The prologue to this book sucked me in immediately! It was so atmospheric with the hurricane and the wraith- perfect spooky vibes. After that, the mood seemed to settle. There were some scenes that felt more scary, but the tension and atmosphere didn't continue between the scary scenes. It read like more of a mystery than a thriller/horror. That said, it was an enjoyable mystery. I was invested throughout the whole story. 

The descriptions of Paris hit the right balance between capturing the beauty and the darkness of the city. The cast of characters were fairly fleshed out and I found myself caring about them all. There were times where I struggled to keep up with the story and plot twists, but overall it was a good read!

Book Title:  Wraith
Author:  Mark Wheaton
Audiobook Narrator: Annabelle Scott
Publisher:  Southbound
Genre: Horror/Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: September 26, 2022
My Rating:  4 Stars

This story peaked my interests as it is October so this seemed like an appropriate read. Additionally this is hurricane season in the south east. ‘Hurricane Ian’ just caused terrible destruction. 
Our protagonist Cecily LeClercq and her mother are trying to remain safe during a hurricane hitting the Carolinas. Young Cecily witnessed her mother’s death during this hurricane. 
 This trauma has led her to lead a life of isolation. She enjoys working for a florist in Charleston, SC - retrieving cuttings and pieces of plants for the florist’s use.

One day, Rene, a Frenchmen stops at the building where she works and tells her that her great grandmother who lives in France has requested to see her. 
Cecily make the trip to France as she is looking forward to meet the last of her mother’s family. 
She soon learns about history of her LeClercq ancestors. 
It seems a nasty wraith materializing whenever the death of a LeClercq is near. 

The audiobook narrator did a fab job performing the character including the beautiful French language.
 
I am not a big Horror fan so when I read several reviews stating this was more mystery than horror, I was sure it would work for me.
It DID work; I liked it.
However, I knew with a title like ‘Wraith” there had to be some horror but it was more “Horror for Beginners”!

Want to thank NetGalley and Southbound for this eGalley. 
Publishing Release Date was September 26, 2022

Reading the premise of this book, I was so intrigued. I am always in the mood for spooky books in October so I instantly requested it. 

Wraith over promised and under delivered. 

There were consistency issues throughout the entire book. Things didn't add up in any way, shape, or form. The setting of the old family castle could have been incredible, except we were never there. The main plot pieces were repetitive, with nothing changing with every confusing encounter when the Wraith came on page. 

There was so much potential here, but it fell incredibly flat. Also, the story could have ended 200 pages sooner than it did. Easily.

Wraith by Mark Wheaton, narrated by Annalee Scott

When Cecily was young, she witnessed her mother's death and since that night Cecily has spent her lonely youth in the Carolina wetlands.  With a sudden change of pace and old dying relative in France, Cecily heads out to meet this family member.  The long journey to France and what she discovers after landing keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting for what will happen next.  

This was a hard one for me to get into.  I did enjoy the story, the characters and the overall story line.  The only part that didn't connect for me was the depth of the Wraith.  It didn't come off as scary or something to be afraid of. 

Thank you NetGalley and Southbound for the ARC.

Cecily LeClercq witnessed her mother’s death at a very young age and spent her youth in the Carolina wetlands. One day, Cecily is approached by a stranger from Paris who informs her that an elderly distant relative would like to see her before she dies. Cecily then travels to a remote chateau deep in the French woods where she learns of a curse which has been plaguing her family for generations. A ghostly wraith who only appears when a LeClercq is nearby.

This book sounded interesting and like a great read/listen for the fall season. While parts of this were entertaining and enjoyable, the other parts were not that thrilling. I was hoping for more creepy elements, more of a Gothic feel, more suspense, and more tension. I did not feel that the Wraith itself was very scary, but I was intrigued to learn the connection with the family.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. Others enjoyed this more than I did, so please seek out their reviews as well.

Thank you to Southbound and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me listen to this ARC. 
This one had me a little confused at times but turned out to be pretty good. It was quite imaginative but it still held my interest. 
Narrator did a great job as well.

Cecily has spent most of her life alone in the wetlands of South Carolina. That all changes when she learns she has a dying relative in France who wants to meet her while there is till time. The chateau is buried deep in the forest on France and the creep factor is high as Cecily learns of the family curse, one that brings a ghostly presence to the chateau whenever a member of the family is near death. This is a literate gothic novel with thrills and chills guaranteed to keep readers up at night

Thanks for making me afraid of France, and being a countess, and lawyers. I will never get over it. 
This a good creepy audiobook. The narrator was amazing. She was perfect for this role! 
The setting was great. I would love to see that forest. 
What else can I say? I will need a week to process this one.