Tuesday, September 4, 2018

The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond

GIVEAWAY
WRIGHT, JAIME JO
THE RECKONING AT GOSSAMER POND

For over a century, the town of Gossamer Grove has thrived on its charm and Midwestern values, but Annalise Forsythe knows painful secrets, including her own, hover just beneath the pleasant facade. Yet her strange and sudden inheritance of a run-down trailer home -- full of pictures, vintage obituaries, and old revival posters -- leaves her wholly unprepared for how truly dark and deadly those secrets may be.

A century earlier, Gossamer Grove is stirred into chaos by the arrival of controversial and charismatic twin revivalists. The chaos takes a murderous turn when Libby Sheffield, while working on her father's newspaper, receives an obituary for a reputable church deacon hours before his death. As she works with the deacon's son to solve the crime, it becomes clear that a reckoning has come to town -- but it isn't until another obituary arrives at the paper that they realize the true depths of the danger they've waded into.

Two women, separated by a hundred years, must unravel the mysteries of their own town before it's too late and they lose their future -- or their very souls.

My Review:

"Life is hard and it takes guts, faith, and a massive amount of out-of-this-world grace." (p 307)

Wow...this is another how-do-I-find-the-words-to-explain-how-I-feel kind of books. Definitely masterfully written. The way Wright weaves together past and present...the pacing of information revealed, the mystery build up -- it's incredibly well done. Kept me hanging every time we flipped from 1907 to present day. And the author is infuriatingly (and delightfully) slow at revealing all the pieces of the puzzle. I went from lost, to grasping at hints of clues to formulating a hypothesis only to have it dashed and scrambling to start all over again.

At first, the stories seem so separate and unconnected in any deep way but that gradually changes with every new revelation until they converge on each other in a frantic rush of action and danger in the nail-biting conclusion. Phew! I was riveted. And a little swoony over the Gothic elements that created all that moody ambiance!

Jaime Jo Wright is a gifted wordsmith and I kept pen and paper on hand to copy down bits of exquisite perfection that I didn't want to forget. Lots had to do with the exceptional inspirational threads on forgiveness and grace woven into both time periods....mind boggling doesn't begin to cover it. Maybe the most compelling and moving I've ever read in a novel. She doesn't shy away from awkward questions and hard realities. And she writes in a way that urges the reader to dig deep and come to their own reckoning.

"Denying God's ability to forgive...is denying oneself the ability to live." (p206)

and

"One may carry guilt and shame with them for years, only to discover that while they attempted to dodge God's judgement, they instead cheated themselves of His forgiveness." (p 163)

What more can I say? Two incredible heroines, a complicated mystery that spans a century and the kind of  delicious writing that begs to be read out loud...with frequent pauses so you can sit in the moment and absorb it all. Sublime!

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday September 9 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

47 comments:

  1. Ooh! The House of Foster Hill was brilliantly complex and creepy. Looking forward to this one!

    rachaeldalquist AT yahoo DOT com

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    1. Yes! And I enjoyed this one just as much! Good luck, Rachael!

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  2. She's been a facebook friend for a while now. So happy for her success! Thanks for the awesome opportunity to win this book!

    dianemestrella at gmail dot com

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  3. Squeee I loved The House of Foster Hill and this is a MUST read for me! Thanks for your giveaway, Kav!

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    1. This one is just as good, Jackie. Good luck!

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  4. I've not had the pleasure of reading Jaime's books yet and they are on my massive TBR pile. All the rave reviews makes me anxious to read these sooner rather than later.

    teamob4 (at) gmail (dot) com

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    1. I sighed when I read, "massive TBR pile." And now I'm picturing a mountain of books piled high to the ceiling...maybe even breaking through the roof and heading into the sky. I'm kinda in awe but also relieved that my TBR pile isn't as massive. I get overwhelmed if I have more than a month's worth of books waiting for my attention. Good luck, Trixi.

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  5. Ooh, I’ve heard so many good things about this one!

    maddycroneATgmailDOTcom

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  6. Drooling over this one!! The House on Foster Hill was brilliant.. I can't wait to get my hands on every amazing book she writes!!

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    1. Ha, they should hand out bibs with this book. Bwahahaha!Definitely droolworthy! Good luck, Lea!

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  7. Delicious writing that begs to be read aloud? Count me in, Kav! :)

    ckbarker at gmail dot com

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  8. Strong and beautiful review, Kav! I know how you love a good gothic. ;-) Although, I'm excited about your "wordsmith" comment. As much as I enjoy a lighter romantic read, give me a big book with lots of details, strong diction, and delicate prose and I'm in reader nirvana.
    tlhcoupon(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. Thanks, Terrill. This is the book for you, for sure. I kept jotting down notes because the descriptions were so....mind blowingly descriptive. Like " The well-mapped world she lived in had exploded into shrapnel that spanned centuries." I mean -- pow -- doesn't that hit you between the eyes? It makes a reader see with her heart. Good luck, Terrill!

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    2. Goosebumps! Literally, after I read this comment.

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  9. Yeeep!!! So need to read this one. Thanks for your great review and giveaway.
    mindyhoung AT msn DOT com

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  10. I really must read this book!! Thanks so much for your review.

    pwestfall7 at hotmail dot com

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  11. I'm really looking forward to reading this one! I love that you said Jaime is a "gifted wordsmith" and that you had to copy down to "bits of exquisite perfection". Some authors are really gifted, and it's always a joy to read their books! Becky lelandandbecky (AT) reagan (DOT) com

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    1. This is the kind of book you want to take your time with because it's so beautifully written. Good luck, Becky.

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  12. Aren’t her books amazing my book twin. Love ❤️ love 💕 love 💗 this one.

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    1. Twinsies! Hopping up and down in excitement! We have good book taste, don't we?

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  13. Jaime Jo Wright is one more writer! Very talented!! mauback55 at gmail dot com

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  14. This cover is so eerie & sounds like it fits the book perfectly. turtle6422(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Yes -- it really is a good fit for the story inside. Good luck, Jana Leah.

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  15. I love reading creepy. cheetahthecat1986ATgmailDOTcom

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    1. Me too -- though if I was ever in a creepy situation I would not be as brave as the heroines we read about. Armchair creepiness is my thing. :-) Good luck, Kim.

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  16. Ooh, this sounds so good. I love mysteries. Thanks for having the giveaway!

    harnessrose(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. You'll love this book then, Rose. Good luck!

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  17. Wanted to read something by this author. Thanks. teshawATsbcglobalDOTnet

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  18. BOY, you have pulled me into wanting this book, thank you for the chance to win a copy.

    wfnren at aol dot com

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  19. Oh, I want to find out the secrets!
    pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

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    1. Are you sure? Bwahahahaha! Good luck, rubynreba.

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  20. This is one that I've been so anxious to read! I love this quote you shared:
    "One may carry guilt and shame with them for years, only to discover that while they attempted to dodge God's judgement, they instead cheated themselves of His forgiveness."

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    1. It's really profound, isn't it? This novel is full of wisdom like that. Good luck, SIS!

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  21. Yes, I would LOVE to read this book! Just the sort of book I enjoy reading and writing. Thanks for the intriguing review, really has me hooked! drumb at att dot net

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  22. Sounds like a really good read. carrblevins at gmail dot com

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  23. Thanks for the giveaway!

    ladysnowangelphotos(at)gmail(dot)com

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