The Girl in the Maze: A Thriller
Sep 2015 · Martha Covington Book 1 · Sold by Alibi
3.8star
12 reviews
Ebook
301
Pages
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Eligible
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About this ebook
USA TODAY BESTSELLER • Perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, Paula Hawkins, and Tana French, R. K. Jackson’s lyrical, twisty psychological thriller debut follows an aspiring journalist as she uncovers dark truths in a seaswept Southern town—aided by a mysterious outcast and pursued by a ruthless killer.
When Martha Covington moves to Amberleen, Georgia, after her release from a psychiatric ward, she thinks her breakdown is behind her. A small town with a rich history, Amberleen feels like a fresh start. Taking a summer internship with the local historical society, Martha is tasked with gathering the stories of the Geechee residents of nearby Shell Heap Island, the descendants of slaves who have lived by their own traditions for the last three hundred years.
As Martha delves into her work, the voices she thought she left behind start whispering again, and she begins to doubt her recovery. When a grisly murder occurs, Martha finds herself at the center of a perfect storm—and she’s the perfect suspect. Without a soul to vouch for her innocence or her sanity, Martha disappears into the wilderness, battling the pull of madness and struggling to piece together a supernatural puzzle of age-old resentments, broken promises, and cold-blooded murder. She finds an unexpected ally in a handsome young man fighting his own battles. With his help, Martha journeys through a terrifying labyrinth—to find the truth and clear her name, if she can survive to tell the tale.
Praise for The Girl in the Maze
“A Southern Gothic thriller with a twisty plot and echoes of Tana French.”—Dianne Emley, bestselling author of Killing Secrets
“The Girl in the Maze has suspense, action, memorable characters and even a perfect storm.”—Savannah Morning News
“One of the best books I’ve read [this year] . . . The Girl in the Maze is a genre-crushing story that’s part mystery, part thriller, with elements of horror. The result is a terribly entertaining novel.”—Cemetery Dance
“I’m very familiar with coastal Georgia, including Savannah and the islands. Somehow, Jackson has captured the mysterious beauty and sense of impending danger one always feels there. The setting itself becomes both a mirror and a character in this intriguing and suspenseful story.”—Barbara Lebow, Guggenheim Fellow, author of A Shayna Maidel
“The Girl in the Maze is as mysterious and suspenseful as it is intriguing—much like Georgia’s coastal marshland, where the tale is set.”—Santa Barbara News-Press
“This scared the hell out of me.”—Laura Otis, MacArthur Fellow, author of Müller’s Lab
“A suspenseful book, well written, and with a beautiful setting rich in history. I thoroughly enjoyed this supernatural thriller, and recommend it to all fans of the genre.”—I Heart Reading
“A fast-paced psychological thriller that keeps you engaged from beginning to end.”—Reading Femme
“Enthralling . . . a psycho-thriller of dark secrets in a small historic Georgian coastal town.”—Judith D. Collins Must Read Books
When Martha Covington moves to Amberleen, Georgia, after her release from a psychiatric ward, she thinks her breakdown is behind her. A small town with a rich history, Amberleen feels like a fresh start. Taking a summer internship with the local historical society, Martha is tasked with gathering the stories of the Geechee residents of nearby Shell Heap Island, the descendants of slaves who have lived by their own traditions for the last three hundred years.
As Martha delves into her work, the voices she thought she left behind start whispering again, and she begins to doubt her recovery. When a grisly murder occurs, Martha finds herself at the center of a perfect storm—and she’s the perfect suspect. Without a soul to vouch for her innocence or her sanity, Martha disappears into the wilderness, battling the pull of madness and struggling to piece together a supernatural puzzle of age-old resentments, broken promises, and cold-blooded murder. She finds an unexpected ally in a handsome young man fighting his own battles. With his help, Martha journeys through a terrifying labyrinth—to find the truth and clear her name, if she can survive to tell the tale.
Praise for The Girl in the Maze
“A Southern Gothic thriller with a twisty plot and echoes of Tana French.”—Dianne Emley, bestselling author of Killing Secrets
“The Girl in the Maze has suspense, action, memorable characters and even a perfect storm.”—Savannah Morning News
“One of the best books I’ve read [this year] . . . The Girl in the Maze is a genre-crushing story that’s part mystery, part thriller, with elements of horror. The result is a terribly entertaining novel.”—Cemetery Dance
“I’m very familiar with coastal Georgia, including Savannah and the islands. Somehow, Jackson has captured the mysterious beauty and sense of impending danger one always feels there. The setting itself becomes both a mirror and a character in this intriguing and suspenseful story.”—Barbara Lebow, Guggenheim Fellow, author of A Shayna Maidel
“The Girl in the Maze is as mysterious and suspenseful as it is intriguing—much like Georgia’s coastal marshland, where the tale is set.”—Santa Barbara News-Press
“This scared the hell out of me.”—Laura Otis, MacArthur Fellow, author of Müller’s Lab
“A suspenseful book, well written, and with a beautiful setting rich in history. I thoroughly enjoyed this supernatural thriller, and recommend it to all fans of the genre.”—I Heart Reading
“A fast-paced psychological thriller that keeps you engaged from beginning to end.”—Reading Femme
“Enthralling . . . a psycho-thriller of dark secrets in a small historic Georgian coastal town.”—Judith D. Collins Must Read Books
Ratings and reviews
3.8
12 reviews
Linda Strong
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October 10, 2015
This is a new author with a debut book advertised as a psychological thriller. Seeing as how it was compared to readers who like Gillian Flynn (which I do) my expectations were rather high. I'm sorry to say I was disappointed. Martha Covington is a young woman who has just been released from a mental institution. As long as she takes her medications, the voices in her head disappear. While Martha is a somewhat sympathetic character, I will give her kudos for trying to be strong enough to function in a normal world. Other than Martha, most all of the other characters weren't fully put together and it was difficult to understand their relationships to each other and to the story. One young man involved seems to have no connection to Martha whatsoever. Martha is given a job at the Historical Society of a small town and almost immediately she finds secrets that not everyone in town wants known. The mystery isn't as much suspenseful as it is a puzzle. And Martha's voices come back to haunt her again. Is she really seeing and hearing things ..or has her mental illness reared its ugly head again? There were things that I liked. I loved the descriptive powers of the author who brought to life this community. I think the premise of the story was good ... just not quite enough to keep me fully engaged. I gave it 3.5 stars. My thanks to the author / NetGalley / Random House Publishing Group - Alibi who furnished a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
5 people found this review helpful
About the author
R. K. Jackson is a former CNN journalist who now works at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. He lives with his family in the Los Padres National Forest and is at work on a second Martha Covington thriller, Kiss of the Sun.
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