3.5 stars

This was a very intriguing read, I found it so compelling that I read it in one sitting. Heart of a Runaway Girl is murder mystery set in a small mountain town called Blue River in the 1980s.

The story begins when Mabel Davison, the hard working owner of a motel and diner, sees a young couple fighting in a diner. When the girl turns up brutally murdered, the main suspect is her boyfriend, however Mabel instincts tell her the police are wrong, and the amateur sleuth goes about trying to prove his innocence.

I did feel like the character accused of murder did feel like a bit of a stereotype. I was also worried that it read like Mabel had a saviour complex, however it did not come across that way at all. The author does a good job of writing a character with a big heart, and it's easy to believe she'd want to help no matter who the person being accused of murder was.

The character of Mabel was an endearing single mother with a seemingly endless amount of patience and goodwill and she was a large part of why this book was a pleasure to read. I also appreciated that there wasn't an uneccesary amount of build up, and the book jumps pretty much straight into the main plot.

The only aspect of this book which prevented it from being a 4 star read for me was that, at times, the dialogue felt stilted and forced, and came across more like an information dump for the reader rather than flowing, organic conversation.

If you're looking for a small town murder mystery with an interesting plot and a unique lead, then this could be a read for you.

When the young couple began arguing in Mabel’s Diner, the small town of Blue River in Washington State would soon see drugs, white supremacy and murder come to the fore. Mabel Davison was shocked to hear of the murder of the young girl, and even more so to have Blue River’s small-town sheriff arrest the girl’s boyfriend for the murder. The murdered girl was white; the boyfriend black – so his arrest was automatic, even though he kept declaring he was innocent of the crime.

Mabel knew in her heart that Winston didn’t kill that girl, and with the drug lord and all his minions demanding their own kind of justice, tensions were rising. Mabel – single mother, owner of the diner and the motel alongside, with two boys and a niece in her care, was a woman who wasn’t to be messed with. She was determined to find the evidence to prove Winston innocent, as well as find the real killer. But she had no idea of the danger she faced. Would she succeed in her quest? Or would she just bring danger to her own doorstep and family?

Heart of a Runaway Girl is the first in the Mabel Davison series by Trevor Wiltzen and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Mabel was amazing; her strength of character, her ability to focus on the difference between right and wrong, and her bravery in facing up to the bad guys (even though she was terrified) was remarkable. Jaded law enforcement: jaded public defenders – the 1980s was a hot bed of badness in Blue River. I can’t wait until #2 is published! Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and Trevor Wiltzen for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This book grabs you from the start and keeps you hooked!

Heart of a Runaway Girl is set in a small PNW mountain town in the 80s that is being run by the drug lord, a teen girl winds up brutally murdered, and the black boyfriend automatically jailed. Mabel steps in to prove his innocence and doesn’t let up until she does! Mabel is the hero we need in the world we live in today!

I can’t wait to see where Mabel takes us next!

Mabel owns the family restaurant in a small town. She's cute, funny, and overwhelmingly kind. Like really, she has no bad thoughts in her head. So when she finds out that it's her information that's going to get an innocent man convicted of a horrible murder, she steps up to solve the crime herself. Mabel stands up to drug dealers, murderers, and actual Nazis, and brings pies to all of her witnesses. This is the most danger-filled cozy mystery I've ever read. I'm interested to find out what comes next for Mabel.

Heart of a Runaway by Trevor Wiltzen

Mabel is a single mother in Blue River, Washington who is struggling to raise her two small boys and her teenaged niece. She owns and runs a small cafe and motel in town. She becomes concerned, when a teenaged girl, Karen is found at the local sawmill murdered and raped. Mabel is concerned because she told the local Sheriff, Dan, that she saw Karen and another young man named Winston arguing, shortly before Karen was found dead. Sheriff Dan goes out and arrests Winston on the charge of murder, without doing any investigating. Mabel is concerned that Winston is not being treated properly because he is black.

