Left at an orphanage as a child, Thea Reed vowed to find her mother someday. Now grown, her search takes her to Pleasant Valley, Wisconsin, in 1908. When clues lead her to a mental asylum, Thea uses her experience as a post-mortem photographer to gain access and assist groundskeeper Simeon Coyle in photographing the patients and uncovering the secrets within. However, she never expected her … personal quest would reawaken the legend of Misty Wayfair, a murdered woman who allegedly haunts the area and whose appearance portends death.
A century later, Heidi Lane receives a troubling letter from her mother–who is battling dementia–compelling her to travel to Pleasant Valley for answers to her own questions of identity. When she catches sight of a ghostly woman who haunts the asylum ruins in the woods, the long-standing story of Misty Wayfair returns–and with it, Heidi’s fear for her own life.
As two women across time seek answers about their identities and heritage, can they overcome the threat of the mysterious curse that has them inextricably intertwined?
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The Curse of Misty Wayfair is a shoo-in for my Top Ten in 2019 already! Wright wove just the right amount of creep factor in this ‘ghostly’ tale of lies, loves, and the living to keep me glued to the pages. My heart rate stayed elevated pretty much the whole time. Reluctantly, I admit to a bit of anxiety as I read along because the intrigue is of mountainous proportions but I simply couldn’t put the book down.
It has taken me over a week to process my thoughts about the story and the most revelatory conclusion I came to (not sure if anyone else has or will) is that the course of a family’s future can be dramatically changed from one seemingly innocuous lie. But then no lie is really innocuous, is it?
I marked some great passages for quotes and this is one that really struck me as true.
“That while the past—the consequences of the past—might have a dire effect on me, it still doesn’t change who I am. We weren’t created to find our identity in life. We were created to discover our Creator. In doing so, our identity is defined.” ~Simeon Coyle, The Curse of Misty Wayfair
Jaime Jo Wright continues to wow the literary world with her astonishingly enigmatic time-slip stories. She is a virtuoso at composing suspense resonating with hope and healing that can only come from the One who is the original Master Writer.
I received a copy from the publisher. No review was required. No compensation was received.
“You’re like a sailor’s siren, Thea. Dangerous. I don’t know why, but you call me with a silent song. I’m afraid you will wreck me.”
Wow. Just wow. This is the first book by Jaime Jo Wright that I have read and it is absolutely amazing! The writing is lyrical, melodic, and haunting. The plot has delicious twists and turns as Thea works out her heritage in 1908 and Heidi works our her own in current day Wisconsin. The characters are so real and memorable. And the author manages to provide stark, vivid, and somewhat chilling description of the asylum and the awful practices in early 1900s, as well as an inside look at anxiety and dementia during the current day, while painting a high level of eerie suspense into the background.
I truly enjoyed meeting Thea and Simeon from 1908 Pleasant Valley, WI. Thea is a tender, loyal, and loving woman who comes to Pleasant Valley to try to find her mother. Her work as a traveling post-mortem photographer has her meeting Simeon who is a faithful, loyal, and sweet man from an ostracized family in the town. The folklore of Misty Wayfair and her supposed ghost that is haunting Simeon’s family become central to their relationship as Thea and Simeon work together to figure out what happened to Thea’s mother.
Heidi, with her flighty and rebellious ways, and Rhett, with his brooding yet intelligent and loyal ways, work together in current day Pleasant Valley to figure out why Heidi’s mother, who is suffering from dementia, has called her to the town where she now resides in a memory unit. The folklore of Misty Wayfair, which is tied to the town itself, resurfaces in Heidi and Rhett’s relationship but you will be surprised at how the “curse” plays out in the end.
The spiritual truths, given by Simeon in 1908 and Rhett and his mother Connie in current day, are spot on and provide the needed light in both Thea and Heidi’s life as they both navigate their dark pasts.
What an incredible read! I must go back and read The House on Foster Hill and The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. If you enjoy well-written suspense, you will love this book. And it has a dual timeline as an added bonus!
I was given a copy of this book by the author and Bethany House Publishers and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
The Curse of Misty Wayfair is a wonderful mystery read with a little bit of scary and a whole lot of heart. Jaime Jo Wright’s unique approach to crafting a mystery in a dual timeline provides the reader suspense-filled tales with questions you desperately want the answers to in not just one, but two time periods. Even more engaging is the third thread you can’t help but tug on–trying to figure out how the two worlds intertwine. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, relished the inspirational aspects, and look forward to reading the next one.
