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Maternal Harbor
Now over 200,000 kindle downloads. 281 Five Star Amazon reviews
Pregnant and alone, Teagan O’Riley befriends three expectant mothers at an OBGYN clinic. Now, two of them are dead and the third is close on Teagan’s heels, intent on eliminating the last obstacle to a monstrous plot. She cannot risk entrusting the police. Her finger prints are all over one crime scene and her foot print smeared into blood at another. Surely, the authorities would remove the babies from her care and place them with child protective services, making them easy targets. Teagan flees with the babies to the only refuge she can think of − the wilderness cabin belonging to the grandmother of her lost love.
But is even this remote location safe?
Pregnant and alone, Teagan O’Riley befriends three expectant mothers at an OBGYN clinic. Now, two of them are dead and the third is close on Teagan’s heels, intent on eliminating the last obstacle to a monstrous plot. She cannot risk entrusting the police. Her finger prints are all over one crime scene and her foot print smeared into blood at another. Surely, the authorities would remove the babies from her care and place them with child protective services, making them easy targets. Teagan flees with the babies to the only refuge she can think of − the wilderness cabin belonging to the grandmother of her lost love.
But is even this remote location safe?
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 5, 2012
304 people are currently reading
1736 people want to read
About the author
Marie F. Martin
8 books30 followersMarie F. Martin is the author of an intense vow in MATERAL HARBOR, surprising twists of a family’s past in HARBORED SECRETS, a grizzly attack and lover’s spat in RATHAM CREEK. Together her four thriller, mystery, or suspense novels have over 500,000 Kindle downloads and over 700 five star reviews.
Marie lives in a fertile valley at the base of the Rocky Mountains. She enjoys a quiet life where laughter comes easy, love easier. She invites you to join in her rich, rural memories on her website where she has posted a memoir of her early childhood and raising her own family of four children.
www.mariefmartin.com
Marie lives in a fertile valley at the base of the Rocky Mountains. She enjoys a quiet life where laughter comes easy, love easier. She invites you to join in her rich, rural memories on her website where she has posted a memoir of her early childhood and raising her own family of four children.
www.mariefmartin.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
April 1, 2013
Found this one a bit lacking. It has a totally predictable storyline which is fine, if its written well and the characters are interesting. But I found the characters a little shallow and undeveloped which gave a falseness and lack of reality to the story. I felt quite repulsed by some details of Erica, it seemed some things were shared for a shock factor and offered no link into the storyline even though it was clear it was intended to serve the narrative and character motives. I wanted to feel sorry for her, I wanted to have my own character and sense of judgement challenged from developing an affinity with a serial kiler but it didn't happen. I just didn't buy into it as much as I think I should have. Also there was a lot of errors, spelling and grammatical, which was off putting. Overall, an 'okay' read, nothing too special, but could be improved with the errors corrected and exploring the characters more. I wouldn't necessarily recommend but if you're looking for an easy read that isn't taxing or doesn't make you think, this is a good choice. Enough of storyline to keep you reading, but not enough that you couldn't put the book down for a few days.
December 2, 2012
Not a good book to read at 38 weeks pregnant, lol!!
September 8, 2012
Marie Martin was in my local critique group a few years ago, and it was a pleasure to see this thriller take shape. The concept is simple. Four pregnant single women meet at an OB clinic, and bond immediately due to the similarity of their struggles. They all give birth within a week or two of one another. Then, one by one, the mothers are brutally murdered until only the heroine and the villain remain.
The concept may be fairly simple, but the execution is awesome. Without giving away the plot, suffice it say the villain of this take is one of the spookiest and most depraved you will ever encounter.
Much of the early action takes place along the piers of Seattle's busy port. Then there is a frantic long-distance chase, and the heroine seeks peace and quiet in the beautiful Flathead Valley of NW Montana, where the elderly grandmother of her ex-boyfriend lives. There is a tentative romance as the two former lovers encounter each other again, but the frightening experiences of the heroine keep her from trusting anybody.
