Holy cow!!! Electrifying. Fast paced. Edge of your seat. I could not put this book down. I found myself reading faster and faster just to get to the next page! This is a time hop novel between early 1900s and today. The stories are interwoven beautifully. It’s easy to follow because of the way it’s written. Wright has such a way with words and plot and characters. She draws the reader in from the beginning and doesn’t let them go! Her writing is captivating. Suspenseful in a mind blowing psychological thriller type way. Love the added romantic elements. It eases the story a bit and gives the reader a little reprieve from the intensity! This book propels you along at such a quick pace. I started the book and 20 minutes later I was 35 pages in! The writing flows. I hate when you have to read and reread passages of books. This book had NONE of that! Awesome. Loved it.
I received a digital copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Thoughts:

HOUSE ON FOSTER HILL by Jaime Jo Wright tosses us into danger from the beginning while we find a fresh grave, an unknown woman, and a deadly past centering on this estate.

In 1906, Ivy Thorpe did not want another death to remember, but she never expected one like this. It comes too close and brings forward a past that she would rather not face. Reopening a hole deep in her heart that she’d rather not feel, she eyes the one who hurt her.

She believes why cannot always come before whom.

The living seems to have fading memories of those who are gone, and Ivy tries to change that in her own way.

Meanwhile, a historic tract becomes a deathtrap, and we find danger still hovers even today….

Kaine Prescott runs away from her life, her past, and her husband’s death to start anew. The write up on this house makes a charming fixer-upper sound like what she needs until she arrives. A dilapidated structure stands alone, open and neglected, and memories assault her once her eye lands on what else awaits her!

Can anyone outrun the past?

***This opinion is my own.***

Preview:

In HOUSE ON FOSTER HILL by Jaime Jo Wright, Kaine Prescott is a widow facing life after loss, but her struggle is not just grief, as regret and fear stalk her. Desperate for relief, she opts for a change and moves to Wisconsin. However, the house that just needed some work turns out to be an abandoned eyesore with a horrid past, adding to her present troubles by bringing jeopardy even closer.

Does death follow her?

Previously, Ivy Thorpe faces loss at Foster Hill, and death visits again once a woman with no name is found on the acreage. In her determination to give this woman the peace of her lifetime remembered, Ivy faces another mystery and puts herself in the danger zone!

Just the right amount of suspense, mystery, romance, and creepiness......to satisfy the bookish mind!

I am not typically a "suspense" reader (and DEFINITELY not a suspense movie type of person at all). But when word about this book started circulating around the bookish world last year...I just knew I HAD to read it!!! I mean just look at that cover...It screams "YOU MUST READ ME! You MUST discover the secrets that I hold within these pages!"

Be prepared for a lot of emotions that will be brought to the surface while reading The House on Foster Hill. Jaime addresses some very difficult topics in this book. And I am SO glad she does. It is not easy to read about, but the TRUTH must be shared. The secrets, the pain, the shame, must all be brought forward for healing, restoration, and freedom.

With a dual timeline, the author alternates between the present and the past with flawless accuracy. Secrets and shame hide behind the walls of Foster Hill House. What will be revealed? And what will be lost to history forever?

I received a complimentary copy of The House on Foster Hill. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

[Note:  This book was provided free of charge by Bethany House Publishers.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

It is difficult for me to be a fair judge of this book but I will do my best.  Ultimately, while I found much to appreciate in the skill and insight of the author as it related to the fictional but plausible action of this novel, this is not the sort of novel for me, about dark crimes and a creepy house and characters who are subjected to a great deal of psychological terror and violence [1].  That is not to say that this is a bad book, but rather that it brought me no pleasure to read it.  The book is written to increase suspense to a high degree and portray deathly peril for the protagonists as well as rape, murder, and sex trafficking.  The story also has a complicated family history full of secrets and violence at its heart, with people willing to kill to preserve the dark secrets of a small Wisconsin town viewed as part of a sex trafficking ring from Chicago to Canada and where the voice of women was not well-respected or well-regarded, making even the sexual politics of this novel deeply unpleasant if not repugnant.

