Outstanding Debut Novel from an Author to WatchKaine 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 … 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?
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I usually don’t like books that hop from the past to the present day. This was well done and compelling.
I am a very picky reader. I don’t give good reviews to books I don’t like…. AND I LOVED THIS ONE!
The House on Foster Hill was a great time slip read with two stories intertwined. I love the way Jaime gets you invested with both sets of characters. As you get to know each of their stories, you fall in love with them all. Since they are all interconnected in the end, it’s good that you have a friendship with both sets of characters.
I have to also say how much I appreciated a character with DS who was included in the story. It was great to read about Megan and her hardworking, sweet personality. I have several friends and a family member with DS, and the author did a great job of not limiting Megan’s efforts to help the contemporary characters in their refurbishing of Foster Hill House. Individuals with DS are honestly some of the most hardworking people I’ve ever met. Thank you, Jaime. <3
I loved the mystery of the book, the determination of the female protagonists, the slow build of relationship with the male heroes and the sheer will of the characters to perservere through difficult times. These women are strong and not ashamed to be so.
You will lose sleep. You will turn off the TV and get caught up in Ivy and Kaine's story...I know I did! Looking forward to Jaime's new book, The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond, coming soon!
How does a reader categorize this book? Mystery, suspense, psychological thriller, dual-timeline, a hint of romance, or perhaps it’s a bit of all of these combined? Whatever you want to call it, Wright is brilliant in the telling of it! Her descriptions are crisp, fresh, and snap with life. Phrases I don’t often see authors use to describe things painted a vivid picture in my mind. For a debut novel, it reads as a seasoned best seller! Each chapter hooked me on a high until I was breathless to find out what happens next. I could not turn pages fast enough.
The House on Foster Hill connects two women a hundred years apart as they strive to unravel the mystery surrounding it. Will it give up its secrets easily, or will it want to keep them buried like the women Ivy writes about in her “death diary”? Each clue found seems random at first, but the pieces slowly knit together like a crochet needle fashioning a scarf. But someone or something fights to keep playing mind games with Ivy & Kaine. Creepy much? Definitely sent shivers tickling up my spine and made me wonder why exactly it mattered to find the history buried deep within it walls. When swirling script is found written on a copy of Great Escapes within the house, it fleshes out a woman named Gabreilla—murdered at the hands of a madman. Ivy follows clues with the help of an old childhood friend while Kaine digs deeper in her family history to fill in the holes left centuries ago. There’s also the underlying desire for hope in both women’s hearts, hope that seems much too far away to grasp. But is it?? Through her death, Gabreilla teaches that hope doesn’t come from within but without, as witnessed by this line:
“My eyes see beyond today, beyond my circumstances in a world jaded and scarred by sin. I see into Heaven. And it is beautiful. And it is good. It is my future. There is no despair in eternity, in God’s presence, in His perfection. There is only hope. He is my hope. “
When I read that it slammed into me, temporarily taking my breath away! What a brilliant way to describe how to keep our eyes on the One who can give us hope beyond where we are. Beyond anything we will encounter in this life. Authors who remind me of God’s promises in the pages of their stories are those who I love the most. Not only will they provide an escape from life in printed words, but who satiate our souls with Truth. I found many such lines that deeply touched me and still linger well after I’ve finished. Wright is now on my automatic-read authors and I will highly endorse her books to others. Her next novels are already on my “must-read-now” list!
Other favorite lines:
“That was why Gabriella was so compelling. Her story had sucked Kaine in. Gabriella was someone who truly grabbed hold of God’s hand when life threw curveballs. No. Not even curveballs. Fireballs, really. What life attempted to destroy, God only made stronger. Gabriella’s strength reflected her story. “
“Someday I will see His face and all of this will wash away. What will I leave behind? What will my legacy leave? I choose hope. ~Gabriella”
“Gabriella was definitely held at that house against her will, based on what we’ve read in her writings that we found at the house,” Grant finished. “The amazing thing is, whoever she was, she had faith that could move mountains. She saw hope where most women would see abandonment.”
