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Guilty Innocence
A letter that reveals a horrifying truth…
Natalie Richards finds more than she bargained for when she snoops through her boyfriend’s possessions: evidence that Mark Slater was once convicted of a brutal killing. Heartbroken by what she’s discovered, Natalie’s dreams of a future with him collapse.
Only the other person jointly sentenced for Abby Morgan’s murder, the twisted and violent Adam Campbell, knows the truth. That Mark played no part in Abby’s death.
Meanwhile, circumstances have thrust Mark back in contact with Adam, who, aged twenty-five, is more domineering and chilling than ever. Can Mark rewrite history and confront his nemesis?
A gritty novel examining child murder and dysfunctional families, Guilty Innocence tells of one man’s struggle to break free from his past.
Natalie Richards finds more than she bargained for when she snoops through her boyfriend’s possessions: evidence that Mark Slater was once convicted of a brutal killing. Heartbroken by what she’s discovered, Natalie’s dreams of a future with him collapse.
Only the other person jointly sentenced for Abby Morgan’s murder, the twisted and violent Adam Campbell, knows the truth. That Mark played no part in Abby’s death.
Meanwhile, circumstances have thrust Mark back in contact with Adam, who, aged twenty-five, is more domineering and chilling than ever. Can Mark rewrite history and confront his nemesis?
A gritty novel examining child murder and dysfunctional families, Guilty Innocence tells of one man’s struggle to break free from his past.
360 pages, Paperback
First published December 30, 2013
707 people are currently reading
910 people want to read
About the author
Maggie James
13 books291 followersMaggie James is a British author who lives near Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 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!
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!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
July 3, 2014
Brilliant loved this book. I love books when you cant guess whats going to happen the story.about two kids goes to prison for killing a two year old but theres more to it I recommend this book. you cant put it down once you start reading gonna read her other books.
June 8, 2019
I absolutely love this book. It is not an easy read and raises issues that makes the reader think again. The characters are realistic and develop gradually throughout the book into their Adult versions. The story is heartrendingly brilliant. There are twists and turns and unexpected events that build on the intrigue and suspense to such a level that you just keep turning page after page. It is an excellent book from a brilliant author.
Joshua and Adam were 11 years old when they were convicted of murdering Abby and have been released with new identities.
Joshua has been reinvented as Mark and has begun a relationship with Natalie. Mark’s character develops throughout the book as we learn of a boy devastated by the death of his father and unloved by his mother. He is insecure and doesn’t make friends easily when he meets the super confident Adam. The story fluctuates between the past and the present as Mark tries to live with, and make amends for, the events of the past. He grows into a compassionate man who copes with life by being super organised to OCD level.
Adam is a totally different character and as his character is built we realise why he is still Adam even though he has a new identity. He is a domineering over confident bully as an 11 year old and we don’t expect his character to change much or the time inside to rehabilitate him.
Natalie is a victim. Living with a weight problem she is attacked as a young girl and the trauma of this event cause her to comfort eat which has a detrimental effect on her weight which in turn affects her self-confidence and security. It is this lack of confidence in herself that makes the story work and, from personal experience, I can confirm that she has Natalie’s character spot on.
The book also gives a realistic view on how the family who have lost a young child are affected and how each person deals with it differently. It also examines the part guilt plays in how people deal with the cards life deals them.
Thank you to Bloodhound Books who provided me with a free copy of this book.
#thriller #contemporaryfiction #maggiejames #bloodhoundbook @bloodhoundbook @books_n_all @mjamesfiction
Joshua and Adam were 11 years old when they were convicted of murdering Abby and have been released with new identities.
Joshua has been reinvented as Mark and has begun a relationship with Natalie. Mark’s character develops throughout the book as we learn of a boy devastated by the death of his father and unloved by his mother. He is insecure and doesn’t make friends easily when he meets the super confident Adam. The story fluctuates between the past and the present as Mark tries to live with, and make amends for, the events of the past. He grows into a compassionate man who copes with life by being super organised to OCD level.
Adam is a totally different character and as his character is built we realise why he is still Adam even though he has a new identity. He is a domineering over confident bully as an 11 year old and we don’t expect his character to change much or the time inside to rehabilitate him.
Natalie is a victim. Living with a weight problem she is attacked as a young girl and the trauma of this event cause her to comfort eat which has a detrimental effect on her weight which in turn affects her self-confidence and security. It is this lack of confidence in herself that makes the story work and, from personal experience, I can confirm that she has Natalie’s character spot on.
The book also gives a realistic view on how the family who have lost a young child are affected and how each person deals with it differently. It also examines the part guilt plays in how people deal with the cards life deals them.
Thank you to Bloodhound Books who provided me with a free copy of this book.
#thriller #contemporaryfiction #maggiejames #bloodhoundbook @bloodhoundbook @books_n_all @mjamesfiction
June 9, 2019
Great read
I absolutely love this book. It is not an easy read and raises issues that makes the reader think again. The characters are realistic and develop gradually throughout the book into their Adult versions. The story is heartrendingly brilliant. There are twists and turns and unexpected events that build on the intrigue and suspense to such a level that you just keep turning page after page. It is an excellent book from a brilliant author.
Joshua and Adam were 11 years old when they were convicted of murdering Abby and have been released with new identities.
Joshua has been reinvented as Mark and has begun a relationship with Natalie. Mark's character develops throughout the book as we learn of a boy devastated by the death of his father and unloved by his mother. He is insecure and doesn’t make friends easily when he meets the super confident Adam. The story fluctuates between the past and the present as Mark tries to live with, and make amends for, the events of the past. He grows into a compassionate man who copes with life by being super organised to OCD level.
Adam is a totally different character and as his character is built we realise why he is still Adam even though he has a new identity. He is a domineering over confident bully as an 11 year old and we don’t expect his character to change much or the time inside to rehabilitate him.
Natalie is a victim. Living with a weight problem she is attacked as a young girl and the trauma of this event cause her to comfort eat which has a detrimental effect on her weight which in turn affects her self-confidence and security. It is this lack of confidence in herself that makes the story work and, from personal experience, I can confirm that she has Natalie's character spot on.
The book also gives a realistic view on how the family who have lost a young child are affected and how each person deals with it differently. It also examines the part guilt plays in how people deal with the cards life deals them.
I absolutely love this book. It is not an easy read and raises issues that makes the reader think again. The characters are realistic and develop gradually throughout the book into their Adult versions. The story is heartrendingly brilliant. There are twists and turns and unexpected events that build on the intrigue and suspense to such a level that you just keep turning page after page. It is an excellent book from a brilliant author.
Joshua and Adam were 11 years old when they were convicted of murdering Abby and have been released with new identities.
Joshua has been reinvented as Mark and has begun a relationship with Natalie. Mark's character develops throughout the book as we learn of a boy devastated by the death of his father and unloved by his mother. He is insecure and doesn’t make friends easily when he meets the super confident Adam. The story fluctuates between the past and the present as Mark tries to live with, and make amends for, the events of the past. He grows into a compassionate man who copes with life by being super organised to OCD level.
Adam is a totally different character and as his character is built we realise why he is still Adam even though he has a new identity. He is a domineering over confident bully as an 11 year old and we don’t expect his character to change much or the time inside to rehabilitate him.
Natalie is a victim. Living with a weight problem she is attacked as a young girl and the trauma of this event cause her to comfort eat which has a detrimental effect on her weight which in turn affects her self-confidence and security. It is this lack of confidence in herself that makes the story work and, from personal experience, I can confirm that she has Natalie's character spot on.
The book also gives a realistic view on how the family who have lost a young child are affected and how each person deals with it differently. It also examines the part guilt plays in how people deal with the cards life deals them.
June 28, 2014
Utterly brilliant. I raced through, desperate to find out what happens at the end, but this book deserves a slow, thoughtful second read. Complex plot, fascinating and real characters and a damaged MC who is both hero and villain.
Wonderful writing.
Wonderful writing.
May 9, 2017
Guilty Innocence is quite a hard book to review. Why you may ask? Well that would be the subject matter. This really is not going to be for every one. As soon as I started it, it reminded me instantly of the Jamie Bulger case. It is one that will certainly intrigue the reader without a doubt but the actual murder of little Abby was hard going I have to admit. I will say a big BUT though, as it is without a doubt my favourite book by this author and is one that readers should give a chance as, apart from the murder, it is an emotionally charged read that will have the reader struggling to put down.
There is something that has always fascinated me about killers, sometimes it makes me feel a bit of a freak but I think it is normal that people want to know why someone would take another persons life and what makes them do it. Mark though isn’t a brutal killer and he wants to clear his name. Mark I took to straight away. You can tell instantly he is a genuinely nice guy who has been dealt a really bad hand from life. A day doesn’t go by that he doesn’t think of Abby and the devastation that it has left behind. He desperately wants a normal life but can’t see how he will ever have it. My heart really went out to him as I wondered if he would ever find that peace that he was desperately in search for.
Natalie I have to admit got on my nerves. Don’t get me wrong, finding out your boyfriend is a child killer certainly can not be easy. Yes she has her issues also which I could relate to but because of them she is highly insecure and it sometimes made me wonder what Mark even saw in her.
I really had no idea where the author would go with this story line. I couldn’t possibly for see any happy endings in this type of book and wondered what the whole outcome would be. I have to say she took me totally by surprise and in a very good way. I won’t go into the ending as the less you know about it the better but I will say for me, it was just brilliant, totally loved it.
Guilty Innocence is a heart wrenching roller coaster of a read. From the opening chapter, the author commandeered my attention and with a hard hitting story line I was well and truly captivated throughout. Bravo!
There is something that has always fascinated me about killers, sometimes it makes me feel a bit of a freak but I think it is normal that people want to know why someone would take another persons life and what makes them do it. Mark though isn’t a brutal killer and he wants to clear his name. Mark I took to straight away. You can tell instantly he is a genuinely nice guy who has been dealt a really bad hand from life. A day doesn’t go by that he doesn’t think of Abby and the devastation that it has left behind. He desperately wants a normal life but can’t see how he will ever have it. My heart really went out to him as I wondered if he would ever find that peace that he was desperately in search for.
Natalie I have to admit got on my nerves. Don’t get me wrong, finding out your boyfriend is a child killer certainly can not be easy. Yes she has her issues also which I could relate to but because of them she is highly insecure and it sometimes made me wonder what Mark even saw in her.
I really had no idea where the author would go with this story line. I couldn’t possibly for see any happy endings in this type of book and wondered what the whole outcome would be. I have to say she took me totally by surprise and in a very good way. I won’t go into the ending as the less you know about it the better but I will say for me, it was just brilliant, totally loved it.
Guilty Innocence is a heart wrenching roller coaster of a read. From the opening chapter, the author commandeered my attention and with a hard hitting story line I was well and truly captivated throughout. Bravo!
