The Haunting of Maddy Clare

The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Canadian author Simone St. James is a ghost story, a love story and a mystery all rolled into one.  I found the book in a bookstore at the Denver airport coming back from San Francisco, and it was an entertaining find, as I totally lost myself in the story in a way that I haven't done in a while.  Yes, it makes perfect airport/flying reading by the way.  It was definitely a case of good timing (life being a little less stressful than of late) and good storytelling.  Why had I not heard of St. James or seen this book before?  But I did find it, and am glad I did so. 

This is quite solidly a ghost story and while the chill factor is on the light side (it's really hard in my book to pull off a totally convincing ghost story), it did nothing to lessen the pleasure of reading.  Actually there were a few twists that I wasn't expecting, and if as a reader you go into the book with an open mind about ghosts and hauntings and just roll with the story, there is much there to like.  This is a case of more atmosphere and creepiness than downright chills, which is not necessarily a bad thing.  Although I've never read anything by Victoria Holt (I've heard much about her, however), she comes to mind in comparison since there is a nice gothic flavor to the story.  

The place is 1920s England.  Sarah Piper is a young woman alone in the world and trying hard to make ends meet.  It's not the best of times.  So many young men died in the Great War, and so many more have suffered from it, but everyone (Sarah included) is trying to get on in life.  It's a fairly mean existence she leads since times are tough economically and she's only been working a string of temporary jobs.  She agrees to take on an assignment working for a writer as his assistant, which she expects to be nothing more than typing duties but it turns out Alistair Gellis is a ghost hunter.  He travels the country with his friend and colleague, Matthew Ryder, documenting ghostly sightings, but Falmouth House in Waringstoke is a special case.  The ghost is that of a woman who responds virulently and violently to men, so Sarah is needed to make initial contact with the ghost, Maddy Clare. 

Maddy Clare is something of an enigma.  She appeared one night at Falmouth House muddied and bruised, obviously traumatized and in a state of shock.  Unable to talk she couldn't even remember what had happened to her.  The Clare family took her in and cared for her while trying to locate her family, but she seemed to simply appear out of nowhere.  Maddy was only twelve when she appeared on the Clare's doorstep.  Not having anywhere else to go she stayed and took the Clare name, but a handful of years later something or someone sent her into a maddening spiral and she hung herself from the rafters in the barn.  For Alistair and Matthew it's an opportunity to make contact with more than a simple poltergeist, but unbekownst to Sarah, she was chosen for her sensitivity in the hope that she can drawn Maddy out.

Maddy is an unsettled spirit and much more dangerous than Alistair realizes.  The Clares want Maddy put to rest.  While she stays within the confines of the barn, life with a ghost has disrupted their lives to the point they can no longer live quietly.  So it's under the strangest of circumstances that Sarah works with Alistair and Matthew.  Sarah isn't just sensitive but becomes a voice through which Maddy begins to speak and seeks vengeance on those who robbed her of her childhood.  She preys on the trio in different ways bringing to the fore their own fears and weaknesses--each in their own way damaged or with some pyschological fragility.

In many ways this is a conventional romance, a genre I don't usually read (I'm more of a historical fiction/fiction with a bit of romance thrown in fan), but there are just enough elements that push it into a category of its own.  Alistair is handsome, charming and wealthy, too.  Matthew is rough and tumble, not quite so refined as his friend.  Both served in the war and each carries different scars, which Maddy, in her anger will draw upon.  Sarah is often working and speaking at cross purposes with Matthew, and of course there is a magnetic draw to him despite his gruffness.  But the romance is balanced by the mystery and suspense as the three work to unravel the mystery of Maddy Clare.

If you are looking for an entertaining story that's not too demanding with just a touch of gothic atmosphere and some good suspense you might give The Haunting of Maddy Clare a whirl.  Think Deanna Raybourn crossed with Susanna Kearsley style-wise.  And I even quite enjoyed the romantic elements and wouldn't mind revisiting the characters again sometime in yet another story.  St. James has a new book (with different characters alas) coming out next winter, An Inquiry into Love and Death.  Yet another ghost story to look forward to. 

You can read more about Simone St. James here.

Comments

[OolooKitty]

So glad you wrote about this as I JUST picked it up at the library today! Looking forward to reading it!

