I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.
The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright Published by Bethany House Publishers on November 21, 2017
Genres: Fiction / Christian / Contemporary, Fiction / Christian / Historical, Fiction / Christian / Romance / Suspense, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense, Mystery
Pages: 364
Format: ARC
Source: NetGalley
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Kaine Prescott is no stranger to death. When her husband died two years ago, her pleas for further investigation into his suspicious death fell on deaf ears. In desperate need of a fresh start, Kaine purchases an old house sight unseen in her grandfather's Wisconsin hometown. But one look at the eerie, abandoned house immediately leaves her questioning her rash decision. And when the house's dark history comes back with a vengeance, Kaine is forced to face the terrifying realization she has nowhere left to hide.
A century earlier, the house on Foster Hill holds nothing but painful memories for Ivy Thorpe. When an unidentified woman is found dead on the property, Ivy is compelled to discover her identity. Ivy's search leads her into dangerous waters and, even as she works together with a man from her past, can she unravel the mystery before any other lives—including her own—are lost?
This is technically a re-read for me. Technically, because I literally never tracked it or reviewed it all those years ago. It’s Jaime Jo Wright’s first book, and it’s all the reasons I fell in love with her writing. I love suspense, I love dual timeline, Jaime Jo does everything I love with fiction in a way that really, only she has been able to pull off for me. I read a lot of mystery and suspense, but they aren’t like this. I love a lot of mystery and suspense, but again, it’s different than this. And there’s a reason I read everything she puts out. And a reason we’ve created a challenge to Read Jaime Jo Wright on Storygraph.
The raw truth is that I’m really struggling with words right now. As we all know, I’m an emotional reviewer, and getting words to the screen days after finishing is not my strong suit. I need insta words (yet I’m not an insta gal, so go figure). Going back to the beginning, you can really see the growth of the author. I have the spooky-ish feel that is classic Jaime Jo with threads of faith throughout. While not quite horror, let’s say horror-esque. The building blocks are there, but it’s kept the door closed. I really bonded with Ivy, both her impetuousness but also her heart. Kaine was a bit more difficult for me. She felt a bit flighty.
I appreciated the faith-based take on hard topics instead of shying away from them because they are dark. Human trafficking in the early 1900s, sexual assault, and domestic violence. I did, however, feel there were a few too many side quests. And while side quests can build a stronger story in this instance, I felt like they were a distraction. The stolen quilt, while built info, felt more like a distraction. A tighter story, a bit more detail where it mattered, and a bit less detail on side quests. I can handle the dark, I mean, I go to sleep to Dateline. And in the darkness, Gabriella shares Hope. This is the book that made me fall in love with Jaime Jo Wright’s books. But I still haven’t forgiven her for never revealing Gabriella’s real name.
About Jaime Jo Wright
Jaime Jo, is a coffee-fueled and cat-fancier extraordinaire who has entwined her life with her pirate, Captain Hook, and two side-kicks who think they’re adults. They’re not. She resides serenely in Wisconsin’s rural woodlands with her six cats, an axolotl, and too many houseplants to be reasonable.
Her literary vocation involves penning Gothic tales with a strong preference to the master of dark, Edgar Allan Poe. She prefers her literary passages through dark hallways ends with a spark of hope, and some have compared her hauntings to Scooby-Doo endings.
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