February 28, 2016
In a story which will have real-life echoes for many, two eleven year-old boys kidnap and kill a toddler. Mark Slater is one of those boys and with his new identity he has carved out a place in society for himself. He has a decent job and a girlfriend, even though he is not supposed to have a relationship because of his child-killing conviction. Mark knows he's innocent. We find out about him, the other boy, the dead child's family and his girlfriend, Natalie. Mark acknowledges his own weakness. I was longing for him to come good.
This is a great story, detailing the effects of bullying, parental indifference, fear turning to hatred, and the gradual eating away of these things on a person's confidence and self-belief. Maggie James writes clearly and eloquently. She has a deceptively easy style in which she can convey so much. If you enjoy psychological thrillers, this is definitely the book for you
This is a great story, detailing the effects of bullying, parental indifference, fear turning to hatred, and the gradual eating away of these things on a person's confidence and self-belief. Maggie James writes clearly and eloquently. She has a deceptively easy style in which she can convey so much. If you enjoy psychological thrillers, this is definitely the book for you
May 15, 2017
I actually first read this book back in 2014 and found it quite a harrowing read. So how would I feel reading it again knowing what was going to happen? And the answer is that it was STILL a very difficult book to read due to the subject matter that the plot revolves around. Time hasn’t softened the direct and hard hitting narrative and I certainly haven’t become desensitised to the issues raised here even though I have read many books of a similar nature since.
When Natalie finds the letter in her boyfriend’s belongings it doesn’t take long for her to put two and two together and definitely get four! And as before half of me wondered whether or not he was hoping for her to discover the truth before they got too serious and he invested in a relationship that could come crashing down at any time. Unfortunately, Natalie is also about to have her own nightmares brought to the surface when she confronts Mark about his past.
But for me, I was on edge right from the start knowing that the murder of a small child was coming up. And although not graphically described, it is a violent and sustained attack on an innocent 2 year old girl. Of course people will raise comparisons with a very high profile murder case back in the Nineties and there is definitely a familiar feel to the circumstances. But Maggie James has given her crime a familiar starting point from which she has then layered her own story and possibilities surrounding such an abhorrent murder by two 11 year old boys.
The plot here is hard hitting with a few twists you won’t see coming. I did get frustrated with some of the characters especially Mark and Natalie as they could have made things so much easier for themselves but that’s life I suppose, hindsight is a wonderful thing! And I found myself questioning again what makes people evil enough to act in such a way? Are psychopaths born or does the way we are raised in our formative years mould our future behaviours and relationships? And can it ever be reversed and a murderer ever feel true remorse for what they have done? All this was going through my head as I watch the early relationship between Mark and Adam and compared it to the grown men they had become.
I read a similar book recently and have to say that I much preferred this book mainly due to the authors approach to the horrendous things that happen here. She doesn’t shy away from using terrifyingly realistic situations but in such a way for us to work through our own fears. Her use of other issues such as rape, self harm and body shaming could cause triggers in some readers but are once again used as an integral part of the plot. Although this book had a very dark and disturbing premise and I did find it very upsetting at times, it was never gratuitous in its exploration of human nature at its worst. A tough read but worth it.
When Natalie finds the letter in her boyfriend’s belongings it doesn’t take long for her to put two and two together and definitely get four! And as before half of me wondered whether or not he was hoping for her to discover the truth before they got too serious and he invested in a relationship that could come crashing down at any time. Unfortunately, Natalie is also about to have her own nightmares brought to the surface when she confronts Mark about his past.
But for me, I was on edge right from the start knowing that the murder of a small child was coming up. And although not graphically described, it is a violent and sustained attack on an innocent 2 year old girl. Of course people will raise comparisons with a very high profile murder case back in the Nineties and there is definitely a familiar feel to the circumstances. But Maggie James has given her crime a familiar starting point from which she has then layered her own story and possibilities surrounding such an abhorrent murder by two 11 year old boys.
The plot here is hard hitting with a few twists you won’t see coming. I did get frustrated with some of the characters especially Mark and Natalie as they could have made things so much easier for themselves but that’s life I suppose, hindsight is a wonderful thing! And I found myself questioning again what makes people evil enough to act in such a way? Are psychopaths born or does the way we are raised in our formative years mould our future behaviours and relationships? And can it ever be reversed and a murderer ever feel true remorse for what they have done? All this was going through my head as I watch the early relationship between Mark and Adam and compared it to the grown men they had become.
I read a similar book recently and have to say that I much preferred this book mainly due to the authors approach to the horrendous things that happen here. She doesn’t shy away from using terrifyingly realistic situations but in such a way for us to work through our own fears. Her use of other issues such as rape, self harm and body shaming could cause triggers in some readers but are once again used as an integral part of the plot. Although this book had a very dark and disturbing premise and I did find it very upsetting at times, it was never gratuitous in its exploration of human nature at its worst. A tough read but worth it.
March 23, 2015
Guilty Innocence is about two people searching for answers and justice after earlier events in their lives. The story takes you on so many twists and turns that you quickly become engrossed in it. Two of the characters (Mark and Natalie) made me feel a range of emotions from frustration to sympathy. Some of their thoughts and actions made me wonder what on earth they were doing, but they redeemed themselves in the end. They are both products of what happened in their childhoods and the author explores the events, and consequences of those events, sensitively.
Parts of the story are quite graphic and not for the faint hearted, but I feel they are necessary to the understanding of the actions of the characters. They also link the past to the present in a very effective way. The author also gets into the minds of all her characters extremely well. It was almost as if they’d told the author what to say, rather than the other way around!
All in all, a superb book. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.
Parts of the story are quite graphic and not for the faint hearted, but I feel they are necessary to the understanding of the actions of the characters. They also link the past to the present in a very effective way. The author also gets into the minds of all her characters extremely well. It was almost as if they’d told the author what to say, rather than the other way around!
