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Twisted
Detective Ryan Boone thought the simple jewelry heist was an open and shut case. That is until he discovers an unknown drug, and this minor crime he was investigating may be tied to a string of seemingly unconnected murders.
Meanwhile, Mel Parker, unscrupulous leader of a less-than-legal high-end escort service, stumbles across the same pills. On top of protecting her “investment,” she has her own reasons for attempting to unravel the mystery behind the medication.
Ryan knows someone has the answers he seeks, and Mel can’t come forward. To complicate things further, five other women are implicated in the murders despite most having never met.
As the trail turns up as many mysteries as resolutions, Ryan and Mel must discover the twisted connection before someone else ends up dead.
For fans of The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, and When You Find Me by P. J. Vernon, Twisted will have you questioning the motive behind the murders and how exactly one can be found guilty when the evidence doesn't add up.
Meanwhile, Mel Parker, unscrupulous leader of a less-than-legal high-end escort service, stumbles across the same pills. On top of protecting her “investment,” she has her own reasons for attempting to unravel the mystery behind the medication.
Ryan knows someone has the answers he seeks, and Mel can’t come forward. To complicate things further, five other women are implicated in the murders despite most having never met.
As the trail turns up as many mysteries as resolutions, Ryan and Mel must discover the twisted connection before someone else ends up dead.
For fans of The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, and When You Find Me by P. J. Vernon, Twisted will have you questioning the motive behind the murders and how exactly one can be found guilty when the evidence doesn't add up.
406 pages, Paperback
First published September 19, 2023
22 people are currently reading
7492 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Giles
4 books156 followersMaggie Giles is an Award-Winning Canadian author who writes suspenseful women's fiction and thrillers. Her debut novel, The Things We Lost, was named a 2023 distinguished favorite in Women's Fiction by the Independent Press Awards. Maggie is a member of the International Thriller Writers and currently works in Marketing. Maggie dove into writing a novel head first despite having aphantasia, a condition where one lacks a visual imagination. She lives in Ontario with her mastiff-mix, Jolene, and spends most of her days enjoying the outdoors, from swimming to hiking to skiing in the winter. Twisted is her second novel and the sequel, Wicked, will be out April 22, 2025. The Art of Murder, a thriller stand alone, will be out June 10, 2025.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
July 15, 2023
Wow, okay. That was wild!
TWISTED is told in multiple POVs which I enjoy so much. A stellar cast of characters and highly intriguing storyline. Plus! I thought I had it all figured out and was wrong. THE BEST!!👏
We've got ourselves a jewelry store robbery, a mystery drug, illegal escort service, and lots of murder. That's my kind of thriller!🙌
But wait!
We've got ourselves a cliffhanger. Noooooooo!! The good news, there's another book to look forward to. Yaaaaaay! I can't wait to find out what's next for these characters.
My thanks to Rising Action Publishing Co. for this gifted copy!
TWISTED is told in multiple POVs which I enjoy so much. A stellar cast of characters and highly intriguing storyline. Plus! I thought I had it all figured out and was wrong. THE BEST!!👏
We've got ourselves a jewelry store robbery, a mystery drug, illegal escort service, and lots of murder. That's my kind of thriller!🙌
But wait!
We've got ourselves a cliffhanger. Noooooooo!! The good news, there's another book to look forward to. Yaaaaaay! I can't wait to find out what's next for these characters.
My thanks to Rising Action Publishing Co. for this gifted copy!
May 18, 2023
With an intricate, inventive plot, TWISTED by Maggie Giles is a fascinating suspense that had me theorizing every which way while enthralled with the clever clues. As a detective trying to solve a jewelry theft stumbles on a high-class escort service, nothing is as it seems. This wild, gritty thrill ride will knock you for a loop and blow your mind.
September 20, 2023
Twisted is not the right title for this book. It’s more like Knotted, lol. There are so many characters, so many things to follow, and all of it is not what it seems. Pay attention while reading, there is a lot going on. It all makes sense in the end, but you need to absorb all the information first.
The core of this book is about trauma/abuse and the effect it has on victims. The women in this book have all experienced a different form of abuse, it’s heartbreaking but real. Their stories take on an outlandish sort of aftermath from their therapy, which really pushes the story forward. Without giving too much away, there is a treatment for these women that helps them forget their trauma, but also who they are.
This book will definitely have you asking questions all the way through. I promise you it all makes sense in the end! Lol
July 10, 2023
I tried to wait to review this book in attempt to find some positives but I just cannot.
I couldn’t connect to any of the characters. The storyline did not meld in the ways the description lead you to believe. The “twists” were obvious, and not well executed.
I was so excited about reading a book that melded a mysterious street drug and 2 storylines but the book was not as advertised.
Hopefully I’m in the minority on this but 2
Stars is generous… it took me a month to get through the first 4 chapters- and a day to read the rest. Each time I took a break I had to talk myself back into picking the book up.
I couldn’t connect to any of the characters. The storyline did not meld in the ways the description lead you to believe. The “twists” were obvious, and not well executed.
I was so excited about reading a book that melded a mysterious street drug and 2 storylines but the book was not as advertised.
