The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall By Jaime Jo Wright

The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall

by Jaime Jo Wright

Publisher: Bethany House

ISBN: 9780764243806

Summary:

An abandoned estate encased in stagnant darkness . . . 
A haunting legacy intent on silencing all within reach . . . 

In 1890, the ominous tolling of the bell announces that death has come to Traeger Hall, leaving orphaned Waverly Pembrooke to piece together the puzzle behind her uncle's and aunt's murders. Bound by the terms of her uncle's eccentric will, Waverly finds herself alone in a manor shrouded by death and questioning the reasons for her uncle's paranoia. A madness hovers over Traeger Hall, and Waverly--as well as the people of nearby Newton Creek--are ill-prepared for the woe that has descended.

In present day Newton Creek, whispers of a family curse still cling to the century-old, abandoned property of Traeger Hall. When Jennie Phillips takes possession of the estate after her mother's passing, she is intent on solving the mystery of the Traeger murders. Yet a modern cold case suggests that untimely deaths and mysterious occurrences still plague the property. And as thorny truths surface, Jennie realizes the dark legacy threatens not only the town and the Traeger descendants . . . but also, chillingly, Jennie herself.

My Review:

October is the perfect month for The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall to release. I was fascinated from page one! We get 2 1/2 perspectives in this story. Waverly of 1890, Waverly of 1950, and Jennie in current day! That second Waverly added an extra element that kept me on my toes.

The author time and time again has me trying to get what's really going on and it's never until the end that it's all finally revealed. I had no clue when the truth came out! Trying to fit all of the pieces together as I read had me no where near what came to light! Now that I know what's going on, I want to start all over from the beginning with the new information.

Waverly of 1890 has had a hard life and living with her aunt & uncle isn't proving to be any better. When her uncle's insistence that he's going to be done in comes true (along with the aunt) she's left to preside over them until they're buried. During that time, she has to figure out who did it, why, and if she's next. Her one "ally"? The undertaker, Titus. Let's just say that grumpy Titus is probably my favorite character in the story! Well, we can't forget about Foo!

Waverly in 1950 alludes to a secret that she has which she'll never tell a soul and kept me running to the next chapter!

Lastly, there's Jennie. She's inherited Traeger Hall from her father who was loathsome! Her introduction to Newton Creek is one for the books! Oof! To open the Hall back up, to keep it closed is the biggest, and apparently the most dangerous, thing she can do. She has no idea who to trust in this little town with lots of secrets! There's sweet little Milo who she meets right away along with his father, Zane, and Zane's sister, Hannah! There's a lot of history with them and trying to find the answers to what's inside the Hall.

This was nail biting at its best. It was incredibly easy to dislike Uncle Leopold because he was an awful man. The author also touches on, but not in any detail about child abuse through Jennie's storyline. I appreciate how she lets us know without going into any descriptive way of letting us know!

About the Author:

Jaime Jo Wright is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author of over fifteen novels and three novellas, including Christy Award-winner and ECPA bestseller The Vanishing at Castle Moreau, Christy Award and Daphne du Maurier Award-winner The House on Foster Hill, and Carol Award-winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She lives in Wisconsin with her family and fabulous felines. Learn more at JaimeWrightBooks.com.