[Liz F]

I have to admit that it does sound interesting and Simone St James is a new author to me - she sounds like a cross between Victoria Holt and Barbara Michaels.

[Caroline]

Oh this sounds just wonderful. It's a mix I'm really in the mood to read right now and I like it when the ghost stories are less chilling than atmospherical.
I've never heard of the author before. Thanks for the introduction.
It does sound a bit like Victoria Holt, yes.

[Kathy]

I love the sound of this book, and will definitely look for it. I think you and I have quite similar tastes, so I fully expect to love it! But I won't hold it against you if I don't :) A nice find before your flight home!

[Danielle]

I really enjoyed it--I needed a good book that would really take me away and that I wouldn't want to set down, and this one worked for me just perfectly. Do let me know what you think when you finish!

[Danielle]

I had never come across her books before--I thought maybe it was an older title that I had just missed, but it only came out this year. I hadn't thought of Barbara Michaels, but it does indeed sound similar--I should really revisit her work as well-I think I need to go see what I have by her on my shelves now... And I should try Victoria Holt--I have The Mistress of Mellyn somewhere. Books like this are my 'guilty pleasure' I think.

[Danielle]

The mystery aspect of what had happened to Maddy Clare was much stronger than the haunting bits, but if you just don't overanalyze it's quite entertaining. For a first book I thought it was good. I'm looking forward now to her next book and wish it was coming out sooner than next spring.

[Danielle]

Let me know what you think if you pick it up. I think we do have very similar tastes in books--this one is very much of the romantic suspense category. And it was a great find--I don't often read books right when I buy them...so it was quite a draw. :)

[Cathy]

I happened to pick this book up earlier in the year and loved it! She is a new Canadian author, so that is why no one has heard of her, but I hope she keeps on writing books as good as Maddy Clare; I, too, would like to see more books with these characters.

[Stefanie]

This does sound like perfect airplane reading and a good RIP read too. Nice find!

[ewix]

Sounds fascinating.
I was convinced by your first paragraph and now will read it. I need a good airplane book as off to England soon!

[Margaret Powling]

This sounds just right for me, too, Danielle! This is for my wish list right away. I'm still reading Charlotte Betts' latest and then onto the Jennie Fields' The Age of Desire ... oh, dear, I shouldn't be tempted into buying another this week ... but it does sound so perfect ... a milk chocolate bar of a book!

[Danielle]

Do share anytime you find a book like this that you think I might not have come across--I am always happy to have recommendations and I think we have very similar reading tastes! :) The upside is that since I have only discovered her I won't have quite as long to wait until her new book comes out. I wonder if she will pick up the story of Sarah, Matthew and Alistair--they are a nice and interesting combination of characters! Still, I'm looking forward to the next new one, too.

[Danielle]

How convenient to find it in the airport. I could have bought more while I was there--I was surprised they had such a good and wide selection of titles. It seemed a perfect choice for RIP, too.

[Danielle]

Lucky you! This will pass the hours to England--easy yet absorbing reading. The previous book or two I had finished didn't quite click with me, so this one was particularly welcome. By the way I owe you an email--sorry I've gotten behind (as usual during the work week!). Thank you for it, though! :)

[Danielle]

Yes, that's just what it is--most definitely a treat. I am happy to see I tempt you back since I so often am ordering books from the Book Depository that you recommend. I have two coming now (Susanna Kearsley's newest--do you read her work?, and the newest Katharine McMahon, which is now in paperback...I also bought Linda Mitchelmore's book on your suggestion, but I haven't gotten to it yet). Now I just need a staycation so I can curl up at home with my new books!

[litlove]

Oh this sounds charming, and just the kind of book for when you don't want anything too taxing, but do want to be gripped by a story. I will have to look out for it. Nice cover, btw.

[Margaret Powling]

Ooh, I'm delighted you have bought both Katharine McMahon's book (it's wonderful!) and Linda Mitchelmore's book ... Linda lives only about 2 miles from where we live, and she is a very good friend and also a very good writer. This book is set locally at the turn of the century. I love it.
Of course, I ordered the book ... I simply couldn't resist. This is why diets never work for me. Weak willed where both books and chocolate are concerned!
No, not (yet) read Sarah Kearsley but I do know of her work and I might be tempted at some stage ...
I can't read my comments when I click Preview, only when I Edit, so I hope there aren't any silly typos in this.