“See?” Joy poked her fork in Kaine’s direction. “Hope isn’t a waste of time, sweetie. You’ve got to cling to those promises, and the Lord will provide the rest.”
*I received a digital copy via Netgalley and was under no obligation to leave a favorable review. “
Love the way the story went from present to past with this good mystery.
This book kept my attention all the way through it.
I wanted to love this book but it was slow. It flips back and forth between past and present and that made the book drag on.
This is the debut novel by an amazing author, Jamie Jo Wright. The book cover is beautiful in it’s mystery and I just knew I had to give this book a try. Oh boy, am I glad I did!
This is a very interesting Christian suspense novel that is set in two different times about two different women, Ivy and Kaine. They each have a mystery to solve and danger lurks at every turn. Ivy, 1906, is a memory keeper of those that died in her town. Her father was the town doctor and Ivy felt like it was important to keep their story alive and not forget them. Even the unknown one, Gabriella. Ivy’s past catches up with her when Joel comes back to town and the mystery of Gabriella becomes more and more dangerous. Kaine, current time, is a women who is trying to heal after the death of her husband. She moves to the town Ivy lived in and bought the house on Foster Hill and her story is filled with sadness, mystery, suspense, and some romance. I won’t tell anymore of the story…you just need to read it!
This novel caught my attention from the very first chapter and it got better and better. There was really no “boring time” during any of this book. It is more descriptive than I usually like, but the author does such a wonderful job with everything. It’s full of mystery and suspense from both timelines and it couldn’t have been told any better! I loved it. It will keep you reading and keep you guessing until the end. I wholeheartedly recommend this book. I can’t wait to read Jamie Jo Wright’s next novel.
The House on Foster Hill has remained abandoned for years. The small town of Oakwood has a rich history with the house, but most of it has been lost through the years.
Kaine Prescott I seeking a new beginning after the tragic death of her husband. She lives in fear of a stalker, but the police pass her off as suffering from PTSD.
To flee the danger she feels, Kaine buys Foster Hill House and moves across the country. But once there, she discovers the place is a dump and the stalker may have followed her to Oakwood.
Kaine meets Grant and Joy and Megan on her first day in Oakwood. Together, they work to restore the house and uncover the secrets it still holds.
One hundred years previously, a dead girl was found on the property of Foster Hill House. Ivy Thorpe became obsessed with finding out what happened to her and the baby they believe she delivered. Ivy finds danger more than once in trying to uncover the story.
With surviving family members, Kaine and Grant discover the ugly history of Foster Hill House and the gruesome lives it ruined.
This book started out extremely slow. I would read a few pages then put it down for a while. It just didn’t hold my interesting.
We first see Kaine driving to the new property she just bought. We are told of Danny’s murder and the happenings with a stalker. But that’s it. This woman has a huge, amazing ministry helping abused women. We don’t get much of that, we also don’t receive much about her and Danny’s relationship.
For me, the flashback history is way more interesting than the current story. I devoured those pages. The present day segments were too slow for me. Only toward the end when things started to be pieced together did the story really pick up and I enjoyed the ending.
Overall, it was a good Christian thriller.
The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright receives 3.5 stars.
I couldn’t put this book down!
Good read. Evil abounds where one least expects it.
This was a great read. It was one of those stories that pulled me right in and dared me to walk away. I didn’t take that dare. It was suspenseful and gripping. It surprised me and grabbed my emotions. It had descriptions that pulled me so far into the story that I didn’t even remember that I am a reader who skips over descriptions that are more than one line. It was that good. Full review is at my website.
I received this book in a giveaway. I was not required to give a review. All of the opinions I have expressed are my own.
Excellent story, blending times past with present times. The book held my interest to the end – a definite page turner.
Great book! I couldn’t put it down and it kept me thinking about the story until I had time to pick it up again! I will be reading more books by this author!
It took me time to get into this book but then I liked it
Reality against perception.
