Psychopaths in Novels
Featured Author: Maggie James
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Maggie specialises in psychological thrillers designed to keep the reader in a state of suspense, and to achieve that effect she has created some highly believable psychopaths in several of her novels.
She doesn't dwell on the sociopathic nature and vile misdeeds of her 'villains' but instead takes the reader on a journey that offers unique insights into the impact psychopaths have on those around them. |
This makes for fascinating, gripping and thrilling reading.
Maggie kindly agreed to share some insights into three of her best-selling books exclusively for readers here.
You'll find her comments on each novel below the book's description, and by clicking the image or relevant link you can view the book on Amazon US, read reviews and sample the first pages.
You can find out much more about Maggie and her other cracking psychological thrillers on her website.
Maggie kindly agreed to share some insights into three of her best-selling books exclusively for readers here.
You'll find her comments on each novel below the book's description, and by clicking the image or relevant link you can view the book on Amazon US, read reviews and sample the first pages.
You can find out much more about Maggie and her other cracking psychological thrillers on her website.
Guilty Innocence - 'Mark Slater struggles to cope with the horror a psychopath brings into his life...'
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Two eleven-year-old boys.
One two-year-old girl. A murder that shocked the nation. Ten years after being convicted of the brutal killing of a toddler, Mark Slater, formerly Joshua Barker, is released on parole from prison. Only the other boy 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. |
Four years later, Mark’s on-off girlfriend discovers a letter revealing his conviction as a child killer. At risk of having his protective cover made public, Mark’s need to confront the injustice of his sentence becomes overwhelming. Desperate to find answers, he initiates a friendship with Abby’s older sister, something strictly prohibited by the terms of his parole. Rachel Morgan, however, unaware of Mark’s former identity, is battling her own emotional demons.
Meanwhile, circumstances have thrust Mark back in contact with Adam Campbell, 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.
Maggie's Comments on Guilty Innocence:
"My psychopath in ‘Guilty Innocence’ is, so far, the closest I’ve come to creating the sort of character most people would recognise as sociopathic. Adam Campbell is devoid of pity; utterly without conscience, he revels in bludgeoning a toddler to death, whilst still a child himself. Furthermore, he enjoys the power he wields over the young Joshua Barker, a dominance that looks set to repeat itself when they meet as adults.
"The adult version of Adam, though, is far worse than the ten-year-old one…
"Part of what attracts me to the psychological thriller genre is the chance to examine in fictional form all kinds of weird human behaviour. As I understand it, sociopaths conceal their evil in a variety of sheep’s clothing as they move among us. Adam Campbell, once freed from prison, is at liberty to explore his darker side whilst masquerading as one of us.
"His role in the book is not large, so hard-core psycho-thriller lovers may not enjoy my story. Instead, the plot focuses more on how the hapless Joshua Barker, now rehabilitated as To me, such issues are as fascinating as psychopathy itself."
View Guilty Innocence on Amazon US.
Meanwhile, circumstances have thrust Mark back in contact with Adam Campbell, 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.
Maggie's Comments on Guilty Innocence:
"My psychopath in ‘Guilty Innocence’ is, so far, the closest I’ve come to creating the sort of character most people would recognise as sociopathic. Adam Campbell is devoid of pity; utterly without conscience, he revels in bludgeoning a toddler to death, whilst still a child himself. Furthermore, he enjoys the power he wields over the young Joshua Barker, a dominance that looks set to repeat itself when they meet as adults.
"The adult version of Adam, though, is far worse than the ten-year-old one…
"Part of what attracts me to the psychological thriller genre is the chance to examine in fictional form all kinds of weird human behaviour. As I understand it, sociopaths conceal their evil in a variety of sheep’s clothing as they move among us. Adam Campbell, once freed from prison, is at liberty to explore his darker side whilst masquerading as one of us.
"His role in the book is not large, so hard-core psycho-thriller lovers may not enjoy my story. Instead, the plot focuses more on how the hapless Joshua Barker, now rehabilitated as To me, such issues are as fascinating as psychopathy itself."
View Guilty Innocence on Amazon US.
Sister Psychopath - 'Chloe is a shallow, self-serving creature hell-bent on obtaining whatever she sets her mind on...'
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When they were children, Megan Copeland adored her younger sister Chloe. Now she can’t bear to be in the same room as her.
Megan believes Chloe to be a psychopath. After all, her sister’s a textbook case: cold, cruel and lacking in empathy. Chloe loves to taunt Megan at every opportunity, as well as manipulating their mentally ill mother, Tilly. When Tilly, under Chloe’s malignant influence, becomes dangerously unstable, the consequences turn ugly for everyone. Megan’s world falls apart, allowing long-buried truths to rise to the surface. |
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Her sister is out of control, it seems, and there’s little she can do about it. Until Chloe’s actions threaten the safety of Megan’s former lover. A man from whom she has withheld an important secret…
A study of sibling rivalry and dysfunctional relationships, Sister, Psychopath tells the story of one woman’s struggle to survive the damage inflicted by her sociopathic sister.
A study of sibling rivalry and dysfunctional relationships, Sister, Psychopath tells the story of one woman’s struggle to survive the damage inflicted by her sociopathic sister.
Maggie's Comments on Sister Psychopath:
"It’s been said that my books often involve family scenarios and this is most true with my second novel, ‘Sister, Psychopath.’ The inspiration came from a writing workshop I attended, in which our tutor told us about a real-life murder.