Prepare to be held captive by a novel…
To be honest, I just don’t know where to begin. My mind is so full after reading this book that I just don’t know how to get my thoughts written down. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED this book. The Curse Of Misty Wayfair was not only author Jaime Jo Wright’s best, but, it is probably one of my favorite reads. EVER.
After reading Jaime Jo Wright’s previous two books I’ve come to expect a lot from her. But even I couldn’t have anticipated how amazing The Curse Of Misty Wayfair would be. It is one of the most emotionally moving, powerful, and flat out eeriest books that I’ve read. To say that this book was a page-turner would be a gross understatement. I couldn’t help it, I just couldn’t put the book down. Everything else went to the wayside as I was held captive by the pages of a book.
What did I love about the book? Well, pretty much everything. It was dark, it was creepy, it was enough to keep you awake at night looking out the window into the shadows for a figure in white, but it was also so much more than that.
As with Jaime Jo Wright’s previous books, The Curse Of Misty Wayfair is a dual timeline story with both a contemporary and a historical thread that are closely intertwined. With this book I connected with the heroines of both timelines right off the bat. There was just something about both women, and their love interests, that grabs the reader. All of them have been deeply hurt by circumstances, by the people around them, by choices. And all of them must fight their way through the darkness to a faith, no matter how fragile at first, beyond.
A truly wonderful book, The Curse Of Misty Wayfair is a must read for any Christian fiction fan, though, you may want to leave the light on when you go to bed tonight….
(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)
I gave this book, the first I’ve read by the author, 4.5 stars for the quality of the writing, the brilliance of the plot, and the fact that it kept me motivated to find out what was really going on in the story, which is a lot.
Author Jaime Lee Wright has proven once again her ability to create two stories that are very similar but set in different centuries and she ties them together so that readers are left amazed but very satisfied with the connection in the end. The Curse of Misty Wayfair features two young women searching for answers about their families. Dorothea “Thea” Reed is an orphan hoping to learn who her mother is and she has the unusual job of traveling around the countryside to photograph people who have recently died. It is 1908 when she arrives in Pleasant Valley, Wisconsin and her whole life suddenly turns upside down. One hundred ten years later, in 2018, another young woman is also searching. Heidi Lane has always known who her parents are but she doesn’t understand why she feels such a separation from them and her older sister. A cryptic note from her widowed mother sends Heidi to Point Pleasant and readers are drawn into this split-time story of two women, born a century apart, and their mutual connection to the legend surrounding the death of a young woman named Misty Wayfair.
I truly enjoy mystery and suspense and this book offers both. It also has a gothic feel and there are many times when I strongly felt the need for more lights when I was reading it at night! I have never believed in ghosts but there are incidents when the legend of Misty Wayfair haunting Pleasant Valley seemed almost credible. There are many scenes set around an insane asylum and the descriptions of the secluded location of this institution and the people who were sent there to live out their lives are both sad and haunting. There are also many times when violent acts threaten both Thea and Heidi and I could imagine the fear that they were feeling. Both of them, however, are blessed with the support of two strong men and although there is only the suggestion of romance, there are moments when you can envision Thea and Simeon and Heidi and Rhett finding happiness with each other.
Mental illness, anxiety issues and autism are a big part of the storyline of The Curse of Misty Wayfair and these conditions are treated with respect and understanding. The suggestions of dead spirits roaming in Pleasant Valley and Thea and Heidi’s attempts to prove/disprove them are buffered by the strong religious beliefs that Simeon Coyle and Rhett Crawford possess. When Thea and Heidi experience feelings of being unworthy and unloved they are offered assurance of their value as a child of God. In one beautiful passage Thea concludes that “Maybe Simeon was right! That ceasing to uncover one’s purpose, but instead finding out who one’s Creator was, would be the most satisfying story of all to uncover”. She was discovering what Simeon already knew; it is Our Heavenly Father, our Creator, who designed all of us in His image and it is through Him that true acceptance and happiness can be found!
There is absolutely nothing that I disliked about The Curse of Misty Wayfair! This is an exceptional book and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys mystery suspence and Christian fiction.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and publisher and was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest opinions.
