The House on Foster Hill

Jaime Jo Wright Bethany House (NOVEMBER) Softcover $14.99 (368pp) 978-0-7642-3028-8

Characters are savvy yet vulnerable, and their continual quests for hope in the midst of darkness are appealingly inspirational.

Jaime Jo Wright’s The House on Foster Hill blends the past and present in a gripping mystery that explores faith and the sins of ancestors.

Foster Hill House sits in a remote Wisconsin town, vacant and falling into disrepair. It is purchased sight unseen by Kaine Prescott, a San Diego native running from her demons and struggling to process her husband’s “car accident” death. She is losing her faith when she arrives at the spooky historical home.

Kaine believes that her husband’s killer has been stalking her, but that her cross-country move will heal her heart and take her far away from danger. However, she soon finds that she can’t escape her past.

Foster Hill House has its own secrets. In 1906, Ivy Thorpe discovered a murdered woman in one of its trees and began a perilous journey to find her killer and her infant. Ivy’s story blends with Kaine’s, and as secrets are unveiled, the danger increases.

Chapters alternate between the past and present, giving The House on Foster Hill depth. Connections are made at an ideal pace, and clues scattered throughout give the perfect amount of information.

Both Kaine and Ivy are tough and damaged, searching for their own faiths as they struggle to solve their individual mysteries. Though their pasts caused them to run from relationships and happiness, their searches for the truth heal them, even as shadowy strangers threaten their lives. Characters are savvy yet vulnerable, and their continual quests for hope in the midst of darkness are appealingly inspirational.

Deep emotional struggles are the backbone of the novel and make the corresponding mystery even more engaging. With sharp dialogue and plenty of scares, this is a gripping tale that never loses sight of the light at the end of the tunnel.