A Wonderful Mystery: A Review of Madness and Murder

My Book Review of Madness and Murder by Jen Hilborne:

Madness and Murder by Jen Hilborne is a taut crime mystery, with a terrific underlying narrative of character interaction and a theme of second chances. There is a splendid interweaving of subplots, overlaid with a chilling murder spree.

In Madness and Murder the plot unfolds on twins recovering from childhood tragedy, a homicide detective, and a girl who met the wrong guy. Their lives intertwine on the streets of San Francisco headed straight for a collision course with a serial killer.

The novel is well-plotted with some nice twists and turns, red herrings and multiple possible suspects that keep you guessing and in suspense. The characters are realistic and human, plus the female characters do not come off as helpless victims even when targeted by less than scrupulous people. The flow of the book engages and keeps the pages turning effortlessly.

The plot does hinge on a couple of coincidences of fate, but nothing that stretches the bounds of credibility and the author’s style makes it believable. Also, there were a couple of minor plot points that left me wondering a bit, but they don’t distract from the overall quality.

Madness and Murder is a great mystery novel and recommended.