MY REVIEW:

Once again Jaime Jo Wright has provided her readers with a masterpiece of storytelling. The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater has just the right blend of spooky legends, intriguing characters, mystery and romance within the pages of the dual time novel.

The story bounces back and forth between 1915 and present day in the Wisconsin town of Kipper’s Grove and most of the action centers around the infamous Barlowe Theater where people have died and/or disappeared.

The historical account features poor Greta Mercy and her wealthy friends Oscar and Eleanor Boyd. When Greta’s brother disappears, she will do anything to discover what happened to him. With the aid of Oscar and Eleanor, she takes multiple risks to discover the truth.

Present day narrative features Kit Boyd who agreed to be present with her friend for a taping of a popular psychic show in the theater. When her friend disappears, Kit too is determined to solve the mystery, With the help of one of the show’s hosts, Evan Fischer, they are met with roadblocks at every step. As they search for clues, they discover some of the past history of the theater.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater with all its unexpected twists and surprises. As is always the case with Wright’s books, there is eventually a logical explanation for everything. However, it is always fun to experience her delightfully spooky tales that hint of supernatural involvement. It was a perfect tale for autumn reading.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jaime Jo Wright (JaimeWrightBooks.com) is the author of ten 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 a two-time Christy Award finalist, as well as the ECPA bestselling author of The Vanishing at Castle Moreau and two Publishers Weekly bestselling novellas. Jaime lives in Wisconsin with her family and felines.

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Children of the Shadows by Erica Vetsch, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

MY REVIEW:

I can truthfully say that I have not read a single book by Erica Vetsch that I did not enjoy. My one complaint is that each series must reach its end before I am ready to leave its characters behind. Once again I have reached the end of another series and no, I am not ready to leave Daniel and Juliette. I am quite certain that the two of them must have more adventures ahead of them. Perhaps a new series featuring the pair could be arranged (hint, hint?)

Children of the Shadows lives up to its mysterious title in every way. Daniel Swann is up to his eyeballs in trying to solve an important case while attempting to keep his superior on the force happy. Yet everywhere he turns he seems to hear about another street child who has vanished. Although that situation does not seem to be at all important to those in charge, Daniel and his team do what they can to learn what happened to the children. Little do they know that the disappearing children might just be connected with his current case. Daniel’s personal life has taken an interesting turn as well with family secrets including a contested inheritance revealed and his romantic relationship with Juliette that must be kept quiet at least until her parents return from a business trip.

To avoid revealing too much, I will just say that Children of the Shadows is filled with multiple plot twists and a big surprise or two that kept me up late because I had to know what happened next. As stated above, I love this author’s books and highly recommend that you read the entire series.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by JustReads Publicity. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Title: Children of the Shadows Series: Thorndike & Swann Regency Mysteries #3 Author: Erica Vetsch Publisher: Kregel Publications Release Date: October 23, 2023 Genre: Christian Regency Mystery

Detective Daniel Swann and debutante Juliette Thorndike once again team up to solve a dangerous mystery–while trying to keep their growing romance secret.

Someone is preying upon the street children of Regency London. They seem to think no one will notice when urchins go missing–and even if they are noticed, who will care?

Daniel needs to do something about the missing children. But with recent revelations about his past and an unexpected, somewhat unwelcome inheritance to deal with, this is a terrible time to dive back into the seedy underbelly of the crime world. Nevertheless, he’s still a Bow Street runner, and his partner Lady Juliette is sensitive to the plight of these wayward youngsters. They’re on the case, searching shadowed alleys and coal-drenched streets to find the missing.

But the tangle of expectation and the dynamics of power cannot be easily ignored, even if there are children in danger. When Daniel’s past threatens to overwhelm his future, he will need a miracle and the help of his friends to both apprehend the villain and unravel his tangled family web. And it may be that his new responsibilities demand that he leave the children of the shadows to their terrible fate–or lose everything.

Erica Vetsch’s popular Regency mystery series concludes with a bang, sure to satisfy readers who have hung on every page since book one.

PURCHASE LINKS:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop | BookBub

More in This Series

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Erica Vetsch is a New York Times best-selling author and ACFW Carol Award winner, and has been a Romantic Times top pick for her previous books. She loves Jesus, history, romance, and watching sports. This transplanted Kansan now makes her home in Rochester, Minnesota.

Connect with Erica by visiting ericavetsch.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.

GIVEAWAY:

(1) winner will win a complete paperback set of the Thorndike and Swann series, and a $10 amazon gift card

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 23, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 30, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

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