Helaine Mario Books In Order

Publication Order of Maggie O'Shea Mystery Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Bestselling author Helaine Mario was born and raised in New York City, New York, and is a graduate of Boston University. She got married in the year 1969 and moved off to Connecticut to raise their two kids. She also wrote for the local paper, and volunteered at a place called Save the Children.

In the year 1985 things took an unpredictable turn in Helaine’s life as her husband’s career took her family to Potomac, Maryland. For the eight years of Clinton’s Presidency, she was a White House volunteer for Al and Tipper Gore, and is still a passionate advocate for women and child’s issues and public service.

She is a firm believer in giving back, and worked on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, and formed The SunDial Foundation, Inc. It benefited most vulnerable women, children, and the families for two decades. Mario also created Project PJs, which offers bears, pajamas, and books to the under served kids in the community.

Helaine and her husband (Ron Mario) spend time in Arlington, Virginia (where does advocacy work), Cape May, New Jersey, and Longboat Key, Florida. She has survived cancer and is very proud of her two kids and four grandkids. Her son (who is named Sean) inspired the classical music background, since he is a pianist.

Her work is from the mystery, suspense, and thriller genres. Her debut novel “Firebird” was released in the year 2013.

When it comes to writing, she wants to create characters that have depth, tell a good story, and paint pictures with her words. She would also like people to feel. Helaine would like to tell stories forever. Mario writes about the women that she wants to be: talented, confident, courageous, passionate, and caring. The women that run toward, rather than away.

“Firebird” is the first stand alone novel, which was released in the year 2013. A single mother and curator at an art gallery, Dr. Alexandra Marik, is haunted by an awful past as well as the death of her sister (named Eve), which was sudden and inexplicable. Ivan is a secretive and lonely Russian spy that has been forgotten since Glasnost and the chaos that came with it. Both of these people’s lives are about to collide with each other.

October, right before the Presidential election. A controversial Senator has just taken the place of an ill Vice President on the Republican ticket.

Eve’s funeral is about to begin, just miles away from the White House. At the same time, Ivan is in a forest in the north mourning her death, too.

Alexandra’s quest to find out the truth about why her sister died is going to bring to light an old political secret. It is one that has to be kept safe so that Ivan will be able to accomplish his mission. Her search is going to challenge her ideals about family, test her courage, and surprise her with a romance she did not expect. It will also push her to risk her life to keep the children she loves safe.

Fans of the novel found this to be an exciting story and balanced detail, action and plot very well. This is a well written and exciting book that turned some readers into fans of Helaine Mario.

“The Lost Concerto” is the first novel in the “Maggie O’Shea Mystery” series, which was released in the year 2015. A lady and her young son flee to off the Breton coast of France on a remote island. Seafarers have dubbed the place Fog Island (or Ile de la Brume). A tragic death happens and scared child disappears into the mist, all inside a chapel high on a cliff.

Maggie O’Shea is the child’s godmother and is haunted by her husband and best friend’s violent deaths. She has withdrawn from the life she had as a classical pianist. A recording of unforgettable music and a poor quality picture turn up, which connects the godson that went missing to her long ago first love.

The picture is going to draw Maggie into criminal forces, decades old secrets, some stolen art as well as musical artifacts and lethal terrorists. She finds out about her husband’s death, and finds a musical masterpiece that was lost for hundreds of years.

Fans of the novel found that the French setting and the musical element put this book over the top, keeping it from being a run of the mill mystery. The entire way through, you are kept in suspense as to what is going on, as the story unfolds.

“Dark Rhapsody” is the second novel in the “Maggie O’Shea Mystery” series, which was released in the year 2018. Back in the year 1945, a little girl finds a priceless treasure belonging to the Nazis close to a alpine lake in the middle of nowhere. This simple act sets into motion a secret that is going to change the lives of people for generations.

In modern times, Maggie O’Shea, classical pianist, is getting ready to get back into the musical world. What she gets instead is a nightmare with a haunting rhapsody along with hundreds of roses from a crazy stalker that pushes her into a world of terror. Forces push her to look into the mystery surrounding her mom’s death, her dad’s shocking disappearance, as well as an awful secret that dates back to World War II.

She finds that she is riding a wave with a disfigured and brutal killer that threatens all that she loves. It is an old pianist that has a long hidden secret, a Maestro with a lot of charisma, a cellist in mourning, and the crusty colonel (who is retired) that she has grown to love. Through each chord of Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody, it tells this story of profound loss, love and courage. Music is able to tell our story for us.

Fans of the novel found this to be well written, just like Mario’s other books and it has a sympathetic lead in it in Maggie O’Shea. There is a strong sense of menace to the novel as well.