About the Book

Book: Mabel and the Privy of Doom

Author: Susan Kimmel Wright

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Release Date: March 5, 2026

Mabel plans to bring the joys of volunteering to the masses…if she doesn’t fall victim to an ancient curse first.

Mabel has previously encountered dead bodies while volunteering—but she never imagined she’d run afoul of a legendary curse. Until now…

A university archeology team has come to excavate an old privy on the grounds of the Thompson estate, home of Medicine Spring’s first white settler. They hope to retrieve items of historic interest, but rumors of lost treasure and dark curses swirl around the project.

Mabel has joined the dig as a volunteer, despite her reluctance to touch anything collected from the ancient outhouse pit. It doesn’t take long however, before she realizes a few dirt-encrusted artifacts are the least of her worries.

She doesn’t believe in curses, but accidents and misfortune plague team members—including Mabel herself. She begins to wonder if there might be some truth in the old stories. When a body turns up on the site, it appears the curse has transformed from local legend to deadly reality. Will Mabel be its next victim?

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About the Author

Susan Kimmel Wright began her life of mystery in childhood, with reading. That led her to writing kids’ mysteries and eventually to Medicine Spring with Mabel. A longtime member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, Susan’s also a prolific writer of personal experience stories, many for Chicken Soup for the Soul. She shares an 1875 farmhouse in southwestern PA with her husband, several dogs and cats, and an allegedly excessive stockpile of coffee and tea mugs.

More from Susan

I suspect it takes a somewhat warped sense of humor to write a book called Mabel and the Privy of Doom. In fact, I’m afraid this entire series may someday be Exhibit A when my kids decide I need a guardian—but meanwhile I’m having fun!

Mabel and the Privy of Doom was a joy to write, combining my love of mysteries, screwball humor, American history, lost treasure, and ancient curses. It all started when I first learned about historic outhouses or privies.

I discovered the Homewood privy (c. 1801) in Baltimore on a walkabout near Johns Hopkins University. Part of the Declaration of Independence signer John Carroll of Carrollton estate, this handsome brick building has been well maintained over the centuries and has its own historic plaque! (No, not “John Carroll Sat Here!”) Yet another high-profile privy excavation has been performed in patriot Paul Revere’s back yard in Massachusetts in recent years.

Archeologists often learn a great deal from excavating old outhouses, just from examining objects thrown away or accidentally dropped in the privy pit. Even privy pits on humble farmsteads or in modest back yards reveal a lot about family circumstances and daily life. Artifacts such as old bottles, coins, and broken pottery commonly surface.

Growing up, I was fortunate(?) enough have an outhouse on our rural, western Pennsylvania family property. My father, a carpenter and cabinetmaker, built our house himself after returning from World War II. Because the work took a long time, he also built an outhouse for use during the construction period, before plumbing was connected.

My father (perhaps I got my wacky sense of humor from him) added a “Sanitary Inspected Restroom” sign on the door. It now graces the wall of our powder room.

            The outhouse survived for most of my childhood. Because our water supply came from a spring that occasionally went dry during a summer drought, we were occasionally forced to resort to the old privy. Luckily, these occasions were rare and typically brief, but I’ll admit I prayed fervently for rain.

My Impressions

Susan Kimmel Wright has penned such a clever, funny, clean cozy with her Mysteries of Medicine Spring series. I have now thoroughly enjoyed all five, the last being Mabel and the Privy of Doom. 

You really do want to read these books in order to meet Mabel and her friends and enemies in Medicine Spring. I find Mabel hilarious as she re-invents herself as a writer describing volunteering activities for seniors. Turns out hapless, frumpy Mabel isn’t very good at any job she attempts, and volunteering at a privy dig just stinks! Seriously, while there is no smell, there is plenty of animosity from the townspeople who don’t want the “sacred ground” disturbed, or those who want it preserved for posterity. 

Kimmel relates her tale with a light-hearted, sarcastic look at a fifty-year-old sleuth who just can’t stay away from a mystery or trouble. And her friends are just as bad. Either like Lisa, dreaming up mystery possibilities that must be explored, or like the township supervisor, Nita, whose job is on the line if the dig goes south.

My fave characters have got to be the 90-ish old ladies, Miss Katherine Ann and Miss Birdie. Friends of Mabel’s deceased grandmother, they take Mabel on as an honorary granddaughter. But, oh, the gossip and hilarity they bring wherever they go! 

Wright actually threads at least three, maybe more, mysteries into her novel as we try to figure out identities, treasures, and whodunit. A dangerous book to read if you are reading late at night and cannot wake sleeping people with sudden bursts of laughter! Mabel always leaves me smiling! Highly recommended cozy!

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“Sometimes you’ve gotta act like a turtle and stick out your neck to get anywhere.”

Mabel’s grandmother Mabel

‘A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth can get its boots on,’” John

“How can you ‘desecrate’ an outhouse?”- Lisa

“You can’t get blood out of a turnip now, can you?” “Or gold out of a privy,” – Karl, Mabel

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! Just plain fun and smiles!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L, July 10

Texas Book-aholic, July 11

Simple Harvest Reads, July 12 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 13

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 14

The Avid Reader, July 15

Artistic Nobody, July 16 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 17

Guild Master, July 18 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, July 18

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, July 19

Holly’s Book Corner, July 20

Fiction Book Lover, July 21 (Author Interview)

The Bookish Ledger, July 22 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, July 22

Lily’s Corner, July 23

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Susan is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a signed copy of the book of the winner’s choice from my series, Mysteries of Medicine Spring!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/vkE9E/mabel-and-the-privy-of-doom-celebration-tour-giveaway