Book Reviews

Book Review: The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright

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173Outstanding Debut Novel from an Author to Watch

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?

What I Loved: Wow. Just wow. I didn’t know what to expect from a new author or this mysterious house but now that I know, I wish I had time to read it all over again.
I enjoy a good mystery and Wright really pulled it off here. This was one of the best mysteries I had read in a long time. I think what made it work so well was that the mystery was unfolding in two different timelines and yet they interconnected as well. This takes some master plotting and uber creativeness, so Wright gets a standing ovation from me.
But this novel will not be for everyone. As for myself, I prefer mystery without suspense, so the House on Foster Hill was a leave-the-lights-on sort of book. But I loved it. I seriously could not put this book down. There are however some darker tones to the novel. The main character has worked with abused women or victims of sex-trafficking so these subject lines are interspersed throughout the story. As a sensitive reader, I felt that Wright handled the tough subjects well but other sensitive readers may like to know that they will brush up against some of the harder realities of life.
Wright is certainly an author to keep an eye on. I, for one, can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next.

Rating and Recommendation: I’m giving The House on Foster Hill 5 stars and recommending it those who enjoy Christian Mystery/Suspense and those who enjoy dual timelines.

~I received a copy from Net Galley. I was not compensated for this review. All thoughts are my own. 

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13 thoughts on “Book Review: The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright”

    1. Great question, Sandra! There is NO language in the book. As for scenes…She doesn’t take things too far. So I wouldn’t say that there are questionable scenes exactly. It’s more the abusive content that is just plain hard to read. Wright definitely stays within the bounds of Christian writing. There is at least one testimony of rape. The worst of the testimony is alluded to and not told in graphic detail.
      I think it would be safe for a church library as long as there are patrons who can handle and enjoy books with hard subjects. Being a sensitive reader myself, I didn’t feel disturbed outside of feeling sympathetic toward the rape victim and the countless women she represents in real life. And I would certainly read it again.
      I hope I explained it well enough without giving away any spoilers! 🙂 Feel free to ask anything else.

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    1. You’re very welcome!! I hope you find time to enjoy it soon!
      I have a review for Lady Jayne Disappears going live on Friday. If you haven’t read that one yet, you’ll want to add it to your list. It’s another great mystery. It’s not suspenseful though.

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  4. Yes! This book…’wow’ definitely comes to mind! It was so good, and so creepy. XD I do not generally read creepy books that make me want all the lights on in the house, but this book so surprised me and it really was good. I am also impressed with Jaime Jo Wright’s writing ability! So much skill to pull it all together.
    Yep, wow.
    I need to work on posting my review of it too. Hopefully will get that done soon.
    Great review!!

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      1. I agree! So much so.
        🙂
        Yep, I’m actually going to say the same – I loved the history side of it, Ivy’s story! Both were done so well, but Ivy’s really captivated me!

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