Review: The Curse of Misty Wayfair by Jaime Jo Wright

Left at an orphanage as a child, Thea Reed vowed to find her mother someday. Now grown, her search takes her to Pleasant Valley, Wisconsin, in 1908. When clues lead her to a mental asylum, Thea uses her experience as a post-mortem photographer to gain access and assist groundskeeper Simeon Coyle in photographing the patients and uncovering the secrets within. However, she never expected her personal quest would reawaken the legend of Misty Wayfair, a murdered woman who allegedly haunts the area and whose appearance portends death.

A century later, Heidi Lane receives a troubling letter from her mother--who is battling dementia--compelling her to travel to Pleasant Valley for answers to her own questions of identity. When she catches sight of a ghostly woman who haunts the asylum ruins in the woods, the long-standing story of Misty Wayfair returns--and with it, Heidi's fear for her own life.

As two women across time seek answers about their identities and heritage, can they overcome the threat of the mysterious curse that has them inextricably intertwined?

Paperback, 352 pages 

Published January 22nd, 2019 

by Bethany House Publishers

*****

I first discovered Jaime Jo Wright with her debut, The House on Foster Hill and absolutely loved it.  So I wait in eager anticipation for her new releases.  The Curse of Misty Wayfair is her 3rd book and releases in a couple weeks. 

Thea and Heidi are 2 completely different characters and yet so similar, over a hundred years separate them but they are both searching for purpose, who they are and boy do they get more than they bargained for.

I LOVED this book!  It was mysterious, suspenseful and kept me on my toes.  It was beautifully written with authentic characters that battled issues relevant in both time periods but where society's views differed drastically. I loved that I didn't read the blurb and dove in blind, it added to the creepiness.

Dual time periods, yea my favorite, where it's the past storyline I usually love more, the historical part where I can learn more of the past.  And I loved that here, the stigma of mental illness and the treatment along with covering up scandal. Throw in a ghost or two, some weird characters and it's great.  But it was the current day plot I really enjoyed.  The author created some interesting characters, they were authentic, those who suffered from real human issues - whether it was the dysfunctional family dynamics, again mental illness, loneliness, trust issues and more. It was the searching with no idea what to look for... now I should stop before I start giving away too much of the story.

The ended was perfect and really that's about all I will say about it.  This is one of those books I want someone else to read so we can talk about it.

Suffice to say that my first read of 2019 was awesome!  The Curse of Misty Wayfair is Christian fiction at its finest.  This is definitely a book I highly recommend.

 My thanks to Bethany House for an ARC (via Netgalley).

click on cover to take you to my review