The story of the novel, without too many spoilers, has dual female protagonists who share a close connection.  Ivy is a memory keeper in a small Wisconsin town who takes it upon herself to memorialize the dead so that they are not forgotten, and she finds herself caught up in a sensational murder mystery when a young woman who has recently given birth is found dead in a hollow tree.  Needless to say this mystery is dangerous and leads her into a relationship with a man she loved but lost faith in after the death of her brother when he was absent from the funeral and for the next twelve years.  Meanwhile, in the present day a young woman named Paige whose husband was murdered but who got nowhere with the San Diego police goes back "home" to Wisconsin to buy a fixer-upper house with a dark history related to the past and where creepy things keep happening to this day and where she meets a handsome man who helps to protect her and fix up the house.  The two plot lines are obviously related and female relatives with changed last names become increasingly important to make sense of how everyone is connected.

There is a great deal that is admirable about the story.  The author makes a lot of notes about the redemptive and healing power of love, the way that places and people become magnets for trouble over the course of generations over and over again, and the complicated links between violence and family.  The author has clearly done her homework on the logistics of sex trafficking and makes use of that insight in unraveling the mystery of the titular creepy house.  The author also has strong beliefs of divine providence that work their way through this book in surprising ways.  I did not find pleasure in reading this book, but I did find much to admire and if you have a higher tolerance for Christian horror novels than I do along with themes of sisterhood and patterns of violence against women, you will likely find much to enjoy here.  I am clearly not the ideal reader of this book as someone who is both afflicted with PTSD from my own past as well as someone who is deeply offended by feminism as it is frequently portrayed, and this novel manages to trigger both of those sensitivities simultaneously, by no means an easy or praiseworthy achievement.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016/04/30/book-review-unusual-chickens-for-the-exceptional-poultry-farmer/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014/08/06/book-review-the-little-stranger/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017/07/15/book-review-battle-town/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017/03/16/book-review-treasured-grace/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017/07/05/book-review-beloved-hope/

I had a good feeling about the book when I first picked it up - an interesting blurb that promised an intertwined story of two women who are mysteriously connected through an abandoned, old house in rural Wisconsin.
Without giving too much away - I wasn't disappointed. The book holds its promise and offers some twists and turns that I didn't see coming.

'The House on Foster Hill' is foremost the story of said house and its impact on the life of two very different women. There is Ivy - assistant to her father, the local doctor, and writer of a very special book. After a painful loss in her past, she collects the story of those who die around her. Of course, this particular hobby doesn't make her too popular with the local people and she leads a rather secluded life. This suddenly changes when a dead girl is found on the grounds of Foster Hill.
A century later, Kaine decides to leave her old life and stressful job behind as she moves to a small town in Wisconsin. Still dealing with a terrible loss and hurtful aftermath, she bought an old house to renovate and resell. Of course, we are talking about the same house and slowly Kaine is sucked into its history.

Comparing the two timelines, I liked Ivy's story more. Her character was easy to relate to and I loved to read about her quest of collecting the stories of the death.
Kaine, on the other hand, was an interesting character but her story contained too many overused topics. Having read quite a lot of mysteries lately I wasn't too surprised by the course of her actions as well as the final solution.
The final solution was maybe the only real letdown in the book. I believe the story deserved something better and it felt kind of rushed but, all in all, it was okay.

I haven't heard of the author before but I'm always curious to discover new names. Wright actually did an awesome job of using different writing styles to present a hundred-year-difference between two storylines. The writing, in general, was great - in fact, I already looked up the next book she will publish and hope to read it when it comes out.

In the end, I'm really glad that I came across the book by mere chance and I would recommend it to fans of historical mystery novels. You also might like it if you are into contemporary mysteries. All in all, great book.

I have to admit that the cover attracted me to this book but I stayed because of the story. I've read books similar to this but I wasn't expecting the twist at the end. Thank you for the copy Netgalley. Full review is on my blog

Kaine Prescott is no stranger to death. When her husband died two years ago, her pleas for further investigation into his suspicious demise 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, resurrecting painful memories and forcing a reunion with the man who broke her heart. Can Ivy unravel the mystery and find a renewed hope before any other lives--including her own--are lost?

The House on Foster Hill by Jamie Jo Wright was an interesting and engaging read. The switch between centuries was quick and kept me reading to what happens next. I liked that how the author took some current issues and wove them into this story. While I felt the characters could have been developed more, over all it was a very well written debut novel.

