The Running Bibliophile

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,...

Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun (Finlay Donovan, #3) by Elle Cosimano is the latest installment in the Finlay Donovan book series.  It opens with Finlay needing to identify who a contract killer is before Mob Boss Feliks does or else she will be killed.  Unfortunately, Finlay thinks the killer is a dirty cop, so she and Vero go undercover at a citizen's police academy to figure out who it may be, and chaos ensues. I'd like to thank NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for the Advanced Reader's Copy of Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun (Finlay Donovan, #3) by Elle Cosimano.  I was thrilled to be approved to receive this book for free in exchange for my honest review. Elle Cosimano has done a phenomenal job with this series making each sequel more believable.  After a rough start with the series, I've come to love most of the characters and the books.  I think the only character that I don't particularly care for is Finlay's ex-husband Steven.  Where...

Janet Evanovich is a talented author, and her Stephanie Plum book series just keeps getting better and better with each book. Fearless Fourteen (Stephanie Plum, #14) is no exception. Although this series is technically a thriller and suspense book, it could also be categorized as chick lit and humor.  There were numerous times throughout the book that I found myself laughing out loud, which is always welcome, especially with a pandemic going on in the real world. The situations that Stephanie Plum gets herself into are always comical, and let's face it, predictable at this point. And, the way that her on again off again boyfriend Joe Morelli reacts is always humorous as well.  One character that is reoccurring in the Stephanie Plum series is Grandma Mazur, and she makes an appearance in Fearless Fourteen . However, I am glad to say it is a minor role in this book. I love the character, but there are times when I feel like she was featured too much. I can only t...

After joining the Goodreads.com website to keep track of what books I was reading and which ones I wanted to read, I discovered their giveaways section where members of the site can win free books from publishers. I entered numerous giveaways hoping I'd win just one book and didn't think of much more of it. Then, during one of my many trips to Barnes & Noble, I was looking at the books on the bargain bin shelves hoping to discover my next favorite author. Because who has just one favorite author, right? While browsing, I picked up  The Spellman Files  by Lisa Lutz .  The main character was described as part Nancy Drew, part Dirty Harry. I decided to buy the book since it was on sale for $4.98. I promptly went home, put the book on one of my book shelves, and promptly forgot about it. Approximately a month or two later, I received an email from Goodreads.com letting me know that I had won  Curse of the Spellmans  by Lisa Lutz, which was the sequel to...