The House on Foster Hill

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Kaine 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 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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Taken from the first chapter of The House on Foster Hill, ” Death had a way of creeping up on a soul” and “There was nothing worse than seeing the casing of a soul that had drifted into eternity, knowing the body would return to dust while the life lived became a tin-plated photograph with a forgotten name. Lives lost in the passage of time.” The chapters take you from dark mystery to crime scene to heartfelt moments. It was quite the roller coaster at times!

In her debut novel, Jaime Jo Wright has captivated me from the first sentence right up until the very last page! It begins in 1906 with a dark, cold scene where Ivy Thorpe is introduced as she accompanies her father to a crime scene where they discover a deceased young woman. Before I go any further, I must say that I am not one to read crime novels or spooky books, so while reading the first chapter I was a tad on edge. BUT, the first chapter did it’s job and the further I read, the more I had to know. After finishing the book, I can now say that I would recommend this book to anyone, even those not normally grabbing for crime, mystery or spooky tales.

Back to the pages, the second chapter is when you realize that you are not only being introduced to another main character, Kaine, but a new time period, present day. The story intertwines the characters and time periods beautifully and really gives a full array of descriptions. Some may not like having to keep track of which character or time period you are in, but I found it captivating and slowing me down in a good way. It made me think and also dug up many questions and mysteries to solve along the way. In fact, I cannot go into much detail because I don’t want to reveal any spoilers.

But, I will divulge that both women are portrayed as strong, confident and able to handle things by themselves, and the story also brings about their weaknesses and how they overcome them. I thought it was especially thought provoking in regards to Ivy’s character in the early 1900’s as it shows her being able to carry her own during a time of male superiority. If you are looking for a strong female character, this book would be a sure pick as it has several.

Although there was a main mystery to be solved, there were also many details or mysteries along the way, maybe a few too many. I was not confused by them, but at times wondered if it could be a little far fetched. Nonetheless, I was still captivated and drawn into the story enough to stay the course.

The House on Foster Hill is not only the title of the book but is the key backdrop in the book. Without a doubt I can say the house was my favorite part of reading this book, uncovering all the old, hidden and creepy things that it unveiled from 1900 until present day. What a story it told!

Jaime Jo Wright is going to be an author that is added to my list based on this debut novel. Grab your copy of The House on Foster Hill, beach chair and tervis of iced tea and head out to pool or beach!

*Thank you to Bethany House Publisher for my copy of The House on Foster Hill in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.*

Disclosure:

I received a copy of this book for review via . In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

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