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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Oh my lanta! I feel like I have been through the wringer and back on this one. In a very fantastic way! The very first pages suck you in and take you along for a mysterious and spine-tingling ride. The characters are so endearing and very well thought out. They have become family to me and I couldn’t help but feel their pain, fears and joys while reading their story. The emotions and struggles of both Ivy and Kaine, in their respective eras, are perfectly done to reach your heart. Grant and Joel are swoon-worthy heroes who know how to take care of their women. There are no words to describe the house and all its intricacies! I could picture every nook and cranny, step and board that has a part in this gothic-like tale. So deep and detailed it was easy to get lost in the pages. The issue that surrounds this story is a real struggle in our society today and this author touches on it perfectly with seriousness.
I did not find the dual timelines confusing at all – I thought this author did it rather well compared to some I have read.
This is a new author who is going to go far and become a well-loved spot on my bookshelf.
The House on Foster Hill had the makings and potential to be a suck you in mystery that keeps a reader turning pages with its creepy, abandoned house and a present day puzzle that can only be solved by uncovering the secrets of the past.
The story jumps back and forth between Kaine in present day and Ivy in the early 1900s. Both had suffered loss, causing them to question their faith, but while Ivy showed little fear and a strong determination to find justice, Kaine’s constant fear and desire to run became a bit tedious. We also have the mystery of whether or not Kaine’s husband was murdered, but that part of the story seems to be more filler than anything related to the goings on surrounding Foster Hill house.
The story starts off well enough with a murdered young woman and a few chilling incidents at the abandoned house, but then the tale slows down and begins to drag – more so in the modern day chapters than those surrounding Ivy, but drag nonetheless. The story does pick up in intensity toward the end, but I found the conclusion to be a bit disappointing. In the end, I found very little in the way of romance and a bit too much going on with the modern day story to keep the reader’s focus. Ivy’s story was much more interesting than anything going on with Kaine, and I reached a point that I felt like skimming Kaine’s chapters just to get back to Ivy’s harrowing situation. Overall, the book’s slow pace just made it way too easy to set aside for later and the story line a bit too jumbled to compel to me keep turning the pages.
The author does show promise and this tale did have potential. With a bit more focus and less wandering, it could’ve been more than just an okay read.
This book by debut author Jaime Jo Wright is incredible! While mystery and suspense are not my typical genre this book captivated me. The skill with which it was written is incredible. A dual timeline, everything flows and fits wonderfully.
Rich in detail, I was drawn into the story immediately. The characters are well developed, compelling, and believable. If you enjoy suspense and mystery this is definitely a book for you. Spine tingling and chilling, you’ll be looking over your shoulder. I tried to put the pieces together as I was reading, however unlike some mysteries this one was so artfully crafted that I couldn’t do it. And the ending. Oh boy.Yet along with it comes hope, healing from grief, and spiritual restoration. I highly recommend it!
I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.
(Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book)
The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright is a very well written story of suspense which weaves together different generations of women through terror in one large old house. The house itself is not haunted by otherworldly spirits, but by the secret evil of men who have lived there, which can be more dangerous and deadly than haunted spirits!
The story opens in Oakwood, Wisconsin 1906 with Ivy Thorpe accompanying her father, the town physician and medical examiner, to an ancient oak tree which now held the lifeless body of a young woman inside the hollow of its huge trunk. In the background loomed the abandoned Foster Hill House. The Foster family had suddenly left the huge house at the end of the Civil war. As Ivy and her father examine the body it is obvious the unknown woman had been restrained in the past and her death is due to strangulation. She has bruising all over her body and the most shocking discovery … she had given birth within a couple of weeks of her death. Where did she come from? But the body of the young woman is not the only shock Ivy receives on that cold and icy morning.
As the story progresses we meet Kaine Prescott in present day driving to Oakwood, Wisconsin looking to start a new life in a historic old home and after a few renovations maybe open a B&B. Her sister Leah had encouraged her to leave San Diego and the grief she could not shake since Danny’s death two years ago. But grief was not the only trouble Kaine was running from, she had a stalker who was making her life miserable with fear. She has lost her faith and feels misplaced. Kaine had been a social worker for abused and battered women, she had taught the frightened women to find the courage to leave violent situations, start a new life, and fight for their right to live without fear. When she sees the horrible condition of the house she had purchased through a realtor, having only seen pictures of the place, she is upset and in despair. There is not even a door on the front! Why would a reputable realtor plainly misrepresent the condition of the whole house, only showing her the very best angles and encourage a widow buy such a place? And why does Kaine want to live in Oakwood of all places you may wonder?
Her great-great-grandmother Ivy had lived in this town! A wonderful and suspenseful read !
I really enjoyed this! It’s a first full-length novel from this author, and I must say I was impressed. It’s part historical AND contemporary mystery with some romance. A slight complaint is in its length (I think it could have been tightened up a little more). It was well-written, with some twists and turns, as well as including some wonderfully strong, courageous women tackling some horrific plights. 5/
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.