Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Specters in the Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright on October 1, 2024
Genres: Historical Mystery
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble
In 1921, Marian Arnold, the heiress to a brewing baron's empire, seeks solace in the glass butterfly house on her family's Wisconsin estate as Prohibition and the deaths of her parents cast a long shadow over her shrinking world. When Marian's sanctuary is invaded by nightmarish visions, she grapples with the line between hallucinations of things to come and malevolent forces at play in the present. With dead butterflies as the killer's ominous signature, murders unfold at a steady pace. Marian, fearful she might be next, enlists the help of her childhood friend Felix, a war veteran with his own haunted past.
In the present day, researcher Remy Shaw becomes entangled in an elderly biographer's quest to uncover the truth behind Marian Arnold's mysterious life and the unsolved murders linked to an infamous serial killer. Joined by Marian's great-great-grandson, can Remy expose the evil that lurks beneath broken wings? Or will the dark legacy surrounding the manor and its glass house destroy yet another generation?
A mysterious woman, a ghostly house, and a serial killer in the past are the research subject for a present-day woman who discovers the deadly secrets from the past have reawakened. Jaime Jo Wright has a gift for dual-timeline suspense. This is only my second visit to her books, but the experience rivaled my first time for engagement and enjoyment of the atmospheric tone she creates, the character stories and the mystery plot that winds to some tension-wrought surprise reveals.
The past story takes place in the Prohibition Post WWI-era at a mysterious gothic-style mansion built by the wife of a Milwaukee brewery baron with all sorts of architectural oddities including a butterfly house on the grounds. Marian Arnold’s family wealth is mostly gone now that Prohibition has closed the lucrative family brewery and she has recently buried her sole remaining parent. Her inheritance is the Victorian gothic-style mansion in the Wisconsin countryside that was designed by her eccentric artist mother and was the family summer home. Now, she’s alone in a house with a reduced serving staff, her memories of her mother who had a deep fixation for butterflies, and a ghost who warns her of danger and death. She thinks the arrival of her partying anti-prohibition cousin and his fiancée will take the burdens and loneliness away, but instead death and a growing horror for the killer who leaves dead butterflies arrives as well. Only her once childhood friend struggling with his own post-war night terrors and loss of a leg seems to steady her.
In the present, Remy Shaw, a one-time foster kid finds it surreal that she was hired as research assistant to a well-known biographer who bought the Mullerian Mansion and is researching the story of the cryptic Marian Arnold who is thought to be one the victims of the Butterfly Butcher serial killer. Odd and inexplicable events happen in the place and everyone in the household seems to be harboring secrets including the descendant of the Arnolds who doesn’t want Marian’s story written.
At first, Marian’s story was the more powerful inducement for me, but eventually I got equally invested in Remy’s end of the story. I was curious about a few matters and had my suspicions of some of the answers. I was right about much of my guesses, but still got some good surprises there in the end. I enjoyed the blend of historical background, suspense plot, the character descriptions and subtle romance developments. There are mental health and inspirational elements handled deftly by the author and woven into the larger tale so well. My curiosity and emotions were equally piqued. Who knew the presence of butterflies could send a chill down one’s spine? This would make a fabulous fall spooky read cozied up with a hot cider, a fuzzy blanket and a nice fire on a crisp, dark night.
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.
Friend or follow me at Goodreads.
- Shattering Dawn by Jayne Ann Krentz @JayneAnnKrentz @BerkleyRomance @BerkleyPub @sophiarose1816 - January 15, 2025
- 🎧 Death by Disputation by Anna Castle @annacastl @joelfroomkin@sophiarose1816 #LoveAudiobooks - January 8, 2025
- 🎧 Silhouette in Scarlet by Elizabeth Peters #ElizabethPeters @Rosenblat_Actor @RecordedBooks #LoveAudiobooks@sophiarose1816 - January 5, 2025
I read and enjoyed her last book and I agree, she has a gift with dual timelines. This sounds like a great spooky mystery, too!
Oh yes, there is some really great spooky in this one, too, Rachel. 🙂
Dead butterflies is an interesting signature. That does sound good.
Yeah, the butterfly element added a lot of chilling atmosphere. Butterflies can be scary, LOL. 🙂
It takes a lot of skill to write effective dual narratives so that we don’t skim one in preference to the other. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your excellent review, Anne.
I agree, Sue! A good skill to have.
The cover caught my eye and this sounds like a good creepy read! I’m definitely going to add this one to my TBR.
Yes! Doesn’t it tempt you? Hope you enjoy it when you get the chance.
“There are mental health and inspirational elements handled deftly by the author and woven into the larger tale so well.” ooooo I like that. It’s tough but it sounds like it worked.
Yes, it was an interesting combo and I really appreciated that she included this form of mental health issue to bring it to light.