Category Archives: Historcial Fiction

Book Review: The Book Club Murders by Maggie Allswell

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Book Club Murders #1

Published May 22, 2026 by @Bookouture

For widower Judy, her murder book club is the highlight of the she gets to hear all the local gossip and even discuss a good fictitious poisoning or two. But when local librarian Wendy disappears, Judy follows in the footsteps of her fictional detective heroes only to find her dead in her home, clasping a copy of Romeo and Juliet…

The police rule it a tragic accident, but Judy knows that her friend hated Shakespeare, and suspects foul play. Gathering her fellow book lovers together, soon they discover that several townspeople had motive to want Wendy dead. Was it Nigel from the tavern, who may have been Wendy’s secret boyfriend? Or could it be Bryan, the local bookshop owner, tangled in a bitter rivalry with the library?

The plot thickens at a charity murder mystery night held at Nigel’s tavern. Suddenly more murders come to light, both real and very badly staged. And when Nigel makes an astonishing revelation, the book club agree it’s a plot twist no-one saw coming. Can Judy and her book club solve the mystery before they too fall victim to a killer plot?

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This is not your garden variety cozy mystery story where citizens work alongside police, or a detective, in helping catch a murder. I really had to sit on this review for a few days because I wasn’t sure how I could discuss this without giving too much away.

In this story we see a group of people taking matters in their own hands in the most extreme way. We also see another side of seeking justice, or the lack of the right sort of justice-in this case. Lines are so blurred between justice and retribution that the reader is taken to a dark place that leaves you wondering if the justice will be served. That said, this is the first book in the series and it shall be interesting how the author continues this premise in the next.

I must caution readers about the swear words in this story, and though there are not a lot, there are a few.

Overall, this was a fascinating and yet, crazy story that will have you keep turning the pages.

Stephanie

I received an ARC from the publishers through NetGalley

Author Spotlight: Connilyn Cossette

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Christian Fiction/Biblical Fiction/Historical Fiction/Romance

I’ve had my eye on Connilyn Cossette’s work for sometime now and I’ve decided I want to start with her “Cities of Refuge” series. That said, It was a toss-up between this series and her “Out from Egypt” series. Perhaps, I could go back and forth with them. Hmm…

I love reading stories that take place in the Old Testament period, and of course, the New Testament period as well. I may have mentioned Cossette’s before and if I have, it deserves another mention. Also, I like the covers of these books! The second book cover is my favorite! I am hoping to acquire these books soon!

Have you read this author’s work before? Do you read Biblical Historical Fiction novels? Which are your favorites?

Stephanie

A Light on the Hill

Published : February 6, 2018 by Bethany House Publishers

Setting in Israel

Though Israel has found relative peace, Moriyah has yet to find her own. Attempting to avoid the scorn of her community, she’s spent the last seven years hiding behind the veil she wears. Underneath her covering, her face is branded with the mark of the Canaanite gods, a shameful reminder of her past captivity in Jericho and an assurance that no man will ever want to marry her.

When her father finds a widower, who needs a mother for his two sons, her hopes rise. But when their introduction goes horribly wrong, Moriyah is forced to flee for her life. Seeking safety at one of the newly established Levitical cities of refuge, she is wildly unprepared for the dangers she will face and the enemies—and unexpected allies—she will encounter on her way.

Shelter of the Most High

Cities of Refuge #2

Published October 2, 2018 by Bethany House Publishers

The daughter of a pagan high priest, Sofea finds solace from her troubles in the freedom of the ocean. But when marauders attack her village on the island of Sicily, she and her cousin are taken across the sea to the shores of Canaan.

Eitan has lived in Kedesh, a city of refuge, for the last eleven years, haunted by a tragedy in his childhood, yet chafing at the boundaries placed on him. He is immediately captivated by Sofea, but revealing his most guarded secret could mean drawing her into the danger of his past.

As threats from outside the walls loom and traitors are uncovered within, Sofea and Eitan are plunged into the midst of a murder plot. Can they uncover the betrayal in time to save their lives and the lives of those they love?

Until the Mountains Fall

Cities of Refuge #3

Recently widowed, Rivkah refuses to submit to the Torah law compelling her to marry her husband’s brother and instead flees Kedesh, hoping to use her talents as a scribe to support herself. Without the protections of her father, Kedesh’s head priest, and the safety of the city of refuge, Rivkah soon discovers that the cost of recklessness is her own freedom.