All in all, a superb book. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.
February 19, 2014
Guilty Innocence is Maggie James’s third novel and what an achievement. One of the best books I have read in some time.
The Blurb tells the potential reader the bones of the book, what it doesn’t state is the journey they are about to undertake.
A harrowing, gripping story of two 11 year olds who admit the abduction and senseless, brutal murder of a 2 year old child.
Fourteen years later they have false identities and Mark, alias Joshua, is attempting to get his life on track. However he is haunted by guilt, shame and blame. A child’s nursery rhyme resonates throughout the story.
A tale of dysfunctional families and damaged individuals.
It is a gripping story which explores the child’s perspective and involvement sensitively without veering from the horror of the act performed, the effects of which can endure a lifetime.
The telling of this story evokes tension and anxiety. All the characters ‘come to life’ and at no point did I feel it was contrived.
The author takes your mind to a place it doesn’t want to go, however you cannot stop yourself being submerged in the dark side of the psychopath.
At times I needed to take ‘time out’ so I would not become over involved in the story line.
An excellent psychological, thriller that will stay in the mind with shocks and surprises right up to the end.
The Blurb tells the potential reader the bones of the book, what it doesn’t state is the journey they are about to undertake.
A harrowing, gripping story of two 11 year olds who admit the abduction and senseless, brutal murder of a 2 year old child.
Fourteen years later they have false identities and Mark, alias Joshua, is attempting to get his life on track. However he is haunted by guilt, shame and blame. A child’s nursery rhyme resonates throughout the story.
A tale of dysfunctional families and damaged individuals.
It is a gripping story which explores the child’s perspective and involvement sensitively without veering from the horror of the act performed, the effects of which can endure a lifetime.
The telling of this story evokes tension and anxiety. All the characters ‘come to life’ and at no point did I feel it was contrived.
The author takes your mind to a place it doesn’t want to go, however you cannot stop yourself being submerged in the dark side of the psychopath.
At times I needed to take ‘time out’ so I would not become over involved in the story line.
An excellent psychological, thriller that will stay in the mind with shocks and surprises right up to the end.
February 20, 2017
I just didn't like this book at all. I gave it two stars just for the amount of work the author put in to writing all. those. words.
I don't think the book was poorly constructed. I don't think the plot was too outlandish. I just didn't like any single character in the entire book. I wanted to smack the main character nearly every chapter. Too riddled with guilt. Too full of self-importance. Too OCD. Too impulsive. Jeez man, get a grip. I wanted to smack his on-again-off-again girlfriend for eating her feelings. For being SUCH a drama queen. The sister of the murdered girl ... oh please. Drama. Queen. Her condition. I wasn't even surprised. The other half of the murderous pair ... of course he was different than the main character.
I guess what I disliked most about this book was that the surprises weren't all that surprising. I didn't like the stalkerish tone the main character took, all in the name of making things right. I absolutely did not like the way the author portrayed the self-abuse. It was overkill. It was ... cliched.
The ending just exasperated me. Of course everyone was who they ended up to be. Of course it would end like that. I can't give it away, because someone else probably will enjoy this read because it is so drama-filled.
The book and all the unnecessary drama exhausted me. All the dialogue made me weary of the characters. Their struggles seemed trite. I felt the ending was too pat. I just didn't like it :(
I don't think the book was poorly constructed. I don't think the plot was too outlandish. I just didn't like any single character in the entire book. I wanted to smack the main character nearly every chapter. Too riddled with guilt. Too full of self-importance. Too OCD. Too impulsive. Jeez man, get a grip. I wanted to smack his on-again-off-again girlfriend for eating her feelings. For being SUCH a drama queen. The sister of the murdered girl ... oh please. Drama. Queen. Her condition. I wasn't even surprised. The other half of the murderous pair ... of course he was different than the main character.
I guess what I disliked most about this book was that the surprises weren't all that surprising. I didn't like the stalkerish tone the main character took, all in the name of making things right. I absolutely did not like the way the author portrayed the self-abuse. It was overkill. It was ... cliched.
The ending just exasperated me. Of course everyone was who they ended up to be. Of course it would end like that. I can't give it away, because someone else probably will enjoy this read because it is so drama-filled.
The book and all the unnecessary drama exhausted me. All the dialogue made me weary of the characters. Their struggles seemed trite. I felt the ending was too pat. I just didn't like it :(
July 30, 2017
Somewhere between 2.5-3 stars. This was pretty good, but you must suspend disbelief quite a bit, and there was too much repetition about Natalie's size. All in all, a decent read, a short book, and free on Kindle Unlimited, so who can complain about that?
November 18, 2020
I listened to this on audiobook.
Well I have to say that I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. It was thoroughly gripping from start to finish, the story was very well written and plotted and I liked how it was told from three of the characters rather than just one.
Some of the scenes might be found distressing to some readers given that there it focuses around the brutal murder of a toddler, but to my mind I think the author handled it well when writing these scenes.
I liked how it all came together at the end, and how all of the events linked together which completely took me by surprise as was expecting that at all, as thought they were separate entities and not linked in any way. So well done to the author in that regard.
This was my third book I've read/listened to by this author, have enjoyed them all & so I'll most definitely be reading her other books too.
Well I have to say that I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. It was thoroughly gripping from start to finish, the story was very well written and plotted and I liked how it was told from three of the characters rather than just one.
Some of the scenes might be found distressing to some readers given that there it focuses around the brutal murder of a toddler, but to my mind I think the author handled it well when writing these scenes.
I liked how it all came together at the end, and how all of the events linked together which completely took me by surprise as was expecting that at all, as thought they were separate entities and not linked in any way. So well done to the author in that regard.
This was my third book I've read/listened to by this author, have enjoyed them all & so I'll most definitely be reading her other books too.
June 2, 2017
This is a beautifully written book that spares readers nothing.
Two young boys, hanging around looking for entertainment, walk away with a toddler. What happens next sickens and disgusts the nation. The boy's names are on everyone's lips as they are sent to a detention centre. They are deemed too young for prison.
Years later they emerge with new names and identities. Mark (Josh) has a good job and keeps his head down. He was found guilty along with Adam who actually murdered the little girl Abby.
Mark has a girlfriend, Natalie who he develops feelings for. She realises that information about Mrk's life is missing and goes about trying to find our more by going through his belongings in his flat. What she finds changes everything.
Natalie has issues of her own, mainly to do with her weight and lack of confidence. She has been self-harming for some years, which is something that Mark understands.
What a family have to live with after the murder of a young child is so well researched that you cannot but be touched.
The characters are so plausible and well described that you cannot fail to be drawn into the story.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are all my own and completely unbiased. My thanks to Bloodhound Books for this opportunity.
Two young boys, hanging around looking for entertainment, walk away with a toddler. What happens next sickens and disgusts the nation. The boy's names are on everyone's lips as they are sent to a detention centre. They are deemed too young for prison.
Years later they emerge with new names and identities. Mark (Josh) has a good job and keeps his head down. He was found guilty along with Adam who actually murdered the little girl Abby.
Mark has a girlfriend, Natalie who he develops feelings for. She realises that information about Mrk's life is missing and goes about trying to find our more by going through his belongings in his flat. What she finds changes everything.
Natalie has issues of her own, mainly to do with her weight and lack of confidence. She has been self-harming for some years, which is something that Mark understands.
What a family have to live with after the murder of a young child is so well researched that you cannot but be touched.
The characters are so plausible and well described that you cannot fail to be drawn into the story.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are all my own and completely unbiased. My thanks to Bloodhound Books for this opportunity.
September 2, 2014
Tough one to review for me. In the end I didn't really enjoy this book all that much and found His Kidnapper's Shoes better for me. The characters didn't really grab me and although the story idea was interesting the situations the characters got into seemed so extremely unlikely.
BUT - and it is a big "but" much fiction is based on perfectly real ordinary issues that are then magnified. Very few of us can honestly say that we have not screwed up at some stage of our lives and some suffer greatly because of that. Maybe that is why reading this book is very uncomfortable at times - the nagging thought of "I wonder how I would have dealt with that". I think Maggie James is a talented writer in many ways but for me this was not her best although in was interesting. Probably 2.5/5
BUT - and it is a big "but" much fiction is based on perfectly real ordinary issues that are then magnified. Very few of us can honestly say that we have not screwed up at some stage of our lives and some suffer greatly because of that. Maybe that is why reading this book is very uncomfortable at times - the nagging thought of "I wonder how I would have dealt with that". I think Maggie James is a talented writer in many ways but for me this was not her best although in was interesting. Probably 2.5/5
May 10, 2017
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I have read a few of Maggie’s books now and enjoyed them so I was really keen to get my hands on a copy of this book and well, I certainly wasn’t disappointed!! I love the new cover and the blurb really draws you in, I couldn’t wait to get started. The pace of the book was spot on, I loved the way the characters interacted and the way they were described to bring the story to life, some tough subjects are handled and for me it was really well written. I thought it was a genuine page turner and the kind of book that is right up my street – I loved it!!! For me this is the best one yet that I have read by this author – I flew through it and it really keeps you on your toes!! 5 stars!
I have read a few of Maggie’s books now and enjoyed them so I was really keen to get my hands on a copy of this book and well, I certainly wasn’t disappointed!! I love the new cover and the blurb really draws you in, I couldn’t wait to get started. The pace of the book was spot on, I loved the way the characters interacted and the way they were described to bring the story to life, some tough subjects are handled and for me it was really well written. I thought it was a genuine page turner and the kind of book that is right up my street – I loved it!!! For me this is the best one yet that I have read by this author – I flew through it and it really keeps you on your toes!! 5 stars!
May 14, 2017
This isn't an easy book to read and it isn't an easy book to review due to the subject matter.
After being released from prison Mark struggles to move on from his past. He knows to do that he needs to prove his innocence. He goes about it the wrong way which gets him in more trouble.
This is a really well written story. Due to the subject matter it's not a book for everyone.
It's rare I read a book where I don't like any of the characters but this is one of them. Each character seemed to annoy me in some way. Having said that I thought the storyline was well planned out. I'll certainly be reading more from this author in the future.
After being released from prison Mark struggles to move on from his past. He knows to do that he needs to prove his innocence. He goes about it the wrong way which gets him in more trouble.
This is a really well written story. Due to the subject matter it's not a book for everyone.
It's rare I read a book where I don't like any of the characters but this is one of them. Each character seemed to annoy me in some way. Having said that I thought the storyline was well planned out. I'll certainly be reading more from this author in the future.
January 15, 2014
Guilty Innocence is a strong psychological thriller and an unusual story written with excellent characterizations of damaged people trying to go forward with their lives but unable to escape the horrors of the past. The story line and Ms. James writing draw you into these desperate lives and keep you turning pages, looking for what happens next in tempo with the characters themselves. A very good read!
June 19, 2017
Guilty innocence by Maggie james.
