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Murder Bimbo
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Expected 10 Feb 26I'm a 32-year-old sex worker who just killed a politician. Please, please, please turn me into a feminist anti-hero...
A 32-year-old sex worker has just killed extremist political hopeful Meat Neck. Holed up in an off-the-grid cabin in the woods, she now has only two days, her wits and a high-speed internet connection to save her own life.
Her best bet is to reach out to the wildly popular feminist investigative podcast Justice for Bimbos. In a hastily-typed series of emails, the newly-minted "Murder Bimbo" explains how she was recruited and then trained by a cabal of code-named US agents to take out Meat Neck.
But, when she starts a new set of emails, this time addressed to her ex-girlfriend, we begin to realize that Murder Bimbo might not be the unsuspecting cog she claims to be.
In a time where 'truth' is more flexible than ever before - who really is Murder Bimbo? And what will she do next?
Introducing an unforgettable character for our times: hyper-articulate, totally untrustworthy, politically murky, charmingly petty, and wholly egotistical - this is . . . MURDER BIMBO.
A 32-year-old sex worker has just killed extremist political hopeful Meat Neck. Holed up in an off-the-grid cabin in the woods, she now has only two days, her wits and a high-speed internet connection to save her own life.
Her best bet is to reach out to the wildly popular feminist investigative podcast Justice for Bimbos. In a hastily-typed series of emails, the newly-minted "Murder Bimbo" explains how she was recruited and then trained by a cabal of code-named US agents to take out Meat Neck.
But, when she starts a new set of emails, this time addressed to her ex-girlfriend, we begin to realize that Murder Bimbo might not be the unsuspecting cog she claims to be.
In a time where 'truth' is more flexible than ever before - who really is Murder Bimbo? And what will she do next?
Introducing an unforgettable character for our times: hyper-articulate, totally untrustworthy, politically murky, charmingly petty, and wholly egotistical - this is . . . MURDER BIMBO.
224 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication February 10, 2026
12684 people want to read
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February 4, 2026unreliable female narrators can do no wrong, right?
September 26, 2025
ARC for review. To be published February 10, 2026.
2 stars. I really wanted to rate at 2.5, but that would require rounding up and it doesn’t really warrant 3 stars.
I liked the first third of this book quite a bit, but as fine with the second third and then the whole thing went off the rails in Act III.
“Murder Bimbo” (we don’t know her name) is a sex worker in her early 30s who becomes involved with a group of government agents in a plot to assassinate a Donald Trump-adjacent politician. The first part of the story is told primarily through correspondence with a podcaster and is really gripping. However, as I mentioned, the center doesn’t hold, new, more minor plots arise and it didn’t quite work for me.
I’m sorry to say that despite its early promise I really can’t recommend this one.
2 stars. I really wanted to rate at 2.5, but that would require rounding up and it doesn’t really warrant 3 stars.
I liked the first third of this book quite a bit, but as fine with the second third and then the whole thing went off the rails in Act III.
“Murder Bimbo” (we don’t know her name) is a sex worker in her early 30s who becomes involved with a group of government agents in a plot to assassinate a Donald Trump-adjacent politician. The first part of the story is told primarily through correspondence with a podcaster and is really gripping. However, as I mentioned, the center doesn’t hold, new, more minor plots arise and it didn’t quite work for me.
I’m sorry to say that despite its early promise I really can’t recommend this one.
October 14, 2025
This is one of those books that I would only recommend to specific friends who are also insane lol. I love how weird the protagonist is, I love an unreliable narrator, I love the psycho babble of someone who has ever-changing morals and values that she vehemently defends as if she’s held them for all time.
This was one of those books that had terrible people in it and I hated them all, and that was what made it so fun.
Read it if you, like me, are a little wonky in the head and like books where women do terrible things, with or without reason.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
This was one of those books that had terrible people in it and I hated them all, and that was what made it so fun.
Read it if you, like me, are a little wonky in the head and like books where women do terrible things, with or without reason.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
January 27, 2026
I honestly don't even know how to favorably review this one except to say it was entertaining.
Truthfully, though, this was the worst kind of unreliable narrator and the three varying acts on the same story ended up feeling redundant.
Truthfully, though, this was the worst kind of unreliable narrator and the three varying acts on the same story ended up feeling redundant.
December 3, 2025
Murder Bimbo is quintessentially millennial. An unreliable narrator sex worker assassinates a rising right-wing political figure and would be more worried about the optics of her having completed this mission with a bunch of racists if she weren't primarily fixated on impressing her ex-girlfriend.
And it is wicked fun.
Fans of Emma Cline will appreciate this one. Each of the three acts is a retelling of what happened leading up to the assassination, based on the audience our narrator would like to appeal to. As the story unravels, our character becomes more complex but never more likeable. There were areas where the character motivation and story structure didn't quite work for me, but overall I enjoyed this fast-paced, bonkers story.
And it is wicked fun.
Fans of Emma Cline will appreciate this one. Each of the three acts is a retelling of what happened leading up to the assassination, based on the audience our narrator would like to appeal to. As the story unravels, our character becomes more complex but never more likeable. There were areas where the character motivation and story structure didn't quite work for me, but overall I enjoyed this fast-paced, bonkers story.
