Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James

19 reviews

lampbee's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Really like her mysteries they’re not always complex but they’re entertaining. This one was less entertaining , the plot focused a weird amount on explicit sex scenes which didn’t feel like they matched with the tone of the story and went on for a very long time. The mystery itself was interesting but too much time spent on developing two romances so the actual ghost case was sort of bland. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Death of parent, Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death, Murder, Medical trauma, Sexual content, and War

Maybe it was intentional but considering the suicide in the book was caused by rape and sexual violence , I found the gratuitous sex scenes between the two main characters was weird — and the slow pulling of the man from his shell was annoying, not enough time to care about why he covers his war scars etc - her parents deaths was way more interesting than all the sex they kept having while their friend was dying

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gun violence, Misogyny, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, War, Fire/Fire injury, Stalking, Suicide, Cursing, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Alcohol, Death, Sexual assault, Body horror, Sexual content, Abandonment, and Blood

thereadedit's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed getting to know our characters, and how they interacted with Maddy. Maddy was definitely a force of nature that couldn't be contained. Even in death. She deserved so much better than the hand she was dealt in life. 

I loved being able to see the world through the eyes of a woman in 1920s London. You were able to see how much things have changed throughout the years. Along with change you were able to see the simplicity of the times without the complexity of technology. 

This was definitely a story that had to be followed closely or you missed out on details that you would later appreciate. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Rape, Bullying, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Gun violence, Suicide, Death, War, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder

pkane01's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Sexual assault, Rape, and Murder

kellyykatt's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Murder, and Child abuse

bookcheshirecat's review

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! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, War, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Suicide, Sexism, and Forced institutionalization

lifeishardbacks's review

3.5

This is a great not-so-scary read to start off your spooky season. It's a ghost story with a lot going on. It's based in the 1920s post WWI. Sarah is a girl who gets thrown into the world of paranormal activity when her temporary agency sends her to assist a ghost hunter. 

Maddy's story is absolutely heartbreaking. Her vengeful spirit seems mild when compared to things the she endured.

This story has a lot of components most ghost stories do not. There is quite a bit romance, which I personal enjoyed. There is also a strong found family aspect.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Murder, and Suicide

Minor: War

lyricallit's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

3.25

I did enjoy it but it's almost as much romance as it is mystery. I didn't mind the romance (though there are questionable aspects to it) but just had to adjust my expectations once I saw it coming. I did not care for the narrator; the timbre didn't match what I would have had in my head for Sarah. I looked past that to focus on the story, but it was disappointing.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide and Death of parent

Moderate: Violence, Sexual violence, Rape, War, and Murder

gondorgirl's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, War, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Suicide, Classism, Murder, Rape, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence

sonygaystation's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

You know what! Maddy Clare did nothing wrong

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicide, and Rape

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Sexual content, Violence, War, Cursing, and Sexual assault

Minor: Confinement, Grief, Alcohol, Gun violence, Medical content, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Stalking