Mabel fears that she is the only person who truly cares that Winston gets a fair trial. Especially when the local drug lord sends his white supremacist buddies over to try and lynch poor Winston. She finds herself buttering up Sheriff Dan, who comes in regularly to eat dinner so that she can have a look at the evidence.

The drug lord is unhappy that she's nosing around and makes several threats on Mabel's life and her children's lives. That doesn't stop Mabel. She visits Winston in the county jail, taking his statement. She goes to his arraignment and ends up speaking with Winston's public defender and convinces him that she doesn't think Winston killed anyone.

It comes down to Mabel's sleuthing skills to find out the truth. She meets Karen's parents and promises them that she will get to the bottom of the case of who murdered their daughter.

It's an interesting book, held my attention, and had a good conclusion at the end.

Many thanks for the complimentary copy from IBPA and NetGalley, I was under no obligation to post a review

This novel is about Mabel Davison, Mable is the owner of a diner in a small town that is run by a drug lord. She sees a lot of people come in and out of her diner but one night a young girl and boy come in and starts arguing. The teen girl is later found murdered and her black boyfriend is the suspect in the crime. When Mabel hears the news about the couple she isn't convinced that the killer is the young boy. She is determined to find out the truth and she starts asking questions a lot of people don't want to answers too. This puts her in danger. Will Mabel find the killer? Is the killer really the boyfriend? Will there be more killing?

My review
This novel was so good, it was so well written and it was so much fun to read. The mystery just made me wanting more and more I had to keep reading to find out. It was so interesting how everything connected. The author was so great with all the details. Mabel is one of my favourite characters of my 2021 reads. She is a mama bear !. I can relate to her so much. When a mom knows something isn't right she sticks to her guns and gets the right answer. She is badass and so gutsy!! I love her. I can't wait to read more. I really enjoyed it.

I would like to say thank you to NetGalley and Trevor Wiltzen for giving me the chance to read and review this awesome novel.

This book absolutely kept me on my toes! I loved Mabel and all that she stood for. It encompassed so many parts of life and perfectly brought them together in the end!

When a young woman is found murdered, Mabel Davison is touched by her death. She had met the girl the day before at her dinner and knew she needed help. Her black boyfriend, Winston is taken into custody and charged with the crime. Yet, Mabel doesn’t believe Winston did it. She knows someone else is the responsible party and she will do anything to prove it.

Larson, the town's drug lord, and his skinhead's cronies are terrorizing the town and when Winston was taken into custody, his men have tried to kill him. Mabel helps the Sheriff protect Winston but now Larson knows her name and is paying attention. Mabel is tired of Larson getting away with everything while providing drugs to the town. Someone has to stop him.

In order to help Winton prove his innocence, Mabel begins her own investigation to find the murderer but Larson doesn’t want her asking certain questions. Can she help Winton without putting her family and herself in danger?

I like Mabel. She was straightforward. She cared about her family and her town. She was always trying to help others and she didn’t hesitate to help Winston despite attracting Larson's interest.

Larson's character was easy to hate. He was pure evil and I was worried he was going to hurt her. I’m sure Mabel has not seen the last of him.

Cliffhanger: No

3/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by IBPA via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Heart of a Runaway Girl by Trevor Wiltzen S tep back in time to the 1980s to a completely unexpected heroine who stands up to a local drug lord to prove a young man's innocence. Mabel is the quintessential small town single mom, small business owner, waitress turned P.I. An entertaining and engaging read.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

I’m usually a very honest person and I had to DNF this book.
I’ve read around 15 chapters or so and even though it was full of jokes and the main character Mabel was easy to like, I wasn’t able to get alone with this book.
Moreover, I have started it almost a week ago and I did not miss it when I was putting it back, I was reading other books as if I have forgotten that I have started "Heart of a Runway Girl".

Nonetheless, I must say that the style which the author is using is definitely something I haven’t seen before. It’s easy and you can read it quickly.
But it’s just not a book for me.

I do hope that you will have more fun with it than I did.

This one is not for me. I managed to get a third of the way through and it just didn't get any better. It is presented as a mystery thriller but in my opinion it definitely is not and I think it should be rated for a younger audience. The writing didn't flow realistically and I didn't like Mabel. She was a little too nosey for my taste. This was just not what I expected.

Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this arc for my honest opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for an ARC of this book. I always give an unbiased and honest reviews of books I have read.

I have loved three women in my life. First was my high school girlfriend in the 1950s. Second is my wife to whom I have been happily married since 1967. The third is MABEL DAVISON! Who is Mabel you ask? She is the 40-something year old heroine of a new mystery series by new author TREVOR WILTZEN of Edmonton, Alberta in Canada.

The series begins with HEART OF A RUNAWAY GIRL that takes place September to November in 1986 in the town of Blue River in the state of Washington (on the north Pacific coast of the United States for non-American readers).

Mabel owns, and acts as a waitress/housekeeper at times, a diner and a motel in Blue River. The town is located about 90 minutes from Tacoma in the foothills. It is a town controlled by Karl Larson, a ruthless drug dealer and overall really bad guy. You do not want to upset his business dealings, or him personally. Mabel does both. The town is also a hotbed of White Supremacy and racial tensions are palpable.

One night a young couple are sitting in Mabel’s diner having dinner. One is a 17 or 18-year-old white girl. The other is a young African-American male who is slightly older. Mabel believes that they are in love but are having a disagreement of some sort. The next day Sheriff Dan comes to the diner and tells Mabel that the girl has been found brutally murdered in the local wood mill. The young man has been arrested and charged with the crime. Mabel cannot believe that the young man, Winston Washington killed and raped Karen Thompson, the young woman. Dan tells her that the State Police are handling the case but that Larson has some influence over the “Staties”. She decides to do her own investigating.

On Mabel’s team are her two preteen age sons and her orphaned 17-year-old niece. Mabel’s husband Bill is not living with his family but makes a cameo appearance just when Mabel needs some support. Lavi (“Lion”) Arronson is Winston’s jaded Public Defender lawyer under whom Mabel lights a fire. Several town folk also assist her.
In opposition to Mabel are Larson and his number two in command Frank Hudgens. Frank has two sons who are “friends” of Mabel’s ten-year-old son Hector. They are trying to lead him into a criminal career with themselves.

Winston denies his guilt to Sheriff Dan, his lawyer, the “Staties” and most importantly, to Mabel. He claims to have seen Karen get into a black pickup truck at the diner after their dinner on the night she was killed. Using her people skills and her town friends, Mabel discovers five or six possible actual killers. She turns over her evidence to Lavi. He advises Mabel to get a Private Investigators license so that her material can become admissible evidence. It also enables Lavi to hire her at $300 per week. Larson and Hudgens threaten Mabel’s life.

Welcome to my world of terrific mystery writers TREVOR WILTZEN. If you like mysteries, this book is for you. Mabel is a terrific character as are her many friends, her family and her formidable antagonists. I await the sequel with great anticipation. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

GO! BUY! READ!

Synopsis:
Mabel owns a diner/motel and manages them both. She is a single mother to two kids and her teenage niece. A murder of a young teenage girl in the small town of Blue River leads Mabel to investigate. A young man of colour, Winston is accused and arrested for the murder with next to no evidence. The murder and reaction by the community further uncovers the corruption of Blue River that Mabel has been disgusted by for years.
For someone who constantly claims she has no time, Mabel spends a lot of hers getting in other people's business and baking apology pies for them.

My Thoughts:
This story is marketed as an adult mystery/thriller which I think is a bit of a stretch. Potentially a YA... Investigative novel maybe?

Writing: The plot was sound and the story flowed logically. Grammatically, I only picked up on one type error (around pg. 495). I didn't find any holes in the plot per se. Though the story was quite cliche in parts. It feels as if the author tried to address some big themes but fell short. I was most irked by the "white saviour" theme we found within Mabel. (I will get more to her character further down). The story also covers family and family dysfunction, police and police corruption and community. The author sets a solid world and I appreciated the nostalgic feel of the diner and the nuances of the 1980's in the small town.

In terms of flow I felt the story dragging in the middle. I had to really focus on working through the book and then the ending came all to quickly and felt very rushed.