Kaine Prescott and Ivy Thorpe have something in common though they live in present day and 1906. Kaine Prescott has lost her husband to what she deems murder and the police claim it is accidental. Kaine just wants to begin anew in the state her ancestors came from and rehab a house which was her husband’s dream. In 1906, Ivy is searching for answers about an unidentified woman found dead. Only Ivy is faced with more than this when her brother’s friend returns to town. The answers for both women appear to have the house on Foster Hill in common. This is a gripping novel of mystery and surprises as each fact provides twists and turns.
I have eagerly looked forward to this debut full novel with great anticipation, and Jaime Jo Wright delivered big time…and with greater depth than her previous short stories! Jaime brought a compelling tale of murder and mystery through a time split story-line connected by an old abandoned house, the lives it touched, and the long protected secrets it holds. Gripping suspense, multiple plot twists, hair raising terror, and well developed characters travel across the pages and I found myself riveted by Kaine Prescott’s and Ivy Thorpe’s lives as they converged at The House on Foster Hill.
Jaime has woven a dual story so intricately entwined it took me to the end of the book to unravel and reveal the truth. And, it was a surprise…not what I was expecting at all. The seamless transition from one era to the other kept the smooth rhythm of the story flowing and held me captive with each turn of the page to the very end.
The modern story centers on Kaine Prescott. After her pleas for an investigation into her husband’s death are set aside as just a “widow’s hysterics”, Kaine leaves her home in California to restore an old house and hopefully her broken life. One look at the eerie, abandoned house leads her to question her hasty move and the short sale purchase. When the life she left behind follows her to Wisconsin, and the house’s dark secrets begin to reveal themselves, Kaine comes face to face with knowing she has nowhere left to hide from her past.
The other story is set in 1906 and recounts Ivy Thorpe’s connection with the house. When an unidentified young woman is found dead on the Foster property, Ivy feels the pull to discover who she is and why she died. As Ivy continues to insinuate herself into the investigation of the woman’s death, she lands herself in trouble the likes she’s never seen before and having to work alongside a man from her past she would just as soon stayed in her past. Pushing beyond their differences and focusing attention on the facts laid before them, will they be able to unravel the mystery and stop the madness before any other lives are lost?
Though the story in both eras has a dark and ominous feel to it, it also offers light and life. Intertwined with the frightening evil that overshadows the house, a legacy of hope rises and shines through the strong women who refuse to let the house’s secret ruin their lives or force them to live in fear; women who look to an eternal future. Jaime does an exceptional job weaving faith into everyday moments in a natural, unforced way…as it should be. Talk of God’s love and His promises written in scripture were flawlessly laid within casual conversation and deep reflections by the characters.
If you love a good mystery, thrilling suspense, historical romance, time slip story lines, or all of the above, you’ll love this book. If these aren’t your preferred choice of reading, I suggest you give The House on Foster Hill a try anyway…it might just change your mind and become your favorite reading genre. I know I’m already looking forward to more of Jaime Jo Wright’s writing and can’t wait to get my hands on her next full novel. This is an author to watch. Great job on your first novel, Jaime!
Was a good read
The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright is a Christian mystery novel. Ivy Thorpe lives with her father in Oakwood, Wisconsin. In March of 1906, a body has been found in the hollowed tree on Foster Hill near Foster Hill House. Who is the young woman and why was she killed? Ivy wants to find out the identity of the woman along with who harmed her. However, the one person who can assist her is also the individual who left her when she needed him the most. Then it is discovered that the victim had recently given birth. Ivy is determined to get justice for the woman and locate the missing child.
Kaine Prescott has decided to relocate from San Diego to Oakwood, Wisconsin. She lost her husband, Danny two years prior and Kaine is certain his death was no accident. The police, though, will not investigate further nor they believe that Kaine has a stalker. Kaine bought Foster Hill House (unseen and without an inspection) in her grandfather’s hometown. When Kaine starts work on the home, she finds clues to the century old mystery. Will Kaine be able to discover what happened to the young woman who died in 1906?