Malakhi has secretly loved Rivkah for years, but he never imagined his older brother’s death would mean wedding her himself. After her disappearance, he throws himself into the ongoing fight against the Canaanites instead of dwelling on all he has lost. But with impending war looming over Israel, Rivkah’s father comes to Malakhi with an impossible request.

As the enemies that Rivkah and Malakhi face from without and within Israel grow more threatening each day, is it too late for the restoration their wounded souls seek?

Like Flames in the Night

Cities of Refuge #4

Published May 1, 2020 by Bethany House Publishers

Strong-willed Tirzah wants to join her people in driving the enemy from the land of Israel and undergoes training for a secret mission inside the stronghold of Shechem. But soon after she has infiltrated the ruthless Aramean commander’s kitchen, she makes a reckless decision that puts her and her allies in grave danger.

Fresh off the battlefield, Liyam returns home to discover his beloved daughter is dead. After his vow to hunt down her killer leads to months of fruitless pursuit, his last hope is in a family connection that comes with strings attached. Strings that force him to pose as a mercenary and rescue an infuriating woman who refuses to leave her mission uncompleted.

When an opportunity to pave a path to a Hebrew victory arises, can Tirzah convince Liyam to fight alongside her in the refuge city of her birth? Or will Liyam’s thirst for vengeance outweigh his duty to his people, his God, and the woman he’s come to love?

About the Author:

Connilyn Cossette is a Christy Award-winning, bestselling author who loves digging into the ancient world of the Bible and crafting immersive stories that encourage readers to encounter the Great Storyteller himself. As the grateful adoptive mom of two homeschool graduates and a recent breast cancer survivor, she knows firsthand how Yahweh’s steadfast love redeems every unexpected plot twist. She and her husband of nearly thirty years are based just north of Charlotte, North Carolina, with suitcases always half-packed for their next adventure together.

Book Review: A New Home for the Irish Daughter by Kate Hewitt

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Maggie O’Halloran Book 2

Publication Date: May 22, 2026 by @ Bookouture

Chicago, 1892: Maggie O’Halloran knows she is lucky to have escaped New York City with her life, after a notorious gang threatened her and her brother. Now, twisting the wedding ring on her finger, she knows her friend Brendan O’Donoghue’s plan to pretend to be married is sensible. But can she really pretend to be his wife when she doesn’t love him with her whole heart?

Walking Chicago’s cobbled streets, Maggie is more resolved than ever to rebuild her life and when she secures a job at the famous department store, Marshall Field & Company, she is delighted. But when ghosts of her past appear in the millinery department, she knows her true identity could be revealed at any moment, and her dreams once more reduced to ash.

When a chance encounter leads to Maggie making hats for Chicago’s World’s Fair, her desire to become fully independent feels closer than ever. But as gossip swirls about her relationship with her benefactor, can Maggie keep her head held high in this city she now calls home?

When Brendan finds himself in a perilous situation, Maggie’s courage is tested more than ever before. With danger looming, can she and Brendan survive it together? Or will they once more need to flee their home to find safety, and a chance to begin again?

My Thoughts:

Maggie and her brother Danny are Irish immigrants that made their way to New York for a better life, and to meet their father, and it quickly became a life of hardships, and trouble to say the least. In this story “A New Home for the Irish Daughter,” Maggie, and her brother fled New York at the help of their loyal friend, Brendan O’Donoghue. They traveled by train to Chicago to start afresh and it is not too long after they stepped off the train, they realize it is not going to be easy to start over. My goodness, they couldn’t seem to catch a break! My heart broke for them.

About half way in the book, I felt a deep sense of dread come upon me and my chest tighten. I knew something dark was about to happen and I was right. There was an assault and attempted rape of Maggie by the boarder’s husband, and I need to be honest, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to finish reading this story. I took a deep breath and carried on, and thankfully, the scene was cut short. That is all I can say about the scene without giving too much away, but I feel readers must know. That said, the author’s telling of the assault and characterization of the attacker, leading up to the moment it happened, was so effective in building tension without the shock value I find too often in stories. Great writing!

There are a few intriguing historical elements to this story and rightfully so considering the timeline for this story. I really enjoyed how the details were weaved in and how it put the characters right in the center of it all. There is also the infamous serial killer Dr. Holmes who plays a role in this story and wow, you get the creep vibe from him the moment he is introduced in the story! Again, great writing by the author.

The story did abruptly end, so I was taken a little back by that, however, there is another book in this series coming up, I believe. Now, I need to go back and read the first book in this series for more context, and background on the characters.

A deeply emotional, hope filled and gripping historical fiction read!

