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engelkat's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
katrinaxx's review
4.0
I'm a sucker for a good ghost story so I was really excited to receive this book from First Reads. It did not disappoint. The heroine, Sarah, is awesome. I liked her from the very beginning. Her associates are lively, quirky, and a little bit mysterious, which are all good attributes for men to have. The story was so spooky, I was honestly scared at times. I had to leave all the lights on in the house. There were about three random spelling and grammar mistakes, which were really weird because the book was so well written. I am eagerly waiting St. James' next book, of which there was a sneak peek of at the end. I highly recommend this book for those of you who love a little romance with your ghost stories.
golden_misfit11's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
nancydrew023's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, and Suicide
Minor: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, and War
smilesgiggle's review
4.0
3.7
A young woman commits suicide in her employer's barn. Maddy haunts the barn - she has unfinished business. The lady of the house hires a ghost whisperer, who in turn must hire a young woman. Maddy doesn't like men. Alastair, Matthew and Sara work together to uncover the truth behind Maddy's story.
This book takes place after WWI. It is a first person narrative by Sara. I found the story very compelling, enjoyed the characters. The ending was predictable, though the book was worthy of finishing.
A young woman commits suicide in her employer's barn. Maddy haunts the barn - she has unfinished business. The lady of the house hires a ghost whisperer, who in turn must hire a young woman. Maddy doesn't like men. Alastair, Matthew and Sara work together to uncover the truth behind Maddy's story.
This book takes place after WWI. It is a first person narrative by Sara. I found the story very compelling, enjoyed the characters. The ending was predictable, though the book was worthy of finishing.
thebookishlibrarian's review
A winner of the RITA Award, The Haunting of Maddy Clare is a novel about a young woman, Sarah Piper, who is placed by her temp agency to work along side a ghost hunter, Alistair Gellis. The ghost? A nineteen-year-old young maid who was thought to have committed suicide. Read this intriguing novel to find out what became of Maddy Clare.
afender's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
The plot and set up of this book had a lot of promise, however the spooky mystery was immediately overshadowed by the intense and unnecessary romance that takes place. The main character spends most of her time crying and over describing her interactions with the male characters. The graphic intimate scenes are jarring and out of sync with the rest of the story. Reader beware the ghost story is a subplot, and this is a miscategorized romance novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Rape
scham27's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
tinlizzyd08's review
4.0
Intriguing and well written!
What a unique book! I’m not big on ghost stories, but this one captivated me. A young girl, Sarah, becomes entangled with a pair of ghost hunters as an assistant. They are researching a haunting in a small town of a servant girl who hanged herself in the barn. Sarah is unwillingly compelled to help the ghost she finds in order to save her friend. Details begin to emerge and the story of Maddy Clare comes out one piece at a time. My only real criticism is that this is set in the 1920s but doesn’t read like a period piece. The characters are almost modern and aside from the impacts of the war on the two main characters, the story could really be set at almost any time in history bc the details are so vague.
What a unique book! I’m not big on ghost stories, but this one captivated me. A young girl, Sarah, becomes entangled with a pair of ghost hunters as an assistant. They are researching a haunting in a small town of a servant girl who hanged herself in the barn. Sarah is unwillingly compelled to help the ghost she finds in order to save her friend. Details begin to emerge and the story of Maddy Clare comes out one piece at a time. My only real criticism is that this is set in the 1920s but doesn’t read like a period piece. The characters are almost modern and aside from the impacts of the war on the two main characters, the story could really be set at almost any time in history bc the details are so vague.