My rating: 3/5
2 women. 2 generations. 1 haunted house. Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright is intriguingly suspenseful, combining provocative characters and an enthralling mystery, that resulted in a thrilling tale of grief, fear, and death.
“Fear is a lack of hope and a belief in the murder of our dreams, our lives, and even our salvation” – Night Falls on Predicament Avenue.
Skillfully written with a dual timeline, main character Euphemia “Effie” James accompanies her adventurous younger sister to 322 Predicament Avenue, a rumored haunted house in the small town of Shepherd, Iowa in 1901. A terrifying event happens that sends Effie on a journey to discover what actually happened that night, and which sparks much frenzy amongst the residents. A century later, main character Norah Richman lives at 322 Predicament Avenue, as the inherited owner of the house that she has converted into a bed and breakfast. The residence is notorious with rumors of ghost sightings, and a history of unsolved crimes. A famous crime podcaster arrives as a guest to investigate the unsolved crimes, one in which that sends Norah down a path to relive a burdening moment in her life she has spent years attempting to heal from. Ultimately, both Effie and Norah have an affiliation with the house that expose suppressed fears and will require hope and faith in God to overcome.
Although categorized as a Christian fiction mystery, the faith content was minimal. It was satisfying to read characters depicted praying and exercising Godly faith, however much of their desire of triumph and healing was placed in their optimism to believe and surrender to a better way of life, instead of their hope placed in Christ Jesus and His ability to redeem, deliver, and heal. Nevertheless, the novel is fast paced plot driven novel, with a well-developed suspenseful mystery that keeps the reader immersed in the story.