The House on Foster Hill was the debut novel of Jaime Jo Wright. Kaine flees her life to start anew in her ancestoral small town by buying a desolute and haunted fixer upper. Prompted by the memories of the murder of her husband and a stalker who intends to make her life miserable, she believes this will be a new start. However, her stalker follows her, and Kaine fears for her life. Meanwhile, she discovers her ancestor, Ivy, was part of a mystery of her own and finds clues within the house that will solve it. This mystery involves solving the murder of a woman found dead in a tree on the property. However, the resolution seems a little out of place historically and unexpected for such a small town. This was a solid effort for a debut novel, and great for anyone who enjoys parrallel times novels.

I'm basically a mystery-person, which is why I requested The House on Foster Hill. Houses with a dark history? Definitely gonna read that. It turns out that this is a Christian mystery, so it's not as scary as I assumed it would be, but it was still pretty interesting.

After the suspicious death of her husband, Kaine decided to renovate a house because that was his dream that she never got to do. The house she chose is related to her great-grandmother. But when she moves in, she finds that her stalking issue has increased.

For the second plot, which takes place in the past, Ivy becomes obsessed with solving the murderer of Gabriella. Who was she and what happened to her baby? And can she work with Joel, the man she thought she loved (until the Tragic Event). The dual plot lines of Kaine and Ivy mirror each other as the danger and tension increases. Along the way, both women have to confront their loss of faith.

Personally, Kaine and I got off to a rocky start when she said that “she never liked Dickens. He took four pages to explain one setting when he only needed a paragraph.” Well, I actually hold the works of Dickens in higher esteem so...

And there was one odd head-hop moment just past the 25% mark.

But the characters grew on me after these hiccups and the pacing increased in a way that I was rushing through the last quarter of the book to find out who the culprits were.

I thought the Christianity in the book was rather heavy-handed (or at least, I noticed it, and I don’t normally do unless it’s Christian-Christian fiction). I’m completely okay with that since this is my faith, but if you don’t like that sort of thing, you may want to avoid the book.

Overall, I thought this was a decent mystery. The dual plotlines came together nicely and I was invested in the characters by the end of the book.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

"Death had a way of creeping up on a soul. . . lives lost in the passage of time. Unremembered." (9)

Haunting is the first word that comes to mind when thinking of Jaime Jo Wright's The House on Foster Hill. Haunting, yes, but also beautiful. It's beautiful because of how intricately the details of the past and the present are woven together. The author did a fabulous job in keeping readers interested and in suspense.

"All houses hold secrets, and I am one of them. . . You shouldn't have come here. . ." (43, 44)

In honesty, I started reading The House on Foster Hill in the wee hours of the night, thinking I'll get a head start. Well, big mistake for two reasons. One, the tension is high from the start, stirring a suspense that I anticipated on the edge of my bed. Secondly, I'm so into it I couldn't let go until the last page, and that was hours later. There should be a warning label of how compelling a story it is!

"Hope. I need to find the hope to live again. A reason to move on with my life." (203)

The House on Foster Hill is a great story of seeking life, of connecting lives, of finding a need to fill the void. It's about hope amidst trials. How two individuals, Kaine and Ivy, a century apart and one old house connects, are as fascinating as it can be. There's more than one mystery at play here. Then double the romance and a secret that harbors such human evil, The House on Foster Hill will captivate your senses, but also bring a certain level of warmth.

"I've never found any sense in not seeing the humor when going through a trial." (229)

So smile, and be spellbound by it!


Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.

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).

This is a Christian mystery set in two separate time periods. Both stories center around the house on Foster Hill and with a gradual disclosure of the clues, the story merges into two interesting and connected endings. Very enjoyable mystery with a different spin on the cozy mystery genre.

I obtained this book through Net Galley and have left an honest review.

The novel was suspenseful and kept me guessing as to what would happen next. I was quite impressed that I did not guess what the ending would be. The author tackled a subject that I very rarely see in fiction. Unfortunately, I can't go in to too much detail without giving away the big reveal! I will say that the topic she covers is near and dear to my heart based on prior work experience, and it was nice to see someone show that the topic is not a new topic, but that women have been effected throughout the centuries by the same troubles. While disheartening, it was really well written.

My one major critique of this novel is that the way Wright introduced the main character's back story, it made it feel like this was a second book in a series. I actually had to go and research the author and her other works to see if I was missing a book where Kaine was already introduced. Much of the premise of this novel was predicated on Kaine's history. When the author added in these tidbits of history, the flow of the novel was disrupted. I did not like feeling that I missed out on something along the way.

