Lisa's Reviews > The Mystery of Mercy Close

Marian Keyes has long been one of my favorite authors, one who can encapsulate a horrible event (abuse, addiction, recovery) in a story that at first glance, seems like some kind of fluff until you dig deeper and get to the heart of the story.

Keyes, however, has failed with this book. Terribly.

At first glance through the reviews, I am apparently the only one who caught the not so very subtle racism against Arabs/Muslims peppered throughout the book. Snide comments about "towel heads," "arabic-y looking wording," and the often slights against one of the secondary characters who is Muslim and an Arab. Then once you pick up on the racism, you realise either Marian, or Marian using Helen's voice, is a bigot against fat people, the mentally ill, and anyone who doesn't fit into her little world.

Now you're probably thinking, "But Marian has chronicled her severe depression -- how can she be bigoted against the mentally ill?" And you know, I totally get you on that, because I was floored at first. But with Helen's voice, and point of view, you notice how Helen starts being dismissive against any and all attempts of trying to work on her depression. She rejects drugs (at first), she's dismissive against any alternative methods, and the constant comments about how she was special with her depression because it wasn't like anyone elses in terms of symptoms and effects. Okay, we get it, you're a special snowflake.

This book was a hot mess. Between the bigotry, the lead up to through the mystery, explanation of her past relationship, the foundation of her current one, and really? How she and her BFF ever broke up and why was incredibly weak. Coupled with her depression and the utter lack development for most of the characters, why was this book even published?