The Second Captive by Maggie James

‘This is another heart rending and thought provoking book from Maggie that will have the reader turning page after page.’

#thriller #psychologicalthriller #5stars #amreviewing @mjamesfiction @bloodhoundbook

Book Description

Beth Sutton is eighteen years old when she is abducted. Held prisoner in a basement, she’s dependent on her captor for food, clothes and her very existence. As the months pass, her hatred towards her imprisoner changes to compassion.

But Beth cannot forget that her abductor is also a killer. And she has evidence to prove it…

Then Beth escapes

Can Beth escape from the prison that she has found herself in?

And is there a relationship between love and fear?

My Review

This is a psychological thriller but will also appeal to readers of contemporary fiction.

The main theme of the story is Stockholm Syndrome but there are many other psychological issues that are also examined in this book. Also discussed are dysfunctional families and sibling rivalry.

The book begins with Beth escaping (present) and then goes back to the events that lead to her captivity before returning to the present. The characters of Beth and Dominic are very realistic and Maggie makes an excellent job of building them gradually through the book and makes the reader realise the implications of events on the mind of a child. This book works particularly well because Beth doesn’t have a very good relationship with her Father and Brother which has a bearing on her captivity. The book also examines the way the dynamics of a family changes when a member is removed.

Ursula is Beth’s Mother and her character is developed around a Mother’s love for her children. As with the other characters Ursula is very realistic and acts in the way I would expect a Mother who wants to protect her child to act.

There are many twists and turns to this story and I especially like the realistic way that Maggie tells of Beth falling into a bad place after her return home. We would all like to believe that when a person is found the family lives happily ever after making up for the lost time. In the real world I think that is unlikely to happen and the fact that the story reinforces that makes it very realistic.

This is another heart rending and thought provoking book from Maggie that will have the reader turning page after page. I am looking forward to more books from this very talented author.

Thank you to Bloodhound Books who provided me with an ARC of this book.

Author Bio:

Maggie James is a British author who lives in Bristol. She writes psychological suspense novels.

Before turning her hand to writing, Maggie worked mainly as an accountant, with a diversion into practising as a nutritional therapist. Diet and health remain high on her list of interests, along with travel. Accountancy does not, but then it never did. The urge to pack a bag and go off travelling is always lurking in the background! When not writing, going to the gym, practising yoga or travelling, Maggie can be found seeking new four-legged friends to pet; animals are a lifelong love!