener demasiado nudo y conflicto en un sólo libro al que le tenía muchísima expectativa. Por lo demás,quiero seguir leyendo a Keyes, no creo que un libro la defina. Pero si podemos decir que plasma fielmente cualquier estado anímico que puede estar atravesando en su vida real. Sentí que la depresión de Helen me empapapaba. No sólo me pareció pesado. Sino que me dejó agotada mentalmente. Eso es una novedad en materia de "sumergirse" en un libro para mí. Pero,pucha... que feo es sentir que uno está padeciendo una lectura. Y que siente que podría ser mil veces mejor de no haber sido el cierre de una saga. Porque quizá,como decia Pau,de haber sido el tercero... se tenía herramientas para remontar en los siguientes. No hay dudas de que cada libro refleja la personalidad y una problemática en especial de cada Walsh. Es justo decir que es totalmente fiel a Helen. ¿Me gustó? Sí, aunque no fue el final esperado(less)

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Sep 30, 2012 rubywednesday rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, contemporary-adult, irish

I have a real fondness of Marian Keyes' books. I've been reading them since I was a young girl and they would be passed around our family, as well as various neighbours and friends. Her writing has a quality that really resonates with people and with the Walsh family, she's at her very best.

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...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars

When I received an email from the library informing me my reservation of The Mystery of Mercy Close was ready for me to pick up, I could not contain my excitement. Unfortunately, that excitement was not to last.

I REALLY wanted to love this book as much as Keyes' previous novels - particularly Anybody Out There and her latest non Walsh sister books This Charming Man and The Brightest Star in the Sky. They all had me in fits of laughter and at times left me in tears - and the juxtaposition of the...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've long been a fan of Ms Keyes's work but sometimes she misses the mark with her books. I'm still not quite sure where I stand on this one. Helen Walsh is the youngest sibling of five daughters, four of whom have already told us their stories(in Watermelon, Rachel's Holiday, Angels and Is there Anybody Out There?). Now it's Helen's turn to have her life-changing moment. She's still the spiky, awkward member of the family but now she's 33, she has finally found her dream occupation, has a mortg...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

I can hardly believe that seventeen years have passed since Marian Keyes introduced us to the world of the Walsh Family in her debut novel Watermelon. At last, six years since we last heard from one of the Walsh sisters in Anybody Out There?, it's the turn of youngest sister Helen to update fans on what has been happening in the Walsh family.

Helen was always a little bit quirky, and although she has not played a big part in the other books in this series, she's always been there in the backgroun...more I can hardly believe that seventeen years have passed since Marian Keyes introduced us to the world of the Walsh Family in her debut novel Watermelon. At last, six years since we last heard from one of the Walsh sisters in Anybody Out There?, it's the turn of youngest sister Helen to update fans on what has been happening in the Walsh family.

Helen was always a little bit quirky, and although she has not played a big part in the other books in this series, she's always been there in the background. Helen has tried her hand at quite a few jobs over the years and is now a Private Investigator. She was a fairly successful PI, working on various cases, sometimes jetting off to exotic locations, she had her own flat and a car. Then along came the economic melt down that hit Ireland harder and faster than anywhere else in Europe. Helen has found herself back with her parents and struggling to find work. She's also battling a darker and more dangerous demon; the debilitating depression that almost finished her off once before and is looming over her again.

When Helen is offered a job, tracking down the missing member of a re-formed boy band, she is delighted to be needed, the major downside is that the guy who hires her is her ex-boyfriend Jay Parker.

Helen is not the easiest character to like, she could be considered rude, she is forceful, cynical and often speaks before she thinks, but underneath that exterior is a vulnerable and damaged woman with an acid wit and a fantastic collection of one-liners that would stop anyone in their tracks. She is funny and she is loyal.

The 'mystery' of the story appears at first to be a bit forced : the disappearance of an ex boy-band member. Helen's methods of investigation are also a little unusual to say the least, but I feel that the whole mystery and investigation is just the cover-story for something that underneath, is a very serious and quite frightening subject matter. Marian Keyes deals with Helen's battle with depression with ease, with compassion and with humour. Her own depressive illness is something that she has talked openly and honestly about, and it is clear that she has taken some of her own experiences and given them to Helen. A very brave step for any author to take, but her wonderful writing and her talented wit have allowed her to carry it off with ease.

The Mystery of Mercy Close is a book that on the face of it appears to be about a grumpy girl PI and a bunch of burnt-out pop stars, but is in fact, a story of hitting the bottom and pulling yourself back up again - with laughs thrown in and of course a Shovel List!(less)

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Oct 06, 2012 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Helen Walsh doesn't believe in fear - it's just a thing invented by men to get all the money and good jobs - and yet she's sinking. Her work as a Private Investigator has dried up, her flat has been repossessed and now some old demons have resurfaced.

Not least in the form of her charming but dodgy ex-boyfriend Jay Parker, who shows up with a missing persons case. Money is tight and Jay is awash with cash, so Helen is forced to take on the task of finding Wayne Diffney, the 'Wacky One' from boyb...more Helen Walsh doesn't believe in fear - it's just a thing invented by men to get all the money and good jobs - and yet she's sinking. Her work as a Private Investigator has dried up, her flat has been repossessed and now some old demons have resurfaced.

Not least in the form of her charming but dodgy ex-boyfriend Jay Parker, who shows up with a missing persons case. Money is tight and Jay is awash with cash, so Helen is forced to take on the task of finding Wayne Diffney, the 'Wacky One' from boyband Laddz.