The Curse of Misty Wayfair, by Jamie Jo Wright, is a truly captivating novel! When an old and eerie legend that has become a mere wisp of memory from the past is mysteriously connected to dangerous and suspenseful events of the present, this intensely gripping time-slip novel becomes utterly compelling and engrossing. With superb pacing, relevant facts and details are thoughtfully unveiled, exposing the truth behind the secretive and disturbing circumstances in which the characters find themselves. The quest to make sense of the unsettling and frightening events makes for an extremely mesmerizing reading experience.
The intricate, well-developed plot is absolutely riveting as it gradually reveals its shocking and unexpected truths in both the past and the present. Though they are separated by eleven decades, the two, interrelated storylines flow harmoniously alongside each other like two adjacent waterfalls spilling over stones in a woodland stream.
When presented with alarming circumstances and baffling secrets, the characters possess a spirit of perseverance and strength that is remarkably inspiring. As they grapple with fear, loss, and insecurities, the characters manage to find hope and to pursue truth. No matter what secrets are revealed or what facts are discovered, the characters learn to believe in the truth that they have been created with purpose and have been thoughtfully and lovingly designed to lead a life that is meaningful and valuable.
With terrific skill and careful attention to detail, Ms. Wright has crafted an unforgettable novel. The Curse of Misty Wayfair is an incredibly fascinating story from beginning to end. The absorbing mystery, meaningful themes, and thrilling suspense are intensely satisfying. It is a well-written, engaging, and relevant novel, and I eagerly recommend it.
*I was given a copy of this novel by the publisher. A review was not required. The review I have written contains opinions that are entirely my own.
“You are the reason the voices are never heard. . . . . .come . . . come quickly.”
Two women, separated by time and eternity, yet inexplicably drawn together by a postmortem photograph and a cryptic letter crafted by one whose mind has become crippled beyond recognition. Both are determined to find answers to the question that continually rages in their minds; “who am I”?
Dorothea Reed, orphaned at a young age and now a postmortem photographer, is drawn to the small town of Pleasant Valley, Wisconsin to search for clues about her birth mother, never imagining the trail would lead to the front door of a local mental asylum whose residents simply live in order to die. And then there are the unexplained sightings of a local woman who has been dead for years, the cursed Misty Wayfair.
One hundred years later, Heidi Lane returns to her home town of Pleasant Valley after being summoned by her aging mother. Heidi has a myriad of questions about her past that she’s not sure her remaining parent can answer; for it appears that someone, or something, is determined to destroy Heidi’s thin thread of equilibrium. And what about that old photograph; the one she happened upon in the town’s antique store, the woman could be her twin.
It’s so rare to read a book with this many layers . . . . and yet every single one of them carries its own weight so beautifully . . . . while together they appear as a single thread. It’s magnificent to behold.
“Fix your eyes on the target and let the arrow fly. The rest will follow.”
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions stated above are entirely my own.
“Why do people dismiss the dead so easily? Once you’re passed, you’re no longer important?’
Jaime Jo Wright has brought us another extremely intriguing novel, this one a bit creepy, too. Written in her signature dual time line, it held me completely enthralled. Here’s why:
Thea Reed—-photographer of the dead, orphan, searching for her story
Simeon Coyle—groundskeeper of a mental asylum, photographs the patients for the records
Heidi Lane—unwanted, anxious, always looking for somewhere to belong
Rhett Crawford—rescuer of those who don’t realize they need rescuing.
Misty Wayfair—wrongly murdered, still trying to punish those responsible?
With a character cast like this, how can the reader not be captivated with what lies within the pages of the book? Thea Reed was left on the steps of an orphanage as a small child and has come to Pleasant Valley, Wisconsin in 1908 desperate to find her mother. Everything she hears leads her to a mental asylum, where, if truth be told, all is definitely not well. She agrees to help Simeon Coyle, groundskeeper, photograph the patients for record keeping purposes. It doesn’t bother her because her job is to photograph the dead.
The legend of Misty Wayfair has been brought to life again in both timelines. Misty, who was murdered and now haunts the area and death follows in her wake.