"A woman became obsessed with a colleague, deluding herself that, were she to kill his wife and child, they could be together. She visited his home, murdered his family, and then went home as though nothing had happened. Her daughter became suspicious, however, finally alerting the police; the woman is now serving a life sentence. Taken with this story, I wondered what emotions the daughter must have experienced: the horror, the anguish, the denial.
"From such beginnings, the idea for ‘Sister, Psychopath’ was born. In the end, I made the attack by Tilly Copeland on Charlotte Matthews attempted rather than actual murder, and switched the emphasis of the book from Tilly to the relationship between her daughters. Chloe is a shallow, self-serving creature hell-bent on obtaining whatever she sets her mind on, causing Megan to wonder: is her sister a psychopath?
"Although the novel features psychopathy, it does so in a mild way. You won’t find axes dripping with blood or men sewing dresses from human skin. The concept that psychopathy can take many guises, including concealing itself amongst everyday folk, intrigues me, due to the fact the nuances are more subtle.
"Sociopathic tendencies hiding in plain sight makes for a scary society. Many people would describe Chloe as an unpleasant bitch, but Megan’s family ties with her mean she has a very different perspective. How far will Chloe go to get what she wants, and whom will she destroy in the process?"
View Sister, Psychopath on Amazon.
"A woman became obsessed with a colleague, deluding herself that, were she to kill his wife and child, they could be together. She visited his home, murdered his family, and then went home as though nothing had happened. Her daughter became suspicious, however, finally alerting the police; the woman is now serving a life sentence. Taken with this story, I wondered what emotions the daughter must have experienced: the horror, the anguish, the denial.
"From such beginnings, the idea for ‘Sister, Psychopath’ was born. In the end, I made the attack by Tilly Copeland on Charlotte Matthews attempted rather than actual murder, and switched the emphasis of the book from Tilly to the relationship between her daughters. Chloe is a shallow, self-serving creature hell-bent on obtaining whatever she sets her mind on, causing Megan to wonder: is her sister a psychopath?
"Although the novel features psychopathy, it does so in a mild way. You won’t find axes dripping with blood or men sewing dresses from human skin. The concept that psychopathy can take many guises, including concealing itself amongst everyday folk, intrigues me, due to the fact the nuances are more subtle.
"Sociopathic tendencies hiding in plain sight makes for a scary society. Many people would describe Chloe as an unpleasant bitch, but Megan’s family ties with her mean she has a very different perspective. How far will Chloe go to get what she wants, and whom will she destroy in the process?"
View Sister, Psychopath on Amazon.
The Second Captive - 'Examines the subtler shades of sociopathic behaviour, along with the devastation it can wreak...'
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Stockholm syndrome: the psychological tendency of a hostage to bond with his or her captor.
Beth Sutton is eighteen years old when Dominic Perdue abducts her. Held prisoner in a basement, she’s dependent upon him for food, clothes, her very existence. As the months pass, her hatred towards him changes to compassion. Beth never allows herself to forget, however, that her captor has killed another woman. She has evidence to prove it, not to mention Dominic’s own admission of murder. Then Beth escapes… |
And discovers Dominic Perdue is not a man who lets go easily. Meanwhile, despite being reunited with her family, she spirals into self-destructive behaviour. Release from her prison isn’t enough, it seems. Can Beth also break free from the clutches of Stockholm syndrome?
A study of emotional dependency, The Second Captive examines how love can assume strange guises.
A study of emotional dependency, The Second Captive examines how love can assume strange guises.
Maggie's Comments on Second Captive:
"Unlike the psychopaths in my novels ‘Guilty Innocence’ and ‘Sister, Psychopath’, Dominic Perdue in ‘The Second Captive’ is a man oblivious to his own sociopathy. Instead, he justifies the kidnap and incarceration of a young woman, making him a fascinating character to create. In writing the book, I was conscious of treading a fine line, wanting my readers to understand what drives his actions, to sympathise with him, whilst never excusing his misdeeds.
"The phenomenon of Stockholm syndrome forms the core of the book, and researching the subject was fascinating. Until someone’s experienced being dependent upon a captor for their existence, it’s hard to comprehend why victims profess to love their abusers. I read a lot on the topic, all the while endeavouring to project myself into the shoes of Beth Sutton, the target of Dominic’s obsession. Because I wrote her character from a first person point of view, it was essential to get inside her head, discover how she reacted to her imprisonment in a cold basement. That also represented a challenge for me, how best to make her descent into emotional dependency on Dominic believable.
"As with ‘Sister, Psychopath’ and ‘Guilty Innocence’, readers seeking a hard-core psychopathic reading experience may not care for ‘The Second Captive’. Its appeal will be, I think, to those wanting to examine the subtler shades of sociopathic behaviour, along with the devastation it can wreak."
View Second Captive on Amazon.
"The phenomenon of Stockholm syndrome forms the core of the book, and researching the subject was fascinating. Until someone’s experienced being dependent upon a captor for their existence, it’s hard to comprehend why victims profess to love their abusers. I read a lot on the topic, all the while endeavouring to project myself into the shoes of Beth Sutton, the target of Dominic’s obsession. Because I wrote her character from a first person point of view, it was essential to get inside her head, discover how she reacted to her imprisonment in a cold basement. That also represented a challenge for me, how best to make her descent into emotional dependency on Dominic believable.
"As with ‘Sister, Psychopath’ and ‘Guilty Innocence’, readers seeking a hard-core psychopathic reading experience may not care for ‘The Second Captive’. Its appeal will be, I think, to those wanting to examine the subtler shades of sociopathic behaviour, along with the devastation it can wreak."
View Second Captive on Amazon.