Mad Mischief

A Novel

Fiction - Chick Lit
456 Pages
Reviewed on 09/29/2017
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Lucinda E Clarke for Readers' Favorite

I chose to read and review Mad Mischief by Susan St. John as I have lived in Kenya and travelled to many of the places she writes about. What we think at first is the average, rich American couple going on their first privately escorted safari to both Kenya and Tanzania turns into something quite different. Sarah’s husband, Peter, is loud, overbearing and insufferable, and constantly puts his wife down with stinging and cruel remarks. He is joined in this game by Max, their knowledgeable safari guide. It becomes a battle of wits and wills, while deep in game country among the wild creatures who also battle to survive. When Sarah elects to remain in Nairobi at the end of the tour, the pace picks up as she stumbles across one interesting character after another, all of whom take her for a ride in the meanest sense.

The visual pictures Susan St. John draws in Mad Mischief are astounding. You are taken to Africa while you sit in your armchair. You can smell the kills, see the birds, and watch the elephants almost as clearly as if you were in the same vehicle as Sarah, Peter and Max. The vivid and beautiful descriptions do not end with the animals; the author describes the terrain, the game lodges, the local people, their culture and the food. But this is not a linear story; it goes back and forth between their guide’s incarceration in Nairobi, Sarah’s fraught childhood, and the present safari. It’s quite difficult to review this book without giving away any spoilers, but for me, my emotions were on a roller coaster. One minute I was cheering Sarah on, the next minute cringing at her ineptitude and cowering. She catapulted from being very brave to behaving stupidly – for example not wearing shoes in the bush despite being warned numerous times. This book is beautifully written, has depth and will stay with you long after you have finished reading it. The title only became clear to me towards the end, and if I was to explain that, it would be a spoiler! A full five stars.

Jean von Wittenburg

LOVED this book, and I am not an avid reader even in my 'spare time'. Couldn't put it down!!!
Makes me want to travel to Africa even more...I am an animal lover and it would be fabulous to see the wildlife outside of our Zoos.
Jean

David Tamarin

I too have been to Africa and Ms. St John's vivid descriptions of the scenery, smells and people are so accurate I was immediately back in Africa, but this time I was on Sarah's tour...a tour de force!
Get ahead of the curve by reading this book BEFORE it is made into a movie as it most certainly should!

Linda Michaels

I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed Mad Mischief. I recently returned from my second trip to Africa and it brought me back to that fascinating continent I found the characters to be multi-dimensional and actually found myself become terribly angry and upset with the behavior of the character of Peter !
Ms St John has a gift with language and I felt as if I was her companion on this amazing and interesting journey .
Read this novel ; you will not be disappointed !

Samantha Bonavia

This book is a must read! I couldn't put it down, from the first page to the last!! Read it while on your holiday travels! You will be captured by the rich imagery and subtle character nuances... what a masterful storyteller Ms. St. John is!!

Dorothy Malala

This book is too awesome,being a kenyan i highly recommend it,it is one of those books that allows you to travel to Kenya in all ways without having to be there physically ,no amount of words can describe the feeling you get as you read Mad Mischief!

Helga Hans , Kailua Kona, HI

We have traveled to Africa, three times. Hard to put this book down.
MS. ST JOHN, describes East Africa wonderfully, which turns this novel into a interesting journey. A must read, and having just finished,reading Mad Mischief, we're talking about a fourth trip.
Loved the book, and you will too.