(A Dual-Time Murder Mystery and Suspense Fiction Book with Clean Romance)
*Death had been a guest here at Predicament Avenue for decades, and it was clear that Death was not ready to check out just yet.*
Mystery in a small town with only two murders in its long history. And they both have connections to the same house, an old dilapidated manor house brought back as a Bed and Breakfast, shrouded in spooky tales. Norah Richman has grown up in the house but has no love for it since her sister was murdered and the killer never found. A famous podcaster, Sebastian Blaine,comes to research the first murder and Norah agrees to help him just to put an end to all the speculation, for the body of Isabelle Addington was never discovered.
The author captures the atmosphere of the 1910 setting and poses believable explanations for the lack of information on the first murder and its victim. Likewise, she slips into the present with unexpected events that satisfy our quest for resolution. Throughout the book, we see how fear affects different people. But as Polly speaks about her faith in her Creator, she will not let fear win. “Fear steals our joy and is the agony of those with no hope. It will not define us. Fear is the enemy we will defeat.”
Another winner from the Queen of Creepy.
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Bethany House through Interviews and Reviews and through NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.* 5 stars and an underlying faith thread
BackCover Blurb:
As the walls of the house at Predicament Avenue reveal their hidden truths, two women--generations apart--discover that fear and foreboding are no respecters of time.
In 1910, Effie James is committed to doing anything to save her younger sister, who witnessed a shocking murder, leaving her mute and in danger of the killer's retribution. Effie must prove what her sister saw, but when a British gentleman arrives, he disrupts Effie's quest with his attempts to locate his wife, Isabelle Addington, who was last seen at the supposed crime scene in the abandoned house at 322 Predicament Avenue. Just as Effie discovers what she seeks, she finds that the blood staining the walls will forever link her to a scandal she couldn't imagine, and to a woman whose secrets promise to curse any who would expose them.
A century later, Norah Richman grapples with social anxiety and grief as she runs her late great-aunt's bed-and-breakfast on Predicament Avenue. But Norah has little affection for the house and is committed only to carrying out her murdered sister's dreams until crime historian and podcaster Sebastian Blaine arrives to investigate the ghostly legacy of the house's claim to fame--the murder of Isabelle Addington. When a guest is found dead, the incident is linked to Isabelle's murder, and Norah and Sebastian must work together to uncover the century-old curse that has wrapped 322 Predicament Avenue in its clutches and threatens far more than death.
