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The Madness Locker
Two Young Lives. One Devastating Decision. Can past horrors ever really be left behind, or do they demand reckoning?
In the shadowed hours of Christmas Day 1986 in Sydney, a 70-year-old widow's body is discovered inside a wheelie bin—mysteriously left without motive or suspect, her death relegated to a cold case. Decades earlier, amid the terror of Nazi Germany, two young girls are divided by one is deported to Auschwitz, enduring unimaginable horrors, while the other escapes.
Their intertwined destinies stretch from the atrocities of the past to a seemingly unrelated crime in Australia, suggesting that the roots of present mysteries may lie buried in war-scarred memory. These two timelines, woven together with a haunting grace, oscillate between the grim reality of life under the Third Reich and the unsettling calm of suburban Sydney.
EVOLVED PUBLISHING PRESENTS a deeply moving, complex, and emotionally intense crime thriller from Down Under, evoking tears and empathy as characters navigate tragedy and revenge. One reviewer called it, "a tale of love and loyalty, of unravelling secrets and confronting the ghosts of the past."
"Dramatically examining the haunting experiences of survivors, accomplices, and casualties of the Third Reich, The Madness Locker is a powerful narrative exploration of the grim past and its ominous echoes today. This is an unpredictable drama of survival at all costs that is both touching and timely." ~ The Independent Review of Books
In the shadowed hours of Christmas Day 1986 in Sydney, a 70-year-old widow's body is discovered inside a wheelie bin—mysteriously left without motive or suspect, her death relegated to a cold case. Decades earlier, amid the terror of Nazi Germany, two young girls are divided by one is deported to Auschwitz, enduring unimaginable horrors, while the other escapes.
Their intertwined destinies stretch from the atrocities of the past to a seemingly unrelated crime in Australia, suggesting that the roots of present mysteries may lie buried in war-scarred memory. These two timelines, woven together with a haunting grace, oscillate between the grim reality of life under the Third Reich and the unsettling calm of suburban Sydney.
EVOLVED PUBLISHING PRESENTS a deeply moving, complex, and emotionally intense crime thriller from Down Under, evoking tears and empathy as characters navigate tragedy and revenge. One reviewer called it, "a tale of love and loyalty, of unravelling secrets and confronting the ghosts of the past."
"Dramatically examining the haunting experiences of survivors, accomplices, and casualties of the Third Reich, The Madness Locker is a powerful narrative exploration of the grim past and its ominous echoes today. This is an unpredictable drama of survival at all costs that is both touching and timely." ~ The Independent Review of Books
369 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 25, 2025
The Madness Locker by Edie Russell is a hauntingly beautiful narrative of two lives swapped only to face the repercussions of past endeavors in a future that was once promising.
Set against the backdrop of Nazi Germany, this tale is one of revenge, loss, and self-reliance. At a time of war it is to be expected. When one girl finds herself on a train to a concentration camp, her fate is sealed, while the other lives a devastating, haunted life in hiding, as the guilt of what took place is ever present in her mind.
This book is nothing but exceptional, from the carefully curated characters to the sinister plot twist. I highly recommend this narrative to those who would love a foreboding combination of thriller and historical war.
Set against the backdrop of Nazi Germany, this tale is one of revenge, loss, and self-reliance. At a time of war it is to be expected. When one girl finds herself on a train to a concentration camp, her fate is sealed, while the other lives a devastating, haunted life in hiding, as the guilt of what took place is ever present in her mind.
This book is nothing but exceptional, from the carefully curated characters to the sinister plot twist. I highly recommend this narrative to those who would love a foreboding combination of thriller and historical war.
November 24, 2025
The Madness Locker is a haunting, beautifully crafted novel that lingers long after the final page. Eddie Russell masterfully weaves two gripping timelines; Nazi Germany and 1980s Sydney, into a single, emotionally charged narrative about survival, trauma, and the far-reaching echoes of history. The contrast between the terror of Auschwitz and the eerie quiet of a suburban cold case creates a powerful sense of inevitability, reminding readers that the past is never as distant as it seems.
The story of the two young girls, one deported to the camps and one forced onto a different, heartbreaking path unfolds with incredible sensitivity and depth. Their experiences cast long shadows over the decades, and Russell ties their fates to the mysterious Christmas Day murder with stunning precision.
This book is both devastating and compelling, a profound exploration of memory, justice, and the human will to endure. A must-read.
The story of the two young girls, one deported to the camps and one forced onto a different, heartbreaking path unfolds with incredible sensitivity and depth. Their experiences cast long shadows over the decades, and Russell ties their fates to the mysterious Christmas Day murder with stunning precision.
This book is both devastating and compelling, a profound exploration of memory, justice, and the human will to endure. A must-read.
May 11, 2026
Don't waste your time on this book! The first sentence of the synopsis of this book is as follows: "In the shadowed hours of Christmas Day 1986 in Sydney, a 70-year-old widow's body is discovered inside a wheelie bin—mysteriously left without motive or suspect, her death relegated to a cold case." This murder didn't even take place until the last quarter of the book! As I was reading I kept wondering when this murder was going to happen. The book jumped around a lot with timelines, as did the characters, so I found it hard to follow along. And then the book ended WAY, WAY too abruptly with unanswered questions left hanging. I thought, is this really the end of the book?? It left me frustrated that I had wasted my time reading this book!
February 11, 2026
Have you ever had a book that has grabbed you and did not let go? I have thought about it every day since I have put it down.
This work spans across decades and shows the repercussions of war. Eddie Russell's ability to kept shifting perspectives and showing us what people had to do to survive is unmatched. This is a must read! You heart breaks for every character at one point or another.
This work had me thinking about how there is so much history that is still undiscovered. Will humans every truly know the cost of war? How many generations will it reach? How do these survivors go on? There are still so many people we do not know their story from this time in history.
This historical thriller is face paced and unmatched. One of the best books I have ever read!
This work spans across decades and shows the repercussions of war. Eddie Russell's ability to kept shifting perspectives and showing us what people had to do to survive is unmatched. This is a must read! You heart breaks for every character at one point or another.
This work had me thinking about how there is so much history that is still undiscovered. Will humans every truly know the cost of war? How many generations will it reach? How do these survivors go on? There are still so many people we do not know their story from this time in history.
This historical thriller is face paced and unmatched. One of the best books I have ever read!
July 31, 2026
Wildly confusing characters and timelines to follow, and simple facts about characters (even their ages) would change chapter to chapter.
Even upon finishing the book I’m not entirely sure which character was which.
Even upon finishing the book I’m not entirely sure which character was which.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews