To say Maggie Giles has been busy is an understatement. Maggie is a resident of Collingwood and an accomplished thriller writer who is set to release both books in the Twisted Truths Series duology in April, Twisted and Wicked.
In addition to these two releases, in the month of June Maggie is releasing another thriller, The Art of Murder, which is a stand-alone novel. Told you she was busy.
Her debut novel The Things We Lost was named a 2023 distinguished favourite in Women’s Fiction by the Independent Press Awards so there is great anticipation for these new releases.
With this back-to-back series release, it is perfect timing for lovers of page turning psychological thrillers. It is often the case that readers are forced to wait months and sometimes years for the next installment in a series, but these two release within weeks of each other. As an added bonus Twisted and Wicked are both set in Ontario. Twisted is set in Toronto and Wicked continues the story in Ottawa. It makes the scenes and the characters a little more relatable as you follow the twists and turns of a detective, a criminal underworld and some innocent/not-so innocent characters trying to unravel a multi-dimensional crime.
In Twisted, a simple jewelry heist reveals a connection to an unknown drug that makes the police investigation more complicated and involved than originally suspected, including a number of unsolved murders. At the same time, a criminal element is seeking answers to the business of this new drug which runs parallel to the police investigation. As detective Ryan Boone moves closer to answers, it seems others are implicated despite having never met. The story moves fast and is told from the point of view of multiple narrators which keeps the reader on their toes throughout. You have to read carefully and pay attention given the fast pace of the storyline and the many twists and turns that the story delivers. Giles taps into the archetypal theme of ‘appearance vs reality’ by writing characters that are not as them seem; they are complicated and intense.
In Wicked, the action moves to Ottawa but continues where Twisted left off, searching for the creator of this dangerous drug. Wicked can be read as a stand-alone, but it is much better read as ‘part 2’ and an essential continuation of Twisted.
Twisted leaves some unresolved questions that will compel you to read Wicked, and like Twisted, the story is told from the point of view of multiple narrators making for complex characters and a storyline that demands your full attention. Without giving anything away the ending leaves room for the reader to draw some of their own conclusions as well as leaving the door open for potentially more installments in the series.
These books are as electric and exciting as the cover art is! They kept drawing me back to find out what would happen next.
Maggie will be launching the books at 6:30 pm on May 1st in Toronto at the Supermarket Bar in the Kensington market with another best-selling author, Samantha Bailey. Maggie has plans for local events later this spring so sign up for her newsletter at maggiegiles.com to stay informed and have the chance to meet her in person.
Written by Carey Low
Photos by Captured By Kirsten
