The Medea Complex

by Rachel Florence Roberts Narrated by Bianca Amato, Jeff Woodman, Elizabeth Sastre, Robert Ian Mackenzie

Overview

A deep and riveting psychological thriller inspired by true events of the Victorian era, The Medea Complex explores the nature of the human psyche: what possesses us, what drives us, and how love, passion, and hope for the future can drive us to insanity. 1885. Anne Stanbury wakes up in a strange bed, having been kidnapped from her home. As the panic settles in, she realizes she has been committed to a lunatic asylum, deemed insane and therefore unfit to stand trial for an unspeakable crime. But all is not as it seems . Edgar Stanbury, her husband as well as a grieving father, is torn between helping his confined wife recover her sanity and seeking revenge for his ruined life. But Anne's future rests wholly in the hands of Dr. George Savage, chief medical officer of Bethlem Royal Hospital. The Medea Complex is the darkly compelling story of a lunatic, a lie, and a shocking revelation that elucidates the difference between madness and evil .

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

06/15/2015
As an indictment of the treatment of women in Victorian England, Roberts's first novel works very well; as an entertaining work of fiction, not so much. That the author is knowledgeable on the subject is made evident by the wealth of detail she provides in the story of Anne, Lady Stanbury, who wakes up confined to an asylum in 1885 England, apparently for killing her infant son. The narrative switches among the major characters, including Anne, her doctor, her maid, her husband, and her father. This is either a clever ploy, à la Rashomon, or a gimmick that distracts the reader who's trying to follow the story in some sort of linear fashion. And since not all the voices are truthful, there's a fair amount of confusion. Then there are the anachronisms, such as the man who signs a letter to his putative father thusly: "Yours Affectionately, Christopher Jordan. Aka—Your Loving Son." Still, Anne is a sympathetic enough heroine for readers to care about her fate.Agent: Stephanie Kip Rostan, Levine Greenberg Literary Agency. (June)

From the Publisher

A harrowing trip through the dark corridors of a Victorian asylum and the unexpected twists of relationships that are as complex as they are compelling. Nuanced and mesmerizing.”—Deanna Raybourn, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Dark Enquiry
 
“A riveting debut novel filled with psychological suspense and dark, unexpected twists. In its chilling and compelling narrative, it manages to be both pull-no-punches historical fiction and a story so modern it could have happened yesterday.”—Simone St. James, Author of The Other Side of Midnight

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170531707
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	07/03/2015
Edition description:	Unabridged

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