Hopefully I’m in the minority on this but 2
Stars is generous… it took me a month to get through the first 4 chapters- and a day to read the rest. Each time I took a break I had to talk myself back into picking the book up.
September 22, 2023
WOW! I absolutely loved this one! Girls are disappearing for periods at a time, having no memory of where they’ve been or what they’ve done.
Mel and Jackie have a knack for rescuing girls from the streets. One night while they were out they came across a woman in an alley way - clearly having been beat. So they decide to bring her home. But who is this person really? She has a purse she says isn’t hers and a pill bottle with another girl’s name on it.
As the narrative continues the mystery only deepens. Pulling us further and further into the story. Mel and Jackie run an escort service type thing and the girls must work if they want to stay with them.
But this story also has some revenge feminist vibes which I also just loved. And the twists! Love love love 🎶
If you read psychological thrillers then this book is for YOU!
Mel and Jackie have a knack for rescuing girls from the streets. One night while they were out they came across a woman in an alley way - clearly having been beat. So they decide to bring her home. But who is this person really? She has a purse she says isn’t hers and a pill bottle with another girl’s name on it.
As the narrative continues the mystery only deepens. Pulling us further and further into the story. Mel and Jackie run an escort service type thing and the girls must work if they want to stay with them.
But this story also has some revenge feminist vibes which I also just loved. And the twists! Love love love 🎶
If you read psychological thrillers then this book is for YOU!
August 22, 2024
this is too full of characters i was confused for most of it but it wrapped up nicely
so excited for the sequel
so excited for the sequel
October 26, 2023
Twisted transports us to Detective Boone's investigation into a seemingly straightforward jewel shop robbery. The clues point to a female culprit, captured by security cameras. The discovery of an unknown drug at the crime scene raises eyebrows. But, Boone underestimates the significance of this discovery. As the investigation progresses, the case takes a complex turn when Boone's team uncovers elements that link the robbery to a series of recent murders.
Two other narratives parallel Boone's pursuit. One follows Mel, who manages a high-end escort service. Her world is disrupted when she discovers a woman passed out in an alley, holding a mystery pill. The other narrative introduces Brielle, an heiress who relies on a new pill to suppress her anxiety. She experiences unsettling blackouts, waking up in unfamiliar places with no recollection of how she got there. Curiously, other women, including Mel, have also encountered similar symptoms.
The central enigma revolves around the mysterious pill – its purpose, effects, and how the women connected to it are related to the ongoing murders. Detective Boone must piece together the seemingly unrelated elements of this puzzle to unearth the truth.
***
Maggie Giles employs an engaging narrative technique, alternating between the points of view of three central characters. The approach adds depth and complexity to the storytelling.
In my opinion, the novel delves into the theme of abuse. Especially how it can have a lasting impact on victims. The narrative shines a light on the lives of the women in the story, each of whom has experienced a distinct form of abuse.
Through the characters' experiences, it becomes evident that Giles invites us to grapple with a challenging question. What are we willing to sacrifice to escape the memories and pain of past trauma?
The book presents a provocative exploration of the concept that the cure for pain might sometimes become as debilitating as the affliction itself. As the characters confront their pasts, I couldn't help but reflect on the complex and nuanced nature of healing.
***
In summary, the novel offers a thrilling and suspenseful experience, characterized by its cleverly woven, twisty plot that kept me on the edge till the end. It holds great appeal for fans of the mystery genre, particularly those who relish a complex setting. The narrative may seem perplexing at times, almost to the point of appearing absurd, as you grapple with how it will all come together. But the story gradually comes into focus, and Giles skillfully ties the intricate threads together in the end.
Two minor issues warrant mention. While the author invests considerable effort in building the character of the detective, I found it difficult to form a strong connection with him. Additionally, the book
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Two other narratives parallel Boone's pursuit. One follows Mel, who manages a high-end escort service. Her world is disrupted when she discovers a woman passed out in an alley, holding a mystery pill. The other narrative introduces Brielle, an heiress who relies on a new pill to suppress her anxiety. She experiences unsettling blackouts, waking up in unfamiliar places with no recollection of how she got there. Curiously, other women, including Mel, have also encountered similar symptoms.
The central enigma revolves around the mysterious pill – its purpose, effects, and how the women connected to it are related to the ongoing murders. Detective Boone must piece together the seemingly unrelated elements of this puzzle to unearth the truth.
***
Maggie Giles employs an engaging narrative technique, alternating between the points of view of three central characters. The approach adds depth and complexity to the storytelling.
In my opinion, the novel delves into the theme of abuse. Especially how it can have a lasting impact on victims. The narrative shines a light on the lives of the women in the story, each of whom has experienced a distinct form of abuse.
Through the characters' experiences, it becomes evident that Giles invites us to grapple with a challenging question. What are we willing to sacrifice to escape the memories and pain of past trauma?
The book presents a provocative exploration of the concept that the cure for pain might sometimes become as debilitating as the affliction itself. As the characters confront their pasts, I couldn't help but reflect on the complex and nuanced nature of healing.
