Book Review: Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

-
Image
Mad Mabel  by Sally Hepworth  is a domestic thriller about the youngest person convicted of murder in Australia, Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick. Now 81 years old, Elsie is living on Kenny Lane and has been for the past sixty years. When a mother named Roxanne moves into Mabel's neighborhood with her seven year old daughter, an unlikely friendship forms between Elsie and the seven year old child named Persephone. As Elsie's secrets come to light, her world comes crashing down.  Having read quite a few novels by Sally Hepworth, I requested an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Mad Mabel  without reading the synopsis of the story. I was thrilled when NetGalley and St. Martin's Press approved my request. The expected publication date of the book is April 21, 2026. Not knowing anything about the storyline before I started reading Mad Mabel  made the story much more interesting to me as I had no preconceived ideas. The tale was told from Mabel's perspective in alternating timeli...
Post a Comment

Book Review: Hardcore Twenty-Four (Stephanie Plum, #24) by Janet Evanovich

-

book review hardcore twenty four stephanie plum janet evanovich

Hardcore Twenty-Four (Stephanie Plum, #24) by Janet Evanovich takes place in Trenton, New Jersey. Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has her hands full with baby-sitting a boa constrictor, bodies appear without their heads, and zombies start appearing all over town. To top things off, Diesel appears in Stephanie's apartment and is being quite secretive for him.

Was I surprised that zombies made an appearance in this installment of the Stephanie Plum series? With growing popularity of shows like The Walking Dead and Fear The Walking Dead, it didn't surprise me at all. Who can blame Evanovich for taking advantage of the popularity of zombie shows and adding an element to one of her books? I certainly don't blame her. I enjoyed that this put a slightly different spin on the series.

However, I didn't care for the love triangle in Hardcore Twenty-Four. I'm not a huge fan of Diesel and wasn't too excited about him making an appearance in this installment. Thankfully, he wasn't featured too heavily and played more of a supporting role than he has in the other book appearances.

This storyline did follow the same type of formula the rest of her books do with everything being tied up neatly at the end. That's one of the reasons I enjoy the series. Although I did enjoy Hardcore Twenty-Four, there were parts that I felt like it dragged a bit, which is the reason I gave it four out of five stars. If you enjoyed Hardcore Twenty-Four (Stephanie Plum, #24) by Janet Evanovich, I recommend In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad, #1) by Tana French.

Follow Us On Social Media

https://www.facebook.com/runningbibliophile/https://www.instagram.com/therunningbibliophile/https://www.pinterest.com/therunningbibliophile/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Book Review: The Dare by Natasha Preston

-
Image
The Dare by Natasha Preston is a young adult horror novel centered on Marley and her friends Atlas, Lucia, and Jesse, all seniors in high school. What begins as harmless, lighthearted senior pranks quickly takes a dark turn when Rhett starts assigning dares that are far more serious and dangerous. As the stakes rise, the question becomes whether Marley and her friends will survive the consequences of playing along. A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced readers copy of The Dare by Natasha Preston. The last book I read by this author was well written and engaging, so I was excited to dive into her latest young adult horror story. From the start, the novel feels reminiscent of R.L. Stine’s Fear Street series, which instantly brought back a wave of childhood nostalgia. Unfortunately, that initial excitement didn’t last. Before long, the plot shifts into territory that felt eerily similar to the movie I Know What You Did Last Summer . At that point, my interest started ...
Read more

Book Review: The Writer by James Patterson and J.D. Barker

-
Image
The Writer by James Patterson and J.D. Barker  was published on March 17, 2025. It opens with Detective Declan Shaw at a closed subway station trying to work up the nerve to commit suicide when he receives a call from his partner about a break in and homicide at the home of a true crime author. Shaw makes his way to the crime scene to work the case, and in a turn of events, Declan comes under scrutiny in another case loosely connected to this new case. I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Writer  from NetGalley and Little , Brown, and Company for free in exchange for my honest review. I'm appreciative that my request for this book was approved. With this story opening with the main character trying to commit suicide, I almost didn't go any further with the book. However, I am glad I stuck with it as it took me on a fantastic ride and had my emotions all over the place. There were so many twists and turns that just when I thought I had it all figured out, there was ...
Read more

Book Review: Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum, #30) by Janet Evanovich

-
Image
Book Review: Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum, #30) by Janet Evanovich Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum, #30) by Janet Evanovich is the latest installment in the long-running and beloved Stephanie Plum series, and it opens with Joe Morelli asking Stephanie to dog-sit his famously quirky dog, Bob, while he’s out of town testifying at a trial. As expected, things quickly spiral into chaos when Stephanie has to bring Bob along while attempting to apprehend her usual lineup of FTAs. Between chasing fugitives, dodging danger, and juggling her complicated personal life, Stephanie also finds herself seriously questioning whether marriage is something she truly wants. Each book in the Stephanie Plum series tends to follow a familiar and comforting formula, with everything wrapped up in a neat, tidy bow by the end. That predictability is actually one of the main reasons I keep coming back to these books. I always know Stephanie will get herself into trouble, Ranger or Morelli will step in to help,...
Read more