The Vanishing at Castle Moreau is another shiver-y good read from Jaime Jo Wright. Her latest novel is now my very favorite. (I know I say that every time I read one of her books 😉 .) The characters are wonderfully complex and the storylines kept me turning the pages. And the very gothic castle placed in Wisconsin was a wonderful atmospheric element. Very highly recommended!
Title: The Vanishing at Castle Moreau
Author: Jaime Jo Wright
Genre: Historical Suspense, Historical Romance, Inspirational Fiction
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (April 4, 2023)
Length: (384) pages
Format: Hardcover, trade paperback, eBook, & audiobook
ISBN: 978-0764238345
Tour Dates: March 27 – April 10, 2023
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A haunting legend. An ominous curse. A search for a secret buried deep within the castle walls.
In 1870, orphaned Daisy François takes a position as housemaid at a Wisconsin castle to escape the horrors of her past life. There she finds a reclusive and eccentric Gothic authoress who hides tales more harrowing than the ones in her novels. As women disappear from the area and the eerie circumstances seem to parallel a local legend, Daisy is thrust into a web that could ultimately steal her sanity, if not her life.
In the present day, Cleo Clemmons is hired by the grandson of an American aristocratic family to help his grandmother face her hoarding in the dilapidated Castle Moreau. But when Cleo uncovers more than just the woman’s stash of collectibles, a century-old mystery and the dust of the old castle’s curse threaten to rise again . . . this time to leave no one alive to tell the sordid tale.
Award-winning author Jaime Jo Wright seamlessly weaves a dual-time tale of two women who must do all they can to seek the light amid the darkness shrouding Castle Moreau.
PRAISE FOR THE VANISHING AT CASTLE MOREAU
- “Wright (The Souls of Lost Lake) captivates with a thrilling tale of two women who get caught up in the secrets of a Wisconsin castle…The twisting, fast-moving plot is loaded with secrets, and the characters remain morally ambiguous until the end. Readers won’t want to put this down.”— Publisher’s Weekly
- “Wright (The Premonition at Withers Farm) pens another delightfully creepy tale where nothing is quite as it seems and characters seek freedom from nightmares both real and imagined.”— Library Journal
- “Jaime Jo Wright never disappoints, and The Vanishing at Castle Moreau is no exception. With real, flawed characters who grapple with real-life struggles, this gripping suspense novel will draw readers in from the very first page. Good luck putting it down. I couldn’t.”— Lynette Eason, bestselling author of the Extreme Measures series
PURCHASE LINKS
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Jaime Jo Wright is the author of eight novels, including Christy Award and Daphne du Maurier 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 two mini-adults, Peter Pan and CoCo.
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My Impressions:
Jaime Jo Wright is known for her gothically-good split time novels in which nothing is really as it seems. She has exceeded my expectations with The Vanishing at Castle Moreau. A crumbling castle in rural Wisconsin is the setting for two storylines featuring the famous or infamous Moreau-Tremblay family. Women have gone missing for over a century and the inhabitants of the castle as well as the castle itself is blamed. The unfolding of the mystery takes place in both the historical and modern-day narratives. The two main characters, Daisy and Cleo, have shadowy pasts of their own, and I loved how Wright mixed their own personal horrors with those of the castle. It really is a twisty tale that kept me guessing and turning the pages as fast as I could. I usually favor one storyline over another in a split time novel, but in The Vanishing at Castle Moreau, I was equally engaged. I was cheering both heroines on in their quest to discover the truth and to find healing from the injustices done to them. While somewhat of a ghastly ghost story, this novel is filled with beauty and hope. The only negative I have with the book is its lack of epilogue. I really, really, really wanted to know the rest of the story for Cleo and Deacon. The novel is not a romance, but I wanted it to be. 😉 It’s probably best for me to imagine my rest of the story. There are some deep themes and issues addressed in the novel making it a perfect choice for a book club selection. So grab some friends and start the discussion.
Very Highly Recommended.
Great for Book Clubs.
Audience: adults.
(I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
Fabulous review!! I am looking forward to eventually reading this one!