Member Reviews
When Aggie Dunkirk’s real estate career crashes and burns, she finds herself in Wisconsin with her grandmother, Mumsie, lured there by Mumsie’s claim of a broken hip and living with her in her big, old house. She finds work at a cemetery as a secretary helping an archaeologist as he tries to restore the flooded historic section of the community cemetery.
Mumsie’s obsession with a 70-year-old crime has her still trying to solve the mystery of her sister’s murder, going so far as to recreate the crime scene in a miniature dollhouse.
And mystery seems to follow Aggie at her job as well…as they unearth unmarked graves and try to piece together past crimes, someone is willing to go to extreme lengths to prevent the truth from coming to light.
The story goes back and forth between present day and 1946 around the time of the original murder. It was a bit disconcerting at first, but it’s worth sticking with the story. The author brings together past and present to tie together clues and stories from both eras.
This was a well written dual narrated story. in the present, Aggie finds herself back in her hometown to care for her feisty grandma, and discovers a mystery from the 1940's. It's a good story with good characters from both era's.
I received this book free from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.
This was my first Jamie Jo Wright book, and it does not disappoint! I enjoyed the dual timeline. Aggie and Imogene, in their own timelines, are both battling grief and working in fields in which they’re not particularly comfortable. In the present, Aggie and Mumsie butt heads, both more alike than either would care to admit. Along comes Colin with his charm and wit and archeological predilection for “uncovering dead things and bringing their stories back to life,” which he seems to also do for Aggie. In the 1940s, Imogene fights to bring justice for her sister’s killer and won’t rest until she does. Poignant, intriguing, and puzzling with delicate threads of faith and healing woven through. I’ll definitely be adding more JJW to my TBR.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This had no impact on my enjoyment of the book or decision to review. Opinions are my own.
This dual time line mystery is a well-crafted & suspenseful Christian story. The characters are fully developed and believable; and the plot is completely engrossing. The build up does feel a little slow at times, particularly at the beginning, but the pay off is well worth it!
*Clean romance level: sweet kisses, nothing graphic
“She didn’t deserve death. He didn’t deserve life.”
“Grief made its own indelible mark on a person’s soul, and only those who toiled through its muck could understand the exhaustion that came with it.”
“Their voices will always echo, here, among the stones, and in our hearts. It is how it was meant to be.”
Echoes Among The Stones is another superb novel by Jaime Jo Wright. Per usual, it has her trademark dual timelines going back and forth; this time the 1940’s and present day. And like all Jaime Jo Wright, books there is exceptional storytelling, writing, characters, setting, faith, and a nice mystery. Her books aren’t these non-stop action thrill rides; instead they are like a smooth running stream that suddenly opens up into fast flowing current. She takes her time and doesn’t rush anything. As a reader, it is a treat to be sucked into such a good story and then watch how it all unfolds in the end. Jaime Jo Wright gives you enough pieces of the mystery to draw you in and then deftly pulls it all together. I was happy that my theory on this one was mostly correct. Can’t wait for the next book by this creative author.
I received this book free from Netgalley and publisher Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.
Echoes Among the Stones, by Jaime Jo Wright, is a gripping, time-slip novel that skillfully intertwines mysterious events of the past with puzzling events of the present to create a unique story that is eerily chilling and absolutely captivating. With undeniable talent and imagination, Ms. Wright has crafted a novel that is simply impossible to put down. Pulse-quickening scenes, ominous settings, and enigmatic characters ensure that this book is thoroughly intriguing and utterly entertaining.
Whether set in an old farmhouse, a cold attic room, or a flooded corner of the town cemetery, the scenes in this book unfurl with a contemplative precision that is emotionally stirring and cleverly appealing. With excellent pacing throughout the novel, important facts and details are thoughtfully uncovered, revealing the truth behind the secretive and disturbing events the characters encounter. The quest to make sense of the unsettling and frightening circumstances makes for an extremely riveting reading experience.
This novel also abounds with purposeful themes that uplift and encourage. When presented with alarming truths and baffling secrets, the characters possess a spirit of perseverance and strength that is remarkably inspiring. As they struggle with fear, loss, and insecurities, the characters manage to grasp meaning and pursue hope. No matter what secrets are revealed or what facts are discovered, the characters learn to open their hearts to the healing power of faith, forgiveness, and family.
With terrific talent and careful attention to detail, Ms. Wright has fashioned an unforgettable novel. Echoes Among the Stones is an incredibly fascinating story from beginning to end. The absorbing mystery, meaningful themes, and thrilling suspense are intensely satisfying. It is a well-written, engaging, and relevant novel, and I recommend it wholeheartedly.
