Suspense Across the Decades -- The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus

Since I follow several authors and readers on social media, I hear about a lot of "must-read" books and "must-read" authors. Because of an already never-ending TBR (to-be-read) backlog of  books and  a constant stream of new releases by my several favorites, I just don't have the time to read every "must-read" that I see recommended.

But . . . I am so glad I caved to the pressure and decided The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus by Jaime Jo Wright was one I must read. What did I like about the book? Pretty much everything! The characters, the circus setting, the mystery, and the dual timeline all come together into a well-crafted story. There are dark, almost spooky elements that are important parts of the story, but they just serve to keep the mystery alive. At the real heart of it all, though, are deep searches for truth, love, belonging, and healing stretching across decades of history of a small town and its circus.

If this book is a good representation of this author's writing, I hope to find the opportunity to read more of her books.

I highly recommend The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus to anyone who might enjoy a deep, complex mystery carried along by hope and faith.

About the Book

Welcome to Bonaventure Circus,
where misfits go to hide.

In 1928, the Bonaventure Circus has become a refuge for many, but Pippa Ripley was rejected from its inner circle as a baby and is no longer content to leave the reason for that rejection unquestioned. When she receives mysterious messages from someone called the "Watchman," she is determined to find him and the connection to her birth. As Pippa's search leads her to a man seeking justice for his murdered sister and evidence that a serial killer has been haunting the circus train, she must decide if uncovering her roots is worth putting herself directly in the path of the killer.

Decades later, an old circus train depot's future hangs in the balance--it will either be torn down or preserved for historical importance, and its fate rests on Realtor Chandler Faulk's shoulders. As she dives deep into the depot's history, she's also balancing a newly diagnosed disease and the pressures of single motherhood. When she discovers clues to unsolved murders of the past, Chandler is pulled into a story far darker and more haunting than even an abandoned train depot could portend.

About the Author

Jaime Jo Wright (www.jaimewrightbooks.com) is the author of six novels, including Christy Award winner The House on Foster Hill and Carol Award winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She's also the Publishers Weekly and ECPA bestselling author of two novellas. Jaime lives in Wisconsin with her cat named Foo; her husband, Cap'n Hook; and their littles, Peter Pan and CoCo. To learn more, visit www.jaimewrightbooks.com.

Dual Timeline Amish Story -- Piecing It All Together

Leslie Gould's Piecing It All Together is a great start to her Plain Patterns series. 

The dual timeline provides an intriguing element to the story and brings to light interesting pieces of history. Although the setting is primarily Amish, there are interesting characters in both time periods from a variety of  backgrounds. While romance is not the main theme, there is a nice amount of it woven into the plot. And both stories work together to form a very cohesive and engaging read. 

Fans of well-written Amish fiction should enjoy this captivating story. I look forward to more installments in this series.

Thanks to the author and her publisher, Bethany House, for providing a copy of Piecing It All Together. I am happy to share my own thoughts in this review.   

About the Book

When Everything's Fallen Apart, Can She Piece Together the Truth?

After Savannah Mast's fiancé dumps her a week before their wedding, she flees California for the safety of her Amish grandmother's farm near Nappanee, Indiana, where she used to spend her summers. Savannah intends her stay to be brief, but when an Amish woman goes into labor in the middle of a blizzard and needs Savannah's help, she finds herself unexpectedly entangled in their family's drama. The woman's oldest daughter, Miriam, goes missing and Savannah's childhood friend Tommy Miller is implicated.

Jane Berger, the local historian and owner of a nearby quilt shop, tells her a similar tale of another woman's disappearance in the 1800s, inspiring Savannah to do all she can to help with the search for Miriam. But when Tommy's own cousin testifies against him, she isn't sure who she can trust.

And when events stir up painful memories of her mother, she must face her own truth: that her engagement isn't the only thing in her life that is broken.

About the Book

Leslie Gould (www.lesliegould.com) is a Christy Award-winning and #1 bestselling author of over 35 novels, including four Lancaster County Amish series. She holds an MFA in creative writing and, besides writing fulltime, teaches at Warner Pacific University. She and her husband live in Portland, Oregon, and are the parents of four adult children.