Characters: Mabel was a stereotypical, middle aged busy body. I was frustrated by her by about two thirds in and found myself shaking my head and rolling my eyes at her. Her actions defied logic, I couldn't rationally agree with a lot of what she did or how she did it and her dialogue was at times very melodramatic.

If I were to offer advice to Mabel it would be this: If you didn't jump to conclusions constantly and accuse people of things they didn't do/ perform police work you have no right to be doing, you would not need to make nearly as many apology pies. You state you have no time and feel run off your feet- this is the solution I offer to you.

Although addressing issues such as racism is commended, the story line and Mabel's part in it came across as very shallow and gave me big white privilege vibes. In 2020 the idea that any white person is free of being racist just doesn't sit right. Mabel points out how key members of her community are racists and therefore bad people and she, in contrast cannot be racist at all. For more exploration on this idea I would suggest reading something like White Fragility or Caste.

Through the story Winston is painted as a stereotypical, young, black kid who has fallen in with the drug dealing crowd and has no other option but to deal with his arrest. This leads to a portrayal of him feeling hopeless and his own acknowledgement that he has minimal chance of getting free because of the colour of his skin. Mabel is then painted as his saving grace- the only person who cares about him or feels he is innocent.. However, Winston's family are then present at the end of the book but had not been referred to for the entirety of the story? It just seemed off to me. I also found the whole premise of the book- that the entire state's legal and police system were an absolute failure and relied solely on Mabel to solve a crime- to be difficult to believe- even in the 80's.

Summary: I will say that this book was structured well and was polished from an editing point of view. It gave me a 'Murder, she wrote" feel and might interest people who are fans.

As a child of the ‘80s, I loved the whole vibe of the setting and the cultural references. I found Mabel a really engaging protagonist who had a good balance of toughness and emotion. Add on to that a mystery which is a bit more than it seems, offering social comment on the types of prejudice and inequality we still see today, and you have a book which will appeal to many readers. Be prepared for a range of emotions with this one - anger, sorrow and even joy. A terrific debut.

Heart of a Runaway Girl by Trevor Wiltzen

There is so much to like about the main character in this story. Mabel is a hard working business woman, having run the family diner and motel, from a young age. Her business employs men and women, full time and part time, in a small town that is falling to pieces under rule of drug lord, white supremacist, Larson. This man owns almost the entire town other than a few places like Mabel's diner/motel and the strip joint. The single cop in town has to ignore Larson and his minions because otherwise he's dead meat. Several of the state police are also under Larson's rule. The town is so small that Mabel's eight and ten year old sons have no friends their age other than the sons of Larson's best "salesman". This place may be Mabel's lifelong home but it's a very dangerous place to be. 

When a sixteen year old runaway, who was last seen fighting with a young black man, is raped and killed, the black man is pinned with her murder. But, according to Mabel, she is able to read a person's soul and know them and she lives life following her gut feelings. So Mabel is going to fight for this young black man because she "knows" he didn't kill the girl. Instead, she is going after the man or men who raped and killed this girl. And that is where I have issues with Mabel. She is in a town with no law, where she knows that a young girl has been raped and murdered, a town run by skinheads and drug dealers. I think it's mighty fine of her to tackle this head on IF it is just her life that she was putting on the line. But Mabel has two young sons and a teenage niece that she is raising and she is putting them right in the crosshairs of men who think nothing of raping, torturing and killing people, even young people. 

Mabel won't let her sons be around their dad because of his heavy handed ways. But she's bringing all of this violence to her doorstep without first putting her children somewhere safe. This could be a life lesson that her sons may not be alive to learn. Her niece is the very age of the young girls that Larson and his men prey on. I'm getting very protective about fictional kids, the older I get, but I know bad things can happen to them. Still, those things shouldn't happen to them because their smart, honest, heart of gold mom decides to go after the evil in town, without doing anything to safeguard her children from these brutal men. Heck, the kids are better off with their "bad parent" dad than being sitting ducks for the bad guys in this town. 

So, I'll give this story a 3.5, raised to 4 stars, in the hopes that Mabel uses better judgement in the next book. We know she already has her next case for her fledgling private investigator business but she needs to rethink her approach to life or she and/or her kids are going to end up dead. Her current approach is not good parenting, no matter what life lessons you want to impart to your children or how much you want to make the world a better place. 

Thank you to Trevor Wiltzen/Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles and NetGalley for this ARC.

Set in the 1980s, Heart of a Runaway Girl by debut author Trevor Wiltzen is an absolute gem of a novel.

When the small town of Blue River is rocked by the brutal rape and murder of a young 18-year old girl and her black boyfriend is imprisoned for the crime, an unlikely savior rises, in the form of Mabel -  waitress, motel owner and single mother - to fight back against the corruption that permeates the community.

I loved the character of Mabel who was soft-hearted and compassionate to those around her, but fought back with the ferociousness of a Mama Bear when her loved ones were threatened. The supporting characters of Sheriff Dan, Kerry, Consuela and others were also well-written. Though the concept of a waitress-turned-P.I was quite far-fetched, the author managed to keep it believable without going overboard. I also admired the delicate manner in which topics such as racism, drug abuse and domestic abuse were addressed without sounding too preachy.

Overall, I found this to be a quick and engaging read. I am quite excited to know that there is a second book featuring Mabel and can't wait to read it.

A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Location:- Mabel Davis’ diner in Blue River, a ‘wilderness place’ off the beaten track in Washington State.
Timescale:- Autumn 1986.
Forty something Mabel witnesses a tense conversation in her diner between a young white girl and a young black man who she recognises as Winston Washington. The following day the girl, later identified as Karen Thompson, is found brutally murdered at a sawmill. Mabel tells Sheriff Dan what she saw and he is now sure Winston is his man and he is duly arrested. However, Mabel is not as convinced and sets out to investigate.

One of the greatest strengths of the book is the characterisation especially of Mabel who is just lovely. She’s kind, caring and a very brave ‘Momma Bear’ which she needs to be as her investigation leads her to challenge the ‘authority’ of a vile racist group led by a local drug dealer, Larson. When they threaten to lynch Winston her actions save the young man but it puts her family especially her two young boys in danger. The racism in the area is deeply disturbing and is portrayed starkly well especially the testosterone fuelled thugs in Larson sphere of orbit and they add sexism into the unsavoury mix. Other characters that stand out are Mabel’s children and her lovely niece Kerry who has ooodles of personality and plenty of backbone. I really like that Mabel discusses ‘Roots’ with son Hector and he then displays such wisdom that makes his mother think. The other excellent aspect is the remote setting of Blue River which is a perfect backdrop to these events and adds atmosphere as does the vibe in Mabel’s diner. I especially like the latter as it’s easy to visualise her working the room with a pot of coffee, wheedling information and casting risque jokes! It’s an easy to read novel and although it takes a little while to get going once it does the pace is fast.

Overall, yes, I’m certain the premise is far fetched, there are things that Mabel becomes privy to that I’m certain she wouldn’t in reality. However, Mabel carries the day and sweeps aside any reservations! She is so well meaning and I love how she takes on the law and the racist crew in Blue River at personal risk.

With thanks to NetGalley and IBPA for the arc for an honest review.

Mabel runs the diner and motel in a small town. A single mother raising two boys and her neice - both parents dead. She is certainly struggling but helps all those she can.
Over the years, it's been overcome with drugs and racists. Mabel hates seeing her community failing each other as Larson, the leader of the drug trade and racists, continues to run things. He has people on his payroll - the state police, business owners, etc.
A young couple enter Maybel's dinner, clearly in love, having an argument. The young woman is found brutally murdered. The young black man arrested and assumed guilty.
Mabel knows he's innocent - she struggles to find anyone to believe him, no one willing to investigate the murder. She begins her own investigation - quickly on the bad sad of Larson.
Courage. Integrity. Mabel fights for what she believes, providing a struggling town with an exemplary example of what a woman can accomplish.
Quick, easy read.