*I was given a copy of this novel by the publisher and NetGalley. A review was not required. The review I have written is voluntary and contains opinions that are entirely my own.
Echoes Among the Stones was a strong mystery that kept me guessing until the end. I enjoyed the relationship between Aggie and her grandmother, Mumsie. And the forensic methods used by Imogene to investigate her sister’s murder were beyond brilliant. A great timeslip story with Jamie Jo Wright’s classic intensity and creepiness to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Jaime Jo Wright has once again creating a parallel time mystery spanning today and 1946. Aggie Dunkirk goes home to Wisconsin to stay with her grandmother, Mumsie. She finds a job working with an archaeologist in a previously flooded cemetery to determine the identities of those in the graves. but then she finds a skeleton in her grandmother's yard. The mystery only deepens from there with threatening phone calls and other secrets. In 1946, Hazel finds the body of her sister and seeks to identify the murderer. How are these two stories connected? The reader will have to wait until the end when Wright explains the mystery. I love these books, and can't wait for the next one..
In between jobs, Aggie Dunkirk goes to stay with her grandmother in Wisconsin, and take a job working in the cemetery helping to restore it after a large flood.
In 1946 Imogene Grayson dreams of owning a beauty salon, but when she comes home to find her sister murdered, she vows to find the killer no matter what.
Two women's lives converge in Mill Creek, Wisconsin, centering on an old house and a murder that became the turning point of one woman's life. Aggie is at a crossroads in her life, having lost her job and being forced to start over again. Aggie finds a friend and confidant in Collin, an archaeologist who is also working on the cemetery restoration, I like how he was supportive and open about his faith throughout.
I really liked Imogene's drive and dedication to finding her sister's killer. This book also does a great job of showing how far we've come in investigative forensic sciences. I also liked how this book deals with things realistically, and things don't always fall into place perfectly.
An intriguing story, full of mystery, with introspective storytelling, with a modern gothic feel. The story focuses on two women at pivotal points in their lives, with strong themes of dealing with grief and finding hope. I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this one, because it isn't your typical romance, but I'm sure glad I did. It was absolutely riveting and impossible to put down, because I wanted to find out what would happen next.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
In my opinion, this is Jamie Jo Wright’s best book yet.
I love mysteries. I started reading them when I got my first “Nancy Drew’ book. When I was in junior high, I discovered Agatha Christie’s books and realized what a well-written mystery could be. I can’t count how many mysteries I’ve read through the years. And y’all, “Echoes Among the Stones” has every single element that an outstanding mystery should have. This “split time’ story has the reader trying to solve both a present-day mystery and also one set in the 1940’s. The two merge together in a way that I did not see coming. The pacing of the development of the story and the perfect placement of clues was amazing. I was never completely sure of the murderer until the final reveal.
But there’s so much more to this book than just being a great story. The characters of Aggie, Colin, and Mumsie have each had their share of deep grief. The very heart of this book is God’s unfailing love for us as we struggle with the loss and heartache we suffer as being part of this fallen world, and the fact the only He is the source of the hope that we are desperately seeking. This is not a “preachy” book by any means, but gently leads the reader to open up their heart to the comfort God wants to give each of us.
I loved the characters of Aggie and Colin. I know that this is a stand-alone novel, but I would love to read about them again someday, and I suspect I’m not the only reader who feels this way. I’m also guessing that this book will earn another well-deserved award for Jamie Jo Wright.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
#EchoesAmongTheStones #NetGalley
This is not a genre that I normally choose to read. This book drew me in from the first page, it was fast paced, creepy and I had a hard time putting it down. There are two time periods, Imogene lives in the 1940's and won't stop searching to find who murdered her sister. Imagene trys to find clues to help her discover how and why her sister was killed. Aggie lives in the present time period and is working as a secretary for a cemetery, these two stories collide seventy years later. Aggie's world is spiraling as someone sends her messages to scare her away . I was drawn into both time periods. I loved this book.
“Grief isn’t wrong, but it can paralyze. It can thwart a life. A person can choose to let time stand still, and while they hold the pieces of the past, the hope of their future passes them by.”
Another thought-provoking and incredibly well-written split-time novel by Jaime Jo Wright! This book really delves into the process of grieving and the consequences of unresolved and unprocessed grief. It’s emotional, raw, and quite relatable. The characters Imogene from 1946 and Aggie from the present time are quite similar and unforgettable. I really liked Collin from the present day and enjoyed his quirks as an archeologist. I wish I had gotten to know Ollie from 1946 a bit better through Imogene’s eyes. If you’ve read the author’s previous book The Curse of Misty Wayfair, this book is not as eerie though it still has an unsolved murder as the basis of the plot and the way the author unravels the murder mystery is a masterpiece in itself. If you enjoy split-time novels that unearth resolution to cold cases, you will absolutely love this book.
