THE YEAR MRS. COOPER GOT OUT MORE won an award in category of Unpublished (at the time) Women's Fiction in the 2015 Royal Palm Literary Awards. Living in a small town in Maine … doesn’t keep you safe. The coastal tourist town of Great Wharf, Maine, boasts a crime rate so low you might suspect someone’s lying. Nursing long-simmering secrets, agoraphobic empty nester Mallory Cooper fears most everything. Careful to keep the red wine handy and loath to leave the house, Mallory misses her happier self—and so does her husband. To please him as well as deflect a nosy neighbor who’s curious about a New Age gift shop, Mallory steps out to explore. A chance comment to the vampy store owner seals the proprietor’s and others’ fates while Mallory chases her own demons for an overdue showdown. With the courage to change, Mallory learns that forgiveness, love, and friendships will help her overcome fears and scars. Editorial Review by D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review: "As in many a story, the proof of a superior production lies not so much in the plot itself, but in the personalities of the protagonists - and it's here that Meredith Marple shines. [This book] is replete with insights [weaving] into the quietly-compelling saga of one woman's transition... It's ultimately a murder mystery but there's nothing 'formula' about [it. The couple's] evolving life is just as compelling (and even more deeply explored) than the murder scene itself - and that's what keeps its story line refreshing, compelling, and ultimately a winning standout from many genre peers." Editorial Review by Tina Gibbons for Readers' Favorite: "I couldn't put this book down. The mystery flowed smoothly and kept me curious. The story was addictive and I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. The author's voice was pleasing and constant and the polished prose stood out as stellar. This is one of my favorite reads this year. I strongly recommend it. 5 stars!" [T]he proof of a superior production lies not so much in the plot itself, but in the personalities of the protagonists -and it's here that Meredith Marple shines. This book is replete with insights [weaving] into the quietly-compelling saga of one woman's transition...It's ultimately a murder mystery but there's nothing 'formula' about it. The couple's evolving life is just as compelling (and even more deeply explored) than the murder scene itself -and that's what keeps its story line refreshing, compelling, and ultimately a winning standout from many genre peers.-- Midwest Book Review I couldn't put this book down ... one of my favorite reads this year. I strongly recommend it.-- Readers' Favorite The year is 2014, and an underlying current of malaise is stirring behind the closed doors of residents in the small and quaint Maine town of Great Wharf ... Meredith Marple's debut novel is reminiscent of Peyton Place minus the anticipated sordid secrets. Indeed, Marple's tightly knit cast is shrouded in secrecy of one form or other. Yet her well-defined characters, for the most part, are made up of decent individuals at different stages in their lives. - Red City Review The Year Mrs. Cooper Got Out More follows the trials and tribulations of Mrs. Cooper, a recent empty nester and agoraphobic who is trying to hold together both herself and her marriage. [One] piece Marple nails with Mrs. Cooper is the side plot told through letters from grandparents. I was hooked ... [Marple's is a] book about late-life rediscovery that happens to include a murder as a parallel for the personal mystery that her protagonist is trying to unravel within her own head. - Gwenyfar Rohler, Encore Magazine The novel begins with a story about an individual, then zooms out into a view of how this one person is part of a much larger web of connections. Underneath the calm surface of the town, a bigger tragedy is slowly brewing: Every day, we touch countless lives. The Year Mrs. Cooper Got Out More shows just how deep these connections can go. RECOMMENDED. - The US Review of Books