Jaime Jo Wright's novel, The House on Foster Hill is a wonderful debut. It's full of suspense and mysteries. Romance and danger. Both Ivy and Kaine are looking for the answers to help solve a murder, making new discoveries about themselves and correcting past mistakes. Kaine has bought the house on Foster Hill as a way to get away from her life in California after her husband is murdered two years ago. The house has always been mysterious, even a century earlier when there was a murdered girl found. The story switches between Ivy and Kaine, past and present. I enjoy the the dual timeline of the story and especially liked Ivy's story. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

I want to thank NetGalley/Bethany House for the opportunity to read this book and give my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this! It's a first full-length novel from this author, and I must say I was impressed. It's part historical AND contemporary mystery with some romance. A slight complaint is in its length (I think it could have been tightened up a little more). It was well-written, with some twists and turns, as well as including some wonderfully strong, courageous women tackling some horrific plights. 5/🌟 Thanks NetGalley!

This was an intriguing dual mystery, though I had hoped for a bit more suspense. It's told from two points of view. In the present day we have Kaine, still grieving the loss of her husband and looking for a new start away from old memories and a stalker. Her husband's death had been ruled an accident but in her heart she knows it was a murder. The police ignored her suspicions, and her stalker even though she could have made several enemies while helping to get other women out of abusive situations.

On the other hand we have Ivy. A century ago Ivy had assisted in the autopsy of a murdered woman whose body was found near what would later become Kaine's home. When it became apparent that the murdered woman had recently given birth, Ivy was willing to risk her own life to find the baby, and the murderer. As the mystery of the past unravels we slowly learn how it pertains to Kaine. I did enjoy the way the stories intertwined these two strong female characters.

“The House on Foster Hill” is a novel that manages to interweave multiple genres seamlessly in order to develop an extremely satisfying story. The book features dual stories of resilient women separated by a century and a plethora of secrets: Ivy and Kaine. Through each woman’s chapters, Wright leaves the reader with clues to unravel the overarching mystery, while instilling hope throughout disparaging circumstances.

“Call her Gabriella.”

The novel begins with Ivy Thorpe, a young woman who assists her father—the town doctor—in an autopsy of a woman Ivy names “Gabriella.” The woman was found stuffed in the hollow of a tree near the Foster Hill House, the mysterious abandoned home of the original Foster family. After discovering that Gabriella had recently borne a child, Ivy resolves to discover the fate of the missing infant—as well as the events that led to its mother’s death.

Ivy is not alone in her inquiries; Joel Cunningham has come home after a 12-year absence, and this time he is a detective. Joel and Ivy had had a bond during their teenage years that expired with the death of her brother, Andrew. Though Ivy’s heart toward Joel is a stone, the two realize that this investigation is fated to involve them both, and they must work together.

Kaine is running. She is certain that someone killed her husband Danny; and, after realizing that she has a stalker, she is convinced this person is responsible for her husband’s death. After two years of discouragement from the police, she is determined to make a new start in the town of her great-great-grandmother, Ivy. To honor her late husband, she purchases the house on Foster Hill Road with plans to restore it, as he would have.

Upon arrival, Kaine sees daffodils—her stalker’s calling card—propped against the house’s doorframe. Panicked, she drives into town looking for safety in numbers. She meets a woman named Joy, and later she befriends Grant, another local. These people become her safe haven in a time and place she feels anything but safe. Kaine learns to trust Grant, and the two begin to form a bond that leads them to investigate her family history to learn the secrets that previous generations buried.

Over the course of the novel, the reader learns the importance of family ties—and how far some people will go to protect their family’s name. “The House on Foster Street” delivers first-rate Christian fiction, but it also has themes of mystery/suspense, as well as romance. Wright does an excellent job of creating a story in which the Christian line of thought feels natural and believable to readers. The characters are three-dimensional, and the well-crafted plot resolves itself without leaving the reader with unanswered questions. Wright has produced a gripping read in which enduring hope provides a path for the absolution of old hurts and a capacity for new beginnings.