The Haunting of Maddy Clare
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Book Overview
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....
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0451235681
ISBN13:9780451235688
Release Date:March 2012
Publisher:Berkley Books
Length:336 Pages
Weight:0.67 lbs.
Dimensions:0.8" x 5.5" x 8.1"
Age Range:18 years and up
Grade Range:Postsecondary and higher
Customer Reviews
4 ratings
4 stars
Published by INKwitchery , 1 month ago
THE HAUNTING OF MADDY CLARE by Simone St. James
Love me a ghostly revenge plot!
Set in early 1920s London, this story follows a young temp employee, Sarah Piper, who decides to take on a job assisting wealthy ghost hunter Alistair Gellis, and his assistant Matthew Ryder. The trio meet at a home where a 19 year old ghost named Maddy Clare is haunting the barn. Maddy is a relentless spirit who will not be satisfied until she gets what she wants.
This book gave me a lot of what I was looking for in a Summerween read; eerie supernatural elements, a dark gothic setting, and interesting characters. While the book itself wasn’t scary, Maddy’s story and her motivation for the haunting was done well. I could have gone without the romance angle but, that’s me.
Overall, this is worth picking up for a good spooky season read. This is my first novel by St. James. I look forward to reading more soon!
[ Note: Excellent audiobook narration by Billie Fulford Brown. Maddy’s character voice was super creepy especially when listening late at night! ]
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️
So Creepy & Romantic
Published by Jalissa , 1 year ago
I was slightly skeptical about this book but I was quickly turned around by the attraction between the two characters and the obvious suspicion that Maddy had more secrets in her past than anyone knew about. There was some obvious trauma in Maddy's past but exactly how much and who caused it was a mystery and a big surprise when it finally came out in the open.
Definitely a 4.5
Published by Linda Demaree , 2 years ago
This was another good read from Simone St James. I am not truly certain how to write a review of this novel. As a ghost story it was pretty good. It kept me interested and reading well into the night. As a mystery it was pretty easy to determine "who did it" early on in the story, although, it really didn't take away from the book too much for me. I have read a lot of mysteries that I was able to figure out before the end. I feel as if the characters could have had better development. I know that as the story progressed we learned more about each one, but there was still more to know. I just feel I would have liked to know more about each person in the story. My main complaint is the fact that it was a "bodice ripper" and I gave them up years ago . . . I read (past tense) so many romance novels I simply cannot stand them now. The author could have spent less time on the romance and more time on the rest of the story. All in all though, I really enjoyed The Haunting of Maddy Clare. I will definitely read another one from Simone St James.
Eerie beyond eerie!
Published by Maryearly85@gmail.com , 3 years ago
EERIE! Creepiest book I've read in a while. I couldn't put it down because I didn't know how it would end. Loved it!
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