"Heart of a Runaway Girl" by Trevor Wiltzen was Small-town Mystery at its best!

Washington State is known for the rainy forests of the Olympic Peninsula, the beauty of Mount Rainier, Puget Sound, Columbia River and then there are apples, tons and tons of apples! In small town Blue River, Washington there are farmers, miners, sawmill operators, white supremacists, skinhead drug dealers and lots and lots of drugs! Hot damn, it's the 1980's!

It's also where hardworking diner and motel owner-operator Mabel Davison lives. Mabel loves waitressing, loves taking care of her customers and serving them an endless cup of the best coffee around! She uses endearments when she speaks to people and she's a toucher, too. She just can't help it, she can't keep her hands to herself! She wants people to know she cares! It's who she is!

Right now she's focused on the young couple sitting in a booth at the back of the diner for the last hour. Talking intently, face-to-face, then moving apart, obviously arguing, voices raised, then quiet. The next day Mabel is told by Sheriff Dan the girl is found at the sawmill brutally murdered and her boyfriend accused of her murder. The boyfriend is Winston who doesn't stand a chance as a black man in this racist town.

Mabel believes Winston is innocent. He has to be! She just knows it because she has a gift. She can read people. All she has to do is look into their eyes. She looked at Winston's eyes and knows he didn't murder this girl. He cared about her, maybe even tried to help her. Mabel knows that staying silent is wrong and helping in some way is the right thing to do. She's lived in Blue River her entire life and she knows there's racism in this small town. She's just not going to stand for anyone being railroaded, targeted because of race.

I grew totally in love with brave and gutsy Mabel in this small-town Mystery. I think of her as a 'Great Big Mama Bear' to her family, her friends and her customers of construction workers, miners, truckers and locals. They love her edgy jokes and they love Mabel like...well, like family!

This book is the first in a new series by this debut author. His writing is creative, fun and - with Mabel as a super-sleuth, somewhat improbable, yes perhaps even impossible, detective - it was entirely entertaining! I can't wait to see what happens in this small town next with 'Mabel Davison, #2'!

I highly recommend this book and rate it 4 1/2 stars, pushing it to 5 stars because, well...because of Mabel!
_________________________
Thank you to NetGalley, IBPA and Trevor Wiltzen for an ARC of this book. This is my honest review.

The main character, Mabel Davison, is the star of this novel. She's a down-to-earth single mum and a waitress. She owns the diner and an attached motel, but she isn't rolling in money. Mabel works hard and long and tries to raise her kids right. But if anyone lives the expression' heart of gold' it's Mabel. Caring for others is a huge part of her character.

So when there's a murder in the town of Blue River and the local police pick up a young black teen who Mabel believes to be innocent, she speaks up. And she speaks loud.

The town of Blue River is small and depressed, and built along a highway that leads from "nowhere to nowhere fast". Sure, it has a logging industry, a marijuana industry, and…is there a third burgeoning harder drugs industry? But on the whole, the town is on Struggle Street. There are also a whole lot of questions regarding who is really running Blue River. Is the one local cop in control? Or does Larson, a man controlling the towns drug trade, along with his gang of strong arms—made up of a significant number of white supremacists—really in control of things?

The thing about Mabel is, she doesn't back down when she sees a wrong. Even when she turns amateur sleuth, and things get dangerous. There were times when I found her decisions excruciating - yet I couldn't help but love the hell out of her.

This book is set in the 80s. Readers who lived through the 80s (like me, ahem), and those interested in that particular decade will enjoy that aspect.

Another wonderful thing about Heart of a Runaway Girl is that, in terms of genre, it sits in a lovely little niche spot. It's beyond cosy mystery but doesn't take its thrills so far as to become one of those novels that leave you feeling wounded. I have a soft spot for those.

I didn't realise when I began reading that Wiltzen has more Mabel escapades on the way. But as this story is driven by Mabel and her character, finding that out was very welcome because this first book earned every star.

Many thanks to Net Galley and the author Trevor Wiltzen for my copy of this novel, given in return for my honest review.