The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James delivers a paranormal tale set in England during the 1920s. Young Sarah Piper accepts a temp job and finds herself in the countryside dealing with an angry ghost named Maddy Clare. Suspense, mystery, and a side dish of romance await you…
by Simone St. James
Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal
Source: Purchase
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
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....
I am loving Simone St. James novels and am working on her backlist. The Haunting of Maddy Clare takes place in England during the 1920s. Our young protagonist accepting a temporary position with Alistair Gellis an author and obsessed ghost hunter. Alistair is a war veteran and a member of the upper class. A vicar has written him about an unusual haunting and finds himself in need of a female to help investigate and document the haunting.
After hearing the terms and accepting them, Sarah Piper travels with Alistair to a remote village in the English countryside. They check in to the local inn before heading out to the farm where the haunting takes place.
The tale that unfolds was one of the best hauntings I’ve read and held me captive from beginning to end. The paranormal activity and story of Maddy Clare were brilliantly told and quite riveting, but St. James gave us more.
Sarah, Alistair and latecomer Matthew Ryder all have a story to tell, and we find ourselves wrapped up in their stories and relationships as the story progresses. It was a treat. Both Alistair and Matthew were in the war together. Both were wounded and carry those scars. Sarah was just getting by with her temp jobs and desperately needed this job. She is proud, scared out of her mind, but quite inquisitive and sensitive to those around her. We learn of Alistair’s love before the war, of the scars Matthew carries, and see romances develop. Some rekindled and some new.
Maddy’s story will haunt you and the mystery was well done, from the atmospheric countryside to the angry outbursts of paranormal activity.
Perfect with a hot cup of tea and a roaring fireside seat, The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James will hold you spellbound.
The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James delivers a chilling ghostly tale with suspense, mystery and a touch of romance. #bookreview Share on XAbout Simone St. James
Simone St. James is the award-winning author of The Haunting of Maddy Clare, which won two RITA awards from Romance Writers of America and an Arthur Ellis Award from Crime Writers of Canada. She wrote her first ghost story, about a haunted library, when she was in high school, and spent twenty years behind the scenes in the television business before leaving to write full-time. She lives in Toronto, Canada with her husband and a spoiled cat.
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
Bookworm
I love the sound of this and that countryside setting sounds good. Great review!
Kimberly
Thanks. It was a good one.
Katherine
I just read my first Simone St James book and really enjoyed it (Book of Cold Cases) and then right after that the main character in one of my cozy mysteries was reading this one! It sounds really good and I’m so glad to see you enjoyed it!
Kimberly
Yay, I hope you read more. These are so good!
Lorna
I’ve been reading or listening to as many of this authors that I can get my hands on. This one has slipped my notice or something. Sounds good. I love a good ghost story! I just got the audio on your Audible button.
Kimberly
Ooo I bet the audio will be good. I bought Silence for the Dead over the weekend.
Rachel @Waves of Fiction
I just finished Ghost 19 on Saturday and I really enjoyed it considering it was a novella. She does to ghost stories really well! I loved The Broken Girls, The Book of Cold Cases and An Inquiry Into Love and Death. I like that she usually includes a little romance, even though it’s not the focus, but it makes the story a little more enjoyable to me. I’ll add this one to my list!
Kimberly
I keep adding more from her backlist. I just bought Silence for the Dead over the weekend.
Sophia Rose
I will definitely be picking this one up after I read through two others I got from her backlist.
Kimberly
I just added another one…lol
Melliane
It’s the first time I hear about this one but it looks good!
Kimberly
Glad to introduce you.
Nadene
I will be adding this one to wishlist. Thanks for the recommendation.
Kimberly
I look forward to your thoughts.
hena
Oh this sounds so good. I have read a book by her before and have one on my bookshelf waiting to be read. Adding this one to the list.
Kimberly
Happy reading!
Jessica @ a GREAT read
Ooh nice! I bought this one not too long ago as I found myself getting hooked on her books after reading just 1! Can’t wait to read this one! Glad to hear it was a winner! Great review!
Kimberly
Happy reading! I just bought another back release.