Missing Mabel (Curl Up and Dye Mystery Series, No. 1 / Hometown Mysteries) [Paperback]

Nancy Mehl (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2010

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?

(20101023)

Editorial Reviews

Review

This heartwarming mystery might surprise readers who are under the impression that spirituality-based mysteries are populated by self-righteous holy rollers with no psychological complexity.  Hilde puts the lie to that.  She''s an adorable eccentric, with maroon-and-black hair, a punkish wardrobe and a weird weakness for Spam casseroles (the author provides several of Hilde''s more tasty recipes). She''s feisty enough to have a sassy mouth, but devout enough to get a case of the guilts when she doesn''t always practice that pesky "love thy neighbor" part of the Scripture. Like all good mysteries, the solution to the body-switching proves us with a fine "Ah, ha!" moment, but it''s Hilde''s goofily-good character that kept me grinning as I turned the pages.  If you''ve momentarily OD''ed on blood and gore and serial killers, Hilde is the perfect anecdote.  As for myself, I can''t wait for the girl''s next funeral home adventure.

(Betty Webb Mystery Scene 20110107)

I really enjoyed this book. I also really like this author''s writing style. Missing Mabel is available now and I would recommend giving it a try. I plan to read the next book in this series called Blown Away: A Curl Up and Dye Mystery.     

(Lori Adams For the Love of Reading 20110221)

I''ve eagerly awaited this new cozy Christian mystery series by Nancy Mehl and my anticipation has been well-rewarded.  Once again Ms. Mehl sets a snuggly, cozy tone, gently shares her faith, provides readers with a coterie of delightful characters, and sprinkles the plot with tantalizing clues to pique our interest.

(Laurel Johnson The Midwest Book Review 20110225)

Hilde is a quirky, funny character and easy to love. While trying to solve the mystery of Mabel, she deals with real-life issues. Making new friends, dealing with a mom who isn''t happy with her career choice and learning to fall in love. I recommend this story to anyone who is looking for a fun, easy read with Christian characters and a mystery to solve.

(Heidi Walfoort Christian Book Nerd 20110509)

Altogether a delightful story and enjoyed getting to know these new friends.  
 
A fun read, recommend you add to your reading list

(Janice Seiffert NetGalley )

This is a wonderful Christian-based mystery with lots of twists and turns.  I was never sure who exactly I should be focusing on to be the culprit.  Nancy Mehl really knows how to tell a tale, entertwining so many different characters without losing any of the story''s momentum!

(Jennifer French NetGalley )

Missing Mabel by Nancy Mehl captured my attention from the very start! Part of the Hometown Mysteries series, Missing Mabel is a marriage of love and suspense (I loved how the caption under the title read “A Curl Up and Dye Mystery” which fit this story to a “T!”).  This was definitely one of my favorite reads this month and so easy to finish in just one sitting!

(Susan Choy Five Star Reviewed Books and More )

Book Description

Mabel is missing is the conclusion hairdresser Hilde Higgins comes to when the body on the funeral gurney doesn’t match the one in the reference photo. When Hilde reports it, the director accuses her of stealing Mabel’s ring. Will an old boyfriend help Hilde out of this fix or only add to the mystery?

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc. (August 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1602603987
• ISBN-13: 978-1602603981
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,099,030 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nancy Mehl lives in Wichita, Kansas with her husband Norman and her son, Danny. She's authored nine books and is currently at work on two new series for Barbour Publishing.

All of Nancy's novels have an added touch - something for your spirit as well as your soul. "I welcome the opportunity to share my faith through my writing," Nancy says. "It's a part of me and of everything I think or do. God is number one in my life. I wouldn't be writing at all if I didn't believe that this is what He's called me to do. I hope everyone who reads my books will walk away with the most important message I can give them: God is good, and He loves you more than you can imagine. He has a good plan especially for your life, and there is nothing you can't overcome with His help." She and her husband attend Believer's Tabernacle in Wichita.

You can find out more about Nancy by visiting her Web site at: www.nancymehl.com or her blog at: www.nancymehl.blogspot.com. You can also find her on FaceBook!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing cozy Christian mystery....., November 21, 2010

By 

Laurel Johnson (Kansas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Missing Mabel (Curl Up and Dye Mystery Series, No. 1 / Hometown Mysteries) (Paperback)

I've eagerly awaited this new cozy Christian mystery series by Nancy Mehl and my anticipation has been well-rewarded. Once again Ms. Mehl sets a snuggly, cozy tone, gently shares her faith, provides readers with a coterie of delightful characters, and sprinkles the plot with tantalizing clues to pique our interest.

Hilde Higgins loves her job and considers dressing hair before funerals her ministry. This pride in her work and attention to small details has built Hilde's clientele with mortuaries in Wichita, Kansas. Once she sees a photo of a person in life, her photographic memory is a godsend. Through prayer and skill, Hilde creates the perfect image for funeral viewing. Why a young woman would want to be "hairdresser to the dead" is a mystery to most who know Hilde, especially her mother. She could still be working for the most prestigious salon in Wichita, but got tired of rich old women who want to look like movie stars. The dead don't talk, or complain.

Except for her mother's disapproval and a barren social life, Hilde's world turns smoothly until the day she's called to dress Mabel Winnemaker's hair. One brief glance at the REAL Mabel a day before tells Hilde the body in the casket is not Mabel. When she expresses her belief that Mabel is missing, no one believes her and the mortuary owner accuses her of stealing Mabel's ring. Everything goes downhill for Hilde from there. Her reputation is shot, Mabel is missing, and the only comfort Hilde has is her cozy apartment and friends in tiny Eden, Kansas.

Eden and Hilde's friends there provide interest and depth to the plot as our heroine struggles to clear her name and find the real Mabel. The ending, when it came, was a complete surprise. The clues were there, but I missed them.

Readers who love cozy Christian mysteries should relish this series. Highly recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A pleasant surprise., August 21, 2010

By 

PJ Coldren (Saint Helen, MI, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Missing Mabel (Curl Up and Dye Mystery Series, No. 1 / Hometown Mysteries) (Paperback)

Hilde Higgins has a calling. She is a hairdresser with a limited but never-ending clientele: she does the hair of "the dearly departed" for funeral homes. She does a good job, good enough that she makes a very frugal living at it. When she is called in to do the hair of Mabel Winnemaker, Hilde has some bad news for the director of Druther's Funeral home. The woman on the table is not Mabel. Hilde knows her hair, and that is so not Mabel's hair. Of course, the funeral home denies that they have the wrong body and, in turn, accuses Hilde of stealing a diamond ring from the corpse.

Hilde is determined to find out what is going on. With the help of some friends, old and new, she does find out the truth. Along the way, her love life improves.

Mehl has written a mystery that will fit several groups of readers. It's "clean" enough for young adult readers. It's got enough message for readers who want some obvious faith in their reading. It's a decent mystery for fans of the cozy and traditional, and for those who enjoy an amateur sleuth.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, October 25, 2010

By 

Stephanie Rollins "Bookreviewsrus" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Missing Mabel (Curl Up and Dye Mystery Series, No. 1 / Hometown Mysteries) (Paperback)

Mabel could have gone through college and had a normal career. That would have been too predictable for Mabel, who is quirky and odd. Instead, she went to beauty school and now works on dead people's hair.

Someone is trying to frame her. She is being accused of stealing a ring from a dead body. Even worse, she knows that the woman she is working on is not the woman she is supposed to be working on. Why did someone switch the bodies? Nobody will believe her, so it is up to her to solve this mystery. In the meantime, she finds love, tries to bring a friend closer to God, and mends fences with her closed-off mother.

From looking at the cover, I expected a book for young adults. Young adults will enjoy this book, but older adults will, also. The character development is top-notch. These unique characters will stick with you. Hopefully, there will be more Mabel books to follow!