Patricia MacDonald’s suspense thriller The Unforgiven is a creepy page-turner that stays in your head and haunts you for days. Known for her edgy psychological suspense tales such as The Girl Next Door and Not Guilty, MacDonald weaves an intricate story of romance, murder, intrigue and even a touch of madness that will have you on the edge of your seat wondering who done it and why.

The story centers on a woman named Maggie Fraser who is desperately trying to forget her past and make a new life for herself on a quiet little island off the coast of New England. She has spent the last twelve years of her life in jail for a murder she didn’t commit, and how she has the chance at a new career working on a local newspaper, and a new romance with the attractive editor, Jess Herlie.

But even as Maggie works to make her future far better than her past, the secrets of her past continue to haunt her as she discovers that someone is out to get her and punish her for a sin she insists she is not guilty of. And that someone is closer to her than she can ever imagine.

As Maggie struggles to keep her imprisonment a secret from her new lover - and the new townspeople, who already look upon her with suspicion - she must face the growing reality that some people can never forgive or forget. When her own life is in danger, she wonders who she can possibly trust in a town that scorns newcomers, especially those who are hiding deep, dark secrets.

The suspense builds to a heady high throughout the book, and we really come to like Maggie and want her to succeed at her new life. This makes her a very sympathetic character in a genre that often sacrifices character depth for intrigue. The Unforgiven will have you guessing until the end, when MacDonald reveals the dangerous culprit stalking Maggie, and once you know who that is, you really start to cheer for her…and fear for her.

A gripping read from page one to “The End.”