Things ended messily with Jay. And she's never going back there. Besides she has a new boyfriend now, the very sexy detective Artie Devlin and it's all going well. But the reappearance of Jay is stirring up all kinds of stuff she thought she'd left behind.

Playing by her own rules, Helen is drawn into a dark and glamorous world, where her worst enemy is her own head and where increasingly the only person she feels connected to is Wayne, a man she's never even met.

I'd been waiting for this book for years! I *adore* her other books and have cried and laughed at the other sisters stories so couldn't wait to get a hold of this one. First of all, I really did enjoy this book but I have to say, it's not my favourite of the series. I don't know if that's because Helen isn't my favourite sister, or because I'd built my expectations so high they just couldn't be met! Plus, this storyline is at times quite dark....Helen is going through a bad patch which I'm assuming is reflective of Marian's own battle with depression and you really do feel drawn into her battle with that. I really felt like I knew how Helen feels, even at her lowest point and that's just from the way the book is written.
Throughout the whole book though I was waiting to hear news about the other sisters and I know that this was a book about Helen and her story but I kind of feel like I've grown up with these sisters and I want to know what they're up to and we don't really get that much info about them and what they're doing now.....I really hope Marian does one final book about where they're all up to in their lives because I really feel like I NEED to know!!
I would defo recommend this book to fellow Walsh Family fans although when I'm in a re- readin type of mood, this one won't be the first one I reach for! (less)

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Aug 29, 2012 Zarina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Before picking up this fifth instalment in the Walsh Family series I hadn't read many other novels by its author Marian Keyes because, and this is likely an unpopular opinion, I am not particularly keen on her writing style. But then I thought I should give her another chance as the only book I initially recalled having read was a compilation of short stories and I figured that perhaps her voice simply didn't come across very well in them.

Mid-way through The Mystery of Mercy Close I realised th...more Before picking up this fifth instalment in the Walsh Family series I hadn't read many other novels by its author Marian Keyes because, and this is likely an unpopular opinion, I am not particularly keen on her writing style. But then I thought I should give her another chance as the only book I initially recalled having read was a compilation of short stories and I figured that perhaps her voice simply didn't come across very well in them.

Mid-way through The Mystery of Mercy Close I realised that I had in fact read another work by Keyes, Rachel's Holiday, which I marked quite favourably at the time but ended up being very forgettable. Thankfully The Mystery of Mercy Close, despite some problems I had with the book at the start, ended up being a much better read than I expected based on these previous experiences.

Helen Walsh is a Private Investigator, but because of the tough economy work has trickled in only sporadically until eventually it dried up all-together leaving Helen with a stack of bills she's unable to pay. Soon she hits rock bottom as her flat is being reclaimed and even her bed is repossessed, and seeing no other option she moves back in with her parents, who don't seem all that happy to have their adult daughter suddenly around the house again.

When ex-boyfriend Jay Parker comes to her with a job she's initially reluctant to take it on as there's unfinished business between the two of them, but eventually the case manages to catch her interest enough for her to fully delve into it. The story is this: Former Irish boy band Laddz is reuniting for a few concerts around the country to cash in some much needed dough, but less than a week before the tour is scheduled to start one of the group's members, Wayne, disappears off the face of the earth. It's Helen's job to find him before the start of the first concert.

The beginning of the mystery story is overshadowed by Helen's muddled thoughts and inner sarcasm which made her as a main character very distant and unlikeable. The actions of the people close to her also didn't ring very realistic, as despite the obvious relapse she was going through they didn't try to reach out or even ask her how she was feeling. This seeming lack of care about her well-being which was emanating from her family members was particularly frustrating from a reader's point of view. There is a time and a place for dry humour or wittiness and this wasn't it. Instead their interactions felt more like cold detachment.

At some point in the first half of the novel I was able to put my annoyances with the character's voice aside and I instead started to really get into the mystery part of the story. I couldn't flip the pages quick enough to find out what would happen next and about two thirds in I had to finish the remainder of the book in one sitting. The smaller characters that appear further along the line were well-rounded and really appealed to me. Although I figured out what had happened to Wayne before Helen did (in hindsight it is quite obvious considering the general theme of the book) the ending was still very satisfactory.

While I never fully warmed to the character of Helen, after turning the final page I did already miss reading about her. Therefore I think it's only fair to revise my initial opinion on Marian Keyes books by checking out the previous instalments in the Walsh Family series and hopefully they will pleasantly surprise me too. (less)

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About Marian Keyes

Marian Keyes, born September 10, 1963, is a popular Irish writer, considered to be one of the original progenitors of "chick lit". Keyes' first novel, Watermelon, was published in Ireland in 1995. Since then she has published seven further novels and two collections of non-fiction, and has sold 15 million copies of her books in 30 languages.

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Quotes from The Mystery of Mercy C...

“Are you close to your family?'

I considered it. 'Close' was one way of putting it. 'We're close,' I said cautiously. 'But we're very mean to each other. This morning I told my mum that if she didn't stop acting old I was going to lobby for a law on euthanasia, so a bus would come round every Monday morning and take away all the old people who complained that they couldn't hear the telly or see the buttons on their mobile phone or that they had a pain in their hip, and put a bullet in their heads. But we're close.” — 3 people liked it

“Waiting to be 'better' is the wrong approach. It's learning to live with it.” — 3 people liked it

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The Mystery of Mercy Close (Walsh Family #5)

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