Review: The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus by Jaime Jo Wright

 

Welcome to Bonaventure Circus,

where misfits go to hide.

In 1928, the Bonaventure Circus has become a refuge for many, but Pippa Ripley was rejected from its inner circle as a baby and is no longer content to leave the reason for that rejection unquestioned. When she receives mysterious messages from someone called the "Watchman," she is determined to find him and the connection to her birth. As Pippa's search leads her to a man seeking justice for his murdered sister and evidence that a serial killer has been haunting the circus train, she must decide if uncovering her roots is worth putting herself directly in the path of the killer.

Decades later, an old circus train depot's future hangs in the balance--it will either be torn down or preserved for historical importance, and its fate rests on Realtor Chandler Faulk's shoulders. As she dives deep into the depot's history, she's also balancing a newly diagnosed disease and the pressures of single motherhood. When she discovers clues to unsolved murders of the past, Chandler is pulled into a story far darker and more haunting than even an abandoned train depot could portend.

My Thoughts:

I am a very sated reader at this time since I have just finished this story. This was a read that captivated me with the time split storyline and the circus was the main theme of each.

In 1928 Pippa Ripley is a young woman who has her life all planned out- just not by her. Her adopted father is a very controlling man of his wife, daughter, circus, and even of Forrest her fiancé. Even though Pippa grew up in a well to do home, she has never felt like she belonged. It was no secret she was abandoned as a baby, that her mother died, but she longed to know who her parents were anyway. 

Chandler Faulk is a modern day young woman and single mother who is also trying to prove herself. She travels to the old Bonaventure Circus grounds with plans to persuade her uncle to revive it into shops with a circus theme. But the moment Chandler gets there the ghosts from the past begin to make a little more noise than usual. What really is going on and does Chandler have the strength to find out?

I was engrossed in each timeline as each were so closely tied together. There were secrets from the past that continued to invade the present. There was a creepy unknown character called the Watchman, a couple of romances to root for, and the love and sacrifices of family was prominent. The heroines both had limitations. There were murder mysteries and generational guilt, blame, and shame. (I tried to guess the culprit and failed.) And there was a sweet puppy and baby elephant. Toss in some genuine creepiness with a couple of rough heroes and you have a sublime read.

This was my first book that I have read by author Wright and I am a fan. I look forward to reading more of her stories.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Jaime Jo Wright (www.jaimewrightbooks.com) is the author of five novels, including Christy 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 littles, Peter Pan and CoCo. To learn more, visit www.jaimewrightbooks.com.