***
In summary, the novel offers a thrilling and suspenseful experience, characterized by its cleverly woven, twisty plot that kept me on the edge till the end. It holds great appeal for fans of the mystery genre, particularly those who relish a complex setting. The narrative may seem perplexing at times, almost to the point of appearing absurd, as you grapple with how it will all come together. But the story gradually comes into focus, and Giles skillfully ties the intricate threads together in the end.
Two minor issues warrant mention. While the author invests considerable effort in building the character of the detective, I found it difficult to form a strong connection with him. Additionally, the book
Ava's Lit Life at Substack
Twitter/X
March 8, 2023
Twisted is the perfect title for this novel. It kept me hooked until the last page. The plot twists and turns never stop! If you like Colleen Hoover’s Verity, you’ll love Twisted by Maggie Giles.
November 27, 2023
- Favorite quote:
None.
- Review:
All I can hear is Tyra’s voice in my head: “It is so bad, I want to give you a zero, but that's not possible, so I give you a one."
This is hands down the worst book I’ve ever read. I wouldn’t have finished it, but it’s for book club so I did. We can start with the fact that there’s a spelling error on the back cover - already a bad sign. Every single thing about this book was painfully obvious. The plot and characters were about as complex and interesting as a bowl of plain, cold grits. The writing was so bad it was almost offensive that writing this poor can be published.
Everything about this book was terrible, and I’ll never get the time back I spent on it. What a shame.
None.
- Review:
All I can hear is Tyra’s voice in my head: “It is so bad, I want to give you a zero, but that's not possible, so I give you a one."
This is hands down the worst book I’ve ever read. I wouldn’t have finished it, but it’s for book club so I did. We can start with the fact that there’s a spelling error on the back cover - already a bad sign. Every single thing about this book was painfully obvious. The plot and characters were about as complex and interesting as a bowl of plain, cold grits. The writing was so bad it was almost offensive that writing this poor can be published.
Everything about this book was terrible, and I’ll never get the time back I spent on it. What a shame.
March 3, 2025
3.5 Stars rounded up
Release Date: 19th September 2023
Detective Ryan Boone thought the simple jewelry heist was an open and shut case. That is until he discovers an unknown drug, and this minor crime he was investigating may be tied to a string of seemingly unconnected murders.
TWISTED is told in multiple POVs, which at first I found confusing, but once I got to grips with the characters this became easier to follow.
There is so much going on in this book, it is action packed and full of twists and questions, which keeps the intrigue going.
The book focusing on abuse and trauma, but not in a way I've ever read before.
looking forward to reading the next in the series Wicked
Reviews also published on:
Instagram || Threads || BSky || Fable || Uncover || Coffee and Kindle Blog || The StoryGraph || Amazon || Bookmarks
Happy to make friends on all socials
Release Date: 19th September 2023
Detective Ryan Boone thought the simple jewelry heist was an open and shut case. That is until he discovers an unknown drug, and this minor crime he was investigating may be tied to a string of seemingly unconnected murders.
TWISTED is told in multiple POVs, which at first I found confusing, but once I got to grips with the characters this became easier to follow.
There is so much going on in this book, it is action packed and full of twists and questions, which keeps the intrigue going.
The book focusing on abuse and trauma, but not in a way I've ever read before.
looking forward to reading the next in the series Wicked
Reviews also published on:
Instagram || Threads || BSky || Fable || Uncover || Coffee and Kindle Blog || The StoryGraph || Amazon || Bookmarks
Happy to make friends on all socials
March 11, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
This book was good, it was twisty and hard to see what would happen next. It was a story about women, but they were consistently referred to as girls through the entire book, which I HATED. Sure, this is probably just an accurate portrayal of how most English-speakers refer to the younger women in their lives and maybe this is a minor thing to find so irritating in a pretty decent story, but I personally couldn’t get over it. There was also a major cliffhanger at the end, and I didn’t feel completely satisfied with what was revealed to us as a reader over the course of the story.
This book was good, it was twisty and hard to see what would happen next. It was a story about women, but they were consistently referred to as girls through the entire book, which I HATED. Sure, this is probably just an accurate portrayal of how most English-speakers refer to the younger women in their lives and maybe this is a minor thing to find so irritating in a pretty decent story, but I personally couldn’t get over it. There was also a major cliffhanger at the end, and I didn’t feel completely satisfied with what was revealed to us as a reader over the course of the story.
April 6, 2023
Sometimes you start a book and it feels like you just got backhanded. Your cheek burns. Your eyes open wider. You sit a little straighter. And you pay attention to the deranged specimen in front of you while they unveil every twisted and crazy detail of what is happening.
I was hooked so fast with this one.
A burglary.
A sketchy drug.
A missing person.
An escort service.
A desperate woman.
A detective trying to piece it all together.
Serve it up with Maggie Giles's own brand of crazy and enjoy.
I was hooked so fast with this one.
A burglary.
A sketchy drug.
A missing person.
An escort service.
A desperate woman.
A detective trying to piece it all together.
Serve it up with Maggie Giles's own brand of crazy and enjoy.
Read
September 16, 2023Review to come
October 4, 2023
I don’t know. I don’t know. This was hard to read and close to home. At the same time, it was an important mix of points of view. In the end, it wasn’t as twisted as it was made out to be. It was an engorssing story, though. It seems it may continue. I don’t know if I want to return to this world.