When Natalie snoops through her boyfriend Mark’s possessions she finds more than she bargained for. Mark was once convicted of a brutal killing. Heartbroken by what she has discovered, Natalie’s dreams of a future with him collapse.
Fantastic read with brilliant characters. Couldn't put it down. 5*. Bloodhound books.
When Natalie snoops through her boyfriend Mark’s possessions she finds more than she bargained for. Mark was once convicted of a brutal killing. Heartbroken by what she has discovered, Natalie’s dreams of a future with him collapse.
Fantastic read with brilliant characters. Couldn't put it down. 5*. Bloodhound books.
March 27, 2018
This book could have been so much more... instead it was slow and boring. I didn't really feel that it had a true story line/plot. Just kinda rambled on about Joshua / Mark and what happened in his past / present. It was very predictable to the point I wouldn't consider it a thriller. Highly disappointed!
August 17, 2014
A compellingly, disturbing read. I was hooked! Guilty Innocence was well written, full of twists and turns, with believable likeable characters and psychological intrigue.
This was my second book my Maggie James and my favourite so far!
This was my second book my Maggie James and my favourite so far!
February 12, 2018
This book is probably one of Maggie James' best books. Some parts are hard to read as it is about a toddlers brutal murder and the murder is inflicted by two 11 year olds. It had be hooked from the start. XX
February 12, 2018
Didn't like this at all, I couldn't get behind any of the characters, it seemed to be trying too hard and felt somewhat forced.
Which is a complete shame given how much I rate other novels by Maggie James.
Which is a complete shame given how much I rate other novels by Maggie James.
January 30, 2015
This book was very poignant and very well written it also has a beginning , a middle and an end . So many books don't . I gave this book 5 stars as it was worth them
October 15, 2017
Briliant
Couldn't put it downn this was one of the most thought provoking books I have ever read fantastic ending brilliant from start to finish
Couldn't put it downn this was one of the most thought provoking books I have ever read fantastic ending brilliant from start to finish
May 29, 2018
Actual rating - 3.5
September 27, 2018
On my Top 10 for this year
This book had it all. Twists, turns, every emotion you can think of .. this book will evoke all. Enjoy
This book had it all. Twists, turns, every emotion you can think of .. this book will evoke all. Enjoy
December 2, 2013
The notion of family is central to Maggie James' novels, which explore the gap between the idealised concept of the nuclear family and the reality of many family lives today: so often dysfunctional, dislocated, dissembled. Her third novel 'Guilty Innocence' is about the disintegration of the nuclear family and how the young people damaged by such ruin try to recreate the family in their own lives.
These young people do not come from typical nuclear families, of the sort that eleven-year olds Joshua Barker and Adam Campbell destroyed one day 12 years ago when they took two-year old Abby Morgan to a disused farm building where she met a terrible end. We are introduced to Joshua Barker as he is now, free again and returned to society with a new identity as Mark Slater. We learn he is an only child whose father died in car crash when Joshua was still a young child, and that his mother deserted him on his murder conviction, when he was just twelve years old. As Mark Slater, he has started a tentative relationship with Natalie Richards, also an only child. Natalie's father was a womaniser who left the family, divorced by her mother who has become agoraphobic and a virulent man-hater. Overweight, insecure, and lacking in self-confidence, Natalie has taken to comfort-eating as a way of coping with life.
Mark feels drawn to the surviving members of the Morgan family when he sees them on television at their annual vigil marking Abby's murder, and starts to think that the answers to some of the questions gnawing at him may be found there. He is intrigued by the image of Rachel Morgan, the middle child of three, blamed by her mother for her sister's death and disowned by her father, an alcoholic who abandoned the family after Abby's murder. But what of her brother Shaun, the only person to stand by Rachel? Is he the only person without guilt in this tormented world?
Behind the lives of these young people lurks the presence of Adam Campbell, convicted as a child killer while himself still a child, and - like Mark - now released from prison with a new identity. Adam enjoyed controlling others and inflicting pain on them. The very memory of him still menaces Mark, but is Adam unchanged and irredeemable? Does he still have an urge for cruelty?
Each character keeps his or her guilty secrets, each has been psychologically damaged by others, often those to whom they should be closest. There is a lack of parental love running through this story, as the young people struggle to cope with maternal desertion and the loss of father figures. Mark and Rachel have both been rejected by their mothers for very different reasons, while Natalie's mother has retreated into her own world as a refuge from men. In fact, throughout the story the mothers - Joanna Barker, Callie Richards, Michelle Morgan - remain peripheral, exerting their influences remotely over their children.
The story examines the fall-out from the horrific child murder primarily through the fragile relationship between Mark and Natalie. These two protagonists subconsciously feel their shared sensibilities, some undefined sense of a common understanding drawn from past events seemingly unknown to each other. Together they dream of the future as an idealised normality, an escape from their dysfunctional pasts. What Mark craves is "a loving relationship, his job at the building supplies firm, a home together. Children one day, perhaps. ... Stable, solid and good".
I felt that in this book the characters are more sympathetic, more deserving of our care, than those in the author's earlier books. The author suspends judgement of her characters and allows them to exist on their own terms, inviting the reader to keep an open mind and follow them to see where their individual journeys will take them. These young people are marginalised, cut off from the main flow of life, and inhabit a fringe world on the edges of society. They are caught somewhere between an oppressive guilt and the slim hope of redemption.
Judgement and understanding are key themes to this book, which asks us who are we to judge what we don't understand? The gaining of understanding is what drives Mark as he tries to make sense of the most senseless of crimes - a child murder. He must understand what effect his actions that fateful day have had on the victim's family, so that he can fully comprehend what he has done and somehow atone for it. In turn, Natalie must understand how Mark could have done what he did, or at least have allowed it to happen. Maybe if Natalie can understand Mark and his actions, or inaction, he can be redeemed.