Overall, I would recommend the novel. The author kept me guessing as to what was causing the mysterious goings on in Foster Hill House. I did not see the twists and turns that the novel took and that was very enjoyable to me. There was a romantic twist to the novel, but it didn't over power the story, something I'm always concerned about when reading books that are labelled by others as romance. And yes, for all of you who wondered after reading this, people in Wisconsin really do wear wedges of cheese on their heads.

It's taken me a while to figure out how to write this review because the book itself is so different and complex and beautiful and haunting.

Jaime Jo Wright's debut (full-length) novel is amazing. It's intense--so intense, there were nights I had to put it aside and read something upbeat so I could sleep better--but never scary. It's haunting, in a beautiful way that takes you out of your surroundings and inserts you into mystery. It's unpredictable in that the reader doesn't really know who--or what--is behind it all. It's important because it tackles a subject matter that has been around for far too long. It's complex because the dual timeline not only lends itself to the mystery and dynamics and thrills, but because the characters--specifically the two main heroines--undergo a life-changing journey from the very first page.

This book--and future books by this author--is firmly planted on my keeper bookshelf.

*I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my honest review. A positive review was not required.

Award worthy debut novel

I would rank this in the top 5 Best Suspense for 2017. I loved both the past and present stories in this dual timeline equally.

Kaine Prescott doesn't believe her husband's death was an accident. No one will believe her claims that someone is stalking her, or her pleas that this same person murdered her husband. Desperate to start over, Kaine moves far away to her grandfather's hometown. When Kaine arrives at the house on foster hill, it seems the nightmare has followed her. She begins to learn of her family history, and finds it eerily similar to her own. With the support of her new friend Grant Jesse, Kaine is determined to learn the truth of the past and end this continual nightmare.

Years earlier, the house on foster hill holds dark secrets of death and Ivy Thorpe is determined to reveal the truth. Ivy is viewed as strange for writing about the dead, when really she just wants to keep the memory of life. When a young girl is murdered, Ivy wants nothing more than to keep her memory alive. But to do so, she must find the true identity of the girl.

The suspense in this story definitely grabs hold and won't let go. Most of all, I loved the message of hope portrayed. No matter how dark the circumstances in this life, there is always hope.

* I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved The House on Foster Hill. I snuck in a few pages anywhere I could — the commute, the lunch break, everything — until I finished!

The book particularly impressed me in that it’s Wright’s debut novel. I didn’t know that factoid until after I finished, and it raises my opinion of the book even higher. Wright has two novellas out as well; I looking forward to reading those in 2018!

Foster Hill keeps the reader guessing until the very end. It does deal with some heavy topics at times, and opened my eyes to the prevalence and long (inglorious) history of topics I quickly forget aren’t unique to the 21st century.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a digital ARC of this book. It was a great find!

This book goes back and forth in time between two characters who end up being intertwined by a mysterious house. One story is in present day about Kaine, a social worker dedicated to abused women, whose husband recently died in a car wreck. She bought an old house in Wisconsin to remodel, fulfilling one of her husband's dreams. She had no idea that the house was in such disrepair or had such a nefarious history when she bought it. She believes that someone tried to kill her husband, and she is fleeing from someone who she believes is stalking her. When she arrives at Foster House, she realizes that she has not escaped danger. She ends up finding answers to her family's dark history and love along the way.

The parallel story takes place in 1906. The other character is Ivy, who assists her father, a doctor, in examining the death of a young woman found dead on the property of the house (which Kaine buys many years later). Ivy becomes obsessed with finding out why this young lady died and what happened to her baby. She ends up getting too involved in the case and making the young woman's murderer very mad.

I enjoyed the characters and the story line very much. It moved quickly. It has all the elements of a great book - suspense, interesting characters, and even a little romance. The best part is that this is a really good Christian book. Throughout this story, both main characters learn that hope in God is what keeps them going.

Oh, my word! This was just delicious—the kind of story that sends prickles up the back of your neck and causes random shivers to wash across your shoulders. There will be some readers who won’t want to read this at night unless they have their own knight in shining armour waiting and ready to slay their dragons (or at least snoring beside them in bed!)  I’m not a Gothic fan per se, but I’m discovering that I quite enjoy novels that recreate the feeling of a gothic novel without moving into horror or the paranormal. Think a little more Gothic than Jane Eyre but a fair way short of Frankenstein!