October 16, 2025
So the thing about writing a “sign of the times” book is that you have to reveal something or actually even take a stance and not just mash a bunch of red scare adjacent mood board items together. Local woman enraged that book entitled “murder Bimbo” is exactly how it sounds
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Most of this book was written on my phone in the grocery line, and in the front matter of novels when I’ve pulled over on the side of the road, in voice memos recorded between the visit from the nurse and the visit from the doctor, and in emails to myself whenever a colleague was running late to a call.
People have accused me of it before, but I’m not a liar. A liar is a person who makes things up. I don’t make things up. I tell the truth at whatever cost. I tell the truth even if it means I have to edit a story for people to get the important parts. I pay attention to what people hear and adapt the story so that they hear the pertinent thing, and don’t get tripped up on irrelevant flashy details.
Here’s what Murder Bimbo wants us to know: she’s 32, a sex worker, and a lesbian; she’s pretty; she refers to herself as Murder Bimbo and “Me”; and she’s yearning for her former lover, who she refers to only as “X.” Here’s what we guess: Murder Bimbo isn’t as street smart as she thinks.
Murder Bimbo tells her story in three parts and from three perspectives: as emails to Justice Bimbo, as emails to X, and as a memoir. Her story revolves around her abandoning
sex work to work for a shadowy group to undertake initially unspecified shadowy and dangerous work. Murder Bimbo initially assumes she’s been recruited by a government agency, with minimal evidence to support this. She eventually realizes that the group consists of tech bro neonazis, with the sole exception of a former client of hers who, in fact, may be a government agent. Her mission becomes murdering Meat Neck, a right wing cult figure.
What we don’t and will never know: how could Murder Bimbo be so naïve, so totally clueless to assume that she’s been recruited by a government agency?; why murder Meat Neck?; why leave sex work, given the varying and contradictory explanations given by Murder Bimbo in the three acts of Murder Bimbo?; what happens to X?; why kill DC?
Rebecca Novack (no, not Author Bimbo) leaves much for the reader to guess. Some readers like guessing, some don’t. I don’t mind guessing, but there’s too much guessing here for me.
This is Novack’s debut novel. It’s a promising start: Novack has plotted Murder Bimbo well, she’s created an interesting and unusual character, and she maintains tension throughout. I’m looking forward to Novack’s sophomore novel, which might be even better if she writes less on her phone and more on her computer.
Three stars
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this advanced reader’s copy.
People have accused me of it before, but I’m not a liar. A liar is a person who makes things up. I don’t make things up. I tell the truth at whatever cost. I tell the truth even if it means I have to edit a story for people to get the important parts. I pay attention to what people hear and adapt the story so that they hear the pertinent thing, and don’t get tripped up on irrelevant flashy details.
Here’s what Murder Bimbo wants us to know: she’s 32, a sex worker, and a lesbian; she’s pretty; she refers to herself as Murder Bimbo and “Me”; and she’s yearning for her former lover, who she refers to only as “X.” Here’s what we guess: Murder Bimbo isn’t as street smart as she thinks.
Murder Bimbo tells her story in three parts and from three perspectives: as emails to Justice Bimbo, as emails to X, and as a memoir. Her story revolves around her abandoning
sex work to work for a shadowy group to undertake initially unspecified shadowy and dangerous work. Murder Bimbo initially assumes she’s been recruited by a government agency, with minimal evidence to support this. She eventually realizes that the group consists of tech bro neonazis, with the sole exception of a former client of hers who, in fact, may be a government agent. Her mission becomes murdering Meat Neck, a right wing cult figure.
What we don’t and will never know: how could Murder Bimbo be so naïve, so totally clueless to assume that she’s been recruited by a government agency?; why murder Meat Neck?; why leave sex work, given the varying and contradictory explanations given by Murder Bimbo in the three acts of Murder Bimbo?; what happens to X?; why kill DC?
Rebecca Novack (no, not Author Bimbo) leaves much for the reader to guess. Some readers like guessing, some don’t. I don’t mind guessing, but there’s too much guessing here for me.
This is Novack’s debut novel. It’s a promising start: Novack has plotted Murder Bimbo well, she’s created an interesting and unusual character, and she maintains tension throughout. I’m looking forward to Novack’s sophomore novel, which might be even better if she writes less on her phone and more on her computer.
Three stars
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this advanced reader’s copy.
January 26, 2026
2.5/5 ⭐️
You are met with an unreliable narrator recalling the same story 3 different ways to suit the receiver (and how Bimbo wants to be perceived).
The premise, a sex worker being recruited by a government agency to assassinate a political figure, is extremely interesting.
The story being split up in 3 acts, Act 1 and Act 2 being written in email correspondence I assumed would make the tale pass extremely fast. It did not. Act 1 built good tension and I thought was a solid set up. Act 2 and Act 3 dragged tremendously. There was not enough variations in these stories to warrant 3 different tales. Although I can understand the complexities of perception, it just felt tedious, redundant and repetitive.
I WILL say, I do think this story would translate extremely well as an audiobook. With the right narrator, the story can be delivered with a certain type of charisma that would make this extremely enjoyable. I’d be willing to try this again and adjust my rating if an audiobook becomes available.
* This was an arc copy. Thank you Avid Reader Press.
You are met with an unreliable narrator recalling the same story 3 different ways to suit the receiver (and how Bimbo wants to be perceived).
