The Haunting of Maddy Clare

Four stars for the suspenseful, creepy ghost plot and the FMC's evolution from frightened recluse to self-assured, proactive tough chick. Two stars for the alpha-hole MMC whose primary facial expression is a scowl, and whose first sexual encounter with the heroine is dubcon (“It's okay that he's rough, he's a traumatized WWI veteran”). I wish St. James would write more historical-fiction-with-ghosts novels like this and [b:Silence for the Dead 62926981 Silence for the Dead Simone St. James https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1685351913l/62926981.SY75.jpg 25211135] or [b:The Other Side of Midnight 22467404 The Other Side of Midnight Simone St. James https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1405870017l/22467404.SX50.jpg 41906566] (both of which I preferred to Maddy Clare). Bookstores are already full of contemporary thrillers such as her 2022 release, [b:Ghost 19 61432642 Ghost 19 Simone St. James https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1657834818l/61432642.SX50.jpg 96948297].