The Uncommitted (Goss) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
Spiritual struggle, The Uncommitted is an engrossing debut novel. Catholicism plays a central role in the debut novel from Madison author Margaret Goss, but readers need not share her beliefs in order to relate to The Uncommitted — a surprisingly dark tale of spiritual struggle. Published by Three Towers Press in Milwaukee, this story set in St. Paul, Minn., contains references to such Madison institutions as UW Children’s Hospital (now American Family Children’s Hospital) and Culver’s, and revolves around Josephine Reilly, a 35-year- old mother of three who can communicate with the dead via dreams, visions and telepathy. While experimenting with what she initially considers a "gift," she unlocks an invisible evil that threatens her family and drives her to the brink of self-destruction. (Read more)
Michael Popke - The Isthamus (Madison, WI)


Solidly crafted and suspensefully written, The Uncommitted is the latest release from Margaret M. Goss and it proves something of a juggernaut when stacked up against other releases in the genre. Ingenious in its plotting, colourful in its characters, taut in its narrative, Goss ably creates an atmosphere thick with dread and ambiguity as Josephine Reilly comes to explore the full extent of her gifts. Yes, there are cliches to be found, but Goss adds more than enough extraordinarily refreshing fillers to keep it original and she knows just when to linger in the detail to maximise the suspense. It brings powerful images to mind, but with a degree of restraint that veers away from overkill and leaves the reader wanting more. Reasons enough to start reading and yet where Goss really excels in bringing her fiction to life is in creating a perpetual state of quiet apprehension that reflects Josephine’s prevailing spiritual struggle.  A refreshing debut in this ever popular genre, The Uncommitted bodes well for future releases from Goss and is certainly deserving of a place on your bookshelf. It receives a strong BookViral recommendation.
Book Viral (UK)


This story has all the makings of the next Da Vinci Code but, I think even better.… [A] wonderful love story, mystery, and mystical adventure, all rolled up into one fast-moving and brilliantly told story.
Nick Chiarkas - Wisconsin State Public Defender Emeritus, author of"Weepers"