Sunday Synopsis

The Girl in the Maze by R.K. Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you like author Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl, Dark Places), you'll like The Girl in the Maze, so the website said. And I did like it, although it was actually quite different.

It is a psychological thriller set in the seaside town of Amberleen, Georgia. The main character is Martha, a college student, who is diagnosed with psychosis. After a serious breakdown, she seeks treatment. Her doctor recommends that she take a break from college and take a temporary job at the Amberleen Historical Society in hopes that the voices won't return. The job will use her talents in transcribing and writing. She is tentative at first, but she enjoys her work.

Soon, Martha gets caught up in a secret plot. A group of men and a Japanese investor want to sell out the Geechees on Shell Heap Island. They intend to convert the island into a high class resort area.

Martha begins to hear the voices again. She has only one friend in the town, her boss. When her boss is murdered, everyone believes she is guilty. She nearly dies after taking a bullet in her calf but is rescued by Jarrell, a young man with a past of his own. She and Jarrell search for the truth, how to prove it, and how to stop it. A hurricane blows into town to further complicate matters.

The Girl in the Maze was an action-packed read that was difficult to put down. I could picture the characters and setting in my head. There were plot twists, suspense, and a little spookiness. It came together as a brilliant, enjoyable story. I'm thinking I will read Kiss of the Sun this summer, another Martha Covington mystery.

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