The Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright: Book Review

 **I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All thoughts are my own. 

To save the innocent, they must face an insidious evil.

Wren Blythe has long enjoyed living in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, helping her father with ministry at a youth camp. But when a little girl in the area goes missing, an all-out search ensues, reviving the decades-old campfire story of Ava Coons, the murderess who is believed to still roam the forest. Joining the search, Wren stumbles upon the Coonses' cabin ruins and a sinister mystery she is determined to unearth.

In 1930, Ava Coons has spent the last several years carrying the mantle of mystery since the day she emerged from the woods as a thirteen-year-old girl, spattered with blood, dragging a logger's ax. She has accepted she will never remember what happened to her family, whose bodies were never found, and that the people of Tempter's Creek will always blame her for their violent deaths. And after a member of the town is murdered, and another goes missing, rumors spread that Ava's secret is perhaps more malicious than previously imagined.

Two women, separated by time, must confront a wickedness that not only challenges who they are but also threatens their lives, and the lives of those they love.

Jaime Jo Wright (www.jaimewrightbooks.com) is the author of six 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.

Jaime Jo Wright is one that has quickly climbed her way up my must read list. While her stories are so often a bit darker than I typically find myself drawn to, she has such a way to telling hauntingly beautiful stories that no only draw me in, but stay with me long after the final page. As such, I could not wait to read The Souls of Lost Lake... and it absolutely did not disappoint. 

With a dual timeline jumping back and forth between present day as Wren helps search for a girl lost in the woods, haunted by the ghost story of Ava Coons and back to the 1930 to the very woman that started the legends, Ava herself. Oftentimes with dual timelines like this it can be hard to be as equally invested into both stories, but that was not the case here at all. Their stories wove together masterfully, and I found myself enjoying both equally. There was so much mystery being uncovered in both stories, and I was at the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen in the end. The story was a bit slower paced perhaps, but it worked very well for this one. 

Overall, I found it to be a fantastic read. If you are already a fan of Jaime Jo Wright, you certainly won't want to miss this one... and if you're not, this book may just change that.