But this clawing need for redemption takes Mark into dangerous waters, with catastrophic consequences for those drawn into his schemes for making sense of what happened all those years ago. Events start to spiral out of control, as the best laid plans unravel. Sometimes as the reader you feel like screaming "don't do that" at the characters, but the author skilfully navigates us through the more 'hard to accept' developments in the story. We stay with it to the end as the tension ratchets up and builds to a tremendous conclusion, when the plot opens up like a set of Russian dolls.
It is a novel that keeps you wanting to read on, to discover how it will all turn out for these insecure, screwed-up people, these people who are "down the weaker end of the resilience scale". Yet resilient is just what they prove to be, as each tries to muster hidden depths of strength and will to move forward in their life. You will find you really do care for them on their individual journeys.
It is a thoughtful, well-plotted and compelling read that keeps delivering surprises, as small details early in the story are revealed to be significant in the end. This is arguably Maggie James' best work to date.
These young people do not come from typical nuclear families, of the sort that eleven-year olds Joshua Barker and Adam Campbell destroyed one day 12 years ago when they took two-year old Abby Morgan to a disused farm building where she met a terrible end. We are introduced to Joshua Barker as he is now, free again and returned to society with a new identity as Mark Slater. We learn he is an only child whose father died in car crash when Joshua was still a young child, and that his mother deserted him on his murder conviction, when he was just twelve years old. As Mark Slater, he has started a tentative relationship with Natalie Richards, also an only child. Natalie's father was a womaniser who left the family, divorced by her mother who has become agoraphobic and a virulent man-hater. Overweight, insecure, and lacking in self-confidence, Natalie has taken to comfort-eating as a way of coping with life.
Mark feels drawn to the surviving members of the Morgan family when he sees them on television at their annual vigil marking Abby's murder, and starts to think that the answers to some of the questions gnawing at him may be found there. He is intrigued by the image of Rachel Morgan, the middle child of three, blamed by her mother for her sister's death and disowned by her father, an alcoholic who abandoned the family after Abby's murder. But what of her brother Shaun, the only person to stand by Rachel? Is he the only person without guilt in this tormented world?
Behind the lives of these young people lurks the presence of Adam Campbell, convicted as a child killer while himself still a child, and - like Mark - now released from prison with a new identity. Adam enjoyed controlling others and inflicting pain on them. The very memory of him still menaces Mark, but is Adam unchanged and irredeemable? Does he still have an urge for cruelty?
Each character keeps his or her guilty secrets, each has been psychologically damaged by others, often those to whom they should be closest. There is a lack of parental love running through this story, as the young people struggle to cope with maternal desertion and the loss of father figures. Mark and Rachel have both been rejected by their mothers for very different reasons, while Natalie's mother has retreated into her own world as a refuge from men. In fact, throughout the story the mothers - Joanna Barker, Callie Richards, Michelle Morgan - remain peripheral, exerting their influences remotely over their children.
The story examines the fall-out from the horrific child murder primarily through the fragile relationship between Mark and Natalie. These two protagonists subconsciously feel their shared sensibilities, some undefined sense of a common understanding drawn from past events seemingly unknown to each other. Together they dream of the future as an idealised normality, an escape from their dysfunctional pasts. What Mark craves is "a loving relationship, his job at the building supplies firm, a home together. Children one day, perhaps. ... Stable, solid and good".
I felt that in this book the characters are more sympathetic, more deserving of our care, than those in the author's earlier books. The author suspends judgement of her characters and allows them to exist on their own terms, inviting the reader to keep an open mind and follow them to see where their individual journeys will take them. These young people are marginalised, cut off from the main flow of life, and inhabit a fringe world on the edges of society. They are caught somewhere between an oppressive guilt and the slim hope of redemption.
Judgement and understanding are key themes to this book, which asks us who are we to judge what we don't understand? The gaining of understanding is what drives Mark as he tries to make sense of the most senseless of crimes - a child murder. He must understand what effect his actions that fateful day have had on the victim's family, so that he can fully comprehend what he has done and somehow atone for it. In turn, Natalie must understand how Mark could have done what he did, or at least have allowed it to happen. Maybe if Natalie can understand Mark and his actions, or inaction, he can be redeemed.
But this clawing need for redemption takes Mark into dangerous waters, with catastrophic consequences for those drawn into his schemes for making sense of what happened all those years ago. Events start to spiral out of control, as the best laid plans unravel. Sometimes as the reader you feel like screaming "don't do that" at the characters, but the author skilfully navigates us through the more 'hard to accept' developments in the story. We stay with it to the end as the tension ratchets up and builds to a tremendous conclusion, when the plot opens up like a set of Russian dolls.
It is a novel that keeps you wanting to read on, to discover how it will all turn out for these insecure, screwed-up people, these people who are "down the weaker end of the resilience scale". Yet resilient is just what they prove to be, as each tries to muster hidden depths of strength and will to move forward in their life. You will find you really do care for them on their individual journeys.
It is a thoughtful, well-plotted and compelling read that keeps delivering surprises, as small details early in the story are revealed to be significant in the end. This is arguably Maggie James' best work to date.
February 2, 2021
Despite the somewhat challenging subject matter, I found this a gripping book and couldn't put it down. Maggie James is fast becoming one of my favourite authors - highly recommended!
February 21, 2023
Really good read. I wasn't sure how this one was going to end . I liked how the story just moved along at a nice lace. The characters were all interesting.
