Jaime Jo Wright: The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond

By Kelly Bridgewater

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 faade. 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.

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My Thoughts:

Jaime Jo Wright is making a name for herself in time-slip mysteries. I really enjoy historical mysteries, but for years, I have had a hard time finding an author who would do it justice. Wright has stepped up the genre game and has impressed me with her stories. I thoroughly enjoyed The House on Foster Hill, so I couldn't wait to get a copy of The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. Gossamer Pond was much more exciting than Foster Hill. Wright did an awesome job writing this time-slip mystery.

Her writing is clear and concise. I had no problem visualizing the small town of Gossamer Pond. From the quirky characters to the historical buildings and town. I loved traveling through the town in present day with Annalise and Garrett and traveling with Libby in the past.

The mystery was deeply woven together from the past to the present. I don't know how Wright kept track of who showed what before the other story learned it, but she does a wonderful job at weaving two timelines together. As for the mystery, I really enjoyed it. I had some suspicions on who did the killing, but Wright pulled someone out that I really didn't see doing it. I flipped back through the story to see if I could follow the trail of clues. The past one I found the trail, but the present one, I didn't find any clues to signify that person. Oh, well. Maybe need to study more. Overall, the mystery kept my attention, and I couldn't read the story fast enough. I wanted to spend more time reading, but life gets in the way.

As for the romance, I really didn't feel anything toward one set of characters over another. They were both interesting and had past elements they needed to reconcile and move forward with. I didn't see the past relationship coming at all. But I'm glad the present relationship moved forward with the hurts from the past.

The spiritual element of redeeming the past rang pretty strong and clear in this novel. Wright doesn't shove it down my throat, instead, she wraps it in a wonderful tale. 

In conclusion, The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond is a captivating tale of mystery filled with a plot of quirky characters who make the story what it is. I spent a lot of time investing in reading this story, and I thoroughly loved it. I really can't wait to read Wright's next book. Fans of Johanna Davidson Politano and Wright's first book would love this book.

I received a complimentary copy of The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond by Jaime Jo Wright from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own. 

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars