Book Review and Giveaway: The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall by Jaime Jo Wright

 

The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall is another superb Gothic fiction novel by Jaime Jo Wright. 

In 1890, the bell tolls, signaling death at Traeger Hall. Waverly Pembrooke, her aunt and uncle's ward, is left alone and, with no alternative, is forced to execute the unusual terms of her paranoid uncle's will. 

When Jennie Phillips inherits the long-abandoned property at Traeger Hall, she has no idea how much the past will intrude upon her life. But a modern cold case increases the mystery surrounding the estate, and Jennie's determination to move beyond her family's past puts her in harm's way. 

Wow! Amazing! Oustanding! Loved everything about Wright's latest novel. Wish I could read it all over again. Wright weaves two women's stories together to create a suspenseful story filled with danger, family secrets, and unexpected twists and turns that keep you turning page after page. 

When Leopold and Cornelia Traegar are murdered, they leave behind a will that Waverly Pembrooke has no choice but to abide by. It leaves her with more questions than answers. An awkward friendship with undertaker Titus Fitzgerald unsettles their ward, but with only one housemaid willing to return to the estate, what is Waverly to do? When an unexpected guest arrives to take charge, Waverly can't help but be suspicious of his motives. Waverly soon discovers her uncle and Traeger Hall hold many secrets. 

In the present day, Jennie Phillips isn't quite sure how she will deal with unloading all the properties her father amassed before his death, and now that her mother is gone, she has no choice but to settle the estate. But her mother held a certain interest in Traeger Hall, and Jennie travels to the town of Newton Creek to see what she can find out. Though Leopold Traeger died long ago, Jennie discovers he and his abandoned estate have a legacy that continues to threaten the once thriving town. 

Masterfully written, this Christian Gothic suspense novel with a hint of romance is just the right book to pick up if you want a captivating novel inspired by historical events. 

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0F2PJQD15
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bethany House Publishers
• Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 21, 2025
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 2.8 MB
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled 
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled 
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 327 pages 
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1493451364

I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

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THE BELL TOLLS AT TRAEGER HALL by Jaime Jo Wright (book + gift card)

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Book Review: The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright

 

With The Vanishing at Castle Moreau, award-winning author Jaime Jo Wright has created a deftly written, hauntingly fascinating dual-time novel of two women who are connected by the mystery of a Wisconsin castle.

In 1870, Daisy Francois becomes the housemaid at Castle Moreau to escape the horrors of her life. The reclusive and eccentric owner of the castle is a Gothic authoress whose tales are as harrowing as the stories about the castle's history of missing women. 

Cleo Clemmons is hired in present day by the grandson of an American aristocratic family to help his grandmother cull the collections she has hoarded within the walls of Castle Moreau. But what Cleo uncovers among the collections is a century-old mystery with clues traveling back to another young resident of Castle Moreau in 1801.

If you enjoy Gothic novels, Christian suspense, well-written dual-time stories, or novels with strong female characters, then The Vanishing at Castle Moreau is the perfect read. From beginning to end this story will captivate you. As you connect the dots, explore the dark corners of Castle Moreau with the girl, with Daisy, and with Cleo, and unfold the mystery hidden deep within this Wisconsin castle, you won't be able to stop reading. No matter the hour, you will need to continue, because the story is just so good. 

While I certainly figured there was more to Castle Moreau than meets the eye, the thrilling conclusion of The Vanishing at Castle Moreau was unexpected and absolutely perfect. I look forward to reading more by Jamie Jo Wright. An amazing read!

Excerpt:

May 8, 1801

When I was a little girl, my father would often come to my bedside after my screams wakened him in the night. He would smooth back my damp ringlets, the mere feel of his callused and strong hand inspiring an instantaneous calm.

“What is it, little one?” he would ask me.

Every night, the same question. Every night, I would give the same answer.

“It is her again, Papa.”

“Her?” He would tilt his head, giving credence to my words and refraining from scolding or mockery.

“Yes.” I would nod, my head brushing the clean cotton of my pillowcase. “The woman with the crooked hand.”

“Crooked hand, hmm?” His query only increased my adamant insistence.

“Yes. She has a nub with two fingers.” A tear would often trail down my six-­year-­old cheek.

My father would smile with a soothing calm. “You are dreaming again, mon chéri.”

“No. She was here.” He must believe me!

“Shhh.” Another gentle stroke of his hand across my forehead. “She is the voice of the mistress of your dreams. We all have one, you know. Only yours needs extra-special care because she isn’t beautiful like the rest. She is the one who brings the nightmares, but she doesn’t mean to harm you. She is only doing her best with what she has been given, and what she has been given are her own horrors.”

“Her hand?” I would reply, even though we repeated this explanation many nights in a row.

“Yes,” my father would nod. “Her hand is a reflection of the ugliness in her stories. Stories she tells to you at night when all is quiet and your eyes are closed.”

“But they were open,” I would insist.

“No. You only think they were open.”

“I am afraid of the ghost, Papa,” I urge.

His eyes smile. “Oui. And yet there are no spirits to haunt you. Only the dream mistress. Shoo her away and she will flee. She is a mist. She is not real. See?” And he would wave his hand in the air. “Shoo, mistress. Away and be gone!”

We would survey the dark bedroom then, and, seeing nothing, my father would lean over and press his lips to my cheek. “Now sleep. I will send your mother’s dream mistress to you. Her imaginings are pleasant ones.”

“Thank you,” I would whisper.

Another kiss. The bed would rise a bit as he lifted his weight from the mattress. His nightshirt would hang around his shins, and he would pause at the doorway of my room where I slept. An only child, in a home filled with the fineries of a Frenchman’s success of trade. “Sleep, mon chéri.”

“Yes, Papa.”

The door would close.

My eyes would stay open.

I would stare at the woman with the crooked hand, who hovered in the shadows where the door had just closed. I would stare at her and know what my father never would.

She existed.

She was not a dream.

• 
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bethany House Publishers (April 4, 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0764238345
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0764238345

I received a paperback copy from the author through Partners in Crime Tours. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.