[Danielle]

I'm sure the cover is what initially made me pull the book from the shelf, but the story was equally as good. It was definitely what I needed to get me out of my reading muddle--and now things are looking up I'm happy to say!

[Danielle]

I can't wait to get the McMahon in the mail--I keep watching the mailbox for it. I've enjoyed all the books by her that I have read so far. I wonder if she is at work on her next now? :) Linda Mitchelmore's novel is very appealing, too. You make me want to go now to my shelves and pull it out so I can start reading (rather than waiting to squeeze it in when I get more caught up...)! How cool that you live so close to her. Does she have other books out?

[Danielle]

...And very sorry about the problems with not being able to view your comment in preview--I am guessing this is another Typepad glitch--I've got some other issues at the moment with Typepad and there seems to be not much in the way of resolving the problems. No worries about typos, though, as we all make them. I do hope Typepad gets back on track soon and fixes these problems.

[Margaret Powling]

Just a little note to add to this particular posting ... today is 8th Oct 2012 and I have just received The haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St James and look forward to reading it (when I've read the others I've started but not finished!)

[Danielle]

I hope you enjoy it, too! I'm already looking forward to her next book, though I think it is not out until March! By the way--I've started reading Katharine McMahon's most recent book set in Revolutionary France--I shouldn't have started it since I have too many other books on the go (and I also need to finish a few first...), but I couldn't help myself. It looks to be a good read going by the first few chapters! :)

[Margaret Powling]

Oh, Danielle, I'm delighted you've latched onto Katharine McMahon, she is by far the best writer currently writing historical fiction, and each book so different from the last. Revolutionary France, 1920s England, The Crimean War, etc.
Also excellent at historical romantic fiction is Charlotte Betts. I have just finished and absolutely loved her 2nd novel, The Painter's Apprentice. But it's best to read The Apothecary's Daughter first as The Painter's Apprentice continues the story 20 years on. It's not essential to have read the first book, but I am sure it would help. They are filled with such period detail, I am sure you would love them.
Again I can't scroll down my Preview to see errors, so hope this isn't filled with them!

[Danielle]

Sorry about the formatting problems with Typepad and leaving comments. There are a number of really quirky things going on with them at the moment--not least is that I cannot add books to my lists on my sidebar--I have to do the HTML if I want to add them--which is clunky and time consuming. I'm not surprised that there is an issue, too, with the comment form, but your comment looks fine from my vantage.

I have really enjoyed the books by Katharine McMahan's that I have read so far--The Crimson Rooms is my favorite so far. She does write broadly and not just tell the same story over and over again. I'm sure I'm going to like Season of Light if the first few chapters are anything to go by. She's an author who I will pretty much just buy whatever she writes and I think I have nearly all of her other books--a few still unread. I've ordered the first Charlotte Betts book, too, as the book sounds really appealing to me. I found a used copy in paper, so I'll have it to read as I wait for the US publication of her newest--which is on my wishlist. Thanks for the suggestions--very dangerous, but I am always pleased to get them! :) I do love good historical fiction with well done and authentic detail!

[Margaret Powling]

Charlotte Betts' latest, The Painter's Apprentice is set in the late 1600s, at the time of the building of St Paul's Cathedral in London, and as I know little about Sir Christopher Wren (i.e. I knew he was an architect of merit and designed not only St Paul's but many churches in London after the Great Fire, but that was the sum total of my knowledge) and so I bought a book about him, written decades ago but still useful, called Wren by Margaret Whinney. Another for your list, har, har!
I am sure you will enjoy the books of Charlotte Betts, Danielle.

[Danielle]

That sounds good. This is why I love historical fiction--learning something more about some aspect of life in another period. The 1600s haven't been my favorite period to read about--but I think I've just gotten bogged down in certain books. Now The Great Fire of London would be interesting to read about. I'll look up the Whinney book--my library might have it. And I am looking forward to getting the Betts book-will try and finish Season of Light first, though. I was just reading it earlier as a matter of fact! :)