Specters in the Glass House

De: Jaime Jo Wright

Narrado por: Pilar Witherspoon, Rebecca Quinn Robertson

AN OMINOUS BUTTERFLY HOUSE. A SINISTER LEGACY. AN UNTRACEABLE KILLER.

In 1921, Marian Arnold, the heiress to a brewing baron’s empire, seeks solace in the glass butterfly house on her family’s Wisconsin estate as Prohibition and the deaths of her parents cast a long shadow over her shrinking world. When Marian’s sanctuary is invaded by nightmarish visions, she grapples with the line between hallucinations of things to come and malevolent forces at play in the present.

With dead butterflies as the killer’s ominous signature, murders unfold at a steady pace. Marian, fearful she might be next, enlists the help of her childhood friend Felix, a war veteran with his own haunted past.

In the present day, researcher Remy Shaw becomes entangled in an elderly biographer’s quest to uncover the truth behind Marian Arnold’s mysterious life and the unsolved murders linked to an infamous serial killer. Joined by Marian’s great-great-grandson, can Remy expose the evil that lurks beneath broken wings?

Or will the dark legacy surrounding the manor and its glass house destroy yet another generation?

©2024 Jaime Sundsmo (P)2024 Recorded Books

The story

I enjoy the story in each time line. It was a really good story over all. One of my favorites by her.

Kept me guessing

Satisfying finish to a dual story that twisted and turned until the end. Kept me guessing.

All of the spooky chills!

Whew! Jaime Jo Wright did such a fantastic job with all of the feels and spooky chills! I’m a longtime fan, so I was anxiously awaiting another dual time masterpiece, and she did deliver an incredible novel, and a gifted narrator really brought it all to life. From 1921 to present day, you are seamlessly guided through a dual timeline extravaganza. The characters were incredibly relatable and definitely hooked you in from the very first chapter. Mullerian Manor is such a peculiar old house, and it was intriguing that the layout was such a head scratcher but that definitely amped up the freakish chills in the air. There was also a nice inspirational thread which I always appreciate. Please note that the idea of ghosts or specters are definitely part of the plot line, but there is always an explanation that is not of the supernatural. There is also very sensitive handling of mental illness that I would not think that anyone would find offensive. I am a hearing-impaired individual, so the narrator is incredibly important to me in both clarity, volume, and tone. Pilar Witherspoon and Rebecca Quinn Robertson did a top-notch job! I have also heard others comment that they were an excellent choice, and I would definitely agree.
This is Jaime Jo Wright’s twelfth book and my new favorite! Her Christy Award winning novel, The House on Foster Hill has toppled down to my second favorite. As an award-winning novelist with a Selah Award and an ECPA Bestseller as well as other awards, she definitely gets positive attention for her spooky, kooky vibe that I really enjoy, therefore her work is highly recommended.
I purchased a paperback from Baker Book House and an audio copy from Audible, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Wow! She did it again!!

What can I say but WOW!!! I don’t like to leave reviews that spoil anything for the reader so I’ll not go into a lot of detail but what a fabulous story!! Jamie has such a fabulous way of tackling some really tough issues with grace, compassion and empathy! She is so real with her characters and what they go through and without beating a person over the head with scripture she answers hard spiritual questions with simple truths ♥️♥️♥️
Way to go Jamie Jo!! Home run on this story!

A spooky new favorite!

Another brilliant, chilling read from the queen of gothic Christian mysteries! I always look forward to Jaime Jo Wright’s books. I know I’ll be in for a spooky, enjoyable ride with a touch of romance, unpredictable suspense, & a beautiful faith message captured in a dual timeline thread. Specters in the Glass House has to be a new favorite!

In 1921, Marian Arnold, heiress to her deceased parents’ brewing empire, struggles with knowing what’s read & what isn’t. After Prohibition gutted her family’s business, she’s relegated to living in her family’s Wisconsin summer home & seeks comfort in the glass butterfly house. With disturbing visions, nightmares, & a deadly serial killer leaving dead butterflies as the calling card, Marian fights to stay alive & decipher the truth along with her dear childhood friend newly returned wounded from WWI.

In the present, Remy Shaw is a researcher who’s been hired to help an elderly eccentric writer with his book about Marian & the infamous Butterfly Butcher, who was never caught. With the help of Marian’s great-great-grandson Tate, an ex-marine with a story to tell, they begin unravelling the mystery in the very place where it happened. But, when dead butterflies & murders start to occur all over again, they wonder if the killer’s legacy has come back to haunt them.

This book had me on pins & needles the whole time. I loved the way the author created such a vivid, frightening atmosphere where it was so hard to tell what was real. Though butterflies are beautiful, there’s also something a little macabre about them when they’re dead & this effect was present in full force. I also loved the symbolism of rebirth they represent. Both timelines were so captivating & I loved all the main characters. I had so much sympathy for the struggles each one went through.

Mental illness is often portrayed in a negative light in mysteries. I loved how the author tackled the struggles in a compassionate way that lended new insights. The romance in both time periods was so well done. I thoroughly enjoyed how supportive Felix & Remy were. Though they have their own problems, they really saw the person behind the illness in their respective timelines. As always, I appreciated the hopeful faith messages beautifully & naturally woven into the story.

The narrators of the audiobook were fantastic! I enjoyed both women and the way they voiced the characters from their respective time periods. They put the perfect amount of emotion into the story & really made the characters come alive. I enjoyed the way they both voiced male & female characters. Highly recommend to dual time period, gothic mystery fans!