Stephanie

I obtained an ARC from the publishers through NetGalley for an honest review.

Book Review: The Island Bakeshop by Roseanna M. White

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Published May 19,2026 by Guideposts

Happy Publication Day!

Small-town Christian Fiction Story

Description

In this uplifting story of hope and renewal, you’ll meet Harper Dailey, who returns to Avon, North Carolina, so she can help run the family business, Sunshine Bakery, after her father’s heart attack. Suddenly, her thriving career at an upscale Savannah bakery is behind her, as is her rocky relationship with her ex-boyfriend—that is, until he shows up in Avon, letting her know he now owns the building the shop is in, and he may not renew the lease.

For Beckett Mills, Avon is a quiet refuge after his eight years of active service in the Navy. He works as hard at keeping folks at arm’s length as he does at running his fishing charter business. His plan for distancing himself from others works well until the fateful day he enters the bakery and sees a beautiful Harper being harassed by her ex-boyfriend. Suddenly, he casts his fears aside and steps in to save the day.

Harper and Beckett have no intentions of beginning a romance, but when the pasts they are running from collide, they know it’s not just a coincidence that they have ended up here at the same time. God has placed them together for a reason. Can Beckett let go of the worries that haunt him and welcome Harper into his life? Will Harper realize she can face any challenge with God—and just maybe Beckett—by her side? Don’t miss this faith-filled story of hope, courage, and the grace to begin anew.

My thoughts:

The Island Bakeshop is a sweet young-adult-like romance story that has dual timelines. Both equally a page turner and each take place on the coast. As the story develops, you began to see a connection to the two-story lines and the conclusion is heartwarming.

Harper and Beck’s story is heartbreaking and haunting, and as they both deal with their past that has interrupted their present lives, they must find a way to deal with their problems before it will destroy everything, they worked hard to be able to move forward with their lives-whether it be together or separately.

As the story builds, I found myself not able to put this book down. I typically don’t read stories like this one but I’m glad I took a chance on it. I started with this book first, before the first book in the series, and now I need to go back and read the first book. You see, I’ve now become invested in these characters lives and want to learn more about them.

What a sweet, light and absorbing story. This book would be the perfect summer read.

Stephanie

I received an ARC from the publishers through NetGalley for an honest review.

Book Review: You Belong Here Now by Dianna Rostad

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Award Finalist of the Willa Literary Award – Women Writing the West

Published April 6, 2021 by William Morrow Paperback

Montana 1925: Three brave kids from New York board the orphan train headed west. An Irish boy who lost his whole family to Spanish flu, a tiny girl who won’t talk, and a volatile young man who desperately needs to escape Hell’s Kitchen. They are paraded on platforms across the Midwest to work-worn folks and journey countless miles, racing the sun westward. Before they reach the last rejection and stop, the kids come up with a daring plan, and they set off toward the Yellowstone River and grassy mountains where the wild horses roam.

Fate guides them toward the ranch of a family stricken by loss. Broken and unable to outrun their pasts in New York, the family must do the unthinkable in order to save them.

Nara, the daughter of a successful cattleman, has grown into a brusque spinster who refuses the kids on sight. She’s worked hard to gain her father’s respect and hopes to run their operation, but if the kids stay, she’ll be stuck in the kitchen.

Nara works them without mercy, hoping they’ll run off, but they buck up and show spirit, and though Nara will never be motherly, she begins to take to them. So, when Charles is jailed for freeing wild horses that were rounded up for slaughter, and an abusive mother from New York shows up to take the youngest, Nara does the unthinkable, risking everything she holds dear to change their lives forever.

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You Belong Here is a story of family, overcoming prejudices, acceptance, forgiveness, resilience, survival and healing.  

This story portrays much of how the world saw these children-not all good-and faced with uncertainty at the mercy of adults and environment, determining the decisions made for them, and even more hardships that may come as the result.

Nara and her parent’s interactions with the children- who come from completely different backgrounds from the rural culture-was the driving force of this story. and the change they all made as the result of this fact is heartwarming and beautifully told.

The literary conventions of this story make for a great American classic and will give many people who read this story a sense of nostalgia, not only in the style of language spoken by Nara, her parents and others, but also the mindset, no nonsense attitudes, culture, social norms, and the life-in general- rural people lived.

This is an historical story you are unlikely to forget and I highly recommend this book to all.

Side Bar:There are a few swear words in this story-not a lot-and it is mostly from Nara and her mother doesn’t like it one bit!