December 12, 2019
Read Full & Detailed review> https://cynthology.blogspot.com/2019/...
Natalie Richards suspects that her on-off boyfriend Mark Slater is having an affair with another woman. Snooping through his apartment, she finds the worst evidence. That he is Joshua Barker, who, along with his friend, Adam Campbell, lured 2-year-old Abby Morgan to her death when they were only 11.
Rejected by Natalie, Mark is consumed by the desire to atone for that crime, even though he was not the one to lure Abby or batter her mercilessly and then stab her over and over again. Mark’s crime was weakness, inability to stand up to Adam. Unhappy, but unable to rebel.
Weakness, like his father, who enabled his wife’s domineering nature all his life. Weakness at allowing himself to become the sidekick of Adam, who is a monster even at age 11.
Tony Jackson, his parole officer, needs to be told in case of any serious relationships. But Mark can’t bring himself to tell, especially now that the relationship is over, nor the fact that his identity has been breached.
As he nears the anniversary of Abby’s killing, he becomes obsessed with the idea of atonement. Landing up at the sight of Abby’s vigil, he is recognised there by Adam Campbell. In a moment of senseless action, he shares his phone number with Adam. In another moment of similar negligence, he makes contact with Rachel Morgan, the dead child’s older sister.
As Rachel develops feelings for Mark, things get severely tangled for Mark. Will he manage to extricate himself, or does he face prison time again? In a case of this sort, where the line between guilt and innocence is so thin, is there any hope for redemption for Mark?
As readers, we watch aghast, helpless to intervene and save Mark from himself. Unable even to take our eyes off his situation, knowing that no good can come of his actions and that he has doomed himself. It’s as if he has become 11 again, and is under the spell of Adam, unable to make a rational choice.
The story is written in the third person present tense PoV of Natalie, Mark and Rachel.
The chapter headings give us a foretaste of what is in store for that character. The writing is beautiful. There are full sentences interspersed with fragments, making it all seem more real and intense, and going well with the present tense in which the book is written.
There are descriptions of sex, and one description of an act of sexual violence. The latter act has been written so sensitively that it fills us with a sense of pain. Our hearts go out to the character who has suffered this act.
Both Natalie and Mark are broken by their pasts, deeply flawed individuals. We get the details of their pasts through well written flashbacks. We see how their pasts influence their lives today and the wrong choices they often end up making.
It’s hard for us to believe that one boy could have lured and killed a little child while another boy is helpless to stop him. But the flashback shows us how it happens. How events culminated in the killing of the child.
The book raises issues of parenting, abandonment and other psychological issues, handling them sensitively in prose that stays with you. We see the dangers that dysfunctional families and emotionally unavailable parents pose to vulnerable children.
Through the story of Mark and Natalie, we see how deeply the scars inflicted in childhood affect the course of our lives.
A beautiful read indeed.
Natalie Richards suspects that her on-off boyfriend Mark Slater is having an affair with another woman. Snooping through his apartment, she finds the worst evidence. That he is Joshua Barker, who, along with his friend, Adam Campbell, lured 2-year-old Abby Morgan to her death when they were only 11.
Rejected by Natalie, Mark is consumed by the desire to atone for that crime, even though he was not the one to lure Abby or batter her mercilessly and then stab her over and over again. Mark’s crime was weakness, inability to stand up to Adam. Unhappy, but unable to rebel.
Weakness, like his father, who enabled his wife’s domineering nature all his life. Weakness at allowing himself to become the sidekick of Adam, who is a monster even at age 11.
Tony Jackson, his parole officer, needs to be told in case of any serious relationships. But Mark can’t bring himself to tell, especially now that the relationship is over, nor the fact that his identity has been breached.
As he nears the anniversary of Abby’s killing, he becomes obsessed with the idea of atonement. Landing up at the sight of Abby’s vigil, he is recognised there by Adam Campbell. In a moment of senseless action, he shares his phone number with Adam. In another moment of similar negligence, he makes contact with Rachel Morgan, the dead child’s older sister.
As Rachel develops feelings for Mark, things get severely tangled for Mark. Will he manage to extricate himself, or does he face prison time again? In a case of this sort, where the line between guilt and innocence is so thin, is there any hope for redemption for Mark?
As readers, we watch aghast, helpless to intervene and save Mark from himself. Unable even to take our eyes off his situation, knowing that no good can come of his actions and that he has doomed himself. It’s as if he has become 11 again, and is under the spell of Adam, unable to make a rational choice.
The story is written in the third person present tense PoV of Natalie, Mark and Rachel.
The chapter headings give us a foretaste of what is in store for that character. The writing is beautiful. There are full sentences interspersed with fragments, making it all seem more real and intense, and going well with the present tense in which the book is written.
There are descriptions of sex, and one description of an act of sexual violence. The latter act has been written so sensitively that it fills us with a sense of pain. Our hearts go out to the character who has suffered this act.
Both Natalie and Mark are broken by their pasts, deeply flawed individuals. We get the details of their pasts through well written flashbacks. We see how their pasts influence their lives today and the wrong choices they often end up making.
It’s hard for us to believe that one boy could have lured and killed a little child while another boy is helpless to stop him. But the flashback shows us how it happens. How events culminated in the killing of the child.
The book raises issues of parenting, abandonment and other psychological issues, handling them sensitively in prose that stays with you. We see the dangers that dysfunctional families and emotionally unavailable parents pose to vulnerable children.
Through the story of Mark and Natalie, we see how deeply the scars inflicted in childhood affect the course of our lives.
A beautiful read indeed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews