Book Review: Missing Since Monday by Ann M. Martin

-
Image
Missing Since Monday by Ann M. Martin follows Maggie and her older brother when their father and stepmother leave on a long-delayed honeymoon, trusting the siblings to care for their four-year-old half sister, Courtenay. When Courtenay fails to come home from daycare one Monday afternoon, Maggie and her brother are thrust into a frightening mystery. With no adults around to help, they must piece together what happened and find a way to alert their parents before it’s too late. This standalone novel for readers ages eight to twelve was one I completely missed as a kid, but as an adult and a longtime fan of Ann M. Martin’s The Baby-Sitters Club  series, I couldn’t resist picking it up. The first chapter or two felt a bit choppy to me at first, but once the story found its footing, everything began to come together nicely . Because this is a short children’s book, the characters aren’t deeply developed, which is to be expected. That said, Martin does an excellent job conveying Maggie’...
Post a Comment

Book Review: Two for Sorrow (Josephine Tey, #3) by Nicola Upson

-
two for sorrow josephine tey #3 nicola upson
Back in 2010, I discovered a website called Goodreads.com where I could keep track of what books I had read, what I was currently reading, and books that I wanted to read. Then, I found out that you could enter giveaways for a chance to win an advanced readers copy, also known as an ARC, of a book or a book that had already been published. I have been fortunate enough to win several books through Goodreads.com's First Reads Giveaways. One of those books was Two for Sorrow (Josephine Tey, #3) written by Nicola Upson. I received this novel for free in exchange for my honest review.

Not knowing anything at all about the author going into reading Two for Sorrow (Josephine Tey, #3), I had absolutely no preconceived ideas about Nicola Upson. Overall, the book was relatively well written, and the style of writing reminded me a bit of P.D. James. It was interesting enough to keep my attention until I got about halfway through the book. At that point, the story line really started to drag for me, and I had to push through it. When I got to the last eighty or so pages of Two for Sorrow (Josephine Tey, #3), the narrative really started to pick up. Even though this is the third book in a series, it definitely can be read as a stand alone book. I gave this novel three out of five stars because the book redeemed itself in my opinion. If you liked this book, then I definitely recommend you try reading Devices and Desires (Adam Dalgliesh, #8) by P.D. James.

Synopsis of Two for Sorrow (Josephine Tey, #3):  A mystery writer named Josephine Tey is writing a novel based on two British women who were hanged for the crimes of murdering newborns. While researching her novel, Josephine finds herself entangled in a hunt for a modern day killer.


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 about Marley and her friends Atlas, Lucia, and Jesse are seniors in high school.  The senior pranks are fun and lighthearted until Rhett starts doling out dares that are more serious.  Will Marley and her friends survive? A huge thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy of The Dare  by Natasha Preston.  The last book I read by this author was so well written, I knew I wanted to give her latest story a try. The first thing I noticed about the story is it's reminiscent of R.L. Stine's Fear Street series, which brought back all the feels from my childhood.  Pretty quickly, the storyline shifts and is eerily similar to the movie I Know What You Did Last Summer .  It's at this point that I became disappointed with the book and almost stopped reading it.   Additionally, there were other parts t hat reminded me of The Secret Diaries by Janice Harrell.  So, overall, The Dare wasn't ...
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 Stephanie Plum book series and opens with Joe Morelli asking Stephanie to dog sit his dog Bob while he is out of town testifying at a trial.  The typical chaos ensues when Stephanie has to bring Bob along to apprehend all of her FTAs and has her asking herself if she wants to be married. Each book in this series typically follows the same formula and is wrapped up in a neat, tidy bow at the end.  It's because of this that I enjoy the series . . . I always know that Stephanie is going to get herself into some sort of trouble and need Ranger or Morelli to help her, and the bad guy is always caught.  Sometimes, I just need something familiar and predictable to read.  And, I don't mean that in a bad way either because it allows me to escape reality and gives me a few chuckles along the way.  It's like the ...
Read more