The premise, a sex worker being recruited by a government agency to assassinate a political figure, is extremely interesting.
The story being split up in 3 acts, Act 1 and Act 2 being written in email correspondence I assumed would make the tale pass extremely fast. It did not. Act 1 built good tension and I thought was a solid set up. Act 2 and Act 3 dragged tremendously. There was not enough variations in these stories to warrant 3 different tales. Although I can understand the complexities of perception, it just felt tedious, redundant and repetitive.
I WILL say, I do think this story would translate extremely well as an audiobook. With the right narrator, the story can be delivered with a certain type of charisma that would make this extremely enjoyable. I’d be willing to try this again and adjust my rating if an audiobook becomes available.
* This was an arc copy. Thank you Avid Reader Press.
September 17, 2025
Ah, what won’t lesbians do for love, or, is it love? Murder Bimbo is for fans of obsessive/psychological thrillers with unreliable queer narrators. Ms. Bimbo, truly, brava. Only slightly timely, I fear. It could use some work in being more topical (im being very sarcastic). I didn’t know where Ms. Bimbo was taking me next, enjoyed this debut novel a lot - humorously tackled so many dark aspects of American political and social culture. Absolute bonkers novel. Catherine Lacey also wins for best blurb of the year maybe
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Pre-Read Notes:
I thought this would be a great, subversive, swer-inclusive feminist book, so I grabbed it. *edit it isn't any of these things.
"I evaluated everyone I met, asked them tangential questions, observed them. I knew the kinds of people who I needed to befriend: People who were also sexual. People who were attracted to me. People who could become sexual or attracted to me once we knew each other better." p116
Final Review
(thoughts & recs) I think I'm in the middle of a terrible reading slump. So please take this review with a grain of salt.
Experimental fiction that only repeats experiments other writers have already explored are not fun to read. The form here is epistolary, composed of emails that only go one way. The reading experience is like reading a diary, since there are no responses. I love experimental fiction, but it needs to break ground. Otherwise, it's just fiction.
Also, this book is deeply ableist, particularly where PTSD and the effects of trauma are concerned. Because the narrator is completely untrustworthy (a no name main character; sorry, but that experiment has been done and it's never worked), I can't really distinguish the character's ableism (and SWERF-y beliefs about sex work, by the way, which is...ironic) from the author's.
Also, I do not like that none of the characters have names. My brain does not register Onions as the name of a character. I spent my entire (brief) read being confused about who was who.
Wanted to love this one, but... It's just such a mess. Two stars for a good concept.
My 3 Favorite Things:
✔️ "I never told them about my job because of the stigma." p24 Stigma refers to a specific form of discrimination experienced by disabled people. She means something else. She means just plain old discrimination.
Thank you to Rebecca Novack, Avid Reader Press, and NetGalley for an accessible digital arc of MURDER BIMBO. All views are mine.
I thought this would be a great, subversive, swer-inclusive feminist book, so I grabbed it. *edit it isn't any of these things.
"I evaluated everyone I met, asked them tangential questions, observed them. I knew the kinds of people who I needed to befriend: People who were also sexual. People who were attracted to me. People who could become sexual or attracted to me once we knew each other better." p116
Final Review
(thoughts & recs) I think I'm in the middle of a terrible reading slump. So please take this review with a grain of salt.
Experimental fiction that only repeats experiments other writers have already explored are not fun to read. The form here is epistolary, composed of emails that only go one way. The reading experience is like reading a diary, since there are no responses. I love experimental fiction, but it needs to break ground. Otherwise, it's just fiction.
Also, this book is deeply ableist, particularly where PTSD and the effects of trauma are concerned. Because the narrator is completely untrustworthy (a no name main character; sorry, but that experiment has been done and it's never worked), I can't really distinguish the character's ableism (and SWERF-y beliefs about sex work, by the way, which is...ironic) from the author's.
Also, I do not like that none of the characters have names. My brain does not register Onions as the name of a character. I spent my entire (brief) read being confused about who was who.
Wanted to love this one, but... It's just such a mess. Two stars for a good concept.
My 3 Favorite Things:
✔️ "I never told them about my job because of the stigma." p24 Stigma refers to a specific form of discrimination experienced by disabled people. She means something else. She means just plain old discrimination.
Thank you to Rebecca Novack, Avid Reader Press, and NetGalley for an accessible digital arc of MURDER BIMBO. All views are mine.
November 17, 2025
I did not like this book.
There are 3 acts. Each act tells what is basically the exact same story in a different way. The basic plotline of each section is the same - each section just tells you a bit more about our Murder Bimbo Assassin and the people in her life. An interesting concept on its surface, but the story simply isn't worth repeating 3 times.
I didn't love our MC in Act one. I actively disliked her in Act two. I loathed her in Act three. So...I guess that's different?
The story itself is remarkably dull.
Your milage may vary, but I feel like I wasted a lot of time on this.
* ARC via Publisher
There are 3 acts. Each act tells what is basically the exact same story in a different way. The basic plotline of each section is the same - each section just tells you a bit more about our Murder Bimbo Assassin and the people in her life. An interesting concept on its surface, but the story simply isn't worth repeating 3 times.
I didn't love our MC in Act one. I actively disliked her in Act two. I loathed her in Act three. So...I guess that's different?