June 7, 2023
Twisted - Maggie Giles
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
TW: Drug use/abuse, mental illness, murder, physical abuse, kidnapping
Pub Date: September 19th, 2023
A jewelry store robbery leads Detective Ryan Boone to an unknown drug, which leads to a string of murders.
Mel Parker runs an illegal escort service, and discovers the same mysterious pill. While fighting to keep her business, the mystery of the drug begins to hit close to home.
Told through multiple points of view, Twisted had me gripped from the very beginning! Just when I thought I knew what was going on, another twist was thrown at me, and I had to guess again. It was the perfect amount of organized chaos.
I read this in one sitting, and I can't wait to see what Maggie Giles serves up next.
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 Rising Action Publishing Co. 𝘢𝘯d 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦-𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
TW: Drug use/abuse, mental illness, murder, physical abuse, kidnapping
Pub Date: September 19th, 2023
A jewelry store robbery leads Detective Ryan Boone to an unknown drug, which leads to a string of murders.
Mel Parker runs an illegal escort service, and discovers the same mysterious pill. While fighting to keep her business, the mystery of the drug begins to hit close to home.
Told through multiple points of view, Twisted had me gripped from the very beginning! Just when I thought I knew what was going on, another twist was thrown at me, and I had to guess again. It was the perfect amount of organized chaos.
I read this in one sitting, and I can't wait to see what Maggie Giles serves up next.
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 Rising Action Publishing Co. 𝘢𝘯d 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦-𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.
September 23, 2023
Wow! This was a very intricate, detailed, twisty plot that kept me in suspense until the end. I literally had no idea where this was going or how it was going to connect and I loved it.
This was the first book I have read by this author and will be looking forward to what they right next.
Detective Ryan Boone gets called to a robbery which he thinks is going to be a quick and easy case. Unfortunately, Mel, Jackie and Candy are all wrapped into a situation out of their control. They trust Blaine to protect them and keep them safe. All these woman have gone through a terrible situation and now they each seem to be forgetting periods of time. Why and what do all these woman have in common?
This was the first book I have read by this author and will be looking forward to what they right next.
Detective Ryan Boone gets called to a robbery which he thinks is going to be a quick and easy case. Unfortunately, Mel, Jackie and Candy are all wrapped into a situation out of their control. They trust Blaine to protect them and keep them safe. All these woman have gone through a terrible situation and now they each seem to be forgetting periods of time. Why and what do all these woman have in common?
October 8, 2023
SPOILERS throughout
I really liked the premise, or what I thought was the premise, but the way it was presented felt too "authory" to me. It was too obvious that certain details were being held back for the sake of future twists, but at the same time, too much was given away in the early going so I knew most of the twists by the time they arrived.
The story concerns, basically, three women: Mel, Jackie, and Candy. Mel is a madam with a heart of gold, running an escort service that purports to empower the women it employs (the degree to which this is true is one of the most interesting aspects of the novel, imo, but it's never deeply dug into). Jackie is Mel's right-hand woman, and Candy is a new girl they find on the street and take in.
Soon it becomes clear that all three women have either past lives or alternate personalities. They have vague memories of other lives, and all three repeatedly see pill bottles containing the same mysterious drug, prescribed by a Dr. Miranda Conch.
The three women stumble through mysterious interactions, such as a stranger who recognizes Jackie as Brielle Jeffries, a famous socialite and party girl. Evidently this happens all the time to Jackie; but she just shrugs it off. When Jackie and Mel first find Candy, they also find a bottle of the mysterious drug prescribed to a Lexi, who Candy insists she is not. Meanwhile, Mel is consistently haunted by someone named Patsy, often waking up in Patsy's husband's house.
So, after about half the novel like this, we the readers know that Jackie/Brielle, Candy/Lexi, and Mel/Patsy are each the same person. We know that the drug seems to either have eliminated one personality and created another, or else it forces them to flip between them.
Infuriatingly, it's fully 75% into the book before ANYBODY decides to investigate Dr. Miranda Conch, and almost 90% of the way into the book before anybody investigates the mysterious drug. (There's also a detective POV character. His chief personality trait is that he tells bad jokes. The less said about him, the better.)
During the half a novel between when we readers figure out what's happening and any character does, whenever anybody remarks on the three women's sharp personality changes, or the fact that they routinely disappear for days at a time, or the fact that Patsy looks exactly like Mel, EVERYBODY, including the women themselves, discount and disbelieve any notion that they might be the same person.
When it's so obvious to we the readers that these women are alternate personalities of each other, it only makes them seem stupid when they don't catch on and they can SEE EACH OTHER. Jackie doesn't kinda look like Brielle, SHE IS BRIELLE, they look EXACTLY ALIKE to the point that strangers repeatedly comment on it. But she's never even CURIOUS about Brielle. She never wants to know if maybe she's Brielle's half-sister or anything.
To make matters worse, it turns out late in the novel that the drug does not cause multiple personality disorder, it only exacerbates it. So all three of these women ALREADY HAD MULTIPLE PERSONALITY DISORDER AND STILL REFUSE TO BELIEVE THEY MIGHT HAVE MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES. (We know for a fact that Brielle/Jackie's parents know she has multiple personalities but don't try to, I don't know, help her in any way? In fact they lie to her and maintain her delusion that her alter is one of her friends.)
This is just the tip of the unsuspendable disbelief iceberg. How did these three women's alters meet up? Why don't they (as the new alternate personalities) question why they don't remember anything from more than a few years ago? There's also a couple of messy subplots where the women's alters go back to their main personality's trauma sources and fix them. Mel kills Patsy's abusive husband, etc. The fact that all of these things are happening at the same time just exceeds my coincidence limit.
Furthermore, when Mel is FINALLY FINALLY told she is Patsy (she's told because she never figures it out herself, ugh), there's no surprise at all for us readers. The tension of that revelation has been sucked out by having clues dropped for almost the entire book--clues that no character deigns to touch.
One of the only powerful twists in the book happens when Mel's boyfriend is revealed to be the doctor who created the mysterious drug. But then he disappears and leaves a video confession for the cops that is full of lies. He claims he met Mel at a bar and fell in love with her--but he was the one who gave Miranda Conch the drug that created Mel in the first place? What's the point of having the villain lie in his final confession? And if he didn't lie, and he just happened to randomly meet the alter of a woman who took the drug he invented..... well, excuse me while I roll my eyes all the way back.
I think and hope that the style of these twists might hit other readers better than they hit me. I think there are some really interesting points in this book about trauma and your true self, etc, but to me they're just too deeply buried in mud to be worth digging up.
I had rated this a hopeful three stars, but I since found out that the confusing, half-finished ending is because there's a SEQUEL coming out next year, ie the second half of the story. That's never a good thing for me, but in this case, it's especially unnecessary
I really liked the premise, or what I thought was the premise, but the way it was presented felt too "authory" to me. It was too obvious that certain details were being held back for the sake of future twists, but at the same time, too much was given away in the early going so I knew most of the twists by the time they arrived.
The story concerns, basically, three women: Mel, Jackie, and Candy. Mel is a madam with a heart of gold, running an escort service that purports to empower the women it employs (the degree to which this is true is one of the most interesting aspects of the novel, imo, but it's never deeply dug into). Jackie is Mel's right-hand woman, and Candy is a new girl they find on the street and take in.
Soon it becomes clear that all three women have either past lives or alternate personalities. They have vague memories of other lives, and all three repeatedly see pill bottles containing the same mysterious drug, prescribed by a Dr. Miranda Conch.
The three women stumble through mysterious interactions, such as a stranger who recognizes Jackie as Brielle Jeffries, a famous socialite and party girl. Evidently this happens all the time to Jackie; but she just shrugs it off. When Jackie and Mel first find Candy, they also find a bottle of the mysterious drug prescribed to a Lexi, who Candy insists she is not. Meanwhile, Mel is consistently haunted by someone named Patsy, often waking up in Patsy's husband's house.
So, after about half the novel like this, we the readers know that Jackie/Brielle, Candy/Lexi, and Mel/Patsy are each the same person. We know that the drug seems to either have eliminated one personality and created another, or else it forces them to flip between them.
Infuriatingly, it's fully 75% into the book before ANYBODY decides to investigate Dr. Miranda Conch, and almost 90% of the way into the book before anybody investigates the mysterious drug. (There's also a detective POV character. His chief personality trait is that he tells bad jokes. The less said about him, the better.)
During the half a novel between when we readers figure out what's happening and any character does, whenever anybody remarks on the three women's sharp personality changes, or the fact that they routinely disappear for days at a time, or the fact that Patsy looks exactly like Mel, EVERYBODY, including the women themselves, discount and disbelieve any notion that they might be the same person.
When it's so obvious to we the readers that these women are alternate personalities of each other, it only makes them seem stupid when they don't catch on and they can SEE EACH OTHER. Jackie doesn't kinda look like Brielle, SHE IS BRIELLE, they look EXACTLY ALIKE to the point that strangers repeatedly comment on it. But she's never even CURIOUS about Brielle. She never wants to know if maybe she's Brielle's half-sister or anything.
To make matters worse, it turns out late in the novel that the drug does not cause multiple personality disorder, it only exacerbates it. So all three of these women ALREADY HAD MULTIPLE PERSONALITY DISORDER AND STILL REFUSE TO BELIEVE THEY MIGHT HAVE MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES. (We know for a fact that Brielle/Jackie's parents know she has multiple personalities but don't try to, I don't know, help her in any way? In fact they lie to her and maintain her delusion that her alter is one of her friends.)
This is just the tip of the unsuspendable disbelief iceberg. How did these three women's alters meet up? Why don't they (as the new alternate personalities) question why they don't remember anything from more than a few years ago? There's also a couple of messy subplots where the women's alters go back to their main personality's trauma sources and fix them. Mel kills Patsy's abusive husband, etc. The fact that all of these things are happening at the same time just exceeds my coincidence limit.
Furthermore, when Mel is FINALLY FINALLY told she is Patsy (she's told because she never figures it out herself, ugh), there's no surprise at all for us readers. The tension of that revelation has been sucked out by having clues dropped for almost the entire book--clues that no character deigns to touch.
One of the only powerful twists in the book happens when Mel's boyfriend is revealed to be the doctor who created the mysterious drug. But then he disappears and leaves a video confession for the cops that is full of lies. He claims he met Mel at a bar and fell in love with her--but he was the one who gave Miranda Conch the drug that created Mel in the first place? What's the point of having the villain lie in his final confession? And if he didn't lie, and he just happened to randomly meet the alter of a woman who took the drug he invented..... well, excuse me while I roll my eyes all the way back.
I think and hope that the style of these twists might hit other readers better than they hit me. I think there are some really interesting points in this book about trauma and your true self, etc, but to me they're just too deeply buried in mud to be worth digging up.
I had rated this a hopeful three stars, but I since found out that the confusing, half-finished ending is because there's a SEQUEL coming out next year, ie the second half of the story. That's never a good thing for me, but in this case, it's especially unnecessary
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2023
Twisted by Maggie Giles is a suspenseful read that is definitely, dare I say it, TWISTED! I stayed up way past my bedtime reading this one because I had to know how it all came together. This is available in September but you might want to head over to your Goodreads shelf and add it to your "want to read" list now and this is one you don't want to miss.
October 20, 2023
2.5 stars
This book is boring and beyond confusing. I found out long before the ending who the girls were and that Blaine was the doctor. I hate that this book didn’t say what will happen to the girls. There’s a 2nd book coming out but I will definitely not read it.
This book is boring and beyond confusing. I found out long before the ending who the girls were and that Blaine was the doctor. I hate that this book didn’t say what will happen to the girls. There’s a 2nd book coming out but I will definitely not read it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2025
“What is this place? It was a question she didn’t need answering. Even the changes weren’t enough to distract her. This was deja-vu.”
WOW. I picked this book up because I received the ARC of the sequel and everything said I shouldn’t read that without having read this. I didn’t really have any expectations for what I was getting into, and this was fantastic. I could not put this down, absolutely devoured, addicted to the story.
Brielle Jeffries is an heiress with a secret. After battling addiction issues, she’s back home and finally clean. But when she wakes up in a strange room with no memories of the night before, she’s worried that she’s back in touch with a bad influence friend, and headed down the wrong path again.
Mel Parker is the feisty leader of an escort service. Although she has reasons to believe that some of her women might be involved in a recent crime spree, she won’t ever report them. And it’s up to Detective Ryan Boone to connect the dots. The complication? He can’t seem to figure out how a group of seemingly unrelated cases could all connect back to one thread.
If I can tell you anything, it’s to go into this book without knowing any more that what I just gave you in this review. This is twisty, turny, and I needed to know how all of the different plot points could possibly be connected – and that did not disappoint.
It’s the perfect type of true crime in my opinion – it focuses more on the characters than the actual investigation, you get into their psyches, but you still have elements of the detective slowly unwinding what’s happening.
I don’t know if I’d necessarily market this as a thriller, because I can’t say it was necessarily heart pumping, but it’s a fantastic mystery that you won’t want to put down. I am so surprised by how much I loved this, and now I can’t wait to read the sequel!
WOW. I picked this book up because I received the ARC of the sequel and everything said I shouldn’t read that without having read this. I didn’t really have any expectations for what I was getting into, and this was fantastic. I could not put this down, absolutely devoured, addicted to the story.
Brielle Jeffries is an heiress with a secret. After battling addiction issues, she’s back home and finally clean. But when she wakes up in a strange room with no memories of the night before, she’s worried that she’s back in touch with a bad influence friend, and headed down the wrong path again.
Mel Parker is the feisty leader of an escort service. Although she has reasons to believe that some of her women might be involved in a recent crime spree, she won’t ever report them. And it’s up to Detective Ryan Boone to connect the dots. The complication? He can’t seem to figure out how a group of seemingly unrelated cases could all connect back to one thread.
If I can tell you anything, it’s to go into this book without knowing any more that what I just gave you in this review. This is twisty, turny, and I needed to know how all of the different plot points could possibly be connected – and that did not disappoint.
It’s the perfect type of true crime in my opinion – it focuses more on the characters than the actual investigation, you get into their psyches, but you still have elements of the detective slowly unwinding what’s happening.
I don’t know if I’d necessarily market this as a thriller, because I can’t say it was necessarily heart pumping, but it’s a fantastic mystery that you won’t want to put down. I am so surprised by how much I loved this, and now I can’t wait to read the sequel!
February 13, 2025
Unrelatable, unlikeable female characters who consistently act out of character. Ridiculous premise. There is nothing in this implausible story that makes sense, right down to the allegedly 'twisted' ending.
You've got Mel, a high-powered, fiercely intelligent madam of a huge coterie of classy party-girls, most of whom she found on the street, that she cares deeply about - as she tells them to do 'whatever he wants.' And Mel regularly disappears for days at a time, returning to the brothel viciously beaten, but she can't remember where she's been. She chews her lips throughout the story, leaving me with a visual of perpetually swollen, bloody lips. (Oh! that's a CLUE!)
Repeat the above for several of her girls, all of them consuming copious amounts of drugs and alcohol.
There's a 'mysterious drug'.
And a male 'protector' who is (of course) physically enormous, but gentle - and lies all the time. Well, they all lie all the time.
All the secondary characters are stereotypes: the uncaring wealthy mother; the sinister psychiatrist; the oblivious friends who don't notice the disappearances; the diligent, diverse cops, who literally laugh 'har, har.'
I only finished it to find out how this all worked out. And basically, everything was a lie. And ooh! Another mystery. Yep, just a set-up to get you to read the sequel... which I'd have to get paid an awful lot of money to do...
You've got Mel, a high-powered, fiercely intelligent madam of a huge coterie of classy party-girls, most of whom she found on the street, that she cares deeply about - as she tells them to do 'whatever he wants.' And Mel regularly disappears for days at a time, returning to the brothel viciously beaten, but she can't remember where she's been. She chews her lips throughout the story, leaving me with a visual of perpetually swollen, bloody lips. (Oh! that's a CLUE!)
Repeat the above for several of her girls, all of them consuming copious amounts of drugs and alcohol.
There's a 'mysterious drug'.
And a male 'protector' who is (of course) physically enormous, but gentle - and lies all the time. Well, they all lie all the time.
All the secondary characters are stereotypes: the uncaring wealthy mother; the sinister psychiatrist; the oblivious friends who don't notice the disappearances; the diligent, diverse cops, who literally laugh 'har, har.'
I only finished it to find out how this all worked out. And basically, everything was a lie. And ooh! Another mystery. Yep, just a set-up to get you to read the sequel... which I'd have to get paid an awful lot of money to do...
October 1, 2023
On the same night that Detective Ryan Boone is called to a jewelry heist, Mel Parker, the head of a not quite legal escort service, finds a girl beaten and bruised on the street while she walks home with her friend Jackie. Mel discovers a pill bottle in the girl’s purse, and she finds herself pulled toward figuring out their source. Detective Boone finds the same pills at the scene of his robbery, and he begins researching their source as well. As Mel and Detective Boone’s paths begin to cross, the truth behind the pills starts to come into focus.
I loved the moody noir-esque atmosphere of this book, and felt instantly connected to all of the characters’ points of view. I had so much fun trying to unravel where the plot was headed, and struggled to put the book down. If I could have, I would’ve devoured this in one setting. There’s not much more I can say without spoiling what happens, but fans of psychological thrillers with noir and police procedural vibes will love this book!
I do want to point out that THIS IS THE FIRST IN A DUOLOGY. I was shocked when I got to the end and it ended on a cliffhanger, so know that going into it. I can’t wait to read Wicked next year when it comes out, but don’t expect to have all of your questions answered at the end of Twisted.
I loved the moody noir-esque atmosphere of this book, and felt instantly connected to all of the characters’ points of view. I had so much fun trying to unravel where the plot was headed, and struggled to put the book down. If I could have, I would’ve devoured this in one setting. There’s not much more I can say without spoiling what happens, but fans of psychological thrillers with noir and police procedural vibes will love this book!
I do want to point out that THIS IS THE FIRST IN A DUOLOGY. I was shocked when I got to the end and it ended on a cliffhanger, so know that going into it. I can’t wait to read Wicked next year when it comes out, but don’t expect to have all of your questions answered at the end of Twisted.
did-not-finish
October 10, 2023Marked as DNF on 10/10/23 @ 10% | This was a random selection that I grabbed from Libby that sounded promising. I made it around the block on a walk with my dog while listening to the audio and that was about all I was interested in with this book. The beginning starts off with a lot of characters -- at least five different females -- and none of them really had a personality. There's a lot of telling and telling but nothing to connect me to any character. The audiobook narrator didn't really do a good job of differentiating *anyone's* voice either, so it just made it that much more difficult.
I just wasn't interested in main characters, the house, and by the time we got to the stolen goods, I just didn't care at all. The blurb also compared this to Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen, specifically THE WIFE BETWEEN US. Maybe the content would eventually compare but the tone did NOT for me.
I just wasn't interested in main characters, the house, and by the time we got to the stolen goods, I just didn't care at all. The blurb also compared this to Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen, specifically THE WIFE BETWEEN US. Maybe the content would eventually compare but the tone did NOT for me.
August 28, 2023
TWISTED is the perfect title, and this book definitely lives up to its’ name. At no point did I correctly predict where the story was going! With all the twists and turns, I got whiplash several times while reading. I loved the colorful cast of characters, and trying to guess how they were all connected.
Jackie, Mel, and Candy are working girls with questionable pasts and uncertain futures. Their operation, assisted by Jackie’s boyfriend, is all about trying to make money and fly under the radar.
Meanwhile, crimes are occurring that Detective Ryan Boone can’t quite figure out, but they all seem to be tied to a certain drug. Suspects keep slipping through their grasp, as the investigation becomes more and more complex.
It was hard not to be confused while reading at times, but that just made it that much harder to put down! I can not wait to read more from Maggie Giles!
Jackie, Mel, and Candy are working girls with questionable pasts and uncertain futures. Their operation, assisted by Jackie’s boyfriend, is all about trying to make money and fly under the radar.
Meanwhile, crimes are occurring that Detective Ryan Boone can’t quite figure out, but they all seem to be tied to a certain drug. Suspects keep slipping through their grasp, as the investigation becomes more and more complex.
