Book Details:
Book Title: The Heaven Spot (A Novel) by Mary Frances Hill
Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 296 pages
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Publisher: Mary Frances Hill
Release date: February 2024
Content Rating: PG-13 + M:
The story is about a recovering opioid addict (previously a soccer mom from Virginia) who travels to Florida to solve her estranged daughter's (a runaway's) murder and to learn about the life her daughter was leading.
Book Title: The Heaven Spot (A Novel) by Mary Frances Hill
Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 296 pages
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Publisher: Mary Frances Hill
Release date: February 2024
Content Rating: PG-13 + M:
The story is about a recovering opioid addict (previously a soccer mom from Virginia) who travels to Florida to solve her estranged daughter's (a runaway's) murder and to learn about the life her daughter was leading.
- There are curse words. The F-word is used once.
- There are no sex scenes, but the mom discovers that her daughter was sexually fluid and in relationships with a woman and an older man. (separately/not a throuple)
- There is no graphic violence.
- The novel does deal with mature themes like addiction, suicide, and adultery as well as grief, guilt, the power of friendship, and forgiveness. However, given the protagonist's addiction issues, it can be a bit raw at times.
Book Description:
The Heaven Spot is a modern-day mystery set in Palm Beach, Florida, that depicts opioid addict Maggie Robert’s desperate attempt to come to terms with her estranged daughter, Lilly’s, murder.
When divorcée Maggie Roberts stumbles into her Virginia bookstore for the last time to close up shop, she expects the morning to be rough. The business failure is hers alone. She took all those opioids. She relapsed. She vows to stay clean and regroup. But as she packs up her books, two cops appear and inform her that her estranged daughter, Lilly, has died in West Palm Beach.
Heartbroken, Maggie heads to Florida to find out why Lilly passed and how she lived. But when she arrives in the Sunshine State, she barely recognizes the young woman in the morgue.
Maggie doubts she’ll ever forgive herself for her past mistakes with Lilly but believes that if she remains local, she can push the detective to focus on Lilly’s case and learn about her daughter. But as she connects the dots, Maggie wonders the unthinkable—could she have played a part in Lilly’s death while relapsing and blackout-high? Can she live with herself if she did?
The Heaven Spot is a modern-day mystery set in Palm Beach, Florida, that depicts opioid addict Maggie Robert’s desperate attempt to come to terms with her estranged daughter, Lilly’s, murder.
When divorcée Maggie Roberts stumbles into her Virginia bookstore for the last time to close up shop, she expects the morning to be rough. The business failure is hers alone. She took all those opioids. She relapsed. She vows to stay clean and regroup. But as she packs up her books, two cops appear and inform her that her estranged daughter, Lilly, has died in West Palm Beach.
Heartbroken, Maggie heads to Florida to find out why Lilly passed and how she lived. But when she arrives in the Sunshine State, she barely recognizes the young woman in the morgue.
Maggie doubts she’ll ever forgive herself for her past mistakes with Lilly but believes that if she remains local, she can push the detective to focus on Lilly’s case and learn about her daughter. But as she connects the dots, Maggie wonders the unthinkable—could she have played a part in Lilly’s death while relapsing and blackout-high? Can she live with herself if she did?
Meet the Author:
Mary Frances Hill was born in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. The daughter of a music professor and an elementary school teacher, Mary obtained a master's degree in counseling psychology and worked as a therapist before raising two children. Though Mary currently lives in Southern California with her Russian Blue and Scottish Straight cats, her Pyredoodle puppy, her golfer husband, and her adult son and daughter, she spent many happy vacations at her house on Palm Beach Island—the setting of her most recent novel, The Heaven Spot. Mary is an avid dog walker and home renovator and loves binge-watching true crime documentaries and mysteries. Mary’s debut novel, The Worm Man, was published in 2022.
Connect with the author: Website ~ Goodreads
Mary Frances Hill was born in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. The daughter of a music professor and an elementary school teacher, Mary obtained a master's degree in counseling psychology and worked as a therapist before raising two children. Though Mary currently lives in Southern California with her Russian Blue and Scottish Straight cats, her Pyredoodle puppy, her golfer husband, and her adult son and daughter, she spent many happy vacations at her house on Palm Beach Island—the setting of her most recent novel, The Heaven Spot. Mary is an avid dog walker and home renovator and loves binge-watching true crime documentaries and mysteries. Mary’s debut novel, The Worm Man, was published in 2022.
Connect with the author: Website ~ Goodreads
Enter the Giveaway:
My Review:
The Heaven Spot is the first book I have had the pleasure in reading from the talented author, Mary Frances Hill. After finishing this one, it will not be the last. The tale starts off in my hometown and I thought the author did a fantastic job describing the area. I was instantly intrigued by this mystery of who done it. I never knew what direction Maggie was gong from scene to scene. Her determination and courage was admirable. I wanted to continue in finding out what happened to Lilly and who she became before her death. There was quite a twist that I could not have imagined. Maggie, herself, along the way had to face her own demons and questioning about events and if she is responsible for what Lilly went through. I thought it was a fascinating and thrilling book to read that I could not put down until I discovered the secrets are revealed and mystery is solved.
I am giving The Heaven Spot a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers and fans of well written suspense filled and psychological thrillers. I would love to read more novels from Mary Frances Hill to be released for years to come. I am interested in seeing where else she takes her characters to next. She has earned herself a new fan.
I received a paperback copy of Mary Frances Hill's The Heaven Spot from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
