4-STAR REVIEW: THE GIRL IN THE MAZE by R. K. Jackson

27 August 2025

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About The Book

Martha Covington: Book 1
Publication Date: August 5, 2025

USA TODAY BESTSELLER • Perfect for fans of Alice Feeney, Megan Miranda, and Tana French, R. K. Jackson’s lyrical, twisty psychological thriller follows an aspiring journalist as she uncovers dark truths in a seaswept Southern town—aided by a mysterious outcast and pursued by a ruthless killer.

Now available for the first time as an audiobook, this lyrical novel comes alive in a tour de force performance by narrator Hillary Huber.

When Martha Covington moves to Amberleen, Georgia, after her release from a psychiatric ward, she thinks her breakdown is behind her. A small town with a rich history, Amberleen feels like a fresh start. Taking a summer internship with the local historical society, Martha is tasked with gathering the stories of the Geechee residents of nearby Shell Heap Island, the descendants of slaves who have lived by their own traditions for the last three hundred years.

As Martha delves into her work, the voices she thought she left behind start whispering again, and she begins to doubt her recovery. When a grisly murder occurs, Martha finds herself at the center of a perfect storm—and she’s the perfect suspect. Without a soul to vouch for her innocence or her sanity, Martha disappears into the wilderness, battling the pull of madness and struggling to piece together a supernatural puzzle of age-old resentments, broken promises, and cold-blooded murder. She finds an unexpected ally in a handsome young man fighting his own battles. With his help, Martha journeys through a terrifying labyrinth—to find the truth and clear her name, if she can survive to tell the tale.

Excerpt

The Review

A troubled young woman seeking a fresh start lands in the middle of a puzzle she struggles to solve.

Author R.K. Jackson delivers the first of a two-part series featuring Martha Covington in The Girl in the Maze. From the opening pages, readers get a glimpse into Martha’s mental health challenges that follow her throughout the story.

Her research work focusing on the Geechee residents near Amberleen, Georgia, offers an interesting twist to the story. With their heritage threatened by land developers, Martha is drawn to their stories.

The intensity ramps up as a murder takes place, putting Martha in the spotlight as a key suspect. There’s a haunting aspect woven throughout to promote the Southern Gothic tale. The supernatural aspect taps into magic and incantations, among other things, as Martha struggles to prove her innocence.

The Girl in the Maze offers a mix of psychological thrills with a side order of horror. Buy Links

About The Author R.K. Jackson is a former CNN journalist who now works at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He is the author of two novels of psychological suspense: the USA Today bestseller The Girl in the Maze and its sequel, Kiss of the Sun, both originally published by Penguin Random House.