The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond

Title: The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond
Author:  Jaime Jo Wright
Series: Stand-Alone
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Time-Slip (Historical & Contemporary)
Publishing Date: July 3, 2018

About the Book:

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 faade. When a man is found dead in his run-down trailer home, Annalise inherits the trailer, along with the pictures, vintage obituaries, and old revival posters covering its walls. As she sorts through the collection, she’s wholly unprepared for the ramifications of the dark and deadly secrets she’ll uncover.

A century earlier, Gossamer Grove has been stirred into chaos by the arrival of controversial and charismatic twin revivalists. The chaos takes a murderous turn when Libby Sheffield, working at 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 unravel the mystery behind the crime, it becomes undeniably clear that a reckoning has come to town–but it isn’t until another obituary arrives that they realize the true depths of the danger they’ve waded into.

Two women, separated by a hundred years, must uncover the secrets within the borders of their own town before it’s too late and they lose their future–or their very souls.

My Review:

Wow! I won’t lie, I was debating on reading this book to begin with because I was worried it was going to be “ghost spooky” but I was completely wrong. It’s a murder mystery with plenty of suspense, and was one that was not easy to put down! I read it in less than 24 hours, but it was a struggle thinking about what was going to happen next in-between being able to read. I’m definitely glad I got my hands on a copy of this!

We all sin.We are all broken people. Some people’s sins are known to the public, and others are desperately kept as secrets. The message in this book that “we are all broken people,” is such a true statement and should actually bring us together instead of tearing us apart. When we try to hide our sin, it often finds a way to torment us. Confession can ultimately be what leads us to true healing and reconciliation. If not dealt with, some sins can have generational consequences.

Something I really appreciate about Jaime’s writing style, is how she is able to balance heart-racing suspense while managing to reveal deep, spiritual truths. It flows naturally and in thought-provoking ways that cause you to feel deeper connections to the characters as you process your own thoughts towards not only their experiences, but your own as well. You don’t have to relate to the specific sins in the story to be able to relate to the emotions and consequences of hiding sin. But there is a peace that we can receive in Christ through confession. Now, I’m not saying we need to broadcast our sins to everyone around us, but there is benefit to going directly to the people we’ve wronged and seek reconciliation.

This story was full of so many twists and turns I was honestly not sure how it was going to end. I yelled, I cried, I gasped. Especially through the last 100 pages or so, I wasn’t walking away from the book for anything! (Well, except fora few moments to compose myself 😉 ). The suspense had me captivated and had my heart racing like I was running a marathon!

This was the first time I’ve read one of Jaime Jo Wright’s books, but after this I’m sure it won’t be my last! I highly recommend this book. I also recommend starting at a time where you can stay put for a while, because you won’t want to walk away. It was an intense, emotional ride, but it was well worth the read!

*I received a copy of this book through a giveaway from the author. I was not required to give a positive review. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.

Rating: 

Age Appropriateness/Content Warnings:

*PLEASE NOTE: This section may contain mild spoilers but I do my best to reveal the difficult and/or triggering content without giving away the story.

Due to the intensity and content of the suspense in this book, I would strongly suggest parental discretion before considering this for younger readers. There are multiple scenes that are investigated to be either murder or suicide. There is home invasion including violence. There are several instances of infidelity and premarital relations, but they are only talked about- not actual scenes in the book. There is also a past teen pregnancy that resulted in adoption. This book deals with some heavy, life-altering sins. I personally wouldn’t recommend under age 15.