Book Review: The Castle - A Gripping Mystery

Jan 28, 2022
3 min read

Updated: Jan 4

In The Castle, Anne Montgomery delivers a gripping mystery filled with tension, emotional depth, and carefully layered suspense. With a compelling protagonist and a steadily tightening plot, this novel can keep you guessing.

At-a-Glance

Genre: Mystery / Suspense
Setting: Arizona’s ancient cliff dwellings and surrounding wilderness
Themes: Trauma, survival, resilience, and trust
Tone: Dark, tense, emotionally charged, and suspenseful
Best for Readers Who Enjoy: Psychological suspense, character-driven mysteries, and stories that keep you guessing until the final pages

Book Review of The Castle by Anne Montgomery

The Castle is not my first novel by Anne Montgomery, having really enjoyed Wild Horses on the Salt. Already familiar with her writing style, which I really enjoy, I was eager to read another of her books.

Maggie the main character and a National Park Ranger in Arizona, has had "several men in her life, and one of them may be a serial rapist." Will her life be in danger? After several traumatic experiences, she falls into depression and then becomes a volunteer in a rape clinic to help the women who were victims of such horrific acts. Will she become a prey for the rapist? Will Maggie discover him in time, and will she be safe before he is caught?

The author adds lots of twists and turns that will grab your attention to guess who the antagonist is, and the reader will have so many questions as they try to discover the answer.

Anne Montgomery has a knack for turning up the tension and keeping the reader hooked as the suspense and mystery unfold.

Trigger warnings: Some passages are difficult to read because of the subjects in this story. This story tells about rape, suicide and depression of women who suffered all these traumas. If you don’t like these subjects, this book is not for you. The story deals with a serial rapist, but there are no rapes depicted in the book.

Get the Book

Amazon.com

Book Information

Genre: Mystery/Suspense

Release: September 13, 2021

Publisher: TouchPoint Press

Reviewed by: Nicole Laverdure

Format Read: E-Book

Source: Provided by the author or publisher

Content Rating: 1 Heart (See trigger warnings in review)

Review Disclaimers and Notes: Ratings are only provided for content (sex, violence, language, etc.). As of Aug. 2020, we do not give star ratings on this blog, though reviewers may do so on retail outlets and Goodreads. We review and share only those books we have enjoyed and think others will enjoy, too.

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About the Book

The Castle by Anne Montgomery

Ancient ruins, haunted memories, and a ruthless criminal combine with a touch of mystic presence in this taut mystery about a crime we all must address.

Maggie, a National Park Ranger, is back at the Castle – an ancient Native American pueblo carved into the face of a limestone cliff in Arizona. Maggie, who suffers from depression, has been through several traumas: the gang rape she suffered while in the Coast Guard, the sudden death of her ten-year-old son, and a suicide attempt. As part of her therapy Maggie volunteers at the local rape crisis clinic.

Maggie has several men in her life. The baker, newcomer Jim Casey, always greets her with a warm smile and fills pink boxes with sweet delicacies. Brett Collins, a scuba diver, is doing scientific studies in Montezuma Well, a dangerous cylindrical depression that houses a deep spring filled with strange creatures found nowhere else on Earth. Then there’s Dave, with whom she’s had a one-night stand, and her new boss Glen.

One of these men is a serial rapist, and Maggie is his next target.

Get the Book

Amazon.com