Kaine Prescott flees California to escape a stalker whom the police don’t believe exists. The sight-unseen house she bought in Wisconsin requires far more work than she was led to believe, and the stalker appears to have followed her.
Over one hundred years before, her great-great-grandmother had her own horrifying experiences at Foster Hill House. A young, murdered woman was found stuffed in a hollow tree, and Ivy is determined to keep her from being forgotten.
It sounds like an intriguing story, but I found it to have an emotional heaviness. There is little cheer. Understandably, Kaine is fearful, and still suffers from her husband’s death two years previous, a death she believes was murder. Ivy is fixated on keeping the memory of dead people alive, to the detriment of the living. Both find peace by the end.

There are two things I hate – pretty much equally:

1. Creepy ass houses

2. Home renovations

So, if faced with the prospect of doing a home renovation in a creepy ass house, I would take no time to consider before answering firm-fucking-no .

One of the dual protagonists in this Jaime Jo Wright debut obviously doesn’t see eye-to-eye with me on this point – and, probably, on many points TBH.

This protagonist, Kaine Prescott, lost her husband two years ago in a car accident that police say was the result of him driving under the influence of drugs. Kaine, however, insists that this accident is caused by foul play.

Telling the police in the California town she calls home that her husband had never – would never – use drugs, Kaine implores them to dig deeper.

Meanwhile – as if things weren’t shitty enough – she starts to find signs that she is being stalked.

Gaining no headway with the police, and pretty scared of this stalker, Kaine decides to move to her familial hometown in Wisconsin, purchase an as-seen-on-the-internet fixer, and give it a go.

When she arrives, she finds that the fixer is really more of a tear-it-down-and-start-from-scratcher. But, having little money and even fewer options, she knows she must plow ahead with her initial plan, regardless of what it costs.

Fortunately for her, she forms bonds with some locals lightning-fucking-fast, so at least she won’t be going it alone.

But, it’s not all good news.

Right after forming these relationships, the same creepy stuff that induced her to flee from the sunny shores of Cali starts happening here.

As complex as this plot sounds, this is only one half of the novel.

Sandwiched between chapters featuring Kaine, we have chapters telling the story of Ivy, Kaine’s ancestor who called this Wisconsin town home over a century prior.

Ivy was the daughter of a small-town doctor and, as such, often attended to rudimentary autopsies – think “My Girl” but no Thomas Jay and no bees.

Ivy is pretty obsessed with death, not just because she is so often in close proximity to it, but also because she lost her twin brother, who died after an accident on an icy pond.

At the start of the book, Ivy accompanies her father to observe and collect the body of a girl who died under suspicious circumstances. This girl, as fate would have it, is found stuffed into the largely hollowed trunk of a tree that sits quite close to the house that – 100 years in the future – Kaine ends up purchasing.

Ivy becomes immediately obsessed with finding justice for the girl in the tree – who she calls Gabriella.

As her story progresses, she endeavors to find out who caused this girl’s death, and what happened to the baby that her father finds, through examination, must have been born shortly before Gabriella’s murder.

Her only help in the quest is detective Joel, who, in childhood, roamed the country-side with Ivy and her then living – obviously – brother.

So, was the book good?

Well, here’s the thing. This novel is, really, two books of vastly different quality.

One is a solid, lyrical, believable and emotion-provoking piece of historical fiction.

The other is a sloppy, schmaltzy, unrealistic work of contemporary fiction.

And that makes assessing the quality of the book as a whole incredibly difficult.

I absolutely adored the Ivy-centric chapters. The author modified her entire prose style, writing these chapters in a manner reminiscent of classic authors.

I cared about Ivy.

I wanted Ivy to succeed.

Kaine’s chapters, on the other hand, were forgettable, poorly written, fluff.

First, I found pretty much everything about the contemporary half of the novel largely unbelievable.

So, Kaine’s husband dies… then she gets stalked… then – despite the fact that she was never willing to buy a fixer with her husband, who wanted to purchase one – she decides to move all the way to Wisconsin and purchase one to fix up literally on her own… then, when she gets there, there are all of these people who want to help her… And, suddenly, the creepy stuff her stalker was doing started happening all over again.

None of it rang true.

Another factor that I need to consider when trying to decide upon an ultimate opinion of the book as a whole is the heavy - and I mean heavy - mention of Great Expectations.

This book, even 20 years since reading it, is still the one I cite when people ask me about my least favorite book. (which happens more frequently than you would expect when all of your acquaintances are book nerds)

I still remember reading Great Expectations - as a summer reading project heading in to freshman English. The only thing I enjoyed about the process was the post-reading party I had with my friends in which we dressed up as Mrs. Havisham and festooned an old, plastic, play wedding cake with fake cobwebs.