I received a copy of the book from Bethany House Publishers and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
Jaime Jo Wright has once again written a tale so startling that readers will absolutely not be able to set it down. There is a deep mystery that goes back several generations that was never solved…and Wright weaves the duel timelines of this tale together beautifully crafting such an intriguing and haunting story that readers will want to stay up late into the night to finish it. Either that or get spooked and have to set it down and pick it up again the next day. This is one of those stories that once finished, readers will not be able to stop thinking about it and wanting more from this astounding author.
Genre: mystery, historical, contemporary, Christian
Publisher: Bethany House
Publication date: December 3, 2019
Number of pages: 352
This is my first book by Jaime Jo Wright and I'm hooked! I will definitely be getting my hands on her other books. I wasn't sure how I'd like it switching back in forth from the past to the present day but it was fine.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.
The past, the present, and future, all bound by grief...
There are some reviews that are nearly impossible to write. Not because you dislike the book, but the exact opposite. Sometimes it's hard to rein in your thoughts and get them organized in a way that makes sense because some books are just so emotionally involving and thought provoking. Echoes Among The Stones is one of those books. You see, author Jaime Jo Wright takes on a topic that is all-consuming and not often delved into with such depth in Christian fiction. That subject is grief.
Why is grief so hard to talk about? It's something that has touched everyone in one way or another. But it's also so very very personal. As Mumsie says in the book “Death deals a wicked hand. We all respond differently, and not always the way we should.” But Jaime Jo Wright does indeed take it on, with a sensitivity and kindness wrapped in the pages of an entertaining suspense novel.
Echoes Among The Stones is heartwrenching in the pain it lays open for the world to see, but, it is also beautiful in its wisdom and gentle nudges towards faith even when it seems like God couldn't possibly be there.
The book itself is very well written, Jaime Jo Wright being one of the most talented Christian fiction authors that I've ever read, and it's a real page-turner that's impossible to put down. But Echoes Among The Stones is much more than its technical form and entertaining qualities. It's also its message, how it makes you feel, how it makes you think, that makes it the lovely, though bittersweet, book that it is...
(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)
Echoes Among the Stones by Jaime Jo Wright
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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Story Notes
Jaime Jo Wright brings her signature touch to a suspense story that will give you chills as you read the unfolding of the complex plot.
I love finding authors who have incredible writing ability. Ms. Wright is one of my more recent finds and I am now actively looking for her books either on offered-for-review websites or the library. She has a wonderful way of drawing you into the lives of her characters and making you feel all the emotions and happenings they are experiencing. Her latest begins in 1946 with a young hair stylist named Imogene (Genie) who has found her younger sister murdered in her bedroom. The shock of it is overwhelming and grief drives her to search for answers. How could someone want to kill the extremely likable and kind Hazel? Everyone was her friend and she never caused any trouble. When no immediate answers are forthcoming as her homicide detective brother investigates the case, Genie determines to find them herself. But while getting folks to talk to her is easy, getting them to tell her anything relevant to the case is extremely hard. She will soon need the help of her friend Oliver to help her discover what happened and why everyone is keeping secrets. Together they will need to work fast to solve the case before it turns cold in the face of on-going tragedies. A simultaneous present day story is woven alongside Imogene’s; that of Aggie Dunkirk and her new life. Aggie has lost both her previous job and life’s purpose and is currently headed to her grandmother’s home to Mill Creek. While not her favorite place to be and certainly not her favorite person to be with, Aggie cannot ignore the fact that her grandmother has asked for her help since she broke her hip. Trouble is, Mumsie didn’t actually break her hip; she only wanted Aggie to come stay with her for a while. Confused as to why this crotchety relative would want Aggie to live with her, she reluctantly agrees to both the home and a new job offering from the city to work at the cemetery. Her work will bring her in contact with another new city employee, Collin O’Shaughnessy, who is in town to help identify the remains in coffins that have risen to the cemetery surface but lack markers near them. The work will be tedious even if it is a challenge, given the lack of proper records of burials. But odd happenings soon have Aggie looking to the past to find out the answers to questions no one wants to answer. Who is Hazel Grayson? Why is she buried in such an old section of the cemetery with no other relatives nearby? Why is Mumsie so secretive about what’s in her study? And how is everything that’s happened lately tied together…..or is it? While not a puzzle solver by nature, Aggie finds herself unable to let this all go and soon reluctantly enlists Collin’s help to find the answers she needs. What they discover will boggle their minds and they just might be able to solve a case that has been cold for 70 years. These two stories were very well done and I found myself going back and forth between pages to make sure I had gotten all the threads of it pulled together as I read. It was definitely a tangled web but eventually it began to make sense as the stories went on. I love that I couldn’t figure out who was responsible for everything before the end, that makes the book so much better for me to read. I will certainly be recommending this one and hope that everyone else will be just as chilled by the ending as I was. Hopefully there will be another JJW book coming out soon – I’m very much looking forward to it!
