By The Book

I was on a suspense reading-binge in 2024, but fell far behind on reviews. So I am getting caught up with brief thoughts on the books I read. Jaime Jo Wright‘s dual timeline novel The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater was one of the best of the best that I read last year. Fans of Wright’s books will love her blend of mystery and history as she keeps her readers a bit unbalanced with what is real and what is supernatural. I love that in the end both time periods are wrapped up for the reader, if not always for the characters. 😉 This novel has as its centerpiece the historic Barlowe Theater renowned in its day, yet stained by the tragedy of the lost boys. No one is certain what is true about the legend, but it is certain that there were many lost souls in the this small Wisconsin town. The influence of Wright’s own background can be seen in her characters, especially present day Kit Boyd. The theme of belonging in a world where something seems missing is explored. I could tell that this was a deeply personal book for Wright, making it more than just your average mystery. The creep factor is always strong in Wright’s books, and no less in The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater. But don’t worry there’s always a rational explanation. Although evil is never a rational element in the world. I loved the setting, the characterization, the intriguing plot twists, the page-turning suspense — basically everything!

Highly Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

It promises beauty but steals life instead. Will the ghosts of Barlowe Theater entomb them all?

Barlowe Theater stole the life of Greta Mercy’s eldest brother during its construction. Now in 1915, the completed theater appears every bit as deadly. When Greta’s younger brother goes missing after breaking into the building, Greta engages the assistance of a local police officer to help her unveil the already ghostly secrets of the theater. But when help comes from an unlikely source, Greta decides that to save her family she must uncover the evil that haunts the theater and put its threat to rest.

Decades later, Kit Boyd’s best friend vanishes during a ghost walk at the Barlowe Theater, and old stories of mysterious disappearances and ghoulish happenings are revived. Then television ghost-hunting host and skeptic Evan Fisher joins Kit in the quest to identify the truth behind the theater’s history. Kit reluctantly agrees to work with him in hopes of finding her missing friend. As the theater’s curse unravels Kit’s life, she is determined to put an end to the evil that has marked the theater and their hometown for the last century.

Jaime Jo Wright, multi award-winning author–including the Christy and Daphne du Maurier awards–is a coffee-fueled and cat-fancier extraordinaire. She has entwined her life with the legendary Captain Hook, residing serenely in Wisconsin’s rural woodlands. Her literary vocation involves penning chilling Gothic tales, a baffling change from that of Austenites, with a strong preference to the master of dark, Edgar Allan Poe. Two mischievous urchins adorn their family, who keep their mother on her toes – providing an exhilarating amount chaos.

Visit her at: http://www.jaimewrightbooks.com and listen to her podcast MadLit Musings on your favorite podcast player or at http://www.madlitmusings.com.

Tags: dual timelines, historical fiction, Jaime Jo Wright, mystery fiction, suspense fiction