Book Review: The Mischief Thief by Johnnie Alexander

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What is this book about?

Two wrongs don’t make a right . . . except when they do. For con artist Chaney Rose, life hasn’t been easy. In desperate need of cash, she readily agrees to find Mischief, a stolen racehorse. Hunting for clues, she breaks into the suspected horse thief’s home only to be caught—with a few pilfered items in her pockets—by the police detective who’s tailing her. By-the-book Adam Thorne was fired from his church because of his father’s involvement with the valuable thoroughbred. In a burst of Les Miserables-inspired grace, Adam tells the detective that he gave Chaney the stolen items. Adam wants Chaney to find his missing father. When Chaney learns that Mischief’s owner intends to kill the racehorse, she needs Adam’s help expose the cruel plan before it’s too late. Will a con artist with a conscience and a minister without a ministry risk imprisonment to do the wrong thing for the right reason?

My review:

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this story, but I found the premise interesting so I had to check it out. I was under the impression that this was a Christian suspense. I wouldn’t classify it as such. There was definitely an inspirational thread to it, but I found it to be more of a fun mystery rather than suspenseful. I very much enjoyed the writing which kept me turning the pages to find out what would happen. I love the TV show Leverage and the second half of this story reminded me of that show. The one complaint I did have was when the story came to the end, I was left saying, “What? That’s it?” The end was tied up for the story as far as getting the horse to safety, but I wasn’t done with the characters.

I liked the big difference between main characters—Chaney, who was on the wrong side of the law and Adam, who was on the right side. There was a nice push-pull between them. I was hoping for a romance to spring out of it, but it didn’t. I understand that this is the first book in a series so perhaps in later stories… 😉

What I enjoyed most about this book:

The writing and the mystery being played out. It kept me turning the pages.

What I didn’t like about this book:

It ending a little abruptly for me. Not with the story, but with the characters.

Would I recommend this book to others? Yes. Just know that this is not really suspense, it is more mystery. This is the first book in the series and I am definitely interested in reading the next one.

Note: I received this book complimentary as a participant in the JustRead reviewer tour. I was not required to give a positive review. All the opinions expressed here are honest and my own.

Where can I learn more about this author and their books?

Johnnie Alexander, author website

-Loraine Nunley

The Mischief Thief by Johnnie Alexander (4 out of 5 stars) #BookReview #amreading #justreadtours Share on X