The story itself is remarkably dull.
Your milage may vary, but I feel like I wasted a lot of time on this.
* ARC via Publisher
November 29, 2025
one of those what did I just read and you must read so we can discuss.
told in 3 parts - each one showing more of Murder Bimbo's truth and manipulation.
told in 3 parts - each one showing more of Murder Bimbo's truth and manipulation.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 stars rounded up
Murder Bimbo follows our eponymous protagonist, the self-proclaimed Murder Bimbo, as she recants the story of how she killed an infamous political figure dubbed Meat Neck. She pens her tale in a series of emails to a podcaster named Justice Bimbo while hiding out after the act and contemplating her next move.
The subject matter of this was certainly novel and intriguing, but rehashing it in three different ways kind of made the book lose steam toward the end. I love a good unreliable narrator and watching the narrative unravel at the seams, but I think this tended to wax a bit too poetic at times, particularly in the emails to Murder Bimbo's ex-girlfriend.
None of the characters are likeable at all, but it definitely worked for this particular story. It was fun to see the different facets of each of them as Murder Bimbo portrayed them, including herself, in her narration.
The subject matter is certainly topical, without being too on-the-nose about everything. I also thought the exploration of sex work was well done and provided an interesting backdrop for the main character's personality and motivations.
Overall, I enjoyed this - it was a quick and snappy read and unlike anything I'd ever read before. It could have used some refinement but it wasn't anywhere near unreadable or egregious, it is possibly just my personal preference!!
Thank you to Netgalley and Avid Reader Press for this ARC!!
Murder Bimbo follows our eponymous protagonist, the self-proclaimed Murder Bimbo, as she recants the story of how she killed an infamous political figure dubbed Meat Neck. She pens her tale in a series of emails to a podcaster named Justice Bimbo while hiding out after the act and contemplating her next move.
The subject matter of this was certainly novel and intriguing, but rehashing it in three different ways kind of made the book lose steam toward the end. I love a good unreliable narrator and watching the narrative unravel at the seams, but I think this tended to wax a bit too poetic at times, particularly in the emails to Murder Bimbo's ex-girlfriend.
None of the characters are likeable at all, but it definitely worked for this particular story. It was fun to see the different facets of each of them as Murder Bimbo portrayed them, including herself, in her narration.
The subject matter is certainly topical, without being too on-the-nose about everything. I also thought the exploration of sex work was well done and provided an interesting backdrop for the main character's personality and motivations.
Overall, I enjoyed this - it was a quick and snappy read and unlike anything I'd ever read before. It could have used some refinement but it wasn't anywhere near unreadable or egregious, it is possibly just my personal preference!!
Thank you to Netgalley and Avid Reader Press for this ARC!!
September 21, 2025
what a wild romp! it was as darkly funny and really as strange as it sounds.
so a sex worker turned assassin roped in by neo-nazis, or is it government agents to murder someone brilliantly named meat neck (or insert chosen misogynistic piece of shit). honestly, it's kinda wild because you can insert any a many of shitty extremist politicians and it'd fit. it's topical to say the least. anyways, is she as unaware and we think? or is she manipulating the narratives? i could make arguments for both.
the separate acts did feel disconnected which is my only complaint. idk how to explain it, it felt like i had to backtrack a few times to match which narrative went to which.
but i really just think you should read this, catherine lacey's blurb alone had me hooting and hollering...gone girl for the luigi mangione era"!?! i mean, come on.
so a sex worker turned assassin roped in by neo-nazis, or is it government agents to murder someone brilliantly named meat neck (or insert chosen misogynistic piece of shit). honestly, it's kinda wild because you can insert any a many of shitty extremist politicians and it'd fit. it's topical to say the least. anyways, is she as unaware and we think? or is she manipulating the narratives? i could make arguments for both.
the separate acts did feel disconnected which is my only complaint. idk how to explain it, it felt like i had to backtrack a few times to match which narrative went to which.
but i really just think you should read this, catherine lacey's blurb alone had me hooting and hollering...gone girl for the luigi mangione era"!?! i mean, come on.
August 28, 2025
This book was a wildly entertaining ride. A sex worker turned assassin by the government, the plot was hilariously unhinged. The political chaos in this story is so relatable with our current times but mostly the plot is just pure genius. I never knew what was going to happen next. It’s such a unique storyline overall that it keeps you hooked on every page wondering if you’re about to gasp or chuckle.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 25, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the eARC! Sex worker turned assassin? Hell yeah.
Here’s the deal: Murder Bimbo is vibing in an undisclosed location writing emails to Justice Bimbo, a famous podcaster, and her ex, X. Half epistolary and half first person makes this one heck of a tale. The first thing you need to know? Murder Bimbo tells you what you WANT to know.
The beauty of this novel is that by the end, you’ve heard so many versions of these events that you’re not entirely sure what the truth is. Perhaps there’s a little truth in each retelling.
This book can be hard to follow, and I think that’s on purpose. Murder Bimbo comes right out and says that people think she lies often. From her perspective, she’s just playing to her audience.
The ending did fall a little flat for me. I think a few extra pages might have been enough to make this a five star read. After all the twists and turns, the end just felt extremely abrupt and unsatisfying.
Overall: What an iconic debut full of searing commentary on our current political climate. I’m anxious to see what else is up Rebecca’s sleeve.