Stephanie

About the Author:

Dianna Rostad is a USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author. Her debut novel You Belong Here Now is a 2022 WILLA Literary Award Finalist for Historical Fiction and was shortlisted for Reading the West’s Debut Fiction Award 2022. A favorite task of her creative endeavors is the discovery and research of people and places where her novels are set. She has traveled extensively to pursue the last artifacts of our shared history and breathe life, truth, and hope into her novels. Dianna was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and spends time volunteering for various causes. She loves reading, playing with Bennee her dog, and growing flowers in her garden. She lives in Washington and Florida where she writes big-hearted novels for wide audiences.

Dianna Rostad’s  Website

Book Review: The Parisian Chapter by Janet Skeslien Charles

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Expected Publish Date May 5, 2026 by Atria Books

Paris, 1995: It’s been five years since Lily Jacobsen and her best friend Mary Louise arrived in Paris from their small town of Froid, Montana. Determined to establish themselves as artists—Lily, a novelist, and Mary Louise, a painter—they share a tiny walkup and survive on brie and baguettes.

When Mary Louise abruptly moves out, Lily feels alone in the city of light for the first time and must find a new way to support herself. She lands a job as a programs manager at the American Library in Paris, following in the footsteps of Odile, her beloved French neighbor in Montana who told her stories of heroic World War II librarians when Lily was growing up.

Here in the storied halls of the ALP, she meets an incredible cast of characters—her favorite author, quirky coworkers, broke students, trailing spouses, haughty trustees, and devoted volunteers—each with their own stories… and agendas. Lily often seeks solace in the Afterlife, the library’s attic that’s home to hundreds of unpublished manuscripts, and there, she discovers a box of archives that may be a link to the past: to Odile’s own Parisian chapter.

This moving, propulsive story offers a panoramic view of a real historic institution, and revisits characters from both of Janet Skeslien Charles’s beloved novels. Lily’s story is a love letter to the artist’s life, friendship, and leaving home only to find it again.

My thoughts:

Having read and reviewed “The Paris Library,” I was thrilled to receive a kindle copy of “The Parisian Chapter” from the Publishers. This book is a continuation story about the library and its employees, volunteers, trustees and members. The library has a history and despite the employees and others grumbles, they must work together to save the library.

In the beginning of the chapters, presents a brief story of the characters connected to the library, with Lily Jacobsen being the protagonist. While there are a lot of characters introduced, I was able to keep up with each one of them and their point of views helped developed their views and personalities. My favorite characters were Tolstoy, Meg, David, Marius, and Lorenzo.  Not Lily, you ask? While protagonists are often a favorite, and despite seeing her growth and wiliness to self-reflect and change the errors of her ways, there is something about her that bothered me that I can’t explain. That said, I was cheering for her and I admired her hard work and determination to help with the survival of the library.

There are so many beautiful elements to this story, including healings of relationships and forgiveness. I do hope we will be seeing more stories that centers around the library, and the people from different walks of life it has brought together. A must read!  

Stephanie

Side Bar: This story contains open door romance, which I skipped over. I prefer closed door romance.

Thank you, Atria Books for an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

Check out my review for The Paris Library HERE.

Book Review: The Tuscan Villa by Ella Carey

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(Daughters of Italy #3)

Published Today: Apr 28 2026 by Bookouture

Another memorable story with multiple timelines.

As the war raged through Europe in 1945, Villa Aria in Tuscany, Italy became a sanctuary for the people of Cortona, but soon after Vivi-the owner- disappeared by mysterious circumstances, it left the villa crumbling, and the grounds overgrown. While the people of the village were left with another tragedy, they soon endeavored to pick up the pieces that was left ravaged by the war.

In Manhattan, New York a few years after the war, Fran felt suffocated with her fiancé and her soon to be controlling mother-in-law. She quickly realized she couldn’t go through with the marriage and with the recent news about the villa in Italy- where she grew up- has been sold, and its gardens- her father designed for Vivi-is about to be leveled by the new owner, she made the decision to travel to Italy.

With so many unanswered questions about her past and the unsolved disappearance of Vivi, Fran was determined to save the villa’s garden, solve the mystery of what happen to Vivi, she soon realized there are many secrets to uncover, and it wouldn’t be an easy task because of the towns people reluctance to talk about the past.

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What a powerful, heartbreaking and atmospheric story Ella Carey has written.

