Night Falls On Predicament Avenue By Jaime Jo Wright

Night Falls on Predicament Avenue

by Jaime Jo Wright

Publisher: Bethany House

ISBN: 9780764241451

As an avid Jaime Jo Wright fan, I was thrilled when Bethany House gifted me with a copy of her newest release! How she comes up with these stories twice a year is a gift and beyond me to comprehend! She always has me sitting on the edge of my seat!

Summary:

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.

My Review:

Holy guacamole! THAT was such a good read! I literally just finished the book and came here to write my review. One of the pitfalls of Night Falls on Predicament Avenue is that I've chewed all my nails down to pretty much nothing. The author does this to me EVERY single time!

Effie is the epitome of older sister, most of the time. Polly, her sister, wants to live life with abandon. Unfortunately, that excitement for life is exactly what gets them into trouble. And sweet Effie has to bear the brunt of their choices (and then mostly her own) throughout the rest of the story. 

Norah, who also had a sister, is similar to Effie in some ways. They've both experienced trauma in their lives and it doesn't seem to be ebbing any time soon. Norah is forced into the position of fight or continuing flight.

If you're like me, you sleuth your way through the author's stories trying to figure out which person in each timeline did "it". I'll tell you that in 1901 I had no clue who may have been connected to Isabelle. I thought I knew, then thought I knew again, and found out I didn't know at all. In Norah's time (current day) I had an idea of who the culprit might be, then the author threw in some other rabbit trails I was led to believe, and then knew again... of course at the very end. One of these days I'm going to nail it!

It was so good to watch the main characters grow throughout the story. They'd tried to live quiet unobtrusive lives, but the world found them and turned everything topsy turvy. Both women found strength they didn't realize they had and needed. And of course, the men who surround them in the story have a lot to do with their growth.

As creepy and spooky the author's stories are, they are completely infused with faith and pointing to the Lord. She never fails to give a reason for any hauntings, ghosts, or mysterious happenings. Think along the lines of Scooby Do. There's always an answer! When we learn the answer in the current timeline I think my jaw dropped more so than in the past.

I was surprised at how emotional I became towards the end of the story. Somehow in the reading, the characters worked their way into my heart. I'll admit I almost cried it was such a touching part of the story. Read it and you'll know what I'm talking about!

About the Author:

Jaime Jo Wright (JaimeWrightBooks.com) 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.