Here’s the deal: Murder Bimbo is vibing in an undisclosed location writing emails to Justice Bimbo, a famous podcaster, and her ex, X. Half epistolary and half first person makes this one heck of a tale. The first thing you need to know? Murder Bimbo tells you what you WANT to know.
The beauty of this novel is that by the end, you’ve heard so many versions of these events that you’re not entirely sure what the truth is. Perhaps there’s a little truth in each retelling.
This book can be hard to follow, and I think that’s on purpose. Murder Bimbo comes right out and says that people think she lies often. From her perspective, she’s just playing to her audience.
The ending did fall a little flat for me. I think a few extra pages might have been enough to make this a five star read. After all the twists and turns, the end just felt extremely abrupt and unsatisfying.
Overall: What an iconic debut full of searing commentary on our current political climate. I’m anxious to see what else is up Rebecca’s sleeve.
November 21, 2025
The structure did bother me but I love what the book does with perspective, specifically people’s ability to tell versions of the same story to different people.
It also contains one of the best dialogues between a sex worker and a partner about the work, it made me cry.
It also contains one of the best dialogues between a sex worker and a partner about the work, it made me cry.
September 20, 2025
Murder Bimbo was hired by federal agents to help them assassinate Meat Neck… or was she? We follow her through the 2 days following Meat Neck’s murder, to understand why and how it happened.
This was one hell of a ride. I love an unreliable narrator - our girl is:
1. Willing to do anything for her ex,
2. Maybe a bit impressionable, depending on which version of the story you believe, and
3. Scary.
I never knew what was going to come next as I read this - my favorite kind of a novel! A psychological thriller that somehow satirizes the political world we live in right now in the United States. My favorite part must’ve been the epilogue, just because it wrapped things up in a succinct yet again unpredictable way… but what I do know is that Murder Bimbo will strike again - I know it for a fact!!
Thanks for NetGalley for the ARC to review!
This was one hell of a ride. I love an unreliable narrator - our girl is:
1. Willing to do anything for her ex,
2. Maybe a bit impressionable, depending on which version of the story you believe, and
3. Scary.
I never knew what was going to come next as I read this - my favorite kind of a novel! A psychological thriller that somehow satirizes the political world we live in right now in the United States. My favorite part must’ve been the epilogue, just because it wrapped things up in a succinct yet again unpredictable way… but what I do know is that Murder Bimbo will strike again - I know it for a fact!!
Thanks for NetGalley for the ARC to review!
January 17, 2026
Not charismatic enough to warrant the same story being told three times. This one frustrated me to get through. It felt like an inside joke that I wasn’t in on. I get what the author was trying to do, it’s not that I didn’t get it. Murder Bimbo is unreliable. She’s a woman of our age and willing to do anything. I think I was meant to be hanging on her every word with inner conflict and I just wasn’t. I couldn’t love her or hate her because I was just trying to get through whatever she was selling. Again, three times. I swear this one felt a good 50 pages longer than it was. I think a creative concept didn’t translate into a good read in this case.
November 30, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley, Avid Reader Press and Rebecca Novak for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.
Murder Bimbo is the weirdest most unhinged and most best, I know that isn't proper grammar, but this book is just sooo good. Hands down, no question, this book has the most excellent unreliable narrator. The FMC is like me, a little weird, dark, quirky and a whole lot of wonky. All in all, this book is very delicious. Ms. Rebecca is going to take y'all on the ride of y'alls lives. I can't say enough how much I didn't like this book and loved this book at the same time, and I was hooked from beginning to end. All the ups and downs, highs and lows and all the chaos is just the right amount of frosting.
I highly recommend that y'all run don't walk and get y'alls hands on this book February 10, 2026
Murder Bimbo is the weirdest most unhinged and most best, I know that isn't proper grammar, but this book is just sooo good. Hands down, no question, this book has the most excellent unreliable narrator. The FMC is like me, a little weird, dark, quirky and a whole lot of wonky. All in all, this book is very delicious. Ms. Rebecca is going to take y'all on the ride of y'alls lives. I can't say enough how much I didn't like this book and loved this book at the same time, and I was hooked from beginning to end. All the ups and downs, highs and lows and all the chaos is just the right amount of frosting.
I highly recommend that y'all run don't walk and get y'alls hands on this book February 10, 2026
November 29, 2025
This is an unusual but really entertaining book that's like. nothing I've read before! Murder Bimbo is a sex worker who is hired to kill Meat Neck, a politician who is considered dangerous for the country.. The novel is told in a series of letters to Justice Bimbo and relates her trepidations and her excitement as this is something totally new to her. It's a wild ride for sure!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I feel insane for how much I loved this, and honestly I would not recommend this to anyone unless I was 100% sure they are equally as insane. This has to be one of the most unlikable main characters I have ever read. She is deranged and I support her wrongs, though if she was a real person right in front of me I would be like ew get away from me you toxic wannabe leftist. Her white guilt wracks her to her to her core but not because she has any sense of guilt for commiting murder, conducting business with neo nazis or being a sex worker with stalker tendencies for her lesbian ex. It's because the only way to be a contributing member of society is to do what no one else, who isn't the government or an incel, aren't willing to do; murder a stomatic terrorist. All this to become who she thinks a moral person is based on her ex's liberal views.
