I had a hard time finishing this book. The characters and story felt kind of off to me.. and it just felt like it was dragging on. I encourage everyone to read for themselves to determine if a story is for you or not.

Title: Wicked
Series: Twisted Truths Book #2
Author: Maggie Giles
Publisher: Rising Action Publishing Co. /Rising Action
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: April 22, 2025
My Rating: 2. Stars
Pages: 344

This story is the second in the ‘Twisted Truth’ series. First book was [book: Twisted] which dealt with the cover-up of a new powerful anti-anxiety drug that turned out to have life-altering side effects. Detective Ryan Boone was active on that case.

In this story Det. Boone convinces his superiors to let him travel to Ottawa to follow a suspect connected to the secrets that still surrounds the “magic pill’ - Solydexran.

Have to admit I was drawn to this story by the cover!
You know what they say about covers.....
Unfortunately the story was only okay - I did find myself taking notes and thinking I needed to make a Venn diagram showing the connection of the characters.


Want to thank NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing Co. for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 22, 2025.

Wicked follows Detective Ryan Boone as he travels to Ottawa in hopes of closing one of his recent cases. Cora left being a detective and joined the forensics team so that she could have a more stable life for her daughter, but when Ryan Boone shows up at her precinct for assistance with a very weird case, she can’t help being drawn to both him and the case. With tons of twists & turns, will they be able to solve everything or will they just create more questions??

This was one of those books where I completely missed the part that it was a sequel, and as such, the case Ryan is working on has an extensive background that I knew nothing about. However, even without having read Twisted, I was able to keep up with the story line and not feel totally and completely lost. There was a definitely a moment in the middle where I probably could’ve benefited from both knowing there was a book one and having read said book, but overall I didn’t feel like that gave me a handicap.

The story is told from three different POVs - Cora, Blaine Roche & Noah Baker - which on occasion caused the flow of the story to feel a little disjointed to me but for the most part worked out. Although, I do feel like one of the POVs that could’ve benefited the story would be Ryan’s seeing how he was in the first book but I’m sure the author has her reasons for not doing his POV as well.

Without giving anything away, one of the main aspects of the storyline was Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) which Giles was able to capture quite well. She was able to capture both the struggles of the person afflicted by DID and the struggles of those supporting them without romanticizing the illness.

While there were some parts of the story that were predictable, there were just as many twists that you didn’t see coming. For the most part it was a fast paced story where you found yourself playing the guessing game quite frequently trying to figure out what was going to happen next, while also realizing certain things right away without any guesswork. Overall, 3.5 ⭐️s

Thank you #NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for providing me with an ARC of #Wicked for my honest review

.

This book is part of a series so go ahead and read twisted first because when this book comes out you will be ready! The scenes are described as if you could see them right in front of you. You will want to read this book in one day because I did. Very few books keep my attention that long. Wicked is a book about the good and bad of the pharmaceutical industry and how the division becomes blurred. Go ahead to your tbr.

This thriller/mystery novel is told from multiple POV with clearly labeled chapters. While this is Book 2 of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone, however I sometimes felt like the number of characters was overwhelming to keep track of as I was reading.

The roles of some of the characters is clear from the beginning and for others the reader has to wait to uncover the truth. The chapters are short and quick to read, so I felt that the pace of the novel really fit with the thriller genre. Some of the twists and turns I didn't guess and it made for a captivate plot.

This is the second book in this series, and it starts with an exciting bang. There’s action throughout, and the storyline is engaging and keeps you hooked the entire time.

I read this book in one sitting, because I HAD to know what was going on and who was who.

This story is a mystery/thriller concerning robberies and murders, a conspiracy for a drug that should never have been released, a need for revenge, a need for answers, a need for things to end. Detective Boone can’t let this case go. Boone, through another detective, meets Cora. She used to be a detective, but now works in forensics, she is a ‘single’ mother raising her child with her ex-husband who has addiction issues. Despite Cora not being a detective any longer, Boone is willing to work with her to locate his suspect, Blaine Roche. Blaine has been an enigma and Boone believes he is a key to the whole conspiracy.

My one criticism for this book was I didn’t understand the introduction of a romantic relationship between two characters. I thought it was unnecessary. I don’t know if it is a setup for a future story or something, but in this book I could have done without it because I don’t think it added anything to the story.

To some this story will feel unfinished. There seems to be a lot of loose ends which potentially are left for a future book, but still, when you get to the end it’s like real life: these characters go off to do this, those characters are going to do that, these ones are probably going to go on as has already been said and because of that, I think some might feel like it’s open-ended. This wasn’t an issue for me. I enjoyed the ending.

Given the reason for the drug, there are a lot of ‘characters’. I had no problem keeping track, but I think a few people might have issues, or claim to have gotten lost.

I know some readers found this difficult to read because they hadn’t read the first one. I didn’t have an issue with this. I think enough backstory was provided for me to be able to follow along and understand people’s motives.

The short chapters kept the pace moving and the twists and turns kept me turning the pages wanting to get to the bottom of things.

