Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
NIght Falls of Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright on April 9, 2024
Genres: Historical Mystery
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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In 1910, Effie James is living a dream for two. Her younger sister is harboring a secret that has left timid Effie determined to fulfill her daring sister's grand plan of seeking out adventure in their small Iowa town. When a British gentleman arrives, disrupting their peace with efforts to find the wife many claim lived her final days at the now abandoned house at 322 Predicament Avenue, Effie is thrust into intrigue she couldn't have prepared for. But what she finds inside will forever link her to the scandal staining the house's walls and to a woman whose secrets promise a curse.
A century later, Norah Richman is living out her late-twin's dream of running their great aunt's bed-and-breakfast on Predicament Avenue--a place Norah believes nothing good can come out of after her sister's abduction and murder thirteen years ago. Her first guest is a crime historian and podcaster, and Norah resolves to stay far away from the charming and enigmatic man--until another guest is found dead. As they dig deeper, something sinister unfurls that will reveal an ominous unknown far greater than the possibility of death itself.
A farmhouse in smalltown Iowa with a history of death and vanishing. If ghosts walk, they walk there the locals know and two women separated by more than a century are connected to the house by death. A deeper connection slowly surfaces as the danger grows more acute on Predicament Avenue.
I have seen a few titles from Jaime Jo Wright release and they caught my attention, but the timing was always bad for picking them up at the time. Finally, I was able to fit one in and now I’m regretting not clearing space when I encountered those past releases. Night Falls on Predicament Avenue had a fabulous and chilling gothic atmosphere from the first pages and kept up that intensity throughout the book that followed two different timelines: Effie in 1910 and Norah in the present. I was further gratified to learn that Norah’s struggle with anxiety were respectfully providing strong mental health representation.
Usually, I gravitate toward the historical end of a dual timeline story and that was somewhat true in this one because the historical end had a well written 1910 backdrop. However, it was not a big difference gap because the author put parallels into Effie and Norah’s story so that history seemed to be repeating itself though both women had different personalities and general circumstances.
Effie was investigating the woman’s death with the British widower and Norah was investigating the ghostly history of her B&B with a British true crime podcaster staying as her guest. Though this was wonderfully chilling putting it in the gothic genre, this was mystery not horror and the plot had the dealing with grief and anxiety through their Faith giving it that hopeful personal growth element, too. I had suspicions for both time lines, but nah, I was well and far off so the big reveal particularly in Norah’s timeline got me good.
In summary, I found Night Falls on Predicament Avenue and the ‘haunted’ house dual timeline mystery a superb reading experience. Off I go to add Jaime Jo Wright’s backlist to my staggering TBR pile. Recommended for those who enjoy gothic split time mysteries and inspirational fiction.
About Jaime Jo Wright
Jaime Jo Wright is the author of ten novels, including Christy Award and Daphne du Maurier Award-winner The House on Foster Hill and Carol Award winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She’s also a two-time Christy Award finalist, as well as the ECPA bestselling author of The Vanishing at Castle Moreau and two Publishers Weekly bestselling novellas. Jaime lives in Wisconsin with her family and felines.
As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing.Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators.Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance.Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.
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This is a new author to me, this book sounds like one I have to read! Thanks for the review!
Glad to put it on your radar, Victoria!
Wow. This seems like a complex and exciting story. Glad you enjoyed it.
At first, I was wondering what the deal was with the house and the deaths, but then it all started to shake out. The characters and figuring out their personal situations was the more complex side. So, yes, good stuff, Jen!
I think I may add this to my shelf!
Glad I could tempt you, Carole. 🙂
This sounds like it has a lot going on but now I’m a bit intrigued.
Oh yeah a few mysteries and relationship situations between the dual timelines.
I love anything with ghosts and this dual timeline sounds really interesting. I haven’t come across this author before but I’m going to add her to my TBR.
Yeah, there is a fun tension of is the supernatural real- or is it not? Glad to bring it to your notice, Katherine. 🙂