Told in three parts that become progressively unhinged, our unnamed MC recounts to a feminist podcaster how she came about murdering the right wing grifter turned presidential hopeful by falling in with a rough crowd; cause what else is a 32 year old sex worker gonna do when there are no lateral moves? Through each act we learn the truth as to how these events unfolded based on who the letters are addressed to. In the letters to her ex, things become darker but nothing is as dark as the truth. And sometimes nothing is as dark as apathy *shivers in justice sensitivity* If you picked this up thinking she is going to be a bad ass spy serving vengeance down the barrel of a 🔫, you got the wrong book.
We begin to uncover that there are moments from each recounting that have nuggets of truth. If you are the kind of reader where you need a character to root for, justice to be a 3 course meal and clear messaging in the conclusion with a bow, this isn't it. The ending is messy and convoluted because she is messy and convoluted, because the world we live in, in which women are damned if you do and damned if you don't- sorry for existing, best of 3?- is messy and convoluted. Let alone the fact that she is a white woman who can't healthly acknowledge that being an apolitical lesbian is counterproductive to leading a happy sex positive professional life but here Karen 🤲🏼🔪, take it out on these men for us.
Told in three parts that become progressively unhinged, our unnamed MC recounts to a feminist podcaster how she came about murdering the right wing grifter turned presidential hopeful by falling in with a rough crowd; cause what else is a 32 year old sex worker gonna do when there are no lateral moves? Through each act we learn the truth as to how these events unfolded based on who the letters are addressed to. In the letters to her ex, things become darker but nothing is as dark as the truth. And sometimes nothing is as dark as apathy *shivers in justice sensitivity* If you picked this up thinking she is going to be a bad ass spy serving vengeance down the barrel of a 🔫, you got the wrong book.
We begin to uncover that there are moments from each recounting that have nuggets of truth. If you are the kind of reader where you need a character to root for, justice to be a 3 course meal and clear messaging in the conclusion with a bow, this isn't it. The ending is messy and convoluted because she is messy and convoluted, because the world we live in, in which women are damned if you do and damned if you don't- sorry for existing, best of 3?- is messy and convoluted. Let alone the fact that she is a white woman who can't healthly acknowledge that being an apolitical lesbian is counterproductive to leading a happy sex positive professional life but here Karen 🤲🏼🔪, take it out on these men for us.
October 31, 2025
Three versions of the same murder story, a la Rashomon, but all three versions are from the same narrator. Each version is manipulated with little subtlety to suit the needs of the narrator (the titular Murder Bimbo), and rather than finding this clever, I'm afraid I found it a bit tedious. Perhaps it was meant to be a clever approach, but it just didn't stick for me.
Very basic spoiler-free plot for all three versions: Sex worker Murder Bimbo finds herself engaged through dubious means to find a way to put an end to the political aspirations of a globally-known misogynist and sexual predator named (ahem) Meat Neck. One of the options of putting an end to these aspirations is to publicly shame him, through hidden camera and microphone leaks, but this only makes Meat Neck all the more endearing to his followers (Meat Neck appears to be an amalgamation of the two Tate Brothers, but even more outwardly rapey and, oddly enough, somehow charismatic). It's a labor of revenge for Murder Bimbo, since she is also a victim of Mr. Neck's string of sexual assaults. Each of the three versions involves the decision to kill Meat, which I believe most readers will find this satisfying.
Other central characters include a true crime podcaster, a small cadre of co-conspirators, and Murder Bimbo's ex-girlfriend. The co-conspirators are the only ones we see in any depth, and their backstories to match their nicknames shift from version to version, as do the individuals themselves.
Novack's writing is quite good, humorous when it wants to be, as well as angry and/or sentimental when called for. A lot of the plotting is far-fetched, but I think it's less a reflection of the writing and more to do with the narrator casting a web to suit her needs in manipulating the reader. But ultimately the story caves in on itself for me.
Give it a read - it's a worthwhile read (three stars), but at the end of the last page, my socks were not knocked off.
Very basic spoiler-free plot for all three versions: Sex worker Murder Bimbo finds herself engaged through dubious means to find a way to put an end to the political aspirations of a globally-known misogynist and sexual predator named (ahem) Meat Neck. One of the options of putting an end to these aspirations is to publicly shame him, through hidden camera and microphone leaks, but this only makes Meat Neck all the more endearing to his followers (Meat Neck appears to be an amalgamation of the two Tate Brothers, but even more outwardly rapey and, oddly enough, somehow charismatic). It's a labor of revenge for Murder Bimbo, since she is also a victim of Mr. Neck's string of sexual assaults. Each of the three versions involves the decision to kill Meat, which I believe most readers will find this satisfying.
Other central characters include a true crime podcaster, a small cadre of co-conspirators, and Murder Bimbo's ex-girlfriend. The co-conspirators are the only ones we see in any depth, and their backstories to match their nicknames shift from version to version, as do the individuals themselves.
Novack's writing is quite good, humorous when it wants to be, as well as angry and/or sentimental when called for. A lot of the plotting is far-fetched, but I think it's less a reflection of the writing and more to do with the narrator casting a web to suit her needs in manipulating the reader. But ultimately the story caves in on itself for me.
Give it a read - it's a worthwhile read (three stars), but at the end of the last page, my socks were not knocked off.
