Wren Blythe lives at a church camp with her father and older brother. Her best friend Eddie lives there with his parents. Both work at the camp. A small child has gone missing and they join in the search and rescue effort. Running parallel to this story is the story of Ava Coons who right around 1920 wandered into town dragging a bloody ax and began the legend and campfire story of Ava Coons.

This is a somewhat strange story that pulls the happenings in this small community over a century and the lives of these people together. It comes to a startling conclusion. I'm still pondering whether I want to read this type of Christian "suspense" in the future.

I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my own honest opinion.

A tiny bit creepy, the best characters, and a dual time mystery combine together in Jaime Jo Wright’s latest book, The Souls of Lost Lake, to create a book that is impossible to put down! I’ve said it before, but I love how Wright’s main characters are so real and never cliche, with struggles that other authors sometimes shy away from. Please keep writing more books! They are some of my favorites and highly recommend.

THE SOULS OF LOST LAKE by JAIME JO WRIGHT is a gripping read, full of mystery and sinister suspense, some romance and a good Christian message underneath it all.
The book has two timelines - 1930, with Ava Coons strongly suspected of several murders, and in the present age, Arwen Blythe who lives with her academic father at a youth camp in the Northwoods of Wisconsn. The novel moves seemlessly between the timelines, showing the similarities between these two women who feel lost, like they do not belong.
There is the mystery of the Coons’ burnt cabin, the sinister waters of Lost Lake, the dense forest, and the murderous tale of Ava Coons told around the campfires.
It is a well written book with a riveting plot and interesting characters.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review,are completely my own.

I’d like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I will admit, I have never read any other books by the author but when I read the premise of those one, I knew I wanted to read it. Told between two different eras, but the same location, we meet Ava, the town pariah and Wren, a woman trying to figure life out. These two eras collide when yet another little girl in current time goes missing but before she did, she claimed she saw the ghost of Ava Coons. When these two stories intertwine into one climax, you won’t want to put it down.

What a thriller! This book has a deep dark mysterious side to it that I didn’t expect. An old ghost story takes roots and wings and weaves its way into modern events that the reader will not expect.

This book is organized with a dual timeline, one main character being in present time while the other main character is in the past.

I really enjoyed this book, albeit I was a little spooked by the ghost story at times. If you are sensitive to this kind of material you might want to second guess reading it. It is appropriate for teen readers.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for this review.

The Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright is all the creep factor with the cleanliness of a good story. I love how she started the story like kids sitting around a campfire learning about Ava Coons. It was interesting. Right away, I wanted to know what happened to Ava’s family. Did she kill them? Did someone else kill them? I was intrigued and kept flipping through the pages. I could not put the story down. Of course, this story is a time-slip novel, so readers have two timelines to adjust to. I have heard that some readers have a hard time with keeping the two eras correct in the imagination as the story moves from chapter to chapter. With Wright’s stories, I do not, personally, have this problem. Most time-slip novels, I usually favor one time period over the other, but in The Souls of Lost Lake, I actually enjoyed both time periods. The past with Ava Coons ties nicely with Wren in the present. One of my favorite elements is Wright’s ability to craft a foggy lake with the possibly of dead bodies in the lake and a burnt-out cabin with a hidden cellar. The wording sets the tone. Nothing too graphic, but her word choices make goosebumps raise on the arms. If readers are interested in a good spooky story without all the blood and graphic details, then this is a book to pick up. I will definitely be owning this novel. I am glad that the world of Christian publishing is making a name for itself in the spooky genre, then the simple, play-it-safe romantic suspense novels. Not that there is anything wrong with them. I do read a lot of romantic suspense novels too. Anyways, I highly recommend readers who enjoy to be a little scared when reading but enjoy novels that must be read in one sitting to pick this book up.

I received a complimentary copy of The Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright from Bethany House Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

Does this publish in April? Yes! Did I wait to read it? NO WAY!
Oh my!!!!!!! You've read Jamie Jo Wright books before but absolutely nothing like this!
This is a book taking place in the 1930's and in modern times and how they relate to each other is slowly revealed to us. The author has simply topped herself in this one!
From when I first read the synopsis of this one I knew it was the book for me. I simply couldn't wait to read it, devoured it when I did and talked about it to EVERYONE, telling them they MUST read it when it releases! They'll probably hide when they see me coming as I can't stop talking about it.
This book is so atmospheric and has a gothic feel to it. I felt shivers go through me as I was reading it.
Not to give anything away but imagine eerie whispers in the dark,a broken porcelain doll's face,feeling a presence in the woods and an unsolved murder.
Do you want to read this yet?
#TheSoulsofLostLake #NetGalley.

Publishes April 5,2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.