ARC Review: A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis (Amber's Review)

Title: A Madness So Discreet
Author: Mindy McGinnis 

Genre: Historical Fiction, Horror 
Source: Edelweiss, BookCon
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: October 6th 2015
Read Jessica's Review!

Summary: 
Grace Mae knows madness. She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum. When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

What I liked:  

  • I LOVED the setting. 1800s? Insane asylums? Sign me up! 
  • Mindy obviously did a lot of research on the time period and asylums. The world building was incredible! 
  • I really loved the main character Grace. When we first meet her she is pregnant, locked away in the asylum due to her pregnancy.
  • All the characters were well done. As I said, a lot of research went into this book. How patients were treated, what was big during that time. Each character was well defined and entertaining in their own way. 
  • There is no love interest in this book. The story worked well with out it. 
  • This book is gruesome and cringe worthy. Mindy's work is metaphorical and jumps off the page. A Madness so Discreet was beautifully written! 
  • That cover! It is gorgeous! 

What I didn't like:

  • There were a few slow moments in the plot but overall things kept a steady pace.
  • I felt like the big conflict was resolved too easily. They spent more then half the book looking for this murder... and then in the span of two pages it was over. 

Overall:



I really enjoyed this one. I loved Mindy's other two books so I knew I would love this one just as much, There were several "oh shit" moments. Despite my dislikes I do highly recommend this one to everyone who enjoys a good  mystery, thriller, or horror novel. 


Rating: 



2 comments

  1. A well researched book that makes you feel that things are as they should be given the setting and the time period? Yes please!
    Also I'm glad to hear that there was no romance in this one!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I felt the same way about the conflict in Not a Drop to Drink. I really can't wait to read this one though, I'll just be prepared for an easy wrap up!

    ReplyDelete

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