Thanks to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing Co for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Ottawa Canada is the central setting for a police investigation into a murder that is linked to a company that has been using an experimental drug on people with Dissociative Identity Disorder. The chapters are from the perspective of several characters, some of whose roles are clear at the beginning and others, the reader has to wait and see how everything will come together. The short punchy chapters give an atmosphere of desperation that the police feel in trying to locate all the major players and I was hooked on the narrative. There were some interesting twists, even if I sometimes felt I needed a bulletin board with yarn pointing to how all the characters connected.

This was my first read of Maggie Giles and this book isn't out until April 2025. Never am I this early on an ARC but it was the cover that screamed to me on this lazy Saturday morning.



Expected Publication Date 22/04/25
Goodreads Review Date 12/10/24

#Wicked #NetGalley.

thank youuu netgalley snd publisher for the arc
loveeee detective ryan boone so much actually
obsessed with how the writing style is in this one , i don’t know why but it’s somehow even better than the first one. i don’t know if ryan is coming back for another book but he should lowkey

Wicked is the second installment to the Twisted Truths series. It follows several characters in the same timeline, as they all attempt to unravel the mysteries surrounding the effects of a pharmaceutical drug. What I liked about this book: multiple POVs, Canadian, challenging pharmaceutical companies, and the characters, Cora Porter and Ryan Boone. What I found challenging: the merging character storylines, the telling of dissociative personality disorder, the underdevelopment/unfinished stories of some of the characters, and the lack of a true climax in the book. It is all quite predictable, and perhaps that is to leave the door open for a third book. This was not my favourite novel by Giles. Would I read a third novel in this series? Undecided.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #RisingActionPublishingCo for the ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

An intoxicating and riveting thriller indeed. Although I haven't read book 1 yet (twisted) and would want to read that one soon.

2.5 rounded up.

I know some reviewers found this a tough one to read without the first novel, but to me it was easy enough to put together key elements, and paint a picture of the past. My problem came with the mutli-POV structure. I personally had trouble keeping track of who is who, what they want, and why they are motivated to do what they're doing. Getting to know so many people left me unable to connect with any of them.

An interesting concept that would be better if focused and refined.

Definitely some cool twists, but I have been captivated more by others. I will still give the first in the series a go.

Thank you NetGalley and Rising Action publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished Wicked by Maggie Giles, and it was quite a ride! This sequel to Twisted takes us on a fascinating journey into the world of murder and conspiracy. Following Detective Ryan Boone and forensic expert Cora Porter, the story dives into a case that hits home and feels incredibly personal. The tension builds beautifully as they uncover secrets that not only affect their lives but also hint at national repercussions.

While I didn’t find it as gripping as Twisted, Wicked still delivered some amazing plot twists and introduced new characters that kept things mostly fresh. However, I can’t deny that I found the pacing a bit uneven at times, which made parts of the story feel dragged out.

On a positive note, I really enjoyed the dynamics between Ryan and Cora; their relationship added depth and kept the book interesting. Overall, it was an okay read. The plot was strong and the characters were fun, so it definitely grabbed my attention, but it struggled to hold onto it for long periods.

I struggled with this book as I had not read the first and didn't realize it was a sequel. It doesn't always matter but I felt this time it did as I was so lost I could tell there were things I SHOULD know and didn't. It's about a new drug, Solydexran that has been approved but apparently is affecting patients differently and landing some in the hospital. There are doctors, conspiracy theories, and prisoners...but that's all I got as I needed the backstory to understand completely.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

i am incredibly bored. the first book was fine, but this sequel left me wanting more. everything was just so bland, but the writing was cute. so. there's that

thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for a honest review

Wicked was a great read for a someone who likes to follow a tangled web all the way through to the complicated end. The multiple personalities, as well as the different POVS made it fantastic for someone who wants to be immersed in a mysterious thriller.

I cannot ethically write a real review for this because there is literally no way I won't spoil it. It was a wild ride, I have a lot of questions, you do not need to read the first book to enjoy this one (although I may seek that one out now), and I am frustrated with the ending. All in all though, a very entertaining read!

"Wicked" by Maggie Giles is a continuation of Detective Ryan Boone’s saga, blending mystery with intricate character dynamics. Boone’s relentless pursuit of justice takes him to Ottawa, where he uncovers a conspiracy with chilling national implications. Meanwhile, former detective Cora Porter’s transition to forensics adds a compelling layer, especially as she navigates both personal and professional challenges.

The narrative is fast-paced and suspenseful, with a well-drawn antagonist in Blaine Roche, whose motivations add depth to the plot. Giles expertly weaves together themes of revenge and redemption, keeping readers on their toes with unexpected twists.

Thank you Maggie Giles, Rising Action Publishing Co., and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

This was a strong sequel in the Twisted Truths series, it had what I enjoyed from the first book. It improved on the first book and still had everything that I enjoyed from that book. The characters were written perfectly and thought it was suspenseful. I enjoyed the way Maggie Giles wrote this and left me wanting to read more in this series and author.

I felt really lost as I read the book. It’s not bad, just wished I read the first book. I don’t want to get the book a poor rating.