It was also convenient that, months after this party, the decidedly sexier cinematic version of this book, featuring Ethan Hawk and Gwyneth Paltrow, hit the theaters.


But, ultimately, even Hawks rather impressive ass couldn't save this Trainwreak of a book in my esteem.

Not only did the fact that I, personally, detest Great Expectations making its repeated mention like nails on a chalkboard to me, but also the constant reference to it made little sense. Theoretically, Gabriella, the girl who had been found dead, had written her diary in the margins (because she had no other paper) – Okay, that makes sense.

But then, another character had done the same – Okay.. Why… How many copies of “Great Expectations” are floating around? Is this the place where they put all of the copies of “Great Expectations” that high school students don’t want to read – because, in that case, I can imagine the stock-pile of the novels would be sizable indeed.

All factors considered, though, deciding on a final rating for this book is exceptionally hard.

Had the author written a novel consisting only of the Ivy material – even with the Great Expectations references – I would probably be giving this a solid four.

But Kaine’s material was so bad that, it diluted my enjoyment substantially.

It diluted it enough, in fact, that I have to give this novel 2 out of 5 cocktails.

Ivy Thorpe is a memory keeper of sorts. Still in mourning over the loss of her brother, Ivy helps her father with his coroner duties while making sure the dead that pass through his office are named and remembered. When a young woman is found dead in a tree trunk, Ivy makes it her mission to discover the girl’s name, especially when they learn she had recently bore a child. As the woman was found on the Foster estate, Ivy heads to the main house to look for the baby, only to find herself in trouble when she discovers she’s not the only one on the house.

A century later, Kaine Prescott buys Foster Hill sight unseen two years after her husband passed. Unable to convince the police he was murdered and that she is now being stalked by his killer, she decides to move to Wisconsin to start anew. As she pulls up to her new home, she discovers her quaint fixer-upper is more a teardown and let’s rebuild but determined to make a go of it, Kaine begins repairs. Some light research on the home reveals a dark past with a long reach and Kaine realizes she has nowhere left to hide.

As Kaine and Ivy work to solve the mysteries surrounding them, each woman finds that blood is thicker than water and some people will do anything to keep the past where it belongs…in the past.

I picked up The House on Foster Hill on a whim because who doesn’t like a romantic suspense horror story about a creepy gothic home with a sinister mystery attached to it? Jaime Jo Wright’s debut is an intriguing mystery that deals with family, faith, and how the past can heavily influence the future.The story unfolds in the past and present when two women, born a century apart, attempt to unravel the mysteries behind the house on Foster Hill. Along with the atmosphere and sinister undertones, there are two romances flavored with a religious inspirational tone. The main message of the story, in my opinion, seems to be that faith will always guide us to salvation in spite of our circumstances.

The beginning chapters are intriguing, layered with a blend of tension and anticipation as Wright sets up the story arc and main characters. We are introduced to Ivy and Kaine, our leads, learning their histories and the events that led them to now. The switching from past to present is relatively smooth with few missteps while the dual narrative tries to keep the readers on the right path.

Wright tosses us in with Ivy and her father headed to a crime scene. Ivy is a compelling character whose curious nature, a strong sense of justice, and unconventional ways instantly peak your curiosity. Unofficially assisting her father with his autopsies gives Ivy a bittersweet view of life and death. Her need to give the dead dignity by making sure they’re named and remembered is an interesting idea that highlights Ivy’s compassion. I wish Kaine could have been as fleshed out as Ivy. We meet her after her traumatic experience so there is a feeling of disconnection from the beginning. Kaine is very closed off, making it hard to connect with her. It takes a majority of the story for her layers to peel back though I will say her emotional grid is as one would expect for everything she has and is experiencing. While Ivy revealed organically, Kaine felt more a laborious.

After a few chapters, Wright seems to lose momentum and the story goes from being a hauntingly suspenseful to a faith-driven romance with a mysterious element. There are a plethora of plotlines which clutter the story as they all compete against one another for top billing. Both Ivy and Kaine’s romances are second chances; finding love after tragic losses. Again, Ivy’s evolution story feels natural while Kaine’s felt forced and off-kilter.

Wright leads us to the end, revealing the main catalyst behind the mystery(s) and hammering out all the details of the foster family tree and how it connects Kaine and Ivy. She becomes a little long winded here, dragging out the finale and the epilogue.

The House on Foster Hill is a solid start to what is sure to be a prolific writing career for Wright.

Grade: C+

This book unfortunately didn't work for me. The story might be good, I enjoy dual stories mixed into one plot line however didn't really enjoy the style of writing and didn't particularly find the characters deep or interesting. There are too many mentions of God and belief, although I am a believer myself, I found these parts repetitive.

Also there are many references about the life in the USA and Wisconsin, which I probably didn't understand because I have never been there.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bethany House to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The House on Foster Hill is a riveting book with dual timelines converging in an old deserted house. I must admit I had to read it during the daytime. It was a bit spooky and more than a bit suspenseful with some romance, intrigue, and threads of hope, faith, and inspiration woven in. The author masterfully merged the dual timelines in a creative plot with wonderfully layered and engaging characters. The cover of the book is fantastic and impelling, and begged me to pick it up and find out about the house and its secrets. I will definitely be looking for more stories from this talented author.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

What a book!
On the front cover, Colleen Coble is quoted to have called it "spellbinding and unputdownable". It truly is both!
A creepy old house, a dual time line story. Two girls.
Ivy Thorpe and Kaine Prescott.
What ties them together? What really happened in the past? How does that connect with the present?

If you like historical fiction with a mystery you will want to read this one!

A debut novel, all I know is I will read anything else written by this author! This book is very well written!

This is a good novel for readers who like edgy Christian fiction. This is not your cozy mystery. This novel deals with a tough issue and contains some harsh scenes. There were times when I was glad I was not reading it late at night.

The plot is complex and covers over a century of time. There are flashbacks which can be problematic but they fit in to the progression of the plot relatively well. The significance of the suspense that Kaine endures is explained fully at the end, when the villain is revealed. That took some doing as the relationships and reasons for action were obscure during the reading of the novel.

That being said, I do recommend this novel to readers who like suspense woven through a puzzling plot. You will learn some history (revealing the topic would be a spoiler), you'll experience some creepy scenes, and you'll enjoy a bit of romance.

Though Wright has crafted previous novellas, this is her debut full length novel. I am impressed with it and will be looking for more from her.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Jame Jo Wright is the Publishers Weekly and ECPA bestselling author of two novellas, and a human resources director by trade. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and two children. This is her debut novel. Find out more at www.jamewrightbooks.com.

Bethany House, 368 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

I enjoyed reading this book. It is a good mystery with a great message weaved into it. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

This book was not what I expected. I thought I was going to read a murder mystery, and it was that, but I would really classify it as a Christian genre with a very rated G romance thrown in. I am not a big fan of this type of book so the story was really not for me. The last quarter of the book did have some of the suspense I was looking for so I rated it three stars. This was a Netgalley ARC and this is my honest review.

There's just something about that chill a gothic novel can give you. About their somewhat poetic writing appealing to our senses and keeping us on the edge of our seats...
Yep, I do enjoy these novels mostly because as creepy as they can seem, there's usually nothing otherworldly about them, there's always an explanation, the unveiling of secrets and hidden treasures. And it's in these moments that, in my opinion, the craftsmanship of an author is highlighted.

From the cover, I was expected all of this to be found in this novel. Even though I picked up a book from a Christian editor, the faith aspect completely blew me away. It was very much appreciated and somewhat unexpected!
Jaime Jo Wright has just found herself a new fan. I was completely captured by her voice and by the characters. From the achingly sweet romance to two heroines fighting to find the stories hidden within an old abandoned house, believing against all odds what only their intuition whispers to be true.

I didn't even try to guess what was going on since I had the carpet pulled from under me many times when twist and turns made the story take an unexpected detour. This is a very relevant and challenging book that looks into the depths of grief and faith, urging us to look to truth, which goes far beyond our vision. Yep, I'm so looking forward to Wright's next book.

I loved this story that wove the past and present together through the history of a house. A beautiful and moving story of love and loyalty amid dark forces and tragedy. A story with something for everyone told in a way that allows both the past and the present to unfold and intersect.

What do two murders committed over 100 years apart have in common? Kaine Prescott races to find out before she is the next victim.

After her husband Danny’s “accidental” death, Kaine believes she is being stalked and gaslighted. Determined to make a change and escape San Diego, she buys the local “fixer-upper” haunted house in Oakwood, Wisconsin after only seeing an online advertisement as Oakwood was the home of her great-great-grandmother, Ivy.

It seems, however, that the stalker has followed her to Oakwood and the house on Foster Hill. Strange things begin happening and Kaine feels like she is losing her sanity. Unlike the San Diego police force, the Oakwood police don’t believe that she is merely suffering from PTSD and imagining the odd things going on in her life.
Kaine makes quick friends and soon discovers that the house on Foster Hill was the site of a murder that involved Ivy and a missing infant many years ago. She feels a kinship with Ivy as they both understand that grief is “a high currency to pay for loving someone.”

Kaine learns everything she can about Ivy and learns that Ivy was an oddity in Oakwood. Ivy assisted her father during postmortem examinations and even kept a death journal so that everyone she knew who died would never be forgotten.

“The House on Foster Hill” is an excellent, well-written mystery. Throughout the book, the characters learn that no matter the circumstances, there is always hope. Heaven is the future and “there is no despair in eternity, in God’s presence, in His perfection. There is only hope. He is my hope.”

Publication Date: November 21, 2017
Genre: Thriller, suspense, mystery, Christian fiction
Cover: Perfect!
Source: I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

Ivy Thorpe in the early 1900's is drawn into the mystery of a woman found dead at the Foster House, and is determined to uncover who she is and what is her story. Nearly a hundred years later, her descendant Kaine Prescott purchases Foster House to get away from her losses and a stalker in San Diego. The house is eerie and ramshackle, with the unsolved mystery surrounding it, and odd happenings beginning to surface around Kaine. As much as she would rather stay isolated, she can't stay alone and there's nowhere else for her to go.

I was drawn into both mysteries, though Ivy's was slower to unfold at first. It wasn't clear at first how Kaine's and Ivy's stories would really intertwine, and they ran separate tracks for a while. Ivy's past was hinted at for a while without being explicitly discussed; it might have been easier for someone to sit her down and openly talk about it, though it wasn't the Done Thing in 1906. As much as there was a fascination with death and keeping the memories of loved ones alive, people also didn't discuss feelings freely. That atmosphere helped secrets grow, and made it easier to hide the secrets of Foster House.

Kaine's story at first seemed improbable, that her past trauma would be so cavalierly tossed aside and not even be discussed. The mystery surrounding her husband's death and stalker in San Diego is wrapped up relatively quickly, for all the foreboding that storyline was given. That let the stalking in Wisconsin take on a more ominous tone, even as there were few clues who it could be and why Kaine was targeted. Because the modern-day story is so tightly focused on Kaine, whatever she misses are clues that we don't see either. It makes the final chapters feel very sudden. Because it's a mystery that is over a century old, some pieces still remain missing by the end. It's wrapped up enough for us to be content with it and realize that all the players involved did get some kind of punishment for their wrongdoing.

It was nice also to see the afterward at the end where the author discussed the role of human trafficking, which suddenly popped up as the reason for the mysteries at Foster House. I realize there's no good way to foreshadow that before Ivy discovered it, but it was a surprising motive that I hadn't considered before. There is also information about how to help with and learn more about current day trafficking efforts.

This is the first book I have read by this author but I am happy to say I have found a new author that I will look for. Great story line and characters.

The House on Foster Hill is Jamie Jo Wright's debut, I love discovering new authors especially when I get the chance to start with their debut. I loved the premise of this one, spooky old abandoned house, murder of an unidentified woman taking place a century earlier in a town that is tight lipped about the past.

This book made my 'best of 2017' list for a number of reasons. First off I love the mystery, the Gothic elements, creepy family portraits hanging crooked with eyes that follow you, mysterious music playing in this vacant house and it's deadly history. The author kept me wanting to read more with its subtle clues and it wasn’t till near the end where everything fit into place. I think it’s great when an author can create a mystery/suspense book in a way where it isn’t blatantly obvious what is taking place and keeps me guessing.

Now you may have noticed I only gave this book 4 1/2 stars instead of five and that involves the past story line. It wasn’t anything that I can put my finger on but I just felt there was some little thing missing. They were a few times where I didn’t get the feel of the time, but it wasn’t enough to distract me or take away from the plot.

I really like the author's writing style I liked how she wove the story back-and-forth in time smoothly, the ending it was not something I expected at all, very fitting for the time. The way the past and current story lines mesh was perfect.

This is Christian fiction and this book portrayed it perfectly. Maybe it’s just because I can relate but I thought the author displayed both Ivy and Kaine’s grief in a realistic manner,. Each person handles grief differently, the reaction and their feelings toward God is altered, where some cleave to Him others distance themselves wondering how a loving God could let bad things happen. Both Ivy and Kaine’s struggles played out nicely here not in an overwhelming preachy manner but heartfelt and authentic. There is no set time period for grief and healing and that came out here.

All in all I think Jamie Jo Wright is off to a great start with this book, definitely looking forward to her new book out in June 2018.

Thank you to Bethany House (via Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book).