It was hard not to be confused while reading at times, but that just made it that much harder to put down! I can not wait to read more from Maggie Giles!
September 15, 2024
I got this book from the library because I received an ARC of the second book in the duology and wanted to get the backstory before I read and reviewed the sequel. A mistake was made.
This plot centers around 3 women with 6 points of view and other characters involved with them. If I say more about these women, it will give the whole thing away. I could do that and save you the pain of reading this.... can you say psychiatric dysfunction, confabulation, and many other intentionally confusing situations. At the center of it all is sexual and physical abuse compounded by a drug prescribed by a doctor who was supposed to help them deal with their trauma.
Other than being poorly written with horrible characters and a disjointed narrative, it went on far too long and then, worst of all, ends on a cliffhanger.
My suggestion - skip it.
This plot centers around 3 women with 6 points of view and other characters involved with them. If I say more about these women, it will give the whole thing away. I could do that and save you the pain of reading this.... can you say psychiatric dysfunction, confabulation, and many other intentionally confusing situations. At the center of it all is sexual and physical abuse compounded by a drug prescribed by a doctor who was supposed to help them deal with their trauma.
Other than being poorly written with horrible characters and a disjointed narrative, it went on far too long and then, worst of all, ends on a cliffhanger.
My suggestion - skip it.
October 12, 2023
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.
This is a mystery that will have you guessing until you, along with Detective Boone, walk through every step of this mystery until it is unraveled to its shocking conclusion.
Along with Boone,, you will learn what a string of escorts and
a mysterious never before heard of drug has to do with the string of murders the detective is investigating..
An intriguing mystery that will keep you guessing during each step in the process!
Until next time, dear readers, enjoy this and other well conceived mysteries as you track down clues that lurk at the "heart of the matter".
This is a mystery that will have you guessing until you, along with Detective Boone, walk through every step of this mystery until it is unraveled to its shocking conclusion.
Along with Boone,, you will learn what a string of escorts and
a mysterious never before heard of drug has to do with the string of murders the detective is investigating..
An intriguing mystery that will keep you guessing during each step in the process!
Until next time, dear readers, enjoy this and other well conceived mysteries as you track down clues that lurk at the "heart of the matter".
July 7, 2024
this book was entertaining and all and honestly a really fun audiobook
idk if it would’ve been as fun to read as it was to listen to but I feel like no
it’s not even fun bc there’s a lot of plot twists or whatever — it becomes obvious what’s going on very early on but it’s still so entertaining to listen to
but hello the ending?? you can’t just end like that bro
like don’t think I forgot you never figured out anything about the robbery! no that’s not fair ig they did just not the motives and also like forgot about it by the end but you know what I retract my previous statement that’s so valid
and like okay I guess there’s another book but it comes out in so long
idk if it would’ve been as fun to read as it was to listen to but I feel like no
it’s not even fun bc there’s a lot of plot twists or whatever — it becomes obvious what’s going on very early on but it’s still so entertaining to listen to
but hello the ending?? you can’t just end like that bro
like don’t think I forgot you never figured out anything about the robbery! no that’s not fair ig they did just not the motives and also like forgot about it by the end but you know what I retract my previous statement that’s so valid
and like okay I guess there’s another book but it comes out in so long
May 22, 2023
Nothing’s as it seems. You may think you have if figured out early on, but you just wait! What starts with a robbery develops into so much more.
This ongoing mystery will keep you guessing. A robbery, an unknown drug, an escort group and a detective trying to figure it out.
Multiple POVs. Loved the writing style and fast pace story telling. I was concerned that it ended with a cliffhanger and I still have some questions. Excited to read part 2!
Thank you Rising Action Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC.
This ongoing mystery will keep you guessing. A robbery, an unknown drug, an escort group and a detective trying to figure it out.
Multiple POVs. Loved the writing style and fast pace story telling. I was concerned that it ended with a cliffhanger and I still have some questions. Excited to read part 2!
Thank you Rising Action Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC.
February 11, 2024
I've just read spoilers for this book and I'm so glad that I've decided to dnf it at 50%. Nothing really has happened until that point and the writing style was rather weak, I couldn't get a grasp on the main characters, they all read exactly the same. I knowing what the "big twist" is, I'm so happy I didn't have to actually read it because I hate when that particular thing is used as a twist when in reality is not nearly as twisty and violent as the media wants to portray it. Such a waste of that gorgeous cover...
October 28, 2023
An amazingly, twisty read!
Wow!! 😮 TWISTED it was!
As I pieced it all together while reading, I thought I had it all figured out and was wrong. And, the ending…. Ahhhhh, I didn’t see that coming at all. Can’t wait for the sequel!
Suspenseful and full of many surprises, I enjoyed the characters and the various point of views the book was told in.
A quick moving page turner, I highly recommend! 📕😊
Wow!! 😮 TWISTED it was!
As I pieced it all together while reading, I thought I had it all figured out and was wrong. And, the ending…. Ahhhhh, I didn’t see that coming at all. Can’t wait for the sequel!
Suspenseful and full of many surprises, I enjoyed the characters and the various point of views the book was told in.
A quick moving page turner, I highly recommend! 📕😊
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