During the war, Vivi’s dedication to help protect the valuable, despite the danger, showed one of many of her attributes that drew people to her. Her kindness, giving and gentle spirit were a blessing to the town and her disappearance was a great loss. I felt that loss deeply and like Fran, I didn’t want her disappearance to be left behind in the past, I was on the same determined path as Fran to find out what had happened to Vivi.

This story has three timelines, I found each one to be equally as strong and absorbing.

Carey has marvelously created complex characters and not everything was as it seemed with them and I found myself pleasantly surprised by a few of them.

Many of the characters found their way into my heart and I longed to be swept away to Villa Aria with its lush gardens, and its peaceful, timeless surroundings.

Ella Carey is a talented story-teller.  A must read!

Stephanie

I received an ARC from the publishers through NetGalley for an honest review.

@Bookouture

Book Review: In This Moment by Gabrielle Meyer

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Timeless #2

Published May 2, 2023 by Bethany House Publishers

Maggie inherited a gift from her time-crossing parents that allows her to live three separate lives in 1861, 1941, and 2001. Each night she goes to sleep-in one-time period and wakes up in another. Until, that is, she turns twenty-one, when she will have to forfeit two of those lives–and everyone she knows in them–forever.

In 1861, Maggie is the daughter of an influential senator at the outbreak of the Civil War, navigating a capital full of Southern spies and wounded soldiers. In 1941, she is a Navy nurse, grappling with her knowledge of the future when she’s asked to join a hospital ship being sent to Pearl Harbor. And in 2001, she’s a brilliant young medical student, fulfilling her dream of becoming a surgeon, yet unable to use her modern skills in her other paths.

While Maggie has sworn off romance until she makes her final choice, an intriguing man tugs at her heart in each era. The mysterious British gentleman. The prickly, demanding doctor. The charming young congressman. She’s drawn to each man in different ways, only complicating the impossible decision she must make, which looms ever closer.

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I can’t quite find the right words to describe how deeply moving, thought provoking and a wonderfully written this story is told. One must read the book for themselves to experience its offerings. Meyer has a God given gift to reach readers’ hearts and she deftly pulls you into the story as if you were the time crosser, experiencing firsthand the realities of the deeply layered events that was unfolding and the potential risks of losing everything you hold dear in life with a single life altering decision.

Often times with multiple timelines, world building often feels like a massive pile on, and the narrative is weighed down with too many complex moving parts. In this story, Meyer effortlessly weaves not one or two, but three different frameworks of world building in highly charged historic events in America history.

Meyer’s knowledge of historic events is shown throughout the story and how the theme of multiple wars converged in this story with life altering effects, was well conceived and thought provoking.

Meyer examines human traits, that too often, people are uncomfortable with talking about in an open and honest way. Especially for Christians in fear of judgment from others. For example, Maggie has an internal emotional conflict with being angry at God and the raw human side one may feel with that experience was honest, refreshing, and I highly appreciate Meyer for including this in the story.

I appreciated the family connections and historic implications from the first book to this book. I wonder, will the family connections be part of the whole series? I can’t wait to find out!

As the story built, the decision Maggie would have to make about which life she would choose was intense! I kept weighing the path she would choose and wondered how she would say her goodbyes in the others, left pondering what I would have done if I were in her shoes.

I felt such emotional intensity throughout this story and I have to admit, at first, I was a bit taken back by that fact. I didn’t expect the story to impact me that way on a personal level. That certainly shows how engaged I was with Maggie’s’ time crossing, the events unfolding, and the other characters’ lives.

When I finished reading the story, I couldn’t help think how will this series would get better because this book is outstanding. My hope for this series is that Meyer keeps adding to it!

Stephanie  

Book Review: Murder at the Highland Games (Ally McKinley Mystery #4) by Dee MacDonald

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Expected Publish Date: April 16, 2026 by Bookouture

The story begins with the annual Locharran Highland Games in Scotland where Ally McKinley, the villagers and many others are enjoying the competitions, and all the sudden, they hear a shot fired and an unpopular competitor, Archie Armstrong, is killed while in the middle of tossing the caber, and from there on, tensions are running high, many of the villagers are not empathetic to the mans death-which makes many of them a suspect to the murder-including a few members of Archie’s family members- and Ally must discover the killer to not only one murder but two before the killer strikes again!

I have now read two books in this series -not in order- and I’m enjoying reading them thus far. Dee MacDonald cleverly weaves a good murder mystery and her characters are well developed. Her whodunits are so well plotted, I’ve had and entertaining time trying to solve the crimes along-side Ally. I can’t wait to solve another crime alongside Ally!