November 25, 2025
It was Catherine Lacey’s recommendation that drew me to this book – she calls it “Gone Girl for the Luigi Mangione era”. I’m glad I trusted her and overlooked the rather low ratings from readers. I found this book highly entertaining and very well-written.
Murder Bimbo is a 34-year-old sex worker who is propositioned by a secretive group of men (are they neo-Nazis or G-men?) to kill an extreme political hopeful interestingly nicknamed Meat Neck. (Yes, it’s highly topical in the current U.S. political environment.) Murder Bimbo tells her story via three separate “acts” – the first consisting of emails to the feminist Justice Bimbo and her followers, the second through emails to her lesbian ex, whom she calls “X”, and lastly, in her own words addressed to readers. It was a tad repetitive, but once I figured out what was going on, I was all in for the ride. I like a “different” book, and my protagonist doesn’t have to be likable. MB is actually one of my favorite characters of recent reads…she’s unreliable but somehow relatable, a tad crazy but whip smart. I loved not knowing what she would do next. I would recommend this to readers of Catherine Lacey (especially Biography of X) and Ottessa Moshfegh.
Much thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This book hits shelves on February 10, 2026.
Murder Bimbo is a 34-year-old sex worker who is propositioned by a secretive group of men (are they neo-Nazis or G-men?) to kill an extreme political hopeful interestingly nicknamed Meat Neck. (Yes, it’s highly topical in the current U.S. political environment.) Murder Bimbo tells her story via three separate “acts” – the first consisting of emails to the feminist Justice Bimbo and her followers, the second through emails to her lesbian ex, whom she calls “X”, and lastly, in her own words addressed to readers. It was a tad repetitive, but once I figured out what was going on, I was all in for the ride. I like a “different” book, and my protagonist doesn’t have to be likable. MB is actually one of my favorite characters of recent reads…she’s unreliable but somehow relatable, a tad crazy but whip smart. I loved not knowing what she would do next. I would recommend this to readers of Catherine Lacey (especially Biography of X) and Ottessa Moshfegh.
Much thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This book hits shelves on February 10, 2026.
September 18, 2025
(ARC - out 02/10/26 via Avid Reader Press) (4.5 rounded down) Oh my god. What a deranged, wild, completely topical MDMA tab of a novel. The titular Murder Bimbo is a sex worker turned assassin working for undercover agents to take down an extremist politician, Meat Neck. Who hired and trained Murder Bimbo? Who actually is a threat to democracy? The book is told in an epistolary style, with MB writing e-mails to her ex-girlfriend, X, and builds the very unreliable character of Murder Bimbo. Weirdly fun, frequently caustic, and so of-the-moment that it actually hurts, I loved this. I do not look forward to the discourse around it, but I loved it. Also, that cover? Stunning. Catherine Lacey blurbs this as “Gone Girl for the Luigi Mangione era” and that couldn’t be more apt. Murder Bimbo for prez (just kidding).
October 25, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC
Murder Bimbo follows a sex worker who kills a politician she hates. The story is told through the lens she wishes society to perceive her, the lens she wishes the women she is infatuated would see her, and finally how she has come to see herself.
Be warned, this is not a fun female rage story. This is not a book where you will support or forgive all of the protagonists actions. This book is dark and violent and full of difficult internal contradictions. Definitely check trigger warnings before you go in.
All that said, I thought this was a great exploration of female rage in a way not always done. Violence for selfish purposes disguised as the greater good, I felt that Act I dragged a bit and could have been cut, but by Act II I was absolutely hooked and flew through the last two thirds in a day, I couldn't put it down.
I personally loved the retelling of different events depending on the reaction our protagonist wished to receive. I felt each retelling dived into different social commentary, e.g. what is the perfect victim/activist, what kind of perfect do we need from those we love, and what are we willing to do to others and ourselves to fulfil our desires.
Overall, this is an incredibly timely story which enraged me for so many reasons. The writing could be tightened up, especially in the first third, and I don't quite feel like the email format was truly utilised, they pay off for this came a bit too late in the story. But all being said, I was hooked and think this was a great book.
Murder Bimbo follows a sex worker who kills a politician she hates. The story is told through the lens she wishes society to perceive her, the lens she wishes the women she is infatuated would see her, and finally how she has come to see herself.
Be warned, this is not a fun female rage story. This is not a book where you will support or forgive all of the protagonists actions. This book is dark and violent and full of difficult internal contradictions. Definitely check trigger warnings before you go in.
All that said, I thought this was a great exploration of female rage in a way not always done. Violence for selfish purposes disguised as the greater good, I felt that Act I dragged a bit and could have been cut, but by Act II I was absolutely hooked and flew through the last two thirds in a day, I couldn't put it down.
I personally loved the retelling of different events depending on the reaction our protagonist wished to receive. I felt each retelling dived into different social commentary, e.g. what is the perfect victim/activist, what kind of perfect do we need from those we love, and what are we willing to do to others and ourselves to fulfil our desires.
