When the Ericksons move home to care for their ailing grandmother, they’re told a stranger has taken up residence in the attic of the sprawling mansion. Upon investigation, the family isn’t sure the tenant is anything more than a figment of old Mrs. Erickson’s imagination—until a mysterious young woman begins to show herself to the family in fleeting, uncanny visits.When unexplained things start … unexplained things start happening under the mansion’s roof, suspicions arise as to just who—or what—she is. In the chaos that ensues, the family is forced to make a decision: trust the stranger or band together as a family against her—and their grandmother who’s protecting her.
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The Keeper, published by Misty Mount in 2019, is the first book in her “Underground Defenders” series. I’ve read another book by Mount in the past, and I will be reading more in the future. I enjoy her slow-build, tension-filled climaxes and the depth of detail she goes into describing her characters and settings. With a focus more on the paranormal / other-worldly / ghostly genres, it’s not quite fantasy or science-fiction, but it’s definitely not total reality; I like that middle ground and would recommend this book for almost all reader types and ages, especially if you have a bit of an open mind.
At first, we get to know a young couple who have moved to the husband’s family’s home under interesting auspices. There are some financial and medical issues with the couple, but the husband’s grandmother has also taken ill. She raised her grandson (and his siblings) when their parents weren’t around. I say it that way purposely because all is not what it seems and I don’t want to spoil the book for you. That said, when the couple and their young daughter arrive, something is obviously amiss. Not only do we learn the wife has had a bit of a breakdown, we see her very ‘clingy’ focus on her daughter–fearful when others hold the infant, unable to leave the room without her, et al. Are there legitimate reasons, or has her breakdown not been fully uncovered and healed? Mount handles these questions well because I often couldn’t be sure where the exact problem stemmed from in the couple’s relationship. At times, it was his fault, yet at others, it was clearly hers. Excellent way to keep readers attuned to the story but excited to find out the conclusion.
As the tale unfolds, we meet the mystery guest that the grandmother says has been helping her recover before her grandson returned. Even the live-in staff and visiting nurse are aware of this supposed other person. Is she real or a ghost? Just when you get to know her, the main story completely pauses and switches to the past where we learn about a nearby neighbor who also seems to know the same house guest. We learn all the history leading up to the current time, including some connections with the young couple’s grandmother and extended family. Some shocking stuff regarding healing and medicinal treatments swing to the forefront, but very powerful relationships unfold at the same time. Mount is great at taking readers into a moment of eerie and confusing situations, letting us decide for ourselves what’s real and what’s imaginary. Great stuff!
For me, this is a non-typical read, but it’s very easy to digest and connect with, so I find myself quite intrigued to learn more about the hospital, the house guest, and the missing and yet-to-be-revealed parts of this larger plot. What I can say without any spoilers… the book ends with a resolution to the main story. We know what’s going on with the grandmother and young couple. We understand who the house guest is and what’s truly going on in her own world. But… we get a sort of open-ended cliffhanger about what will happen next. Just because you know the answer to your question doesn’t mean you know how it’ll turn out… that’s the way to end a story and make your reader wait for the next one. This reader is looking forward to book two… and I hope we get it before year-end.
I love everything about The Keeper! This is one of those times when I could just write, “GO READ THIS BOOK! 5/5” and be done with the review, because it’s just that good. However, I’m a book reviewer, and so, I’ll go into detail. 🙂
I’ve never read anything by Misty Mount, but I intend to read more from her now. Her attention to detail, ability to create deep characters and tension-filled plots that keep readers glued to the pages, are all wonderful things that made The Keeper so great for me.
All is not what it seems in The Keeper, and even when you think you know, something happens to turn you down a new road. I love books like this. The ending was perfect. It was left open just enough to make me excited for the next book, but it wasn’t a frustrating cliff-hanger. I am really looking forward to the next one! Now go pick this one up! You won’t be disappointed!
*I read this book as part of a blog tour with R&R Book Tours. All opinions are my own.*
This book kept my attention from the first page until the last. It is different from Misty Mount’s other novels, a stretch for her. One can see her growth as a writer. It is spell-binding. It keeps you guessing. Is this character really real? What is going on with her if she is? How can the things that happen around her be explained? She definitely has a strong effect on every person she comes in contact with. She is of such value to the psychiatrist who is claiming to be her father that her very life is in danger. How can such an innocent soul be protected? Should she be? What a marvelous book. This book may go unnoticed because Misty Mount is still a new author, but it should not be. It is a fantastic book that once read, you will never forget. A great book by an up and coming, recently acknowledged, award-winning new author.
THE KEEPER is Book #1 in The Underground Defenders Series by Misty Mount, not to be confused with the David Baladacci novel of the same name. The story centers on Eve Erickson as she, her husband Elliot, and their one-year-old Emma, move from Chicago into the country estate of Elliot’s ailing grandmother Wilma. But as Elliot and his brother Liam begin plans for turning the mansion house into a bed and breakfast, a wrinkle appears; Wilma announces that they must allow a “tenant” of hers to continue accupying the attic rooms – rooms Elliot had slated to generate income from vacationers. Is the tenant real or just a figment of the old lady’s imagination?
The reader will immediately recognize the precision of Mount’s writing, the nearly flawless prose being subject to either a layered revision process or intense editing. Highly recommended – looking forward to more from THE KEEPER Series!