The Haunting of Maddy Clare
A woman of limited means and even less experience must confront a vengeful spirit in this haunting novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Broken Girls and The Sun Down Motel. 1920s England. Sarah Piper's lonely, threadbare existence changes when her temporary agency sends her to assist an obsessed ghost hunter. Alistair Gellis--rich, handsome, and scarred by World War I--has been summoned to investigate the spirit of the nineteen-year-old maid Maddy Clare, who is said to haunt the barn where she committed suicide. Maddy hated men in life, and she will not speak to them in death. But Sarah is unprepared to confront an angry ghost--real or imagined--on her own. She's even less prepared for the arrival of Alistair's associate, rough, unsettling Matthew Ryder, also a veteran of the trenches, whose scars go deeper than Sarah can reach. Soon, Sarah is caught up in a desperate struggle. For Maddy's ghost is no hoax--she's real, she's angry, and she has powers that defy all reason. Now, Sarah and Matthew must discover who Maddy was, where she came from, and what is driving her desire for vengeance--before she destroys them all....
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Community Reviews
I had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, most of them were disappointed. This book was tritely predictable, though some of the descriptions of the hauntings were riveting, and it didn't feel well researched at all. It was supposed to be set in 1922 England and the author seemed to be trying too hard to make it seem historically appropriate, even if it never gelled or felt forced.
However, my biggest annoyance about this book was the narrator, Sarah Piper. Despite scenes explicitly written to counteract this, she was weak, shrill, naive, and hopelessly buffeted about by forces stronger and more powerful than herself. She would loudly proclaim she was brave enough to go into a haunted barn then immediately spend five pages detailing how scared she was. And not in the, "she was scared but then overcame it" sort of way, but the "she was scared and then eventually chickened out and was even more scared" kind of a way. She kept trying to portray herself as a modest woman, but then there was all this highly scandalous loose behavior! Which, I must add, I had a really hard time believing for 1922. What, is she the most modern of flappers? Because I'm pretty sure the level of promiscuity she was boasting about would have still been socially unacceptable, especially for how she always, always describes herself, which is destitute. Ultimately, she was a bundle of hypocrisy. The author would portray her one way and then try to get her to announce she wasn't that way. Actions speak louder than words.
Ultimately, it was an entertaining tale (I really did fall in love a little bit with the main leading man) but I so couldn't stand the narrator that it left a bad taste in my mouth. Really, this is more like 2.5 stars and I really wouldn't recommend it.
However, my biggest annoyance about this book was the narrator, Sarah Piper. Despite scenes explicitly written to counteract this, she was weak, shrill, naive, and hopelessly buffeted about by forces stronger and more powerful than herself. She would loudly proclaim she was brave enough to go into a haunted barn then immediately spend five pages detailing how scared she was. And not in the, "she was scared but then overcame it" sort of way, but the "she was scared and then eventually chickened out and was even more scared" kind of a way. She kept trying to portray herself as a modest woman, but then there was all this highly scandalous loose behavior! Which, I must add, I had a really hard time believing for 1922. What, is she the most modern of flappers? Because I'm pretty sure the level of promiscuity she was boasting about would have still been socially unacceptable, especially for how she always, always describes herself, which is destitute. Ultimately, she was a bundle of hypocrisy. The author would portray her one way and then try to get her to announce she wasn't that way. Actions speak louder than words.
Ultimately, it was an entertaining tale (I really did fall in love a little bit with the main leading man) but I so couldn't stand the narrator that it left a bad taste in my mouth. Really, this is more like 2.5 stars and I really wouldn't recommend it.
I'm not a huge horror ghost fan but I love a good thriller. This book incorporated elements of both genres well. I did enjoy this one and parts of it did freak me out a bit.
Another haunted story with quirky characters that you can't help but like. This was a fast-paced read by Simone St. James that kept me up at night until the end!
The "Haunting of Maddy Clare" is a surprisingly interesting book. The encounters with the spirit are intense and unlike any other books I've read. The characters are very interesting and have great character development. This book also keeps you interested with the dark secrets that the town is hiding.
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