The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James is an adult fiction novel with a "spooky" mystery thrown in.
Sarah Piper lives alone, day-to-day, just getting by. Her parents are gone, she doesn't have any friends and now that the war is over, even the companionability of joint circumstances eludes her. That is, until she is recruited to work for Alistair Gellis, a ghost hunter.
Alistair believes he is on to something big, something that could physically prove that spirits exist, but he needs access to a ghost, who seems to only respond to women. This is where Sarah comes in. But the spirit of Maddy Clare may be more than anyone can handle.
Will Sarah, Alistair and his assistant Mathew figure out what happened to Maddy before it is too late?
I found this book to be a lighter read then many would suggest. I didn't find it spooky or overly thrill worthy, like many of the reviews are stating. But, it was a good read to pass the time. I would recommend it to those who want a little mystery, not someone who wants a "scary story." The pacing of the book and the narrative flow, just didn't hold the "scary" suspense one needs to get their heart racing. I felt like I was being told a story about someone who was once scarred by something--hearing a tale secondhand.
I do think this book was alllll Sarah. It almost felt like a coming of age novel for adults. Sarah's narrative grows organically and exponentially in this book, until she is almost a completely different person by the end. And that, is what made the book stand out for me.
Overall, this was a good read that I think anyone would enjoy. This one gets 4 stars from me.
That's all for now!
-M-