After Aggie Dunkirk’s career is unceremoniously ended by her own mistakes, she finds herself traveling to Wisconsin, where her grandmother, Mumsie, lives alone in her rambling old home. She didn’t plan for how eccentric Mumsie has become, obsessing over an old, unsolved crime scene–even going so far as to re-create it in the dollhouse. Mystery seems to follow her when she finds work as a … as a secretary helping to restore the flooded historical part of the cemetery. Forced to work with the cemetery’s puzzling, yet attractive archeologist, she exhumes the past’s secrets and unwittingly uncovers a crime that some will go to any length to keep quiet–even if it means silencing Aggie.
In 1946, Imogene Flannigan works in a local factory and has eyes on owning her own beauty salon. But coming home to discover her younger sister’s body in the attic changes everything. Unfamiliar with the newly burgeoning world of criminal forensics and not particularly welcomed as a woman, Imogene is nonetheless determined to stay involved. As her sister’s case grows cold, Imogene vows to find justice . . . even if it costs her everything.
more
This has to be my favorite book by Jaime Jo Wright to date. While not as creepy as her some of her other books, there is still plenty of spookiness, cemeteries, and mystery. Aggie and Mumsie are my new favorite dynamic, female duo. The story starts off at a slower pace and builds as the plot progresses with lots of twists and turns. Themes of Grief, Healing, and Forgiveness are heighten with the spooky setting in Jaime Jo’s unique style.
The year is 1946, Imogene Grayson discovers the body of her sister, Hazel, in her attic bedroom. Although, Imogene is tenacious in her attempt to find the killer, the case quickly becomes cold with little clues.
Present day, Aggie Dunkirk loses her job due to her own mistakes. She finds herself traveling to Wisconsin, where her grandmother, Mumsie, lives alone. Mysteries abound not long after her arrival.
Time-slip novels have quickly become one of my favorite sub-genres! Jaime Jo masterfully bridges the past and present. The suspense kept me turning the pages.
I recommend Jaime Jo’s books to those who enjoy time-slip and mystery with light romance.
I received a copy from Bethany House. All thoughts are my own. I was not compensated for this review or required to give a favorable one.
“Their voices will always echo, here, among the stones, . . .
A grandmother and a granddaughter; both consumed by sorrow, both living with regrets, both fighting to either hold on or to move on, both realizing that “grief can become its own prison, . . . once there, getting out is–nigh impossible”. Can it ever be over? Will it ever be over?
Aggie Dunkirk arrives at her “Mumsie’s” Wisconsin home following a career debacle, assuming that she will spend her unsolicited free time caring for an old woman with a broken hip. Nothing could be further from the truth. Taking a random job opening in the area, she finds herself paired with an engaging young archeologist; both of them tasked with re-cataloguing and re-configuring old grave sites after the town’s old cemetery is damaged by a flood. It’s not long before voices from those graves come calling.
A brutal murder happened in Mill Creek back in 1946. One that baffled everyone in the small town; for the victim, Hazel Grayson, was beloved by all and her brutal death changed the lives of the entire community, but none more than that of her sister, Imogene. Determined to seek justice for Hazel, Imogene immersed herself in the case, following every possible lead; to the point that she began to lose her own life through her efforts to live for another.
As Aggie, and her co-worker Collin O’Shaughnessy, unwittingly get wrapped up in the cemetery’s secrets, Mumsie’s secrets also become increasingly hard to ignore. Something else becomes increasingly hard to ignore as well, Collin’s way of softening Aggie’s rough edges; around her attitude, around her perspective, and quite possibly around her heart. “When you walk a lonely road take hold of the hand of a friend when it is offered to you”.
What a stunning story! The author has done everything right!
. . . .and in our hearts. It is how it was meant to be.”
I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher. The opinions stated above are entirely my own.
Jaime Jo Wright has done it again! Echoes is an excellent example of brilliant storytelling with a cast of characters that feel so real, they could be your neighbors and friends. I’ve come to expect a whole package with Wright’s books–mystery, humor, depth, spiritual insight, and a touch of romance. I’m pleased to discover that Echoes delivers on all counts. I highly recommend!
I received a complimentary copy of this novel courtesy of Bethany House and NetGalley. All expressed opinions belong to me.
I love this book and I love the characters in this book. Mumsie is adorable and spunky, Collin’s heart of gold and accent will make you swoon. Aggie is broken in such a real way, but she’s on her way to healing. This book is about love and loss and even though parts were heartbreaking, I often found myself laughing out loud. And talk about suspenseful. Jaime Jo Wright knows how to write an unputdownable book!
