Specters in the Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright is another Contemporary Christian Suspense fiction new release I’ve enjoyed. Because of its elements of gothic suspense, murders, and mental health struggles, it’s a bit heavier than what I typically review, but still so good. Whenever I need a book I can’t put down, I reach for whatever Jaime Jo Wright’s newest release is.
Audience
Older Teens and Adults
Genre
Contemporary Christian Suspense Fiction, Dual-timeline Historical Fiction, Gothic Suspense, Mystery, Romance
Author
Marian Arnold is a young woman facing unique challenges during the Prohibition era. Her family was once wealthy because of their brewery in Milwaukee, but now, with both of her parents gone and the brewery shut down, she’s struggling to survive. She looks to her older cousin as the one who can help her and protect her. But when a dead body turns up on the property, piles of dead butterflies are left as threats, and her cousin brings a bunch of rowdy friends and alcohol into the family manor, things just continue to go downhill.
100 years later, in the same manor, former foster kid Remy is hired as a research assistant to an eccentric old man. The old man is writing a book about the manor’s owner and the unsolved murders of the “Butterfly Butcher”. Things get a little shaken up when a relative, a very handsome one, of Marian’s shows up and doesn’t want the book written. And once again, dead bodies and butterflies start appearing. Could the Butterfly Butcher be back?
Specters in the Glass House is a suspenseful story full of family secrets and broken people helping each other heal.
A few of my favorite things…
- The characters are going through hard things, but circling back to their hope in God
- Remy’s coffee obsession
- A portrayal of a character working through PTSD
- Seeing a foster child craving familial connections
- The Midwest setting
- There’s the suspense and thrill of something possibly paranormal (Spoiler, though: it isn’t paranormal)
- A sweet old man character
I didn’t care for…
- One of the murderers was creepy, twisted, and thought of him or herself as a savior of sorts
- Content mentioned below…
Know that…
- A female character ends up sleeping in the same room as a male character because she’s trying to help him through his PTSD. They kiss, but nothing more.
- Some of the murders are pretty violent and descriptive
- There are several characters with varying mental illnesses
Overall, Jaime’s books are better for older audiences, and if you read one, go in knowing it will be heavy and dark, but have glimpses of hope.
Perfect for…
Someone looking for a Christian suspense novel with a bit of romance, history, and faith.
Notes:
I was given a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Also, I’m an Amazon Affiliate, so I receive a commission on anything purchased through links I share at no extra cost to you.
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