The Haunting of Maddy Clare Book Review

I’ve read a handful of mysteries, yet there’s one kind that I haven’t encountered in a while: a ghost story. The fact that it has taken me this long to read a book with this kind of plot is actually not surprising. I’ve never cared that much about ghosts, for I haven’t had any formal experiences with them. But, I can imagine how it would feel especially after I read today’s book The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James. It’s a mystery novel that beautifully blends many genres together and richly explores characters and trauma even if the mystery itself was easy to figure out.

The Haunting of Maddy Clare is about a woman summoned to assist a ghost hunter. In 1920s England, Sarah Piper lives a lonely life when her temporary agency sends her to aid Alistair Gellis – a rich, handsome, and obsessive ghost hunter who’s also scarred by World War I. He has been sent to investigate the spirit of the 19-year-old maid Maddy Clare. It has been said that she still haunts the barn in which she took her own life. Maddy hated men while she was alive, and she refuses to speak to them in death. Sarah is unprepared to confront the angry ghost on her own. She’s even more so when Matthew Ryder arrives. He is Alistair’s rough associate. He, too, fought in the war, and his scars go deeper than Sarah realizes. Soon, she is caught up in a desperate struggle, for she discovers that Maddy is real, angry, and has powers that defy all reason. Sarah and Matthew must discover who Maddy was, where she came from, and her reason for vengeance before she destroys them all.

On the surface, The Haunting of Maddy Clare may seem like a mystery that deals with ghosts in the 1920s, but it’s more than that. It blends history, the paranormal, and romance that sparks between Sarah and Matthew naturally. Each is given its attention in ways that reflect the characters and the times, while the others are actively working in the background. I especially love how it addresses the historical context. Since the book takes place in early 1920s England, the Great War (aka World War I) was still fresh in people’s minds. Alistair and Matthew both were in the trenches and suffered the consequences of engaging in constant warfare. The latter even more so, but people didn’t talk about the mental health of soldiers at that time. This colors Matthew as a character, his struggles, and the relationship between him and Sarah. 

Each of the three main characters are well-developed and have a clear reason for why they want to go on this ghost hunt. For Alistair, he’s obsessed with the paranormal, and it’s a good way to get out of his dull life living by himself in a mansion with a bunch of servants to attend to him. For Matthew, it’s a distraction from his personal demons as he works on the recording equipment. Then, for Sarah, it’s the feeling of being important and secure. Prior, she felt like she was unimportant as she went from job and job without much security. She becomes more confident in herself when Alistair and Matthew discover more of her potential as she interacts with Maddy. As a result, I was wholly invested to see how these characters interact with each other and react to how the mystery unfolds, especially when Maddy starts manifesting herself in other ways.

I also love how it explores the theme of trauma and its effects on people’s wellbeing. Both Alistair and Matthew have varying degrees of that after fighting in a war, and both deal with it in different ways. Sarah has trauma related to the death of her parents due to the Spanish Flu. The way that they, especially her mother, died made her feel insignificant and that no one cared for her. Even Maddy had a horrific experience being taken advantage of, which led to her refusing to speak and avoiding men in general while she was a servant to the Clare family. Even her death was related to that event.

The Haunting of Maddy Clare reminded me so much of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny. It was in the way that the story was about the people involved just as much as the mystery. I could tell that St. James enjoyed writing characters, which in turn, made me – the reader – feel invested in their journey to find the truth about Maddy. It’s a shame that the book is not part of a series because it would’ve been a good debut. I would have liked to see one with Sarah, Matthew, and Alistair as they go ghost hunting in other places.

As much as I praise the book, it will always be good, but not great for one reason: the mystery itself. It was easy to figure out why Maddy remained in the Clare barn and more importantly, who assaulted her when she was alive. It wasn’t a loud hint per se, yet there weren’t many other suspects who knew her. And, the ones who did were arrogant, had something to hide, or both.

The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James is a good historical mystery. Even if the mystery part was easy to deduce, I was still invested because of the characters. They were well developed, and I wanted to see how they were going to figure it out and react to the latest developments in the case. It also helps that the historical, paranormal, and romantic aspects were well handled. St. James definitely did her research on how England acted after World War I. I would recommend this novel to readers who love historical mysteries, want more character development in their whodunits, and watch Acorn TV. I’m not into ghosts all that much, but I was into this story.

Before I go, I want to let everyone know that I have recorded the latest episode of the Adapt Me Podcast recently. Returning guest Mel B – owner of DBA Publishing and I talk about how we would adapt this novel. Keep an eye out for the link.

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