In this case we have two heroines a century apart, whose lives are weighted by death. For Ivy, in 1906, it was the tragic death of her beloved brother when they were children, and now the death of an unknown young woman whom she has named 'Gabriella.' The need to know what happened to this woman only intensifies when her father's medical examination indicates she gave birth no more than three weeks ago, but finding out what happened to this woman and and her child poses a life-threatening challenge that unfolds in the shadows of the abandoned house on Foster Hill.

In the present, Kaine is struggling following the loss of her husband two years ago in a car accident that she believes was actually murder. She also believes she is being stalked by whoever was responsible for her husband’s death, but without hard evidence, the Police put it down to a form of PTSD and close the case. She’s become the kind of broken woman she used to help as a social worker and is desperate for a fresh start, but the house on Foster Hill is not exactly what she had in mind, especially when it appears her stalker has followed her.

Jaime Jo Wright's writing was absolutely perfect for this story, for the most part setting the tone unobtrusively, but also knowing when to deliver fantastic imagery like "Cavernous windows opened in a silent scream on the face of the Gothic house" and "balconies curved in permanent, evil grins".

I also loved the way in which Ivy’s and Kaine’s stories often paralleled each other at the point of transition. For example, at the end of one chapter, we leave Ivy at the climax of an intense scene where she has fallen down the staircase, ending with the sentence, “The blackness of Foster Hill House engulfed her.” The next chapter switches to Kaine and begins “Kaine stood in the parlor of the dilapidated house, staring up the staircase that disappeared into the second floor.” Cue random shiver!

I feel like I could go on for pages about this novel, but I’ll try and limit myself to one more thing. This isn’t just a story about literal life and death. Yes, that’s a big part of it; both Ivy and Kaine are in physical danger at various points in the story. But the bigger outcome for them was coming to a point where they were able to move from living under the shadow that others’ deaths had cast over their lives, to embracing life, hope, and healing. That's what really made this story satisfying for me.

This is a story chock-full of mystery, suspense, and several hair-raising moments, with just the right amount of romance as a sweetener. (I know I haven't mentioned Joel or Grant, but I loved them, too.) If you love romantic suspense, I highly recommend checking this story out.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Honestly, this is not the kind of book that I normally read because the narrator keeps switching between two women, one from the early 1900’s and one in present day times. However, the way the author threads their stories together is fascinating, so this is on my “you have to read this book” list! Kaine is fleeing California where her husband was murdered (although no one will believe her) and is settling into the home of her great-grandmother Ivy. The story of Ivy is woven through the story of Kaine, with the chapters in the book taking turns between the two. Ivy lost her brother at a very young age and has never really moved on from that tragedy. She keeps a “death book” of those that die so that they will be remembered. That task is easy enough until a young woman’s body is discovered at a house on Foster Hill, stuck into a tree trunk. She is unidentified, but Ivy names her Gabriella and is determined to find out what happened to her and to her baby, because she had given birth shortly before she was killed. Ivy risks her life to find out the truth. Now, Kaine is trying to find out the truth about her family heritage, a story that is interwoven with Ivy’s and thus also fraught with danger. The story is so well-written that the reader is enticed to keep reading to find out what happens to these two women and why is the house on Foster Hill a place of secrets and death.

When I saw the cover of The House on Foster Hill I was intrigued. When I read what it was about I knew I had to read it. I was not disappointed. This book was incredibly hard to put down. It was a rollercoaster of emotion, danger and intrigue right from the get-go. Where it finally led left me gobsmacked. I was not expecting what happened and I can't tell you because that would spoil the whole book.

If you like mysteries, this is definitely a book you want to put on your list. It is a combination of historical and contemporary fiction because both major characters, Ivy and Kaine, are working centuries apart to solve the same mystery. Both women are strong characters. One (Ivy) is trapped in the past, by the death of her brother. Her compassion for the lost and the dead gets her into a lot of trouble. Kaine, has great compassion as well, for hurting and abused women. But rather than going out to look for trouble, it seems to follow her. Both women are separated by a hundred years yet their lives are remarkably entwined.

The author has done a marvellous job of keeping me guessing and keeping me up late at night too! Like I said, it was hard to put down. If you like mysteries and suspense (with a little bit of romance here and there) you will love this book!

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.