Tuesday, 2 May 2023

Raggy Maggy - Barry Hutchinson - Invisible Fiends Book 2

Raggy Maggy
Invisible Fiends Book 2
ISBN 9780007315161
eISBN 9780007391417
ASIN B003XVYZ5E


Several months before reading this I encountered the works of J.D. Kirk I also discovered that Kirk publishes children’s books as Barry Hutchison, and other adult fiction as Barry J. Hutchison. I have read 21 stories published under the Kirk Name and I am now branching out to the ones under the Hutchinson names. This is the 24th story I have read across the three names he publishes under. This is the thirteenth I have read under Hutchinson. He is coming up on 200 books across the three pen names. If I had known that or I might not have picked up this first one. Friends call me a ‘completionist’ in that when I find an author I like, I try to read everything they have published. I have enjoyed all I have read from his pen and this one was no different.

The description of this novel is:

“DARREN SHAN describes this book as “A fast-paced fury of a novel, packed with genuine scares and thrills. It made me shiver more than once and I devoured it at lightning speed. I'll definitely be checking back to see how this creepy, deliciously nightmarish series develops!" He’s not wrong…

Billy is the hardest kid in school and a horrible bully. So Kyle could almost find it funny that Billy's childhood invisible friend was a little dolly named Raggy Maggie.

Almost, but not quite.

Because now Raggy Maggie is back, and she wants Kyle to play a game. The game is very simple. Find where she's hidden Billy – or Billy dies…”

The story focuses on Kyle, the school bully Billy, and Billy’s childhood imaginary friend. Kyle’s estranged father that has set up these tests makes a couple of appearances. The strange girl who came to his assistance named Ameena, returns to help Kyle again. And of course the title character Raggy Maggie, to find out who she is and why she is so mad you need to read this frightful tale. She has initiated a game of life and death, and Kyle is racing against the clock. But there are more twists to the game than she is aware of. This story is much darker than the first. And Kyle is fighting to save Billy, His mom, and maybe even his whole school.

These stories were originally published between 2010 and 2014. They predate any of his published works as J.D. Kirk. There are 6 stories in this series, and it appears to be a completed story arc. The story reminds me of Neil Gaimen’s Coraline and also of Tony Abbot’s The Haunting of Derek Stone series. It would not be a book I would recommend for all Middle Grade Readers or even some tweens. It really pulls off the horror for younger readers. It is a scary story with some very dark twists. It looks like it should be an excellent series. It was a good read and I look forward to exploring more books for younger readers in this series and others under the name of Barry Hutchinson.  

Books by J.D. Kirk:

DCI Logan Series:

Robert Hoon Thrillers:

DI Heather Filson Series:

Contributed to:
Everyday Kindness: A Collection of Uplifting Tales to Brighten Your Day

Books as Barry J. Hutchison:
Dan Deadman Space Detective Series:

Space Team Series:
The Search for Splurt 
Song of the Space Siren 
The Guns of Nana Joan 
Return of the Dead Guy 
Planet of the Japes 
The Time Titan of Tomorrow 
The King of Space Must Die 
Sting of the Mustard Mines 
Sentienced to Death
The Hunt for Reduk Topa
A Lot of Weird Space Shizz: Collected Short Stories

Sidekicks Initiative Series:

The Bug Books Series:
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Complete Season One

Other Books:

Children’s books as Barry Hutchison:
Invisible Fiends Series:
The Crowmaster 
Doc Mortis 
The Beast 
The Darkest Corners 

Afterworlds:
The Missing Remote of the Apocalypse
The Book of Doom 
...

Benjamin Blank Series:

Beaky Malone Series:

Generator Rex Series:

Living Ted Series:
Revenge of the Living Ted
Invasion of the Living Ted

Spectre Collectors Series:
Too Ghoul for School
A New York Nightmare!

Other works:









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