I received this temporary complimentary E-book from Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley in order to provide an honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.
Echoes Among The Stones by Jaime Jo Wright
A beautiful story that includes a murder mystery that affects generations after. I loved the depth of the characters and their real struggles in moving on. Wright deals with grief in a healthy and profound way. It took me a bit to catch onto the timelines of the book. However when I did I was amazed how profoundly one death impacted for generations and the struggle around the mystery. A truly inspiring read in learning how to search for truth, how to move on, and how to let go. I loved the grandmother/granddaughter relationship...they both had such spunk! So much so that it was hard on their relationship. I loved how they worked through their relationship to find a more positive one. Aggie will have you hoping for a happy ending for her and Collin. He adds so much depth to the book. I love how he sees the heart of their grandma/granddaughter struggles. Mumsie is a kick and I loved seeing her history come to life. If you love a good unsolved murder mystery with a generational link, then Echoes Among The Stones is for you.
I was provided an early copy through NetGalley and the publisher. I am giving my honest opinion.
I love anything written by Jaime Jo Wright. I have thoroughly enjoyed each book I have read by her (all of her releases except one).
Her stories are unique but if you are sensitive to “spookier” stories then this might not be for you. There are strange things happening in Mill Creek and although they might seem supernatural all comes to light and there are natural reasons for what is going on.
Jaime had me guessing until the end about what happened to Hazel, I bounced back and forth trying to figure out who had killed her and even when I figured it out there were still a few more layers to uncover.
A lot of truth in this book. One quote I highlighted from the book (location 5263), spoken by Mumsie, “You go ahead and let the grief consume you, because then it will heal you, free you, and the good Lord can move into its place and show you promise. Promises that there is so much more life to live. So many more people to love. And the footprints of those who’ve gone before you? They’ll still be there. Memories to warm you when you’re old.”
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A copy of this book was given to me through Netgalley.com. All opinions are my own.
I loved Echoes among the Stones, just like the other books I've read by Jamie Jo Wright. Wright has a way of writing that draws you in and takes you to another place and time. Echoes among the Stones takes place in both the present and the past (shortly after WWII). The present is Aggie's story, and the past is Imogene's.,
Aggie's grandmother, whom she calls Mumsie, has been obsessed with an unsolved crime from 1946 that completely wrecked her. You will find yourself so immersed in the story that it will wreck you too. I felt as if I were a grieving Imogene in the past (and present) and a worrying Aggie in the present. That's just how well Jamie Jo Wright tells a story. You are living the story as you read.
Along with Aggie and Imogene, there are a number of side characters that are extremely well-written. You'll feel as if you know them as well as Aggie and Imogene know (or knew) them. I love how the past and present intertwine. If you, like I, enjoy solving a mystery, this one will captivate you. There are so many possibilities as to the who, why and how of the crime that you'll be guessing until the end.
I love that Jamie Jo Wright weaves having a relationship with Christ throughout her novels in a way that isn't "preachy." Aggie is struggling with her faith throughout the book, and anyone who has been through a great loss can almost certainly relate.
This is a book you need to add to your TBR piles. I absolutely loved it and think you will too.
Echoes Among the Stones is another great read from author Jaime Jo Wright. It is a dual time story with mystery and edge-of-the-seat suspense that lures the reader in immediately and doesn't let up. Readers are caught up and compelled by the lives of the characters and their stories. Wright has permeated the story with mystery, drama, and emotional tension as the intense action is seen from several characters' points of view. I enjoyed how the mystery of a seventy-year-old murder of passion is woven into the present story of the contemporary characters. Echoes Among the Stones is a well-written yet gritty tale that offers a look at grief--grief that can tie one's life up into a lifetime of regrets and asks the age-old question of 'Why, God?' And with a sweet romance (who can resist a man who calls you 'Love'!) woven into the story, this is a book that readers who love a great suspense book will not want to miss.
I read a complimentary copy of the book and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.