The House on Foster Hill splits time between 1906 and the present. I felt the author did the story a disservice by splitting the focus. The story felt muddled. The first two chapters of the novel felt creepy and mysterious. However, it soon fizzled into humdrum (especially the contemporary sections). I found Ivy more interesting than Kaine. The romance (for both characters) was more prominent than the mystery. The only reason for the mystery was for the two women to find love. The author tried to put too much into one book (needed editing and a major rewrite). I found the story slow-paced (paint dries faster) and lacking in flow. Ivy kept a journal in which she wrote stories about the people who died (made up stories). She was determined to solve the murder and kept running off which put her in danger multiple times (reckless). Kaine buys a house that needs massive renovations in a town she has never visited. She has no DIY skills or tools. She overreacts each incident. There was a repetition of information, and I never felt the suspense (or tension). The mystery is one that plays out (another disappointment) with the details being revealed in the final 10%. The ending felt incomplete. I found The House on Foster Hill to be a tedious book to read (felt like I was slogging through a mud pit).
What a ride!
If The House on Foster Hill is Jaime Jo Wright’s debut novel, then I say a star is born. An outstanding novel, with the perfect blend of the past and present, the author skillfully writes a suspenseful tale of two very different women whose lives are about to intersect in a most interesting way.
The novel opens with the discovery of a dead woman’s terribly bruised body tucked away in the hollow of the trunk of an old dead tree on the abandoned property of the old Oak Hill House in Oakwood, Wisconsin. The year is 1906. Ivy is the daughter of Oakwood’s only doctor in a very small community in which every one knows each other, perhaps more than some would like. When no one can identify the young woman found in the tree, Ivy becomes obsessed with finding out who the young woman is and why would someone strangle her? And it seems the young woman had a secret, discovered by Ivy’s father who often served as the community’s medical examiner. It seems the young woman had given birth within a very short time prior to her death, yet no baby can be found.
Completely unbalanced by the appearance of an old childhood friend, Joel Cunningham, Ivy must also come to terms with his part in the drowning death years before of her brother, Andrew. Joel has returned to Oakwood to take a position in the local police force; as the two are determined to find out who the young woman is, where her baby has gone, and why anyone would so violently harm a young woman, Ivy and Joel must come to terms with their own history together. As they independently pursue the mystery, running into each other creates a storm of fiery emotions for them both.
In current day San Diego, Kaine Prescott, flees the memories of her husband’s suspicious death and the mysterious stalker who leaves her favorite flower in her apartment, a daffodil. The police think Kaine is experiencing emotional trauma after her husband’s vehicle accident, refuse to listen to her reports of someone breaking into her apartment only to subtly shuffle things around. Distraught and determined that a new place far from what used to be home will bring healing and distance from her stalker, Kaine purchases a house, sight unseen, in Oakwood, Wisconsin. It is a bit of a fixer upper but the photos sent to her by the realtor do not seem too bad; Kaine is determined to fulfill her husband’s dream of renovating an older home, a dream that was put on hold while Kaine pursued a career as a domestic violence counselor.
Arriving in Oakwood after a cross country trip, Kaine drives up the long winding hill to Oak Hill House, only to be shocked breathless when she finds a house so dilapidated it seems the best option is to bulldoze it down. Leaving her car and approaching the rotting porch, there it is, a yellow daffodil. Frightened, she drives back to town, literally running into Grant, who, as it turns out, seems to be a jack of all trades about town.
Determined to fulfill her deceased husband’s dream, Kaine sets about to design a plan for renovating the old house. As luck would have it, she continually runs into Grant, eventually allowing him slowly past the barriers built around her heart. As strange things continue to happen, Kaine and Grant begin to research the history of The House on Foster Hill; what they learn is a jaw-dropping, heart-pounding story of tragedy and mystery, of relationships restored story.
Masterfully, Jaime Jo Wright intertwines the past and the present in such a way as to leave the reader breathless with anticipation, skillfully bringing the story full circle. This reader was so entangled in the characters, in the story, that she read the book a second time before being willing to write this review. She simply did not want to leave The House on Foster Hill. Well done.