A review by bookcheshirecat
The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James

challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced

4.0

“You can't imagine how hard it is to come home from hell and be expected to pick up the threads of a life. Apply for jobs, go to a factory, punch in, punch out. Put your lunch in a bag and get on the omnibus every day. Like nothing happened. Nothing.” 

➽ This is one of Simone St. James' older titles, but I still enjoyed it a lot! It's set in the 1920s after the first world war and follows Sarah Piper, who's a temporary agent that takes on any odd jobs that come her way. When she gets offered the chance to become the secretary of infamous ghost hunter Alistair Gellis, she's not sure what she's getting herself into. Piper has been leading a solitary life, so against all common sense, she agrees and travels with him to investigate the haunting of a young servant called Maddy Clare. They're joined by Alistair's long time friend and assistant Matthew Ryder, who immediately catches Sarah's eye despite his gruff demeanor. He's been deeply scarred by the way and still fights with his demons. This book was so haunting and emotional! Sarah gets closer to Maddy's ghost, as she hates all men and sees the pain that has been inflicted on her. Tensions are rising as it's likely that whoever hurt her still lives in the small town unseen and might not want their secret to come out! 
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