The Curse of Misty Wayfair

GIVEAWAY

WRIGHT, JAIME JO
THE CURSE OF MISTY WAYFAIR

 Left at an orphanage as a child, Thea Reed vowed to find her mother someday. Now grown, her search takes her to turn-of-the-century Pleasant Valley, Wisconsin. When the clues she finds lead her to a mental asylum, Thea uses her experience as a postmortem 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 haunting the asylum ruins in the woods, the long-standing story of Misty Wayfair returns -- and with it, Heidi's fears for her own life.

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

My Review:

Haunting and mysterious and nail-biting and riveting...I'm still staggering around, gobsmacked! Absolutely loved the eerie ambiance! The faint of heart might want to reserve their reading to daylight hours but if you love a good shivery thrill, read on into the darkest night.

I read The Curse of Misty Wayfair with a howling wind rattling my windows which created the perfect shivery mood. And at one point -- for no apparent reason (Misty Wayfair?!) -- the curtain rod in my study dropped off the brackets and crashed to the floor. Cue the creepy music and throw the covers over your head (but  grab a flashlight so you can read from the safety of your cocoon.) Warning: this book may induce the urge to comfort-eat chocolate. :-)

Both timelines are equally compelling. Both heroines are fascinating and I love the way Wright built up the mystery around them and the way she tantalizes readers with a slow reveal of their backstories. It makes for a deeply emotional read.

And the heroes are just as captivating...though I might have developed a slightly deeper crush for present-day Rhett, the "cranky super hero knock off" (p 83) who goes everywhere with a one-eyed dog and a mangy cat. That right there is my idea of the best kind of book boyfriend!

A rich inspirational thread binds these two timelines together in so many amazing ways! As different as Thea and Heidi are, they both struggle with the same sense of loss and abandonment. So many profound concepts that I had to just sit with a bit before I could continue reading. Like this:

"That while the past -- the consequences of the past -- might have a dire effect on me, it still doesn't change who I am. We were created to discover our Creator. In doing so, our identity is defined." (p 306)

A truly stunning not-to-be-missed novel!

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publication and Graf-Martin Communications Inc.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  The Curse of Misty Wayfair, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your 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 Saturday March 23 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!