Stephanie

Full Description of the Book:

When a fun day out in the Scottish Highlands turns fatal, there’s only one solution: call for Ally McKinley!

It’s the annual Locharran Highland Games and Ally McKinley has never seen her little village so busy or excited. Everyone’s enjoying the Scottish dancing, the bagpipes, and cheering the competitors on. But there’s a hitch in the proceedings when champion challenger Archie Armstrong drops dead in the middle of tossing the caber. Rushing to the scene, Ally is the first to spot that Archie’s death was no accident – this was murder!

Ally finds herself into a new investigation and soon discovers that more than one person may have had a murderous motive, including some of the current residents of her cosy little guesthouse. Patti, Archie’s glamorous wife, seems intent on acting like the perfect widow, but rumors of infidelity have been flying. Is her performance too good? Could her uncle, cranky gamekeeper Angus, have finally snapped, furious at Archie’s treatment of his niece? Or was it one of the frustrated local competitors, desperate to end Archie’s winning streak?

Determined to crack the case and fueled by more than one piece of her famous shortbread, Ally begins to narrow down her list of possible culprits, but is thrown for a loop when her chief suspect is found dead by the loch, a mysterious and threatening note clutched in their fingers. With a killer at large, can Ally finally uncover the truth? Or, as the sun sets over the highlands, will this game be her last?

Side Bar: There is some profanity in this story but not so much, it is scattered through the book.

Book Review: The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall by Jaime Jo Wright

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Published October 21, 2025 by Bethany House Publishers

In 1890, the ominous tolling of the bell announces that death has come to Traeger Hall, leaving orphaned Waverly Pembrooke to piece together the puzzle behind her uncle’s and aunt’s murders. Bound by the terms of her uncle’s eccentric will, Waverly finds herself alone in a manor shrouded by death and questioning her uncle’s paranoid motivations. A madness hovers over Traeger Hall, and Waverly–as well as the people of nearby Newton Creek–are ill-prepared for the woe that has descended on the property.

In present day Newton Creek, the whispers of a curse still cling to the century-old time capsule of Traeger Hall. When Jennie Phillips takes possession of the estate after the death of her parents, she is intent on solving the century-old mystery of the Traeger murders. Yet a modern cold case suggests that untimely deaths and mysterious occurrences still form the cornerstone of the manor. And as thorny truths surface, Jennie realizes the dark legacy threatens not only the town and the Traeger descendants . . . but also, chillingly, Jennie herself.

My Thoughts:

This is the third book by Wright that I have read and so far, my favorite. Back in 2018, I reviewed Wright’s debut novel The House on Foster Hill and I was a bit critical of the story.

Gothic is one of my top five favorite subgenres and I’m always on the lookout for them. Does “The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall” truly qualify? Indeed, it does and at the same time Wright has brought a uniqueness to the genre that if you were to read a story without knowing who wrote it, you will immediately know who by the style of writing.

This story has multiple timelines and Wright is great with them. They worked really well together and the build up was intense at times which kept me from putting the book down. Love that! That said, there were at times, I felt the “faith” elements were sprinkled in to qualify as Christian Fiction and it didn’t work well for me.There were also times, I felt things could have been fleshed out better, and I didn’t feel a real sense of closure with Jennie’s story.

Jennie inherited Traeger Hall and the condition of the will regarding the estate is interesting to say the least. I have two minds about it and I wondered if others who have read the story, knows what I mean. The oddness of the inheritance does set the stage and I was deeply drawn into what the outcome would be.

In the beginning of the story, both of Jennie’s parents are dead and her wealthy father was cruel and abusive to both Jennie and her mother when he was alive. The story doesn’t really get into the scope of it but you assuredly will know it and the undertones suggest a deeper tragic family life then told.

Waverly Pembrooke’s time at the house was truly bizarre and she found herself entangled in what appears to have been a borderline insane environment. Her Uncle-who owns Traeger Hall- was was creepy, controlling, greedy, extremely intense and a whole lot more. He actually had all the makings of a narcissists in my opinion. Waverly’s Aunt seemed distance and uncaring but there is a story there. I will leave it up to the reader to discover more about her.

The secrets the house held on tightly to was fascinating to read about and I liked the bread crumbs-if you will- that are given to make you think of all sorts of what-ifs and whodunit. I did not see the ending coming on who killed Waverly’s Uncle and Aunt and when it was revealed, I thought what a fantastic plot twist!

I have to say, next time when I come across a bell tolling, I have no doubt I will think of this story.

Despite my misgivings of the story, I look forward to reading more books by Wright.

Stephanie