Before I picked up this book, I wasn’t sure if it was a book I wanted to read. I was curious, but hesitant. You see, suspense isn’t my typical first book of choice. However, I was drawn in by the mysterious cover and the recommendations, that I read. I tend to lean more toward the cozy, sweet, swoony love stories. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there is not one but two swoony love stories in this book!

This dual timeline story will keep you on your toes, and the suspense will keep you turning pages right from the beginning. With this delightful mystery and intriguing story, I was kept guessing until all was expertly revealed.

Foster House is more than just a setting, it’s nearly a character in the story. If you have ever walked into an old forgotten building and thought to yourself, “If walls could talk, I wonder what they would have to say”. The walls do not talk, but the people uncovering its history are discovering quite the story, and dear reader friends we are along for the adventure!

This story is real and honest. Expertly written with emotion, the author doesn’t shy away from the difficult topics of abuse and slavery. This story takes an straightforward look at the realities of the shame and embarrassment felt by the characters. The topics are handled with care and bring to light that this isn’t just something that happened in the past, but that it is still going on to this day.

Woven into the story are threads of faith, of real people who struggle with their walk, and others who stand firm even in the face of utter desolation.

I enjoyed reading this story and about halfway through the book I ended up purchasing a print copy to add to my bookshelf collection. I give this story 4.5 stars. I look forward to reading more from Jaime Jo Wright.

(I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own.)

The author has us traveling in two periods of time, a century apart, and yet really tied together as we learn.
Don’t get too comfortable and you might want to keep the lights on, this book is scary in more ways than one, both in the past and also in the present.
The revelations here are going to make you cringe and you wonder what happenings in California have to do with Wisconsin, but unexplained things are going on, and you wonder why, and boy do surprises abound here, most I never saw coming.
A first novel for this author, and I cannot wait for more, she had me from the beginning for this real page turner of a read.
Come along with our current day Kate buys a home sight unseen, it doesn’t even have a door, and see how it connects to early 1900’s Ivy, you won’t be disappointed.

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bethany House, and was not required to give a positive

When I saw this book and read the synopsis I was immediately intrigued. I love dual-time stories and this one had a twist to it. I also love suspense, mystery, as well as romance, and this story covered all those aspects plus much more!
The only thing I wasn’t sure about was the author. Jamie Jo Wright is new to me, so I was a bit cautious. Yet, from the very first page to the end of the book I was captured with the story.
Ivy is a young woman in the 1900’s, who has been dealing with a deep grief in her life. When she discovers a mystery, she becomes obsessed with find the answers, even when searching for the answers puts her in some very dangerous situations. Her drive to seek the truth also reflexes on her need to bury her past hurts and losses. Through all these struggles she finds God’s healing hope in the most unexpected place.
Kaine, a young woman in current time, finds she is lost after the death of her husband. As she tries to start her life over, she buys a house in the town her family came from. Little did she know it would lead to lots of mystery and suspense. Like Ivy, she too just wants to find the truth and searching for it just may be too much for her to handle.
This story will keep you captured and not let you go until you’ve read all of it. The author does a fantastic job of creating plots with twist and turns. As you read you might think you have it all figured out and then the author throws in new surprises. Jamie Jo Wright has a wonderful way of telling a story. She brings vivid word pictures and smooth flow of the characters. There were times I actually had to put the book down, because it got so intense.
The author tackled some issues which are difficult, and these issues brought out strong emotions for me. However, the author did a wonderful job of weaving God’s everlasting hope throughout the story.
I was truly captivated by this book.
I highly recommend this book to anyone. It will be well worth your time to read it.
I was given this book by the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

THE HOUSE ON FOSTER HILL can be classified as many things: Historical fiction, Christian Lit, romance, crime, suspense/thriller and mystery.
House features two vulnerable and damaged women, Ivy and Kaine, two perspectives on life and faith, two different time periods and two murders that require answers.

Foster Hill deftly blends the past with the present as it introduces a unique collection of characters, each one on a quest - seeking answers but with a specific result in mind, and then stays with them patiently through the novel, un-peeling the reasons for their actions and answers to their questions.

Written with passion and purpose Jamie Jo Wright’s unhurried prose braids the complex personal stories of these women as they come to grips with loss, choices and danger in their changing worlds.

This book had two things I really like in a story-history and a mysterious old house. I found this book to be very enjoyable. It is told through the characters of Kaine Prescott (present day) and Ivy Thorpe (she lived in the house 100 years ago). When Kaine buys an old house, sight unseen, mysterious things begin to happen. One hundred years ago Ivy Thorpe had discovered a murdered woman on the same property. This is the mystery of how their lives are connected and what really happened. I will be looking for more by this author!