My only real complaint is that the ocean waves on the book cover, and the title MATERNAL HARBOR do little to alert potential buyers to the chills and thrills in this deadly thriller, and might mislead readers into believing it's a sweet romance of some sort. But then, I'm a guy...
The concept may be fairly simple, but the execution is awesome. Without giving away the plot, suffice it say the villain of this take is one of the spookiest and most depraved you will ever encounter.
Much of the early action takes place along the piers of Seattle's busy port. Then there is a frantic long-distance chase, and the heroine seeks peace and quiet in the beautiful Flathead Valley of NW Montana, where the elderly grandmother of her ex-boyfriend lives. There is a tentative romance as the two former lovers encounter each other again, but the frightening experiences of the heroine keep her from trusting anybody.
My only real complaint is that the ocean waves on the book cover, and the title MATERNAL HARBOR do little to alert potential buyers to the chills and thrills in this deadly thriller, and might mislead readers into believing it's a sweet romance of some sort. But then, I'm a guy...
April 30, 2016
This is a pretty standard thriller with a pretty standard plot. There's really nothing here to get excited about, and nothing really wrong, but while I hoped for a passable story that was never my main reason for downloading this book.
I realized that, without really meaning to, the vast majority of authors I've been reading over the last several months have been male. Now there's nothing wrong with male authors, but I woke up to the fact that I needed some gender variety in my reading and Ms. Martin, in the sample I read, seemed like a good choice.
And she was, especially with how she portrayed the female characters, which is another reason I chose this book; the story revolved around women. I wanted to read someone who could realistically write from a feminine viewpoint; who could accurately reflect women's feelings (something I don't think male writers can usually do, at least not all that well); and who could capture the way that women interact with each other. On all these points, Ms. Martin came through in a fantastic way.
I realized that, without really meaning to, the vast majority of authors I've been reading over the last several months have been male. Now there's nothing wrong with male authors, but I woke up to the fact that I needed some gender variety in my reading and Ms. Martin, in the sample I read, seemed like a good choice.
And she was, especially with how she portrayed the female characters, which is another reason I chose this book; the story revolved around women. I wanted to read someone who could realistically write from a feminine viewpoint; who could accurately reflect women's feelings (something I don't think male writers can usually do, at least not all that well); and who could capture the way that women interact with each other. On all these points, Ms. Martin came through in a fantastic way.
November 27, 2012
Excelent book!
As soon as I got caught up in the story I couldn't put this book down!
I almost felt sorry for the killer... ALMOST, but I was sad for them and could understand how they became what they were.
The plot is action packed, nail bitting and scary!
Very well written, very emtional to me and realalistic.
Definatly worth reading!
As soon as I got caught up in the story I couldn't put this book down!
I almost felt sorry for the killer... ALMOST, but I was sad for them and could understand how they became what they were.
The plot is action packed, nail bitting and scary!
Very well written, very emtional to me and realalistic.
Definatly worth reading!
January 7, 2013
This was a pretty good mystery about 4 mothers-to-be. When the baby of one is stillborn, the other mothers find themselves and their babies in danger.
February 1, 2013
A story that proves how strong a mother's love is and how far she will go to protect a child, even if its not her own.
February 27, 2013
Excellent book, good from the first page... Very suspenseful. I only give books I want to re read a 5 so this was really a 5... I don't re read novels
January 28, 2015
Where to start? Okay. Here goes. The first 35% of the book is stilted, more telling than showing. The beginning starts with the main character, Teagan, on her way to the hospital. Or is it the doctor? Is she in labor, or isn't she? She's ranting internally about the harbor master and some rules, and something about how she's dressed? How does that fit in? Shouldn't she be thinking about the baby? The conversation between the babies' mothers is equally strange. One of the mothers says she had been invited over to one of the other's house, Teagan says she wasn't invited, and the first woman says, "Why are you making a big deal of it?" Nobody had made a big deal of anything yet! That's just one piece of odd, out of place dialogue and characterization. There's lots more!
There's a ton of telling rather than showing. "Teagan was rankled." Show us, don't tell us! "Mac was stubborn." Again, Show us, don't tell us. Teagan hangs up on one of her closest friends to call a cab? Cuts her off in mid sentence? It's a wonder this character has any friends! A small nitpick - "thoughts running RAMPART?" Shouldn't that be 'rampant?' It may seem small, but later in the book we have a navel-trained husband. Shouldn't That be NAVAL? (You have no idea how badly I want to throw in "Omphalopsychite.")
Characters show up with no explanation who they are, the explanation following in sometimes long passages that felt shoved in for background, sections that could have been worked in much more smoothly throughout the story. Bryan for one, and Lolita for another.
There are also numerous punctuation mistakes, primarily missing quotation marks. Toward the end there is (at least on my Kindle) a paragraph centered in the middle of the page, followed by ***. If that shows up on everyone's Kindle, it was probably a paragraph and section break that got missed in formatting.
Now for the good. The killer slowly unraveling, while odd at times, is interesting. She talks to a cat who isn't there, dresses like her insane mother (apple didn't fall far from THAT tree!) and talks to her in the mirror, but wondering how and when she'd be caught was about all that kept me reading. The ending was surprisingly well-done, watching the killer keep one step ahead of the police.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
A lady selling a rare rifle who doesn't want anyone coming to her house (I get that) but hasn't given a single thought about where to meet the buyer? For that matter, why buy a gun (and ammunition) at all if you've got an unknown hitchhiker in the car? Doretta, who has just given birth, already back at work as a waitress? Much later in the book, we find out that the babies are a week old. So that would make her child, what? 24 hours old when she's back at work? As a WAITRESS? Scenes become jumbled. There is one scene where Teagan is in her living room. No, that's not right, she's at the harbor. Isn't she? (I don't know!) A nursing mother leaves her nursing child and runs off with no thought as to when she'll be back to feed him? A CPS worker of 2 whole weeks sent to pick up 3 presumably kidnapped infants in a huge case? Leaving babies floating (we can only hope) in the water to pull a gun?!
There's a ton of telling rather than showing. "Teagan was rankled." Show us, don't tell us! "Mac was stubborn." Again, Show us, don't tell us. Teagan hangs up on one of her closest friends to call a cab? Cuts her off in mid sentence? It's a wonder this character has any friends! A small nitpick - "thoughts running RAMPART?" Shouldn't that be 'rampant?' It may seem small, but later in the book we have a navel-trained husband. Shouldn't That be NAVAL? (You have no idea how badly I want to throw in "Omphalopsychite.")
Characters show up with no explanation who they are, the explanation following in sometimes long passages that felt shoved in for background, sections that could have been worked in much more smoothly throughout the story. Bryan for one, and Lolita for another.
There are also numerous punctuation mistakes, primarily missing quotation marks. Toward the end there is (at least on my Kindle) a paragraph centered in the middle of the page, followed by ***. If that shows up on everyone's Kindle, it was probably a paragraph and section break that got missed in formatting.
Now for the good. The killer slowly unraveling, while odd at times, is interesting. She talks to a cat who isn't there, dresses like her insane mother (apple didn't fall far from THAT tree!) and talks to her in the mirror, but wondering how and when she'd be caught was about all that kept me reading. The ending was surprisingly well-done, watching the killer keep one step ahead of the police.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
A lady selling a rare rifle who doesn't want anyone coming to her house (I get that) but hasn't given a single thought about where to meet the buyer? For that matter, why buy a gun (and ammunition) at all if you've got an unknown hitchhiker in the car? Doretta, who has just given birth, already back at work as a waitress? Much later in the book, we find out that the babies are a week old. So that would make her child, what? 24 hours old when she's back at work? As a WAITRESS? Scenes become jumbled. There is one scene where Teagan is in her living room. No, that's not right, she's at the harbor. Isn't she? (I don't know!) A nursing mother leaves her nursing child and runs off with no thought as to when she'll be back to feed him? A CPS worker of 2 whole weeks sent to pick up 3 presumably kidnapped infants in a huge case? Leaving babies floating (we can only hope) in the water to pull a gun?!
October 14, 2014
I found this book through a recommendation from Book Bub as a free kindle book from Amazon. As a past pre-natal instructor I found the description of interest although it also sounded slightly familiar. I believe I have read others with a similar premise.
I found the earlier part of the book somewhat difficult to get into in part because of some confusing writing style. This changed for the better as the book progressed and I became caught up in the story of four women who had gotten to know each other at prenatal clinic and given birth within short order of each other - all having baby boys. One woman lost her child. The other three had healthy babies but before long, the new mothers were being killed and Teagan is left caring for three babies while running for all of their lives.The police are not exactly the sharpest pencils in the drawer and this leads to great danger for Teagan and the babies. Toss a little romance, past history and lack of trust into the story and things get very interesting. We know from early on who the killer is, but her reasons only become clear as the story progresses. She is a victim of past abuse and this may be a trigger for some readers. I would not recommend to those in late pregnancy either.
Once I got into it, I couldn't put the book down and read quickly till the end. I would be happy to read more by this author.
I found the earlier part of the book somewhat difficult to get into in part because of some confusing writing style. This changed for the better as the book progressed and I became caught up in the story of four women who had gotten to know each other at prenatal clinic and given birth within short order of each other - all having baby boys. One woman lost her child. The other three had healthy babies but before long, the new mothers were being killed and Teagan is left caring for three babies while running for all of their lives.The police are not exactly the sharpest pencils in the drawer and this leads to great danger for Teagan and the babies. Toss a little romance, past history and lack of trust into the story and things get very interesting. We know from early on who the killer is, but her reasons only become clear as the story progresses. She is a victim of past abuse and this may be a trigger for some readers. I would not recommend to those in late pregnancy either.
Once I got into it, I couldn't put the book down and read quickly till the end. I would be happy to read more by this author.
April 14, 2015
Great Story!
I bought this book a while ago and not sure why I put it down. It's possible when my precious Kindle was acting up the book was lost in the reshuffle. Reading some of the reviews I thought they were way off base. The negative reviews that is. The storyline was unfortunately believable. When you hear of women dying because some psycho cutting her unborn baby out of her womb THIS story can be true. But it is a work of fiction. The investigation was sad and slow going but drawing it out added to the flair of the dramatic. When someone loses control over their sanity who are we to say that imaginary cats cannot talk back? I believe everybody is entitled to their own opinion which is why I don't choose a book based on the reviews but the synopsis of the storyline. Sometimes I am disappointed but mostly I am pleased. The trick to reviewing a book is that if you're going to be critical make sure your opinion is one that can help the author improve. Accusing them of buying good reviews is childish and makes the review you just left meaningless and pointless. To Marie Martin: Great job! I am off to read your next book. Please don't stop writing. You are creative and talented.
I bought this book a while ago and not sure why I put it down. It's possible when my precious Kindle was acting up the book was lost in the reshuffle. Reading some of the reviews I thought they were way off base. The negative reviews that is. The storyline was unfortunately believable. When you hear of women dying because some psycho cutting her unborn baby out of her womb THIS story can be true. But it is a work of fiction. The investigation was sad and slow going but drawing it out added to the flair of the dramatic. When someone loses control over their sanity who are we to say that imaginary cats cannot talk back? I believe everybody is entitled to their own opinion which is why I don't choose a book based on the reviews but the synopsis of the storyline. Sometimes I am disappointed but mostly I am pleased. The trick to reviewing a book is that if you're going to be critical make sure your opinion is one that can help the author improve. Accusing them of buying good reviews is childish and makes the review you just left meaningless and pointless. To Marie Martin: Great job! I am off to read your next book. Please don't stop writing. You are creative and talented.
May 7, 2015
I saw a synopsis of this book in an email that I receive and it looked interesting. It was.
Teagan, an independent person who owns a fish market is immediately dumped by her boyfriend when she tells him that she is pregnant. While going to a clinic for her prenatal care she meets three other women and quickly becomes friends with them. They help support each other since one did IVF and has no man, Teagan's man left, Doretta threw her guy out, and Pia's guy is at sea for months. They are all due at the same time and end up delivering within days of one another.
After delivering her son, Pia is becoming paranoid and feels as though she is being followed. A black SUV keeps appearing near her and then Teagan starts to see it also. She is so nervous, Teagan invites her to go home and pack a few things and stay with her for a while. When Pia hasn't returned in reasonable time period Teagan starts to despair, calls the police, and the wild ride begins.
This was a true psychological thriller that kept me turning the pages.
Teagan, an independent person who owns a fish market is immediately dumped by her boyfriend when she tells him that she is pregnant. While going to a clinic for her prenatal care she meets three other women and quickly becomes friends with them. They help support each other since one did IVF and has no man, Teagan's man left, Doretta threw her guy out, and Pia's guy is at sea for months. They are all due at the same time and end up delivering within days of one another.
After delivering her son, Pia is becoming paranoid and feels as though she is being followed. A black SUV keeps appearing near her and then Teagan starts to see it also. She is so nervous, Teagan invites her to go home and pack a few things and stay with her for a while. When Pia hasn't returned in reasonable time period Teagan starts to despair, calls the police, and the wild ride begins.
This was a true psychological thriller that kept me turning the pages.
October 30, 2012
Enjoyed reading this book from start to finish.
September 28, 2019
Great read
Four women, meet and bond at the pregnancy clinic. One, gave the other woman, rights to her child. This was only until her husband returned from the sea. Three of them became good friends. The other woman, was a police woman and very odd. One of the four babies died. Brought out the crazy in one of the four women.
Four women, meet and bond at the pregnancy clinic. One, gave the other woman, rights to her child. This was only until her husband returned from the sea. Three of them became good friends. The other woman, was a police woman and very odd. One of the four babies died. Brought out the crazy in one of the four women.
June 19, 2013
Four pregnant (single) women bond in a birthing center, where they met. They are expecting sons around the same time. One of the women buys matching teddy bears for all the boys, and they make plans to stay close.
It started a bit slow but once the babies start arriving, watch out. The action picks up and doesn't stop. It was very gripping and hard to put down. I had to read last night until I finished it.
I liked the writing, but would have liked a bit more in-depth characterization. My favorite character was Bryan's gutsy grandmother, Fiona.
A couple of things were left hanging, such as the DNA found on one of the victims. One expects an "aha" moment from that but if it happens, and we know it will, it isn't written about. We have to assume a few things. The novel was entertaining, and even though it had a predictable ending, the ending was satisfying, and the epilogue did tie up a few things. Recommended for those not squeemish about murdering physcho's or babies in peril.
It started a bit slow but once the babies start arriving, watch out. The action picks up and doesn't stop. It was very gripping and hard to put down. I had to read last night until I finished it.
I liked the writing, but would have liked a bit more in-depth characterization. My favorite character was Bryan's gutsy grandmother, Fiona.
A couple of things were left hanging, such as the DNA found on one of the victims. One expects an "aha" moment from that but if it happens, and we know it will, it isn't written about. We have to assume a few things. The novel was entertaining, and even though it had a predictable ending, the ending was satisfying, and the epilogue did tie up a few things. Recommended for those not squeemish about murdering physcho's or babies in peril.
January 11, 2014
A different kind of mystery, but a real page-turner too.
Four single women, all pregnant and carrying sons, meet at the same birth center and become friends. All are due basically on the same day as well, so all 4 babies are delivered within hours of each other. After the Mother's take their babies home, someone starts killing them.
I thought it was well written, with very interesting characters. On the other hand I thought there were a few characters that could have been left out completely and nothing would have been lost. The story would have flowed just as nicely without them. And as much as I enjoyed the story as a whole, the ending was different. Not totally disappointing, but I still had a few questions.
Four single women, all pregnant and carrying sons, meet at the same birth center and become friends. All are due basically on the same day as well, so all 4 babies are delivered within hours of each other. After the Mother's take their babies home, someone starts killing them.
I thought it was well written, with very interesting characters. On the other hand I thought there were a few characters that could have been left out completely and nothing would have been lost. The story would have flowed just as nicely without them. And as much as I enjoyed the story as a whole, the ending was different. Not totally disappointing, but I still had a few questions.
August 9, 2016
I really enjoyed this story. The friendship between the three women was the only thing I would have liked to see explained in more detail. The psychotic Erica really moved the story and it would probably take another book to explain how she got the way she was. Our three moms saw through her almost from the beginning, especially Teagan and her fierce need to protect all three babies made this a story not to be missed. It's a tale of a mother's love and sacrifice. This is also a story of first love and second chances. Ms. Martin was a new to me author but she'll be a constant on my bookshelves from now on.
February 26, 2014
4 women are pregnant and become friends while waiting together at their OB office. One mother is pregnant by IVF with a donor, one has an unplanned pregnancy and the father leaves as soon as he knows, one mother is married to a sailor at sea and feels alone and anxious that something bad will happen, and the last is a woman with an unplanned pregnancy. They are all due the same week. Someone wants the mothers dead so the babies can be taken. Who would do this and why? Not a very long story but it held my interest.
November 28, 2015
This is an edgy thriller with plenty of action and suspense to keep the reader riveted. Teagan’s instincts take over when her two best friends are murdered, and she ends up on the run with three small babies. She doesn’t know who she can trust, and what she can do to protect the children, but she knows she must try.
This book kept me pinned to my seat, and if I’m honest gave me a bad night’s sleep, but I thoroughly recommend it, although not to new mothers. Brilliantly written, and full of the chase.
This book kept me pinned to my seat, and if I’m honest gave me a bad night’s sleep, but I thoroughly recommend it, although not to new mothers. Brilliantly written, and full of the chase.
April 17, 2014
Even though I knew who the bad guy was, I was on edge the whole book. I kept waiting and waiting for the events to play out. I'm glad things ended the way they ended although I would have liked a little more detail into how custody worked out for the kids. I know Charlie got back with his mom but what about Levi and Jimmy? Does Levi live with grandma and does Jimmy live with dad when he's not over seas or did Teagon get custody of all the boys?
May 15, 2015
This book was painful to read. The premise seemed interesting at first but it was so far-fetched and thinly drawn that I could barely slog through it. The "villain" was almost comical...she talked to some imaginary dead cat, had serious mother issues, and NO ONE ever noticed this before? She somehow just became an amazing police officer? Bad, bad, bad book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2015
If it was not so far fetched I would have rated it higher. Four women are pregnant all expecting boys. One of them will lose her child and attempt to gain the other children. The story is full of action and excitement. The descriptions are beautifully written. An interesting, quick paced thriller, that is fun to read.
August 7, 2016
Wow!!!! What a thriller this book is!
Teagan is single and pregnant and meets 3 other single women in an OB clinic.
Not long after the births of their children, 2 of the women are dead (murdered) and Teagan is in fear of losing her own life and her child's.
She takes drastic steps to protect her baby and the babies of the 2 murdered women. What is the other woman up to?
It is an exiting read.
Teagan is single and pregnant and meets 3 other single women in an OB clinic.
Not long after the births of their children, 2 of the women are dead (murdered) and Teagan is in fear of losing her own life and her child's.
She takes drastic steps to protect her baby and the babies of the 2 murdered women. What is the other woman up to?
It is an exiting read.
January 7, 2014
Hmmmmm
This was an mediocre story. I did not care for Bryan. The only character I like was Fiona, the gutsy grandmother. Teagan though correct went about everything wrong. Erica was just plain crazy.
This was an mediocre story. I did not care for Bryan. The only character I like was Fiona, the gutsy grandmother. Teagan though correct went about everything wrong. Erica was just plain crazy.
January 1, 2013
A spine chilling murder mystery. I had a difficult time putting this one down. Totally recommend it!
January 12, 2013
Good story. About half-way through I didn't want to put it down.
Read
January 10, 2013This book is really good - however it needs to move a long a bit now....
January 21, 2013
Wonderful book! Exciting from beginning to end!
February 26, 2013
Digital Book. Pretty good read. Wouldnt recommend if you are about to have a baby it might make you paranoid.
January 13, 2014
It was good and fast paced. But the ending was not tied up as nicely as I prefer.
I would recommend it.
I would recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews