Allegedly: A Psychological Thriller

“A tightly spun debut that wrestles with many intense ideas and ends with a knife twist that will send readers racing back to the beginning again.” —ALA Booklist (starred review)

Orange Is the New Black meets Walter Dean Myers’s Monster in this gritty, twisty, and haunting story about a girl convicted of murder seeking the truth while surviving life in a group home, from New York Times bestselling author Tiffany D. Jackson.

Mary B. Addison killed a baby.

Allegedly. She didn’t say much in that first interview with detectives, and the media filled in the only blanks that mattered: A white baby had died while under the care of a churchgoing black woman and her nine-year-old daughter. The public convicted Mary and the jury made it official. But did she do it?

There wasn’t a point to setting the record straight before, but now she’s got Ted—and their unborn child—to think about. When the state threatens to take her baby, Mary’s fate now lies in the hands of the one person she distrusts the most: her Momma. No one knows the real Momma. But does anyone know the real Mary?

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Published Apr 10, 2018

416 pages

Average rating: 7.96

383 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *Allegedly* by Tiffany D. Jackson is a gripping, emotionally intense psychological thriller that explores trauma, justice, and societal is...

Pages & Paws
Oct 26, 2025
8/10 stars
Was not prepared for the ending of this book at all. This book will keep you on your toes and guessing at each turn in the story. As a YA book, I would say this is more geared towards older high schoolers as it touches on some heavy topics and disturbing events.
socialbookclub
Sep 27, 2024
8/10 stars
Great read, and gurl.... Tiffany D Jackson knows how to write and spin your head around.
Lilboricuabrat
Feb 11, 2026
6/10 stars
Allegedly is a slow-burn thriller that ultimately delivers a shocking payoff. For much of the book, you think you understand what’s happening and where the story is headed—but the deeper you get, the more uncertain everything becomes. The pacing is deliberate, allowing tension to build gradually. While it isn’t fast-paced, the steady unfolding of events keeps you invested, especially as questions begin to stack up. Just when I felt confident in my assumptions, the ending completely caught me off guard. The final plot twist was one I truly did not see coming, and it left a lasting impression. Overall, Allegedly may move slowly at times, but it’s a solid and thought-provoking read with an ending that makes the journey worthwhile.
Medilsom
Feb 09, 2026
8/10 stars
I was really into Mary’s story and routing for her to be able to fix her situation and have a better life. Well… let’s just say the ending messed me up! lol!
Sunita the reader 📖🌻🦋
Dec 31, 2025
7/10 stars
3.5⭐️ Mary, you had me. I hung on to your every word. Up until the end. I am so confused and have so many questions. I don’t even know where to start. *Ted’s storyline confused me. Like his reasons for his actions with the other women *Alyssa’s mom also confused me in how she was speaking and acting *The mother’s actions and why wasn’t she arrested for “kidnapping??” *Mary’s conflicting decisions Overall a good book and my first from Tiffany D. Jackson. Certainly won’t be the last.

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