Overall, this is an incredibly timely story which enraged me for so many reasons. The writing could be tightened up, especially in the first third, and I don't quite feel like the email format was truly utilised, they pay off for this came a bit too late in the story. But all being said, I was hooked and think this was a great book.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
My review for this book was published by Library Journal in December 2025:
In this letter bomb of a debut, a 32-year-old sex worker writes a confession to a feminist crime podcast, Justice for Bimbos, offering her account of how she was recruited by anonymous federal agents to go undercover and kill an ascendant extremist politician. Her account, which she mails in the days she spends on the lam following the murder, explores how her background as a sex worker made her expendable, a perfect target for recruitment; she signs it with the moniker “Murder Bimbo.” The perspective shifts in the second act, as Murder Bimbo now writes to her ex-girlfriend, recasting her actions—and those anonymous federal agents—in a different, more self-serving light. By the time the third act arrives, further muddying her role in the plot and who this confession is for, the novel has evolved from a Gone Girl–type thriller to a tedious elaboration of narrative unreliability, losing its satirical bite in the process. VERDICT Some readers might find the book’s theme of justified political assassination too glib, but others will relish its subversive tone. A literary provocation in the tradition of Nicholson Baker’s Checkpoint.
Copyright ©2025 Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. Reprinted with permission.
In this letter bomb of a debut, a 32-year-old sex worker writes a confession to a feminist crime podcast, Justice for Bimbos, offering her account of how she was recruited by anonymous federal agents to go undercover and kill an ascendant extremist politician. Her account, which she mails in the days she spends on the lam following the murder, explores how her background as a sex worker made her expendable, a perfect target for recruitment; she signs it with the moniker “Murder Bimbo.” The perspective shifts in the second act, as Murder Bimbo now writes to her ex-girlfriend, recasting her actions—and those anonymous federal agents—in a different, more self-serving light. By the time the third act arrives, further muddying her role in the plot and who this confession is for, the novel has evolved from a Gone Girl–type thriller to a tedious elaboration of narrative unreliability, losing its satirical bite in the process. VERDICT Some readers might find the book’s theme of justified political assassination too glib, but others will relish its subversive tone. A literary provocation in the tradition of Nicholson Baker’s Checkpoint.
Copyright ©2025 Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. Reprinted with permission.
November 29, 2025
“People have accused me of it before, but I'm not a liar. A liar is a person who makes things up. I don't make things up. I tell the truth at whatever cost.”
Have you ever started a book and immediately knew you were going to adore it? The writing is entrancing, the characters are gripping, the story is enthralling. That’s how I felt within the first two pages of Murder Bimbo and grabbed my pen to annotate (I almost ran out of ink).
Murder Bimbo has everything I love in horror/thrillers. The political commentary, the absurd side characters, the UNRELIABLE NARRATOR who’s a murderer (who I don’t trust), but also love?
Flawlessly structured, Murder Bimbo is zany and eccentric, yet raw and vulnerable in refreshing ways. This is a book I’ll be thinking about for weeks to come.
Thank you Avid Reader Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
Have you ever started a book and immediately knew you were going to adore it? The writing is entrancing, the characters are gripping, the story is enthralling. That’s how I felt within the first two pages of Murder Bimbo and grabbed my pen to annotate (I almost ran out of ink).
Murder Bimbo has everything I love in horror/thrillers. The political commentary, the absurd side characters, the UNRELIABLE NARRATOR who’s a murderer (who I don’t trust), but also love?
Flawlessly structured, Murder Bimbo is zany and eccentric, yet raw and vulnerable in refreshing ways. This is a book I’ll be thinking about for weeks to come.
Thank you Avid Reader Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
December 13, 2025
an odd book that made me feel like a bad feminist for thinking it was terrible. at the end of the book, the entire story felt pointless to have told, and at the beginning it was insufferable to get through.
this novels tactic is to throw everything you could think of into it to trick you into thinking it has any level of depth, but falls apart upon further inspection.
this novels tactic is to throw everything you could think of into it to trick you into thinking it has any level of depth, but falls apart upon further inspection.
December 29, 2025
This started off really strong, following a 30-something sex worker, named only as Murder Bimbo, who believes she has been recruited to assassinate a controversial right-wing politician. After killing him, she realises everything is not what it seems and goes on the run. The story is told initially through her emails to a famous true crime podcast known only to the reader as Justice Bimbo. About a third of the way through the book, we learn that Murder Bimbo isn’t being entirely honest with us.
On the whole, I really enjoyed the political analysis and the way sex work was treated, not as a cliché or something to be looked down on, but a realistic explanation of why Murder Bimbo started it and stayed there. She was an interesting narrator, but untrustworthy at best. I did find the unreliable narrator change-up disappointing. It felt like rehashing the same set-up.
Overall I enjoyed the book and the hook of the assassination plot, although that unfolded very quickly. I would recommend this to fans of political satire and commentary, true crime podcast lovers, and fans of the unreliable narrator genre.
Thank you to Bonnier Books and NetGalley for the eARC!
On the whole, I really enjoyed the political analysis and the way sex work was treated, not as a cliché or something to be looked down on, but a realistic explanation of why Murder Bimbo started it and stayed there. She was an interesting narrator, but untrustworthy at best. I did find the unreliable narrator change-up disappointing. It felt like rehashing the same set-up.
Overall I enjoyed the book and the hook of the assassination plot, although that unfolded very quickly. I would recommend this to fans of political satire and commentary, true crime podcast lovers, and fans of the unreliable narrator genre.
Thank you to Bonnier Books and NetGalley for the eARC!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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