Note: I was given an advanced reader copy by the publisher for my honest review.
This has been my favorite Jaime Jo Wright book thus far! It far exceeded my expectations. While reading Jaime’s other books, I found myself transfixed but somewhat scared. This book was much more emotional for me. It tackles the grief and numerous emotions we go through when we lose someone we love dearly. Jaime Jo captured the heart of grief beautifully in this split time novel! It is like she peeled back the layers of facades we often put on and revealed our true emotions.
I loved Mumsie and Aggie! Grandmother and granddaughter are more alike than they realize. Their relationship mirrors a lot of what we see in families. We often cannot look past our own fears to see the other person nor to be truthful with them. I found myself seeing myself in both of them at times and loved watching their relationship grow and change.
This book is a must read! It will leave you feeling as though someone understands how you have felt to lose a loved one and stay with you long after you close the last page. This will definitely be a book I will reread for years to come!
I received a complimentary copy from the author through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are completely my own.
It took me a little while to get into this book, I think it was because so much was going on at the beginning. But once I connected with the characters I couldn’t put the book down. Jamie Jo Wright is literally the queen of creepy, fascinating, historical, romantic mysteries within inspirational fiction.
Ms. Wright placed so many red herrings within the story that every time I thought I had solved the mystery I was wrong yet again. Even when a big reveal happened I was still wrong.
Everyone of the characters were quirky and charming in their own way. Mumsie has to be the best fictional grandmother, ever. Watching Aggie and Mumsie’s relationship develop made me miss my sweet Grandmother.
This quote “Death didn’t give a person a choice. It just came and stole. Whether you’d finished what you wanted to do with your life or not. Death was a thief, and there was no justice that could imprison it from stealing again,” couldn’t be more true.
Overall, this book is one of the best books I’ve read this year. It is engrossing, edge of your seat action, fascinating, and filled with inspirational nuggets like this one, that will have you reflecting on grief as a whole.
“You go ahead and let the grief consume you, because then it will heal you, free you and the good Lord can move into its place and show you promise. Promise that there is so much more life to live. So many more people to love. And the footprints of those who’ve gone before you? They’ll still be there. Memories to warm you when you’re old.”
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I loved Echoes Among the Stones by Author Jaime Jo Wright! I am not usually one for creepy stories but I love hers. I may read them during the day, but they are great suspenseful novels with hope. Echoes Among the Stones is an amazing page-turning story with heart. It kept me reading until well after midnight. I just couldn’t wait until the morning to find out how it ended. I love a book that keeps me guessing until the very end. I highly recommend this poignant story of love, loss, grief, and healing, wrapped in page-turning suspense!
Once again this author brings another tremendous story. I really liked the characters of this story both in the contemporary and historical. I think I liked Imogene most. The book is morbid and sad, yet there is laugh out loud humor as well. The plot has twists and turns, on in particular,at least caught this reader off guard.
I really felt the storytelling was terrific ,and I enjoyed both the present and historical stories. For me, that’s rare. Usually, i find the historical story much more appealing. This novel, though, had me deeply interested in both.
The faith theme in the book isn’t overly strong, but I enjoyed it and how well it was woven into the story. I felt the main part of it was the knowing we have is that God is in control, and there is a strong message of hope to be found.
This book really had all the elements of a good story!
I received this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
A book that flashes between the present day and WWII time, between present losses and past loss of a loved one.
The book begins with the return of a Granddaughter and the lie of a Grandmother that she had broken her hip, but Aggie needed to come here, and there needed to be answers to the long-ago murder of a family member.
As the author presented the characters, I kept changing my mind as to who would have done the evil deed, but have to say I was very surprised when the answers finally came.
A little morbid, with the doll house, and then skeletons and bone fragments appearing, but then they all have a hint to what happened.
In the end, I was glad that Aggie came and stayed with Mumsie, and I loved the character Collin!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bethany, and was not required to give a positive review.
This is the first book of this author’s that I have read. But won’t be the last. This book was soooo good! Full of mystery, suspense and wonderful characters. The two time frames covered in the book made for a really interesting read. The mystery is complex and difficult to figure out. I couldn’t!
Both of the dualtime line stories, 1946 and the present, were totally engaging and meshed together easily and were well thought out. Such a thriller! It was so fascinating to ‘hear’ the voices of the past as they spoke.
The spooky factor was there as we read about cemeteries, past crimes, a skeleton in the yard and all kinds of action to keep you on your toes and guessing as to what is happening.
The creepy dollhouse was really something! Gotta read it! As Aggie starts to try to unravel the past, the interest factor never wanes!
There was lots there for the mystery lover!
I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers. All thoughts are my own.
I love it when the clues come little by little. When you just can’t figure out who did it and why until the very end. Jamie Jo Wright is so good at this! The end came as a huge, complete surprise. The storyline occured in the 40s and in more modern times. It was neat because we are introduced to the 1940s characters by the more modern day characters as they tried to solve a very old murder. This is a very good book. I really look forward to this authors works. They are excellent.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
There are few things I can trust that no matter what, I will enjoy. One of those things is a Jaime Jo Wright book and another is a big cup of Earl Grey tea to sip on while reading. Wright is not afraid to deal with topics that others might shy away from, and “Echoes Among the Stones” is no exception, as she confronts the topic of grief and how we process through it.
Aggie Dunkirk returns to her hometown after a painful loss of her career, taking a job as a cemetery recordkeeper to make ends meet. This means she must also live with her Grandmother, Mumsie, still dealing with the murder of her sister in 1946. While Aggie is unfamiliar with the story of her late relative, she begins to be drawn into a mystery that spans generations and still causes heartbreak.
As Aggie begins to delve into her new work at the cemetery, it seems someone is out to scare her away, leaving taunting displays in an attempt to persuade her to give up her investigation into not only her relative’s murder, but other unspoken community losses from the past. Aggie begins a tentative partnership with an archaeologist who is brought in to help correct burial records and accurately map plots in the local cemetery.
Wright continues to give readers stories that grab you from the beginning and do not let up until the end. I like that she also has endings that are realistic, meaning everything is not always tied up into a neat ending–as real life can sometimes be. I am never disappointed by Wright’s work and look forward every time I know she has a new novel coming out. This book is a very real exploration of family secrets, loss and the ghosts of a small town.
I was an early reader, thanks to Bethany House Publishers and the author. All opinions are my own and I was not required to leave a review.
Echoes Among the Stones by Jaime Jo Wright is a unique blend of grief, murder, and hunt for justice that the novel begs to be savored. First, I believe Wright’s strongest point of this novel is the ability to dive into grief. As someone who lost her father four years ago, I have had a hard time moving on from losing him. So many novels that I have read lately that have claimed to deal with grief through the characters didn’t ring true to me, but Wright actually allows the heroine to show how much it affects her. It doesn’t go away in a couple of days. Sometimes it lingers. I really liked how realistic Wright made grief. The plot is different and took a while for Aggie and Imogene to solve the crimes in their time period. In the present time period, they finally solve the murder of 1946. I enjoyed spending time with the characters and couldn’t wait to see how the murder was solved. Wright does a wonderful job at creating multi-dimensional characters and diving into a plot that is original and completely unpredictable. I was shocked at finding out who killed Hazel. Didn’t see that coming. I have enjoyed all four of her novels, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
I received a complimentary copy of Echoes Among the Stones by Jaime Jo Wright from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.
I anxiously awaited the release of this book and it was worth the wait. The dual time frame provided double the mystery! I liked the way that the two stories intertwined reminding me how both world and family history shapes us. I quickly became attached to Wright’s creative characters. Many of them dealing with grief, learning lessons as some are able to move toward hope. I really appreciated the humor which caused everything from a smile to loud laughing and even reading lines out loud to others. As relationships change, the romance that developed added to my enjoyment. Now I wait for Wright’s next novel, but not as patiently this time. I was given a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions are my own.
After reading Jamie Jo’s previous novels I went into this novel with my Sherlock Holmes hat and pipe thinking I was going to be able to connect the dots and figure out the “who done it” before the ending. I better retire as a detective because once again the rug was pulled out from me! Jamie Jo is a master at split time novels, leaving clues in the past and present leading you on an adventure you won’t soon forget.
I loved the characters of Mumsie, Aggie and Collin. An unsolved murder from 1946 spans 70+ years; this cold case will remain silent no longer.
Take this journey and walk through puzzle, feel the grief, try to connect the dots, and find the hope and healing. A very satisfying ending.
* I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I am officially dubbing Jaime Jo Wright the queen of Christian mystery & suspense. She has quickly found herself on my must-read author list and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. I’ve read each of her novels so far and I’ve come to that point in my reading relationship with her books that I trust that even though she may take the reader into dark/creepy territory, she won’t leave them there. She also makes sure that there is a faith-based take-away intricately woven in that manages to hit the reader at just the right moments. Her books are perfect to suggest to unbelievers because the faith isn’t preachy or in-your-face yet revealed in masterfully compelling ways to get one thinking.
This one didn’t take me long to get into at all, and it also wasn’t easy to put down. It was a bit different from the author’s other books in that I didn’t feel as “spooked out” as I was in the others, but I was still enraptured in the mystery. I was able to read it more successfully at night (as a few others concurred with on Facebook haha) which was another plus. The pages basically turned themselves in this one.
I admired how well the concept of “grief” was walked through from the eyes of multiple characters in a way that could also get the reader thinking about how they process and handle it themselves. The author created the perfect platform to introduce faith in a thought-provoking and healing way amidst the pain and heartache of life. There were several quotes that specifically stuck out to me simply for how much truth was contained in them. Personally, I don’t handle grief well. Everyone experiences grief differently, but in truth no one can truly escape it. One quote that stuck out for
me was: “You go ahead and let the grief consume you, because then it will heal you, free you, and the good Lord can move into its place and show you promise. Promise that there is so much more life to live. So many more people to love. And the footprints of those who’ve gone before you? They’ll still be there. Memories to warm you when you’re old.”
I loved this book on so many levels. Jaime Jo Wright is a master at what she does. How she is able to write the stories she does and successfully weave in faith in powerful and thought-provoking ways simply amazes me. I honestly don’t think I can recommend this book enough. Now I sit and wait impatiently for her next one to release.
*I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.
I absolutely loved everything about this time-slip novel by Jaime Jo Wright. It is pure perfection in my opinion with just the right amount of mystery, a gripping storyline and lovable characters.
Mumsie is simply adorable which made her my favorite fictional grandmothers of all times. She is courageous, determined and full of spunk, qualities that I greatly admire.
Grief is difficult to deal with but unfortunately it’s something that we all experience in our lifetime so my heart ached for Imogene and her family when their sister tragically died I was extremely impressed with Imogene’s attempts to solve the mystery and fight for justice for her beloved sister. Aggie is an amazing character, too and I loved her almost as I loved Mumsie. Their relationship developed over time and was quite humorous which I appreciated.
There are twists and turns throughout that had me reading as fast as I could so that I could find out what had transpired all those years ago. This reader was more than satisfied with the surprise ending of this artfully written novel. The book was well paced with compelling characters and my favorite penned by Ms. Wright. I highly recommend Echoes Among the Stones to readers of suspense and mystery Christian novels who also enjoy a good time-slip.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.
In my opinion, this is Jamie Jo Wright’s best book yet.
I love mysteries. I started reading them when I got my first “Nancy Drew’ book. When I was in junior high, I discovered Agatha Christie’s books and realized what a well-written mystery could be. I can’t count how many mysteries I’ve read through the years. And y’all, “Echoes Among the Stones” has every single element that an outstanding mystery should have. This “split time’ story has the reader trying to solve both a present-day mystery and also one set in the 1940’s. The two merge together in a way that I did not see coming. The pacing of the development of the story and the perfect placement of clues was amazing. I was never completely sure of the murderer until the final reveal.
But there’s so much more to this book than just being a great story. The characters of Aggie, Colin, and Mumsie have each had their share of deep grief. The very heart of this book is God’s unfailing love for us as we struggle with the loss and heartache we suffer as being part of this fallen world, and the fact the only He is the source of the hope that we are desperately seeking. This is not a “preachy” book by any means, but gently leads the reader to open up their heart to the comfort God wants to give each of us.
I loved the characters of Aggie and Colin. I know that this is a stand-alone novel, but I would love to read about them again someday, and I suspect I’m not the only reader who feels this way. I’m also guessing that this book will earn another well-deserved award for Jamie Jo Wright.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Skeletons, bones, unmarked graves, and crime scene investigation set the background in this fascinating tale of murder and the aftermath of grief that follows it. Melding past and present, author Jamie Jo Wright spins a tale encompassing the Grayson family and the community of Mill Creek, Wisconsin where they have resided for many decades.
In the present Imogene “Mumsie” Grayson Hayward, a feisty 92 year old continues to live in the past with a multitude of unanswered questions and a lifetime of grief. Aggie Dunkirk, Imogene’s estranged granddaughter, returns to Mill Creek to try and resolve her own grief issues after the loss of her high end real estate career. The two women are drawn into solving a 70 year old mystery that continues to haunt Mumsie. Adding character to the story is Collin O’Shaughnessy, a dashing archeologist, filled with theories of his own and a caring soul.
The mystery is intriguing and not easily figured out. Darker undertones creep through the story, but they intertwine with the inspirational undercurrents well. An intriguing tale for readers who enjoy mysteries and for anyone struggling with grief! Well worth the read!
This ARC copy was received from Bethany House Publishing and Netgalley. The above thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.
#EchoesAmongTheStones #NetGalley