Present day: Heidi Lane gets a cryptic letter from her mother, a victim of dementia, that begs her to return home to Pleasant Valley at once. A letter that speaks of voices, ghosts and things that need to be fixed. Heidi sees a ghostly woman at her window shortly after settling in at her sister’s lodge, and finds a hundred year old photograph album with a dead woman’s photo who looks exactly like her. The woman at the window haunts the grounds of the now abandoned asylum. And the legend of Misty Wayfair is once again resurrected as Heidi now has reason to fear for her life.
Can these two women, over 100 years apart, find the answe3rs they seek and disprove the original curse that link them?
Jaimi Jo Wright brought us her debut novel two years ago and it was amazing. Now she is proving that she is only getting better! This book completely captivated me! Completely intriguing, it was, and all through it, my mind kept casting about trying to figure out what was going on. Never once did I guess, either. Wonderful writing, engaging characters and a plot that just grabs the mind, this one is one for the keeper shelf. Highly recommended.
*My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
I consider this to be the best book I’ve read all year! This book is a creepy and intriguing ghost story with a Gothic feel. Author, Jaime Jo Wright, fabulously twines together a mystery of the past with a story of the present. There is a touch of romance and memorable characters. A message of hope and faith clearly shines through. I found this book to be refreshing in that it is scary without being full of blood and gore. Readers are in for a treat!
There is nothing better than discovering new authors, especially ones that can amaze you with both excellent writing and an outstanding story to tell. I am happy to say that Jaime Jo Wright is an author to add to your “To Read” list right away and “The Curse Of Misty Wayfair” needs to be read right away! Jaime Jo Wright seamlessly weaves together two tales (one from 1908 and one from present day) and it was a pleasure to watch these stories unfold and collide into a mind-blowing ending that is sure to stick with you long after the last page has been read. I spent most of the book with no clue on how this book would end. And even at the one point where I thought I had an inkling what would happen (I was close on figuring out one thing!), I was surprised by how there are multiple things concluded that I didn’t see coming, which is the ultimate compliment for an author.
The story is so many things all at once: part ghost legend, part period piece, and part thriller. All the while, the story slowly builds and builds while you are on the edge of the seat longing to know how the story will end. I appreciated the Christianity aspects throughout the book as well as the depth of many thought provoking elements Jamie Jo Wright delivers. This was unlike most Christian books I have read and it also features many of the marginalized that both Christian and secular authors choose not to tackle. Jaime Jo Wright does a great and respectful job talking about asylums, depression, melancholy, and mental health in general.
As I said before, this is my first book I have read by Jaime Jo Wright. But it will most certainly not be the last.
I received this book free from Netgalley and publisher Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.
What a riveting read! Two story lines (one contemporary and one turn of the century) and surprising twists and turns in each! I can’t wait to catch up on other books by this fantastic author!
Do you like solving puzzles? Are you in to “ghost” stories? Do you like books or movies about hauntings? If you said yes to any or all of these questions, then I feel good in saying you will like Jaime Jo Wright’s book, The Curse of Misty Wayfair. This book kept me on the edge of my seat all the way to the end. Even after I had things figured out for the most part, I still couldn’t get enough of this book. This novel is a split time book. I do not always like books like this because some authors have a hard time transitioning between years throughout their books and therefore they are hard to follow. However, I did not have that problem with this novel. Jaime Jo Wright does a great job of entwining not only the characters, but also the two different years. I highly recommend this book and I am looking forward to hopefully being able to read another one of Jaime Jo Wright’s books in the future.
I picked up this book on a $5 sale table; I’ve met quite a few good authors this way. Not this time. The title should have tipped me off. I started it once and had trouble getting into it; I started it again and gutted it out. Why? Stubborn, I guess. I usually share books with friends, but I think I’ll just dump this one.
Really enjoyed this book. Loved the back and forth between the two time periods.
Eerie and page turning. Once again, this author has woven two compelling tales separated by a century but connected by the haunting effects of mental illness. I couldn’t put the book down until the truth of Misty Wayfair was brought to light. Full review is at my website: LoraineNunley.com
I received this book complimentary in a giveaway. I was not required to give a review. All of the opinions I have expressed here are my own.
That. Was. Awesome.
Jaime Jo Wright just scared the living daylights out of me!
The Curse of Misty Wayfair was absolutely fantastic! It was super creepy! The mystery was extremely well-crafted! The heart-pounding suspense! The awesome cast of characters! All perfectly blended into one chilling, time-slip adventure!
This book gave me goosebumps!
Will I read another book by Jaime Jo Wright? Absolutely!
Will I read it with all the lights on in the broad daylight?
Absolutely.
Five Hair-Raising Stars!! Do not miss this book!
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley. A positive review was not required. All opinions expressed are completely my own.
I had a little trouble getting started, seemed like too many characters, but I stuck with it and I’m really glad I did. Once I got all the characters figured out the story was fantastic.
The Curse of Misty Wayfair is the second book I’ve read by Jamie Jo Wright, so I knew I loved her writing style. The House on Foster Hill was the first, and I definitely recommend it! My mom loved it too!
First off, let me say how much I love the cover of The Curse of Misty Wayfair, and when you read it, you’ll find that it is perfect for the book! This book is perfect for Gothic novel lovers as well as contemporary fiction lovers. It jumps back and forth from the early 1900s to the present day.
THEA
From the moment you start reading, you are going to be hooked! The story begins with Thea Reed, a traveling photographer with a unique service to offer: she photographs the recently deceased. Yes, people used to do that. Thea traveled to this Wisconsin town for a specific reason. She wants to find her mother who left her on the steps of an orphanage years ago.
Thea finds temporary employment and goes on a search for her mother. Her search leads her to the legend of the curse of Misty Wayfair. Since the last post-mortem photograph she took was of a member of the Coyle family, she is befriended by the sister of the deceased and eventually the brother as well. She finds out that the curse is specific to the Coyle family, but she has no idea what she will uncover about the curse and her mother.
HEIDI
Thea’s story is slowly uncovered over a hundred years later when Heidi moves to the town where her sister and brother-in-law now live. Heidi’s parents moved there before her dad died to take on a small pastorate. Heidi’s sister is not thrilled to have her there. There are 15 years between them, and Heidi’s always felt like the black sheep of the family. The only reason she comes home is due to the fact that her mother, who is suffering from dementia, sent her a mysterious letter about a secret from the past.
Heidi doesn’t want to visit. She puts off heading to her sister’s inn and stops at an antique shop to kill time. This is where she discovers Thea. Or at least a photo that Thea took. The photo is what leads Heidi down the rabbit hole in search of answers to her past where she hears the legend of the curse of Misty Wayfair.
I absolutely love The Curse of Misty Wayfair. I’m a huge fan of Gothic novels. Even if you aren’t, remember that this book is inspirational fiction too, so it’s got a wonderful message. The redemption story is evident throughout the novel as are themes of works versus grace. So you get that creepy Gothic vibe along with a modern inspy romance vibe. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that there’s romance in both Thea’s and Heidi’s lives. You’ll have to read it to find out more!
I love the historical aspect of the book. The author uses some actual historical events such as the undercover investigation that Nellie Bly did to uncover the horrible treatment of asylum patients of her day. The Curse of Misty Wayfair really made me want to dig into my family’s history. It’s amazing what you can find out! Maybe when I get some free time…
Make sure you’ve got plenty of free time when you start reading this one because you’re not going to want to put it down!
The Curse of Misty Wayfair looks, reads, and feels like an old ghost story (Don’t worry, its isn’t). With marvaoulus “on the edge” mystery and the joys of budding romance. You can’t help but grumble when you have to put the book down and join the rest of humanity. The story covers two lives in different centuries that are effected by a town mystery turned ghost story. The event that brings such hell draws our two main characters, Heidi and Thea, to question where God really is in the midst of their lives and why He put them here in the first place.
The deeper each character stepped into the forest, looked in to their love interest’s eyes, or dug for more answers, the more I wanted the answers and kisses. I know it sounds silly, but readers get it. Jaime Jo Wright penned the story in such a way I felt as if I was the character herself. I wanted answers! Dog gone it, I wanted them now. And even though the strapping young men who helped them seemed odd, I found them rather adorable. Can you say tall, dark, and brooding?
If you want a mystery that keeps you wondering “who done it” all the way through, then you will most definitely want to pick up this book. I love it when the guessing carries throughout the WHOLE story. It only seems to heighten the suspense. The hints of romance just makes it all the more sweet. You can see the interest building through the story, but WOW, look out when they finally have that moment.