Do you love gripping psychological thrillers full of twists and turns? If so you'll love best-selling author Netta Newbound's stunning new Maggie.
When sixteen-year-old Maggie Simms' mum loses her battle with cancer, the only family she has left is her abusive stepfather, Kenny.
Horrified to discover he intends to continue his nightly abuse, Maggie is driven to put a stop to him once and for all.
However, she finds her troubles are only just beginning when several of her closest allies are killed.
Although nothing seems to be linking the deaths, Maggie believes she is jinxed.
Why are the people she cares about being targeted?
And who is really behind the murders?
Sometimes the truth is closer than you think.***
[The sounds of 'Jerusalem', my mother's favourite hymn, reverberated off the four walls of the quaint village chapel]***
(Bloodhound Books, 19 October 2017, copy provided by the publisher and voluntarily reviewed)
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This is my first time reading the author.
I really enjoyed Maggie though I thought I wasn't going to at first.
The book has different viewpoint characters including Maggie. I felt her voice was a little off at times. She's sixteen. However, at times she seems a bit younger than this and in some chapters, she comes across as a little older. This is the only issue I really had with the book.
I thought the pacing in Maggie was perfect. The novel is fast-paced and the short chapters race along. I like fast-paced novels when the author gets it right and it works really well with this book.
I liked the characters. They are well-written, fully rounded and made of flesh and blood. With one exception. I really didn't like the police officer Jake, the best friend of Maggie's step-father. He's a horrible man and his behaviour made me think from the start that he was the one targeting Maggie's allies. He was a bit over-the-top for a villain and I think he would have been a stronger character if his behaviour and attitude was a bit subtler.
There is a lot of misdirection in Maggie. Right from the start the author implies that Jake is targeting Maggie's allies and then shifts your attention to the estranged sisters of her step-father. All of this is subtle manipulation to hide the true killer. When they are revealed I was a bit gob-smacked because I never even considered the possibility. Well done for pulling the wool over my eyes.
