THE HEAVEN SPOT BY MARY FRANCES HILL

 

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.

1. There are curse words. The F-word is used once.
2. 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)
3. There is no graphic violence.
4. 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?

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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 

Enter the Giveaway:

THE HEAVEN SPOT (a novel) Book Tour Giveaway https://widget.gleamjs.io/e.js

Mary’s author interview : Q&A

Question #1—There are many books out there…what makes yours different?

Answer—Though my book tackles controversial topics (opioid addiction, sexual fluidity, and suicide) and is set in Palm Beach, a glamorous place, I didn’t want the subject matter or setting to overshadow the mystery or the characters. Consequently, I worked hard to develop both. I believe my raw characters and the emotionally charged nature and intricacy of the mystery set my novel apart.

Question #2—Where is your book set?

Answer—The Heaven Spot begins in Lynchburg, Virginia, and then moves to Palm Beach/West Palm Beach, Florida, when the protagonist goes to solve her daughter’s murder. I love and am very familiar with both cities. I spent four years in Lynchburg in college and have returned dozens of times since. I owned a vacation home in Palm Beach and still visit relatives who are local. 

Question #3—Do you have any profession besides writing?

Answer—At present, I am just a writer and a dog parent. I own a Pyredoodle.  But prior to having children, I was a counseling therapist and worked with abuse and head injury victims. I am still fascinated by psychology and human relationships and try to incorporate this interest into my stories. 

Question #4—What genre do you write in and why?

Answer—I write mysteries, specifically women’s psychological mysteries, with female protagonists who are regular people. My mother read Phyllis A. Whitney mysteries, and she got me hooked on the mystery genre. I write what I read and enjoy.

Question #5—Who would you be if you could put yourself as a character in your book?

Answer—Though I wouldn’t want to be the protagonist, Maggie, because she is struggling and grieving, I would probably be her. Though our life experiences are vastly different, I relate to her because she is a woman and a mother. I like that she pushes on and powers through even when life seems stacked against her. Also, I would love to go on a graffiti treasure hunt throughout West Palm Beach like Maggie!

Question #6—What advice would you give budding writers?

Answer—I would tell them to write their first novel draft before they show anyone their work. With those pages in hand, they will be less likely to get defeated or get stuck in the loop of revising the first part of their novel if someone gives them negative feedback. Also, having that first draft will prevent well-intentioned, ambitious critique group members from totally rewriting their story. 

Question #7. What is the last great book you’ve read? 
Answer– Prep (2005) by Curtis Sittenfield. I love Sittenfield’s coming-of-age novel because it makes me cringe and think. Through her protagonist, Lee Fiora, Sittenfield writes about things I think about but would never say. She is a very brave writer. Sittenfield’s characters feel authentic and are beautifully flawed. I love that.