The Haunting of Maddy Clare

Four stars for the suspenseful, creepy ghost plot and the FMC's evolution from frightened recluse to self-assured, proactive tough chick. Two stars for the alpha-hole MMC whose primary facial expression is a scowl, and whose first sexual encounter with the heroine is dubcon ("It's okay that he's rough, he's a traumatized WWI veteran").

I wish St. James would write more historical-fiction-with-ghosts novels like this and [b:Silence for the Dead|62926981|Silence for the Dead|Simone St. James|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1685351913l/62926981._SY75_.jpg|25211135] or [b:The Other Side of Midnight|22467404|The Other Side of Midnight|Simone St. show more James|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1405870017l/22467404._SX50_.jpg|41906566] (both of which I preferred to Maddy Clare). Bookstores are already full of contemporary thrillers such as her 2022 release, [b:Ghost 19|61432642|Ghost 19|Simone St. James|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1657834818l/61432642._SX50_.jpg|96948297]. show less

St. James is fantastic at writing ghost stories. Maddy Clare is a terrifying ghost that haunts the 1920s English countryside. Her story is tragic, and the discoveries of the detectives who track it down keep you reading well past the time you should have put the book down for your regular life.

I cannot say the same for St. James' abilities writing romance. The romantic subplot was tedious and for the first time ever, I wished the author had a thesaurus at hand. But, the romantic subplot made the book much shorter, as I was able to flip through paragraph after paragraph, skimming over the repetitive descriptions.

If the romance were left out, this would have been a solid 4-⭐ read.

I just finished the last few minutes of The Haunting of Maddy Clare and since I'm still smiling, I clearly must have enjoyed (it was either the book or the Chivas, I can't be sure). The book oozes atmosphere both creepy and dated, somewhat reminiscent of Gutenberg Project and LibriVox recordings of late 1800's/early 1900's gothic ghost stories (I can never get enough of them - God Bless Gutenberg). I think this book could be perfect Juvie Lit if abridged to cut out the sex scenes. I don't mean to sound prudish; the scenes are exciting; I just don't think they contribute anything significant to the story. Sexual tension between characters could have been achieved less explicitly, rendering the book appropriate to a wider audience. The show more inexplicit allusion to rape and the PTSD issues are dealt with sensitively, another reason why I believe the book could have appealed to a Juvie audience and older if not for my earlier noted reservation. show less

The Haunting of Maddy Clare
4 Stars

In post WWI England, there are few jobs available for young women so when Sarah Piper is offered a position as an assistant to a ghost hunter, she accepts because beggars can’t be choosers. Summoned to investigate and perhaps exorcise the spirit of Maddy Clare, a 19 year old serving girl who took her own life, Sarah and her partners, Alistair Gellis and Matthew Ryder, must learn the horrific details of Maddy’s traumatic life and pitiful death before she takes her revenge out on them all...

A classic ghostly revenge tale with an intense romance and immersive descriptions of the time period.

The supernatural elements are gripping and add an extra layer of tension to the mystery which is otherwise quite show more simple and straightforward. The spirit of Maddy Clare is far from sympathetic, however. Although she has been the victim of a horrific crime and her desire for vengeance is more than understandable, she is a vicious and vindictive ghost who takes her anger and angst out on those who would care for and help her.

The main characters are also fleshed out well and the details of Alistair and Matthew’s wartime experiences highlight the personal and social intricacies of post-war England in which returning soldiers, traumatized with both physical and mental scars, have difficulty assimilating back into a society that fails to comprehend and accept their suffering.

Matthew and Sarah’s romance is one of the highlights of the story. While their love/hate romance appears at first glance to be based on physical attraction and lust alone, it grows into a deeper and more emotional connection.

Sarah initially comes across as meek and unassuming, but reveals an astounding strenght of character as the story progresses. Matthew is particularly tortured by his time in the trenches and this plays a significant role in his relationship with Sarah as he feels undeserving of her feelings for him and struggles to accept them. She, in contrast, is somewhat insecure about Matthew’s regard and is bound and determined to prove to him that she is a worthy partner and someone who accepts him unconditionally.

In all all, a really good ghost story with engaging characters and just the right amount of steam. Looking forward to reading more by this author. show less

I thoroughly enjoyed The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James. This is a fascinating story about ghost hunting. Sarah Piper is sent by her employment agency to assist Alistair Gellis in his investigation into the spirit of Maddy Clare, who is haunting the barn where she committed suicide. Maddy hated men in her life and acts up if a man tries to communicate with her now. Sarah doesn’t believe in ghosts, but she finds herself confronting something that is both real and terribly angry in the barn. She also isn’t prepared for the arrival of Alistair's assistant, Matthew Ryder, whom she is immediately attracted to.

Set in the 1920s, both the men are veterans of World War I and have physical and mental scars. As they soon realize, show more Maddy’s ghost is no hoax and she is a threat to all three of the ghost hunters unless they agree to help her in her desire for vengeance. The Gothic nature of the story, the tense atmosphere and the dark plot line all contribute to making this a chilling read.

While the story is not particularly scary, the author supplies all the ingredients needed for a good ghost story. It seemed quite obvious to me what had happened to Maddy but the author took her time with the story and in developing the romance. This is the second Simone St. James supernatural thriller that I have read and I now count myself a fan of this author. I listened to an audio version of the book as read by Pamela Garelick who did a good job with the material. show less

Enjoyable October read...the scenes with the ghost were satisfyingly creepy and I enjoyed the love story, though I thought it became a bit too prominent as the story progressed (I mean, really, no matter how sexy one's fellow ghost hunters are, one should really try to focus one's thoughts and attention on any malevolent spirits hanging about rather than on how amazing their muscles look through their shirts). More meaningful interaction between the heroine and the ghost later on in the story would have bumped this book up to five stars, but as it is, I would still definitely recommend it to those looking for a good historical fiction read for Halloween.

I found this book through a "blind date" at the library, which is having fun for Valentine's Day by wrapping some books in brown paper and teasing its customers with enticing descriptions. This was described as a historical ghost mystery with a dash of romance thrown in. I was intrigued and it did not disappoint. I lost sleep finishing this one. I want to keep the mystery going by not going into the plot, but if you like recent historical fiction (England after WW1 in this case), ghost stories, mysteries, thoughtful characters and, yes, a little romance, then pick this up for your own blind date.