The House on Foster Hill

Oh, a new author to follow! :) I wasn't sure what I was getting into, with the spooky tones, but I really, really loved the mystery that is strewn through the story, parallel in the two time frames as each character (Ivy and Kaine) probes into the mysterious secrets surrounding the deserted Foster Hill house. A murdered girl was found in a hollow tree a hundred years ago. Ivy, in the early 1900s, is the doctor's daughter and the keeper of the book of deaths, her way of writing obituaries for townspeople.

Ivy is considered odd after her brother's early death leaves her pensive and quiet. Her quick intuition leads to town rumors of a “second sight” and leaves her even more alone. At the young woman's mysterious death and unknown identity, Joel re-enters her life: her brother's best friend who disappeared years before and left her to face her grief alone. He's just returned as the new sheriff's deputy and is soon in the midst of the attempt to solve the crime.

Kaine, the modern-day heroine, is also doubted by her community after no real evidence shows up for a stalker she knows she has. The person who caused her husband's fatal car accident, she's sure, must still be after her. Problem is, the death was ruled accidental. Only her sister believes she's telling the truth, and isn't simply overly forgetful or suffering from some form of PTSD. Unable to stand the sinister tricks any longer, she quits her job, buys a historic home in her ancestors' hometown, and heads off to an adventure. Trouble is, the realtor's pictures were overly kind, and she finds herself in a world of hurt trying to make her new home livable. And things begin to happen there...things like what her stalker did, only more aggressive than before.

There are quite a number of creepy passages, melodies from an abandoned house, “ghosts” in the halls...but it's not sensationalized. The focus remains on the house's mysterious past rather than the creepy phenomenons. I liked having an engaging mystery with a touch of the shiver-y to keep it compelling, and I actually enjoyed both timelines equally.

Thanks to the publisher for a free ebook for review. A positive review was not required.